1. GO BOLD

Image: Maverick Studio Photography for BY Design

If the thought of painting a whole room—or even a whole wall—in a color that’s not white makes you nervous, consider painting your trim instead. It’s a great way to add pizazz and personality to your space without going overboard. It’s also a way to highlight features like the stairs and French doors pictured above. But if that’s a little too wild for you, you can always…

2. GO SOFT

Images:  Siobhan McFadden & Amanda Kirkpatrick on Emily Henderson

Contrasting color doesn’t have to raise its voice. The softer, subtler look of the rooms pictured above whisper sweet nothings about their trim, adding charm without being pushy. The barely-there difference between the wall and trim colors highlights the features of the room but doesn’t steal the focus from the rest of the décor. However, if a contrasting color doesn’t suit your style, maybe you should…

3. GO ALL-IN

Image: Sean Litchfield from Casagrande Studio

Just paint everything the same color. Walls, trim, ceiling, the works. While you’ll want to choose your color with care—the room pictured above would be a cave without those big windows, multiple lights and white cabinets—a solid backdrop can really make the things in the room stand out. For example, that waterfall island wouldn’t be nearly as dramatic surrounded by light grey or white. If you like the look but aren’t ready to commit to that level of drama, you could opt to…

4. GO PART-WAY IN

Image:  David Tsay from HGTV Magazine

Rather than painting everything the same color, use that color on the trim + built-ins and/or chair rail. That will tie everything together but keep you from overloading on one color. To add even more colors to your design, consider using a pattern on your walls. Then you can…

5. GO WITH THE WALLPAPER

Image: Making Pretty Spaces

Pull a main color from your wallpaper to ease the transition or go with something completely different—but complementary—to break up the pattern. Pro tip: you don’t have to use the same color on all the trim in a room. Did you spot that the trim in the image is a combo of green and white? If none of these options work for you, your best option might be to…

6. GO CLASSIC

Image:  Douglas Sheppard on Unsplash

Non-traditional colors are great, but classic white and cream are colors too, and might be perfect for your space and style. Just make sure you pay attention to the undertones in your room color when choosing a white(ish) shade. Warm wall colors need warm trim; cool walls play better with cool trim tones.

If you love one of these looks but don’t really want to tackle painting your trim yourself, and you’re in Middle Tennessee, you’re in luck! Our ProTek team is licensed, insured, and ready to hear from you. Contact us to take the first step to make your design dream a reality.

The post 6 WAYS TO ADD COLOR TO PAINTED TRIM appeared first on ProTek Professional Painting Services.

1. ADD COLOR TO YOUR CABINETS

Image:  PWD Lighting

If you always sigh in envy at the cabinet color combinations you see in magazines, this is the perfect place to try one out before committing to an entire kitchen. It’s also a good place to go a little wild and add a punch of your favorite color. Then when you’re faced with a mountain of dirty clothes, the happy cabinets will give you something to smile about.

2. ADD DRYING RACKS

Image:  Jennifer Allwood Home

Remember what your mom used to say:  if you hang up those clothes as soon as they’re dry (or as soon as they come out of the washer, depending on the item) you won’t need to iron them. But what if you don’t have enough—or any—hanging space?

You can mount drying racks to the wall that fold up when you don’t need them, or follow Jennifer Wood’s lead and hang an old ladder from the ceiling. The beauty of using a ladder, Jennifer says, is, “By using a ladder, we now have two ways to hang our clothes, sideways or up & down.” Find out how she did it here.

3. WAKE UP YOUR WALLS

Image:  Etsy

If colorful cabinets aren’t your thing—or even if they are—the laundry room is also a great opportunity to go bold on the walls. Paint them a cheerful color, add stripes or designs or an ombre effect…how about a fun wallpaper? Most laundry rooms are fairly small, so you won’t have to buy that much and the stick on kind makes installation easy. Well, easy for wallpaper, anyway.  

4. MAKE STORAGE PRETTY

Image:  The Idea Room

Elevate the laundry experience with elegant storage solutions. Decant detergent into a glass container, tuck your dryer sheets into a tissue box cover, or set up baskets to keep the necessaries conveniently located but looking good. Don’t forget to add something that can serve as a lint bin. You can find cute magnetic ones that can stick to your dryer, but almost any pretty container will do.

5. HIDE IT IN PLAIN SIGHT

Image:  Heather Bullard

If your washer and dryer are out in the open or in a closet, you might take a cue from Heather Bullard and hide the appliances with cute curtains. Not only is it more attractive when the curtains are closed, the shelf on top makes this space available for more than just laundry duty. It could serve as a bar at a party or a place to display things you love but haven’t found the just right place for…yet.

6. SHELVE IT

Image:  @psdstudio on Steel Lighting

Add wall shelves to store supplies and décor. Depending on how much space is available next to or between your washer/dryer, you might also be able to squeeze a small shelf, a rolling cart with pull-out drawers, or even an old bookshelf to help with storage.

7. MAKE SPACE

Image:  This Old House

If you need more storage—and who doesn’t? —take a cue from the tiny home movement and use every bit of available space. Raising your washer and dryer with a riser (from a kit or DIY) will not only make them more comfortable to use, it adds room for pull-out storage underneath. You can also add magnetic baskets or hooks to your washer or dryer to corral items. Imagine the possibilities!

