Color Trends for New Homes

If you have been following my recent articles, you know that I have been writing about what we saw and learned at the International Builders Show. This week we’ll talk about color. Emerald, there I’ve said it. That is the color of the year according to one of the paint companies. Not all agreed. As you probably can imagine, all of the major paint companies were there. PP&G, Sherwin Williams, and others had booths at the show. Instead of placing the focus on a specific set of colors, this year the emphasis was on color palettes. See the links below for more on palettes.

There is a new Dry Erase Paint from Sherwin-Williams. Paint your kids walls, give them dry erase type markers and let them express themselves, It easily wipes off and is ready for the next artistic effort. Dry erase paint could maybe find a place in your office or kitchen for jotting notes. While at the Sherwin Williams web site click on their Color Visualizer and you can paint a house on line to see what a selected color will look like on that house. 

Go to the Color Sense Game on the PPG website to find the color that matches your personality. The game will ask you questions, one of those do you like kitties or puppies type profile, and then tell what colors best works with your personality. Actually it was fun to do, give it a try. Who knows it might point you in the right direction for color selection. PPG also has a Color Visualizer option. It will allow you to import your house picture and then try out different color schemes.

All of the paint companies are rolling out or improving their Low Volatile Compound Paints. Low VOC paints have been around for a while, but now some companies are offering no-VOCs. This puts less harmful vapors and smells in the environment.

Many of the companies offer an APP that will display colors on your tablet or phone. Simply pick the color you would like to check out, display it full screen and hold it up to the wall. 

If you would like more information about this article or any of the articles we have written, just give me a call. Also if you have a topic you would like for me to cover then email or call.

Next week we will talk about a seminar that Suz and I attended called 90 Ideas in 90 minutes. You will get the abridged version.

www.sherwin-williams.com 
http://www.ppgpittsburghpaints.com/ 

For comments about this article contact Ronnie Godfrey at:
Ronnie@RGodfreyHomes.com or call 817 988 0149.

"You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous." Matthew 5:43-45 NIV

Design Trends in New Homes

Some of the best attended seminars that were offered at this year’s International Builders Show dealt with design, both interior and exterior. Large class rooms capable of holding more than 200 folks were filled to standing room only. Items covered in these sessions will be influencing builder’s decisions for a while.

Contemporary styles seem to be the target that many designers, builders and architects are moving to. One builder/architect that spoke mentioned that he was building 3 traditional styled homes a year in Florida until someone talked him into trying a contemporary style. Since changing over he now build 30 per year. DR Horton Homes, the nation’s biggest builder, is adding contemporary to their portfolio.

What does contemporary style mean? Here is an excerpt from Better Homes and Gardens’ attempt at defining the style. “Many contemporary homes feature lots of glass, open floor plans, and inventive designs. Void of elaborate ornamentation and unnecessary detail, drama on the flat-face exteriors of contemporary homes often comes from a dynamic mix of contrasting materials and textures, exposed roof beams, and flat or low-pitched roofs.” I’ll add, regarding the lack unnecessary detail that, you won’t see shutters on windows, elaborate columns and balustrades on the porches, and has mostly a clean unfettered look.

Now as far as interiors goes, HGTV had this to say: “Contemporary style encompasses a range of styles developed in the latter half of the 20th century. Pieces feature softened and rounded lines as opposed to the stark lines seen in modern design. Interiors contain neutral elements and bold color, and they focus on the basics of line, shape and form.” Boiled down by me; It has clean lines, anything that is not traditional in appearance.

Herewith are few notes (edited for brevity) that Claire Easley a senior editor at Builder Magazine took at one of the seminars: “The No.1 trend right now is undoubtedly bring sexy back,” said Marc Thee of Marc-Michaels Interior Design. “Put sexy back into every room, every space. One thing you can do to guarantee home sales is to give the buyer reasons to be in the market.”

Fortunately, he and Doug Van Lerberghe, of Denver-based planning and architecture firm KEPHART, used the session to offer specific tips on how to “bring sexy back” to every space in the home, many of which can be utilized in a variety of markets and price points.

Floor Plans

• While formal living and dining rooms have been pronounced dead by much of the industry, Van Lerberghe emphasized that “livability is all about lifestyle choices,” He encouraged builders to offer floor plans that could be easily customized, so buyers can choose how their living space works without having to pay custom home prices.
• For builders looking for a safe bet, according to Van Lerberghe, mid-century modern designs sell faster than any other plan design.

Entrances

• …..Oversized doors, in the area of 3 ½ feet by 8 feet, don’t cost much more and are a detail people notice, Van Lerberghe said.

Living Rooms

• When looking for inspiration for artistic features, Thee shared his not-so-secret source for ideas “Thanks to image-heavy sites such as Pinterest and Houzz, ideas for show-stopping details abound.
• For feature walls and fireplaces, Thee touted monolithic details and “clean sweeps of material,” such as inexpensive tile that, when used at a large scale, can make a big impression.
•  “White kitchens will never be passé,” “Thee said,” adding that visual interest can be bumped up by contrasting light cabinets with warm, dark tones in floors.”

Master Bedrooms

• Thee also recommended inserting pendant lighting where nightstands with lamps might typically sit. “It’s a super sexy detail, and remember we’re bringing sexy back.”

Master Baths

• Euro showers are coming into fashion, both presenters agreed, which eliminate barriers between tubs and standing showers by converting floor space next to the tub to an open showering area.
• “Tower cabinets and vessel tubs: If you’re not doing them, you need to be doing them,” Thee said.
• And as always, natural lighting should reign supreme, so Thee suggested using floating mirrors so as not to sacrifice windows for the sake of vanities.

Lat week’s article had a link to a very contemporary home. Here it is again: www.tnah.com.

Next week, I’ll have presentation on color. Get ready for some exciting new color schemes.