For our home office makeover I decided to paint the walls a metallic gold after my mother-in-law, Natalia, suggested to do it. After trying out several different brands, Modern Masters won me over with its amazing color selection and incredible coverage. Most metallic paints need a primer undercoat, but not this one. I picked three samples to test: Brass, Green Gold and Gold Rush. The color of choice for us was Brass. Take a look:
The exterior painting of our home is finally completed, including the entrance gate that became a dilemma. After a little deliberation I decided to forgo an accent shade altogether and paint the entire house in the same color. In the future I may try to go bold again, but for now keeping it simple is best. Take a look at a few before and after (in our home's new color) photos:
Many thanks to those who offered their opinion of my accent color dilemma. I particularly liked MT's comment on Cocoon's Facebook page.
One item on the "house" to do list is painting its exterior. With so many hues and color combinations to choose from, I'm finding myself drawn to very dark shades of grey, green and even black. Plants and many elements, such as wood and metal, stand out against dark canvases and provide dramatic contrasts. Take a look at 7 very inspiring exterior images:
How awesome is that orange door? It wouldn't have the same effect if the exterior of the house were light, now would it?!?
Click here to find out what color I hope to paint our house.
I've been enjoying seeing rooms that break the standard painting rule of light to white moldings complementing colored walls. Painting inside the box puts the accent on the windows, moldings and doorways. This is especially good if you don't want to commit to an actual color or if you prefer your walls bare. The painted moldings become your art.
In the above photo the moldings and the doors were painted black to accentuate the woodwork, lending drama and depth to the space.
For a recent project Cocoon Home Design painted a young boy's bedroom moldings and door in Benjamin Moore's Old Blue Jeans to give the space a subtle, yet playful sense of color.
In this case the doors are painted high gloss black while the surrounding moldings are white. I love how these two doors give the room balance. Notice that since there's nothing on the walls, the high gloss doors are the focal point in this space.
This kitchen is light in color but the effect is the same. Detailing the doorways, cabinets and windows makes the space visually interesting without overdoing it.
Why not try something new next time you paint?
Ikea's Kura bunk bed won me over. At $199 plus a few coats of white paint it looks just as cool as the ones featured in the post, To Bunk or Not to Bunk. With its bottom bunk resting on the floor the Kura is a perfect fit for our 4ft knee walls. Take a look at how the space was transformed from a boys' room to a 'unisex' space for 3.
The Kura bed before several coats of white paint.
The colorful pattern of the rug promted a change in the ceiling stripes. The blue and beige stripes were repainted in an orange and dark pink.
As one can image everyone wants the top bunk, so by rotating the monogrammed pillowcases everyone gets a chance to sleep in the most desirable spot. No slights = no fights.