by Cheryl Adams - Color Confident Home | Jun 26, 2022 | Choose Color Scheme - Rochester Hills Michigan, Choose color scheme rochester hills michigan, Choose Paint Colors, color consultant ferndale mi, color consultant oakland township mi, color consultant rochester hills mi, color consultant shelby township mi, color consultant west bloomfield mi, earth tone color schemes, exterior paint colors ferndale mi, exterior paint colors rochester hills mi, exterior paint colors troy mi, exterior paint colors west bloomfield mi, Exterior paint selection, front door paint - Rochester Hills Michigan, gray trend, gray trend ending, How To Choose A Paint Color - Rochester Hills, interior design, Interior Paint Color Selection Rochester Hills, Interior Paint Color Selection Rochester MI, interior paint colors, Uncategorized

Greens in nature
WITH 2022 HALF OVER, many of our clients are asking us how to update the gray trend with the new color trend. The answer involves incorporating earth colors! Yes, the gray trend is ending – finally. The current trend toward earth tones is very different than the browns, beiges, golds, olives, and maroons of the 80s. Colors for 2022 are warmer, earth-toned schemes of updated beiges, blues, greens, browns, warm grays, whites, and greiges. We’re even seeing more pinks and peaches, like the early morning sky of a new day. “If you’re afraid to bring more color into your home, you need not worry,” – says Lili Englehart of Color Confident Home. “Using neutrals on your walls as a backdrop is not going out of style.”
Though we are getting lots of requests for color on walls, clients who want to change up accessories often, or per season, gravitate toward neutral backdrops on their walls so they have the freedom of variety. Others feel calmed by using neutrals all around. The key to creating depth and a designed look with all neutrals is to use pattern and texture. So whether you want to add color to your home or choose from the myriad of neutrals and their hues, we can help. We take the fear out of choosing colors that are right for you and your home with 3 Easy Steps to colors you’ll love!
The New Color Trend

Sherwin-Williams 2022 Color of the Year
Design trends typically have a lifespan of about seven to ten years. Fads, such as the current black and white craze, go out of style even quicker. Besides the normal lifespan of color and design trends, the COVID-19 pandemic also contributed to the new color trend. Just as the pandemic has shaped every other aspect of life, its effects have also reached home design. With everyone working and studying at home 24/7, being surrounded by gray became depressing quickly. As Joa Studholme, the color curator for Farrow & Ball, recently said in a New York Times article, “There’s nothing about gray that evokes wellness….There is a tendency to crave warm tones in challenging times.” She goes on, “It’s all about being warm and earthy and choosing deeply saturated color. It’s about trying something that gives you a great big hug.” Notice the similarities in 2022 Colors of the Year – the choices reflect this need for color. For instance, Farrow & Ball’s Tanner’s Brown, Scotch Blue, Green Smoke and India Yellow, Benjamin Moore’s Aegean Teal (2021) and October Mist (2022), and Sherwin Williams’ Urbane Bronze (2021) and Evergreen Fog (2022) all offer a much needed atmosphere of comfort.

Benjamin Moore 2022 Color Palette
Lili emphasized, “It’s especially important to move away from gray in Midwestern states, where six months out of the year are cold and gray outside. We don’t want to bring that chilliness inside!” Updated neutral options, such as greiges and light beiges, instead make the home feel more inviting after coming in from the winter cold. Even some warm grays can make a drastic difference as opposed to neutral or cool grays.
Update the Gray Trend with the New Color Trend: Earth Colors
If your home is currently in the gray trend, and you’re stumped on how to update, don’t fret. There are plenty of solutions to create a fresh look, while incorporating the gray you already have in your home with the incoming color trends. Many people look to only update one or two rooms at a time, then follow up with the other rooms at a later date. This often leaves clients wondering how they can refresh some spaces with new colors and decor without dating rooms with older color palettes.
A great way to avert this concern is to assess the overall color scheme of your home and the new colors you wish to include, even if the rooms are different styles. Then, choose furniture and accessories that have accents of colors and elements from each room to create a connection. Small, less expensive items such as pillows, throws, rugs, and artwork are a few of the many accessories you may consider to achieve this. For example, if you have a recently updated kitchen and dining area from the gray trend and a colorful living room with blues and greens, you could use a tablecloth with blues, greens, and hints of gray in the kitchen/dining area and an area rug or artwork with a similar color scheme in the living room. The 60-30-10 rule is a helpful tool to keep in mind to create harmony and flow amongst the varying rooms in your home. Color Confident Home will help you with a new color scheme, and if you need help furnishing or accessorizing a particular room, we can create an eDesign to help you furnish and accessorize one room at a time!

