Style & Decor Blog

When it’s time to paint the bathroom, we all know that only high-gloss finishes will do, right?

Benjamin Moore is out to bust that myth, with a new matte finish paint that locks out moisture – Aura Bath & Spa. Combining the performance of high-gloss (resistance against streaks and water spots) with the softer look of a matte finish, the new formula leaves us with only one problem – which of the 1,800 paint colours to pick for a home spa makeover?

On hand to help choose your hues is Benjamin Moore’s colour expert, Sharon Grech. “The cool palette of blues, greens and watery hues is, of course, a popular choice for creating a calming and serene setting,” Sharon says. “Think about using the warmer end of the spectrum – yellows, oranges and pinks – if you want a room that wakes up the senses and is more stimulating and lively.”

To show the difference colour can make, Sharon whipped up these options for us to ogle… 

 

HOME SPA - Zesty zen or warm and buttery?

Zesty Zen Option

Walls: Pale Iris 2073-60

Ceiling: Lavender Mist 2070-60

 

OR…

Warm & Buttery Option

Walls: Sundance 2022-50

Ceiling: Celery Ice 2030-60

 

 

 

 

 

 

RELAXING RETREAT - Energetic or Ocean-inspired?

Energetic option:

Walls: Pumpkin Blush 2156-20

Ceiling: Italianate AF-215

 

OR…

Ocean-inspired option:

Walls: Blue Seafoam 2056-60

Ceiling: Luxe AF-580

 

 

 

 

 

HIS & HERS BATH - Refreshing mint or neutral ground?

Refreshing Mint option:

Walls: Seedling AF-450

Dressing room storage: Sparkling Sun 2020-30

 

OR…

Neutral Ground Option

Walls: Amsterdam AF-550

Dressing Room Storage: Blue Pearl 890

Aura Bath & Spa paint, Benjamin Moore, 800-361-5898 

On CityLine, our contributing decorating editor Kimberly Seldon often references her “honey-do” list – a list of home improvement jobs for her honey to tackle. These are those sweaty, messy, not-exactly-glamorous tasks that only kick into high-gear aftera prolonged period of relentless nagging. You know the deal.

I’m sure that at the top of many honey-do lists this summer is the dreaded exterior paint job. The type that involves ladders and a seemingly inexhaustible supply of rollers.

And although I doubt she can come over to personally lend a hand in an exterior paint makeover, Sharon Grech, Benjamin Moore’s colour expert does provide some wonderful tips on tackling one of the most critical stages in the process – choosing the right colour. Here are her five basic cues on exterior hues:

1. Let architecture be your starting point. “For inspiration, look for houses like yours whose colours you admire,” Sharon says. “Or, if you’re interested in historical accuracy or appropriateness, research your home’s period style. Your local historical society may be a helpful resource, as well, as you dig for information.”

2. Consider the roof, driveway and chimney. “These are ‘givens’,” Sharon points out. “They’re existing elements that won’t be painted but that should play a role in determining your colour choices. For a facade that’s partially stone, using a similar colour will add visual harmony. If the fixed colours are intense – a terra-cotta tile roof, for example – a neutral colour, such as sand or a warm white, will bring balance.”

3. Consider the landscaping. Sharon suggests we select colours that fit in with the surrounding palette. “If you have brilliant-coloured spring blooming trees or a sea of green foundation plantings, choose colours that will complement them.”

4. Keep in mind your interior decor. Sharon warns that exterior paint colours that don’t correspond with your interior furnishings can be jarring. “The colours used on the windows or outside shutters, for example, should be in sync with those used on interior window treatments.”

5. Choose a colour scheme that is compatible with the other houses in the neighbourhood. “You don’t have to imitate the palette or application exactly,” Sharon says, “But you can put your own individual spin on similar colour combinations. Regional influences are also bound to affect your choice as you account for local terrain, seasons, interplay of natural lighting, and even history and culture.”

 

Check out how the same facade takes on entirely different looks with different treatments of Benjamin Moore paint, as proposed by Sharon.

Option 1: Go Coastal

Body - Barely Beige CC-140

Trim - Yarmouth Blue HC-150

Door - Blue Nose CC-800

 

 

Option 2: Drawing Attention to the Architecture

Body - Dolphin AF-715

Trim - Gardenia AF-10

Door - Dinner Party AF-300

 

 

 

Option 3: Warm & Classic

Body - Seaside Sand 2110-40

Trim - Muslin CC-110

Colonial Brick 2093-30

 

 

Option 4: Historic Hot Pick (Wethersfield Moss is one of the bestselling Historic Collection colours!)

Body - Wethersfield Moss HC-110

Trim - Roxbury Caramel HC-42

Door - Lenox Tan HC-44

 

For a taste of how your own home would cope with a fresh colour combo, check out Benjamin Moore’s Personal Colour Viewer. A great online tool!

 

 

Benjamin Moore’s Black Satin 2131-10 

 

Does your home have what it takes to be Canada’s Next Top Makeover?

