By Sylvia O’Brien of Colour Theory

2010 will bring two distinct points of view  to colour in decor .

One trend is driven by Generation Y… one by we boomers.

      According to the colour forecasters at Pittsburgh Paints, the Gen Y kids want fantasy. They are influenced & delighted by the strong colours ever-present on the world wide web. They know colour is accessible, affordable and can easily be re-invented when it comes in the form of paint.

       The strength of  bright colour supports the act of throwing caution to the wind, reinvention, and change, change, change. Visualize red & yellow with a hit of electric blue…or chartreuse and turquoise with a dollop of magenta. High voltage choices to exhibit the mindset of the fearless young.

      Their parents (the boomers) have a different plan. They’ll want a break from the incessant visual stimulus that they are inundated with every day. They’ll be drawn to cooler shades and calmer chroma. Think, warm greys, taupes and ‘coffee culture’ brown tones with hints of colour in the form of accents - oranges, golds or muted purples.    These  accent colours can all be found in today’s appliances…. along with a lot more colours! Clever appliance manufacturers aren’t they?

Our homes are our sanctuary, no matter what generation we were born into.

 For the Boomers, cocooning is nowhere near over. The Gen Y kids don’t get that yet!

Sylvia O’Brien is a colour consultant and creative director of Colour Theory, Toronto, Canada

416-766-6789

 

Choosing a paint colour can be a daunting task for some. You may have no idea what you want, what will look good in the room, and once you choose it there may be second thoughts. This has happened on occasion at the jobs that we work on! Customers may be weary of their choice or they may be completely positive of their choice and end up changing their minds after a first coat has been put on the wall. Sometimes the homeowner’s are in a state of ’shock’ and it is something to get used to (like a new haircut), in this case it is best as the homeowner to give it some time as this may be the reaction to any colour put in the room. However, sometimes it is a definite and unhappy response to the colour. In this case it is important to determine what it is about the colour that they don’t like and work with them to improve their experience with us by finding the best fit. This would cause a small lengthening to the job and a slight price adjustment if necessary. It is all worth it when the customer walks into the room and has a totally opposite and positive reaction to the colour. Making the customer happy with the job is our interior painters number one priority!

Joanne

By Sylvia O’Brien / Colour Theory

Do you remember the first time your parents let you paint a wall?

 I was eleven & had been pleading for at least a year to  paint  my half of the bedroom I shared with my sister. I guess part of it was staking claim on my own ‘space’ ,even though we shared the same air.
My dad, a patient man, supervised the whole process and taught me all the little painter’s techniques he knew… tapping the brush against the inside of the can to push more paint into the bristles…painting an edge in against the woodwork first with full concetration & knitted brow…not leaving the clean-up to him or my mother! All good lessons for an aspiring painter to grasp.
My own son started earlier.
He was three & a half when he wanted to contribute to the exterior painting I was conducting one warm spring day. Nothing could sway his interest…He was on a mission as only a child of that age can be.
By the time he’ d said “but why not mummy?” the millionth time, the answer dawned on me.
I gave him a  small can and a brush and set him to work painting the deck  floor……. He happily painted the deck, seeing it darken as he worked, never suspecting that what was in the can was….water!
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Sylvia O’Brien is a colour consultant and creative director of Colour Theory, Toronto, Canada

416-766-6789
http://www.colourtheory.net/

• By Sylvia O’Brien / Colour Theory 

  Ever been on the house hunt, pulled up to the curb of a potential new home and didn’t even get out of the car? The exterior front of your home is like a billboard. Your interiors may be fantastic, but who will know if they don’t enter?
  Whether you are selling your home or not, colour selection for the exterior may be very different than interior colour choices. Your exterior is public space and may not be the best place to exercise your sense of whimsy.
  The balance of colour combinations of trim, doors, siding, roofing, landscape and even streetscape is a delicate one. It can make or break the overall look of your home…  and you don’t have to be far off to blow it!

  Things to keep in mind:

  • Pay close attention to the colour of the elements that don’t change (ie. Roof, brick, stone, eavestroughs & downspouts). Whatever paint colours you choose must work with these elements. 
  • Your front entry is the focal point to your home. Your front door can be it’s own colour and doesn’t have to match anything else.  
  • Think about how your new colour scheme will flow with the streetscape.  Should it blend in? stand out?

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  Sylvia O’Brien is a colour consultant and creative director of Colour Theory, Toronto, Canada
  416 766-6789 www.colourtheory.net