Tips

Tips and Thoughts

Miscellaneous

Try using two picture hooks when hanging a picture. Your pictures will stay straight and level, even if you bump them!

Need to protect your furniture from hot serving dishes? Use a 6 or 12 inch rough glazed decorative tile.

Use small pieces of moleskin (available in the foot care section of the grocery store or pharmacy) on the underside of anything scratchy (like the glazed decorative tile mentioned above) to protect a table top or display surface.

When adding extension cords in a room, choose a color that blends into the background. They come in at least five different colors. If you must put one in a very obvious or exposed spot and can't find a color that works, think about painting the cord. This is also a good idea for any light fixtures with hanging cords...paint them to match the background and they don't stick out like a sore thumb!

Color and Paint

If you decide to repaint a room, don't forget the ceiling! Most people do them in white, but other colors can add a special look to the room. If you want the ceiling to appear higher, paint it a lighter color....use a color two steps lighter on the color chip than your wall color. If you want a cozier feel then choose a color one or two steps darker than the wall color. Always remember to consider how much natural light a room gets when choosing colors.

When choosing paint finishes, consider a semi-gloss, pearl or satin rather than flat or even eggshell. That extra glimmer from a glossier surface and add a wonderful reflective light to the room, especially at night with the warm glow of incandescent light. Glossier surfaces are far easier to wipe clean. Just remember, if the walls are not smooth and in good shape choose the eggshell or one step glossier: the higher the gloss of the paint the more the wall's imperfections will stand out.

Can't decide what color to paint a room? Look at your furnishings, artwork or treasured collections or keepsakes. Is there a color that stands out that would enhance what you already have? Do you have a favorite color, one that really makes you happy....perhaps you choose it in the clothes you wear? If a color just seems too strong for you, then choose a lighter version of that color....and remember, when you start to paint the wall DON'T PANIC if it seems just too much. Once you fill the walls with artwork and the furniture is back in place it will break up the wall and soften everything.

To help you make the final decision try painting a section of the wall (couple of feet) and live with it for a week or so....you can always paint over it. Benjamin Moore™ sells some of their most popular colors in small containers for just that purpose. If you don't want to test it on the wall itself, then get a piece of wall board, paint it and leave it in the room and live with it for a week. Then take the plunge! The great thing about paint is....you can always repaint.

When choosing a color scheme for a room try to limit yourself to no more than three colors, even if you choose a monochrome color schemes (different shades of the same color family).