(Alright, that’s not the real name of the competition. I’ve just been seeing waaaay too much of Tyra lately.)

Benjamin Moore wants you to flex your decorating muscle and flaunt your most inspiring makeover project for a chance to win big in its new Share Your Style competition.

“We’re searching for homeowners whose unsung decorating achievements are inspiration for others and worthy of recognition,” says Helen Mullet, Benjamin Moore Brand Marketing Manager. “The Share Your Style competition is a decorating beauty pageant of a different colour. It’s being conducted online where contestants will post their before and after room photos and voters can cast their ballots for their favourites, decided the top 10 finalists. Then, a distinguished panel of designers will determine the nation’s best and the top winner from among those 10 contenders.”

What are judges looking for? Criteria will include colour choices, materials and textures, scale, composition and overal drab-to-fab impact.

The big payoff — the “handsome reward” (for all of you who are old enough to remember MTV’s Road Rules from the ’90s!) — is a tour of the winning room on CityLine (YAY!) with Benjamin Moore colour expert Sharon Grech; PLUS a $5,000 gift certificate for Benjamin Moore Painting and Decorating Services, PLUS an LG TrueSteam washer and dryer! That’s absolutely HUGE! So exciting.

What’s more, everyone who votes for the top 10 is entered in a sweepstakes drawing, and one lucky entry will be randomly drawn to win a $2,500 Benjamin Moore makeover prize.

For more information, including details on how to enter, visit Benjamin Moore’s Share Your Style competition website here! Good luck!

 

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How much am I loving orange lately? I find myself drawn to citrus-hued accents more and more, and although I love the sprightly spring hits of lime, orange and yellow grapefruit, it’s the orange that really speaks to me. I’m putting it down to an absurdly harsh — and drawn-out — winter, and dreams of vacationing in Florida. I really miss that curiously Floridian musk of dampness cut with the acidic tang of orange groves… Even if the effect is all in your mind, it honestly does rejuvenate.

The orange swatches above are from Benjamin Moore’s Virtual Fan Deck, which, if you want to do some research before heading into the home dec centre to pick up samples, can save you a bit of time. Nothing substitutes for the real swatches, of course, but at least you can start your hunt for hues from the comfort of home with this handy little feature!

Palette #3: ” Unexpected Synergy”

Hadley Red HC-65 (chimney breast)

Dried Mustard 2158-10 (adjacent walls)

Gray 2120-10 (base)

“For the daring and adventuresome seeking a design statement that surprises, delights and jolts all at the same time, ‘Unexpected Synergy’ uses the power of colour to achieve unique patterns,” says Benjamin Moore Canada’s colour and design manager, Sharon Grech. “The ‘Unexpected Synergy’ palette unites intense, warm colours with cooler, organic neutrals. It’s a palette that could serve well when a room refresh is called for, rather than a complete recreation.”

Available at: Benjamin Moore, 800-361-5898

So… Which of these three palettes strike your fancy?

Palette #2: “Nature’s Essence”

Timid White OC-39 (right wall)

Sea Haze 2137-50 (left wall)

Pale Avocado 2146-40 (ceiling)

Sharon Grech, colour and design manager for Benjamin Moore in Canada, says the “Nature’s Essence” palette is all about bringing the outdoors in. “Palest tints are inspired by sand, shells and hazy skies. Deeper organics are borrowed from peat, rust and exotic fruits. Raw materials help tell the interior story of Nature’s Essence.”

Available at: Benjamin Moore, 800-361-5898

The January issue of STYLE AT HOME is hitting stands now, and that means it’s paint predictions time again! I’ve opened our Home & Style section this time around with a gallery of hues that the various paint companies are forecasting as faves for 2009. Each of Canada’s major paint manufacturers have design teams who keep and eye on colour trends — largely influenced by couture — and it’s always cool to see how creations for the catwalk translate into colours for the home. 

Benjamin Moore has summed up the look of 2009 in three different colour-trend stories as part of their “Colours For Your Home 2009″ colour card that will be available at retailers in the new year. Which one is your fave? I want your verdict on each!

Palette #1: “Personal Imprint”

Black Satin 2131-10 (fireplace)

Gossamer Blue 2123-40 (lounge area)

Brookside Moss 2145-30 (home office nook)

Does the code “CC-40″ mean anything to you? Chances are, you’ve painted your ceiling and/or trim in this colour — better known as Benjamin Moore’s Cloud White — at some point over the past 20 years. The iconic warm-white was, for a very long time, the *only* white in the Canadian design community, and a staple of any design show’s “Ask An Expert” solution to your decorating dilemmas. But why this particular white, amongst the hundreds of options out there? Maria Killam, a Vancouver-based colour designer, addresses this very question in her lovely blog, “Colour Me Happy”. Check out Maria’s tips on how to get white right, and exactly when in the design process that white should be chosen.

What’s your fave white? I’d love to hear from you!