8. DON’T FORGET THE FLOOR

Image:  Armstrong Flooring

Depending on where your laundry room is located, the floor may be consistent with the rest of the house. But if not, consider adding interest with new flooring. It doesn’t have to be expensive—the one pictured is a vinyl sheet. (Bet you thought it was tile; we did, too, at first glance.) If the floor is fine as is, adding a pretty rug will not only make your floor look better, it’ll feel better underfoot the next time you’re tossing a load of stinky clothes into the wash. That’s worth something, right?

Whatever you decide to do (or not do) with your laundry room, may your clothes never shrink, your colors never run, and all your stains come out. Have a great day!

The post LOVE YOUR LAUNDRY ROOM appeared first on ProTek Professional Painting Services.

If your home doesn’t have shutters, step one may be to add them—or you can consider these colors for your door and/or trim instead. Before you make any decisions, check out these options and see which one might be perfect for your home.

BLACK

Image:  Brick & Batten

The most popular shutter color, black is a classic, especially for brick homes. It’s also, according to Brick & Batten, “the perfect companion for lighter grays and whites.” (FYI, their pick was Black Beauty by Benjamin Moore.) They also advise “painting the front door and garage doors the same color as the shutters” and adding matching black accents like the planters and light fixtures shown here to bring a “cohesive vibe” to your home.

WHITE

Image:  Shutterland

Another popular choice, especially for houses where the body of the house is a contrasting color. (White shutters on a white house would be hard to see, which defeats the purpose of adding a design feature.) For homes with brick or non-white colors, white shutters are a clean, timeless look. Bonus:  they can make windows look and feel larger.

NAVY

Image:  Chrissy Marie Blog

On the other hand, if your home is white and black seems a little too harsh, how about a crisp navy blue? It’s also a classic, particularly when paired with a red front door for a little patriotic flair. For more beautiful blue and white combos, check out this post.

A DARKER SHADE OF YOUR HOUSE COLOR

Image:  Photo by Binyamin Mellish

“Another hot trend,” according to Georgia Front Porch, “is staying within the same color family for accent hues.” A more subtle look than some of the others, this kind of understated pairing may be just what your home needs.

ANY COLOR YOU LOVE

Image:  Shutterland

It’s your house: you can paint your shutters any color you think complements the look of your home. The shutter police will not come calling. The HOA, maybe, but you’ll have that conversation before you whip out the paintbrush…right?

NATURAL WOOD

Image:  Lowes

Maybe the best color for your shutters isn’t a paint color at all, but one found in nature. Wood tones like the cedar shutters shown here add warmth and pair well with styles from farmhouse to mid-century to modern.

NONE

Image:  Behr

Here’s a thought:  Maybe your house doesn’t need a different color of shutters…maybe it doesn’t need shutters at all. Consider removing them and painting the trim a contrasting color for a fresh, clean look.

Whatever color you choose, we’d be happy to help turn that paint chip into reality. Request a consultation today.

The post WHAT COLOR SHOULD YOU PAINT YOUR SHUTTERS? appeared first on ProTek Professional Painting Services.

Warm Colors

Opting for warm colors in your home can produce feelings of warmth or aggressiveness, depending on which color you choose.

Red: Invokes feelings of passion, love anger, or power and can even increase energy.
→ Try in a dining room, living room, or entryway.

Orange: Invokes feelings of excitement and enthusiasm can promote activity and movement.
→ Try in a playroom or home gym.

Yellow: Want to channel feelings of happiness and joy? Or want to create an ideal environment for productivity and focus?
Go yellow. → Try in a living room, bathroom, dining room, or kitchen.

Pink: Invokes feelings of love and kindness. Need some inspiration? Pink and blush hues can also boost creativity!
→ Try in an office, bedroom, or nursery.

Cool Colors

Painting with cool colors in your home can produce feelings of calm and ease. It’s also worth noting that some cool shades can induce more somber or melancholy feelings so you’ll want to consider that when honing in on a final swatch.

Green: Invokes feelings of peace, calm, and serenity and has been said to increase fertility.
→ Try in a bedroom, living room, den, or kitchen.

Blue: Like green, blue can create both a soothing and calming atmosphere.
Bonus: It can also lower blood pressure and slow down heart rates. Sold! → Try in a bedroom or bathroom.

Dark Purple: Invokes feelings of sophistication and luxury.
→ Try in a reading nook, office, or great room.

Light Purple: Invokes feelings of relaxation. → Try in a bedroom or living room.

Neutral Colors

Colors within this family can go with just about any other color. The right neutral shade and application can breathe new life into any space. Great for any room or as an accent.

Brown: Invokes feelings of warmth and can imply elegance of sophistication.
Is a traditional decor color. → Try in any room in your home.

Gray: Invokes feelings of comfort and warmth. It’s a versatile color that is both timeless and classic.
→ Try as trim, an accent wall, or as the main color in any room.

White: Invokes feelings of calm and serenity while also creating an allusion of having more space.
→ Try in any room, especially one you might want to feel more open and spacious.

Now that you have an idea of how certain colors might affect your mood, it’s time to decide how you want to feel in the room that you want to paint. Are you looking to paint your living room? Maybe consider painting it red to pump up the energy, or green for a more relaxing living room, or blue for a calming living room, but remember, there are colors to avoid in your living room as well, such as orange which is too energetic to promote relaxation. Once you do find a color you like, limit your colors in a room to a select few; too many colors can make a room feel chaotic or cluttered.

Remember, it’s also important to choose happy positive, and encouraging colors in your home so that it helps you bring those qualities into your life as well. 

Ready to give your space a refresh? Reach out to our ProTek Painting Services team to see how we can help with your next project!

The post What Different Paint Colors Mean in Your Home appeared first on ProTek Professional Painting Services.