Color Confident Home eDesign using the 60-30-10 Rule
Listen to your home
Most importantly, listen to your home. This seems like a simple suggestion, however mixing color and design trends is tricky. We often see homes decorated with competing and mismatched components due to too many patterns or uncoordinated hues. Beth Maguire, the Benjamin Moore designers’ representative in Michigan, best put it in words, “Design for the home you have, not the home you want.” If you struggle to find a balance between what you want and what your home wants, take into consideration the fixed finishes that are difficult and expensive to replace. If your budget doesn’t allow a total remodel, consider the fixed elements and take them into consideration when deciding on a new color scheme. They include, but are not limited to, flooring/carpeting, tile, countertops, cabinets, fireplaces, etc. Any elements not being replaced must be coordinated with your new color scheme in order to create a deliberate, designed look that has harmony and flow throughout your home. For an expert color consultation, call us or send us an email!
by Cheryl Adams - Color Confident Home | Apr 24, 2019 | Choose Color Scheme - Rochester Hills Michigan, Choose color scheme rochester hills michigan, Choose Paint Colors, color consultant oakland township mi, color consultant rochester hills mi, color consultant shelby township mi, color consultant west bloomfield mi, exterior paint colors oakland township mi, exterior paint colors rochester hills mi, exterior paint colors troy mi, exterior paint colors west bloomfield mi, Exterior paint selection, How To Choose A Paint Color - Rochester Hills, Uncategorized
Choosing Exterior Paint Colors
Now that spring is officially here, homeowners are calling me for help choosing their exterior paint colors. Many factors go into narrowing down colors that work. When choosing exterior paint colors, factoring in the overall look, the individual elements, and the neighboring houses enables me to empower homeowners to choose the right colors the first time.
Consider the Overall Look
In my area, so many homes are brick with siding on the upper level or only on the sides and back. Some also have stone and brick along with siding. When paint colors don’t relate to the brick or stone, or worse yet, when the brick and stone don’t relate to each other or look too busy, the house looks like there are two different houses stuck together. If you have a new build, all the materials and colors must be chosen at the same time to create a look that is styled. For a partial renovation or a new coat of paint, the existing elements must be considered.

The upper house and lower house are two different styles. The siding color and window trim on the upper windows does not relate to the brick. (Photo by homewithkeki)
Assess the Individual Elements
To help homeowners narrow down colors from the thousands of choices available, I begin with the shingles, brick, stone, pavers, landscaping, and neighboring homes. Considering the hues in the architectural materials is the first step in creating a cohesive color scheme. Just as with interiors, creating harmony and flow around the house as well as in the neighborhood is important.

The siding does not relate to the brick or the stone, and the stone and brick do not relate. In addition, the green is too bright for the brick. (Photo by ashiyasediet.info)
Remember the Neighboring Houses
When considering the look of their exteriors, most homeowners want a distinct look without their home screaming flashy or garish. Builders usually vary the types and colors of brick and other elements on houses in a subdivision. Thus, a look that is different enough from the house next door or across the street can be accomplished by looking at the unique hues in a home’s shingles, brick, stone, and landscaping. By creating a color scheme with coordinating hues, homeowners can have a look that is unique yet harmonizes with the neighborhood.

Choosing Exterior Paint Colors that Make Sense
White windows limit the trim color you can use around the windows and most likely the majority of your trim. Note that a house with brick looks best with windows and a trim color that is not stark white. In the past some homeowners painted the trim and siding the same color. For a fresh, updated look choose a trim color that contrasts with the siding color. In addition, a front door color can announce the entrance and give your home a unique look. Beware of choosing bright, saturated colors with a more muted color scheme, unless you’re consulting with a designer trained in color. Your door will not only pop, it will look like it belongs on a different house.

