"What Were They Thinking Thursday!!??" - Go Easy With the Paint

Picking out just the right paint colors can be difficult. Most of us want to put some color on the walls but are not completely confident with our color choice. You don't want your rooms turning out like these:

A very psychedelic room

Looks like a box of crayons

Cane much?

Wow, the worst of all. Check out that rockin carpet and not one but two fine wallpaper borders

Neat idea, but just too much.

And don't forget about the outside of your house. Seriously, what were these people thinking????

I think they were puffing the magic dragon when they painted this house.

Only a big stuffed dinosaur would feel at home in this place

First off, when picking out paint colors, remember it's always going to look darker on the walls then it does on the little swatch. That's why it is always best to paint a sample area before you paint the whole room. Most paint stores sell 1 qt. samples for about $5.

Second, if you want to go bold and bright on the walls, you need to stick to a small color palette in furniture and accessories. A bright color can look really great, as long as everything in the room isn't all different bright colors. You should try to repeat your accent color at least 3 times in the space. Here are some examples:

A laundry room is a great place to start with some bright color. It will lighten the mood when you have to wash clothes.

Bright colors are tricky, if you don't have a "design eye" definitely seek professional help when deciding what color to paint. You should have a healthy respect for bright colors. Don't take them too lightly because they will really surprise you once they get up on the walls.

If you want to add color to your space, you don't have to go super bold. There are many great shades of neutral colors. Take a look at these colorful yet calming rooms:

Did you know that grey is the easiest color for the eye to look at? If you are going for a calm space, grey might be the color for you. Yellow is the harshest color for the eye so mixing the two really makes a great contrasting palette.

If you are just too afraid of color, try a nice neutral on the wall that will make your furniture and accessories stand out.

Notice how everything that is a bright color really stands out in this room

I love the pop of yellow here

And if you are just really incapable of even picking a neutral, you can always just leave the walls white and put up the paint swatches like this!!:

But seriously, if you aren't sure, get a second opinion or give us a call. We have special 3-hour consultations available and we would love to come help you! Check out our website for more information www.studiobinteriordesign.com

~Jessica

Fyra otroliga år

Idag är det otroligt nog fyra år sen jag började blogga, fyra år sedan jag skrev mitt första inlägg. Minns att jag tyckte att det var lite läskigt men också jättespännande att skriva något som sen vem som helst kunde läsa. Inte för att jag trodde att någon skulle läsa eller ens hitta hit. Under en tid hade jag läst Husmusen och blivit fascinerad av Fridas härliga inlägg. Jag visste inte då att hon hette Frida det avslöjade hon långt senare. Då var det många som inte gick ut med sina riktiga namn, inte jag heller, jag kallade mig Purple (fniss). Hur som helst så fick jag för mig att jag skulle prova att blogga jag med och sen har det bara fortsatt år efter år. Massor av nya härliga bloggvänner har jag fått. Jag har också fått chansen att under ett och ett halvt år blogga för giganten SvD men även för min lokala tidning Sydsvenskan. Många har följt mig genom åren och jag vill tacka er, alla tusentals läsare, som förgyller min dag varje dag genom att gå in och läsa och ibland kanske också kommentera. Tack för alla underbara och uppmuntrande mail som jag ständigt får och som gör att det är så kul att blogga, bland det bästa jag vet.

Today its four years ago since I made my first post. Four wonderful and unbelievable years. I remember that the first post was a little bit nervous to do. But then it just went on and on for years. Today thousands of you reads my blog every day. I have also met many wonderful and inspiring new friends. I'm really grateful for that and also for all the lovely comments and mail that I get. Thank you guys for making my day.. every every day!!

The Frauenkirche in Dresden

Recently, an Australian friend of mine went on a worldwide tour and sent me back lots of his photos he thought I would enjoy. I was immediatly struck by the beauty of the Frauenkirche in Dresden but even more so by its' fascinating story!

The baroque styled Lutheran church was originally finished in 1743, by George Bahr. The sandstone dome dominated the skyline of the city until it was finally completely destroyed in 1945 during WWII, along with much of the city. It lay in rubble for many years until it was declared a landmark in 1966.

However, the church was finally rebuilt in 2004, after the fall of communism, with only this one wall (the dark portion) being original. A happy case of restoration prooving you can't always keep a good building down!

detail shot or welcome home

Whats the first thing you see when you get home? If you have this condo (office?) in Carmel, CA, it just may be Ganesha, an Indian god. Why have an ordinary door knocker when you can have something extraordinary like this instead (and I am loving this green door)? A house may be about location, size and style but a home is in the details.

Finally It's Fall!

The weather has finally cooled off and it is really starting to feel like Fall, my favorite season! I am already sipping hot coffee in the evening and burning those delicious pumpkin scented candles that make everyone think I am baking but seriously, who has the time.

In honor of the recent temperature drop I have decided to blog about America's favorite mountain house style, the log cabin. The log cabin has been around for a very long time. Log cabin construction was brought over by the swedish in the 1700's and evolved with the Homestead Act of 1862 which gave people rights to open land as long as they cultivated it and built homes that had to meet certain requirements.

Well, log cabins have come a very long way since 1862 and today they have all the amenities one could desire. From log mansions, to modern mobile log cabins. There is something for everyone. But they all have one thing in common, the nostalgia of the American Frontier.

Take a look at all the very different styles of log cabins:

The Cute and Quaint Cabin in the Woods

A-Frame Cabins

I love this one! Tree house log cabin

Ultra-modern log cabins

Quite literal log cabin

Log mansions

And last the most amazing of them all, the tallest log cabin in the world! In Russia, built by Sutyagin stands 144 ft tall! Too bad he went to prison and can now only afford to heat four rooms on the very bottom floor.

~Jessica