A yellow door that is too saturated and bright for the brick. (Photo by Edward Jones, Clarksville)

A door that coordinates with the hue families of the architectural elements.
If you’re interested in reading about other options for choosing color with brick, read this article. For help choosing your exterior colors and color schemes, contact me for help choosing the right colors the first time!
by Cheryl Adams - Color Confident Home | Aug 19, 2018 | Choose Color Scheme - Rochester Hills Michigan, Choose color scheme rochester hills michigan, Choose Paint Colors, choose paint colors in five steps, Exterior paint selection, front door paint - Rochester Hills Michigan, How To Choose A Paint Color - Rochester Hills, Interior Color Selection Michigan, Interior Paint Color Selection Rochester Hills, Interior Paint Color Selection Rochester MI

Photo by Cheryl Adams
If you’ve decided to remodel or paint your home before the holidays, plan paint colors NOW! Whether for the interior or the exterior, now is the time to start thinking about your color scheme and paint colors. Painters, builders, and color consultants need time to work you into their schedules and order supplies before the work starts.
For painting, allow a couple days to test paint colors under different lighting conditions. Seeing the paint in the lighting in and around your home will help you choose the right color the first time. Please do not make the mistake of choosing a paint color at the paint store! For exteriors, assess the hue families of the whole house. For interiors, look at all hue families in your fixed finishes. All these need to be considered before you choose a paint color.
When doing a total remodel or replacing cabinets, countertops, tile, and flooring, plan paint colors in conjunction with these elements. The total time to design, schedule contractors, order supplies, and execute the work can take between four to six weeks for a kitchen or four to eight months for a whole house renovation. Check with your builder for more exact times.
Keeping these starting points in mind will help you complete your project well before the holidays and with much less stress. If you need help choosing your paint colors or color scheme for interiors or exteriors, contact me. I will help reduce your stress by using my Certified Six-Step Color Read Process to help you choose the right colors the first time!
by Cheryl Adams - Color Confident Home | Sep 2, 2017 | Choose Color Scheme - Rochester Hills Michigan, Choose color scheme rochester hills michigan, How To Choose A Paint Color - Rochester Hills, Interior Color Selection Michigan, Interior Paint Color Selection Rochester Hills, Interior Paint Color Selection Rochester MI

How do you know where to start when choosing a color scheme for your new house?
Choosing a color scheme is the key to choosing your paint colors. Starting with paint colors first is like trying to build the exterior of a house without planning the interior rooms. If you are having a hard time deciding on your colors, you need a starting point. Begin by visiting furniture stores, perusing catalogs, and viewing websites like Pinterest or Houzz. Choose at least one item – a pillow, a wall hanging, or an area rug – with colors you love to help define your color palette. If you can, create a plan for each room by deciding on your layout and a preliminary color scheme before you choose your paint colors. Follow the tips below to craft a stylish look rather than a piece-meal approach.
 Skyline Furniture Armless Upholstered Slipper Accent Chair-Grey & Gold Ikat. Photo (c) PriceGrabber
How to Create a Color Scheme
- Pick Your Palette – Once you have a plan for each room and at least one inspiration piece for colors, you’re ready to consider your color scheme.
- Mood Makes a Room – How do you want your room to feel? What will the room be used for? Different colors and how you use them help create different moods.
- Start with the Central Room – Usually the living room, the colors here will influence the flow throughout the rest of the house.
- Consider the Composition – Stand in each room and look into the next. Will the colors look good next to each other? Do you want a different color or a variation of the one in the room you’re standing in?
- Connect Your Colors – Using three to four colors as your palette, mix them up in different ways in each room to help create flow. Use the 60-30-10 percent rule of design to decide how much of each color you’ll use in each room. If you have four colors, you can use a 60-20-10-10 plan.
- Agreeable Undertones – Whether you want bold or muted colors, neutrals or white, make sure the undertones in your colors match. Find out if the base color has red, green, blue, brown, or yellow. A beige paint with a pink undertone will look “off” if your furniture and finishes have gold undertones. Remeber to consider the undertones in you countertops, carpeting, tile, stone, cabinets, brick, and furniture. Undertones in the same family create harmony and flow.
- Call a Color Expert – If you get stuck or overwhelmed with thousands of color swatches at the paint store, contact a Certified Color Expert for help.
Whether you do it yourself or hire a professional, an overall plan FIRST followed by at least some furniture selection, flooring, cabinets, and countertops will give you the direction you need for choosing your final paint colors. For help with your initial color scheme, contact me!
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by Cheryl Adams - Color Confident Home | May 30, 2017 | Exterior paint selection, Front door color - Lake Orion Michigan, front door paint - Rochester Hills Michigan, How To Choose A Paint Color - Rochester Hills, how to choose paint color front door - Lake Orion Michigan
Spring is finally here in Michigan! Now is a good time to add a fresh look to your front door with a splash of paint to welcome you home. How to pick a paint color for your front door? My client knew she wanted a turquoise color, but looking at all the paint swatches available, she wasn’t sure which to choose.
During my on-site consultation at her Lake Orion home, I assessed the color of her stone, siding, shingles, and landscaping to determine the hue families. Because her siding had orange hues, we decided turquoise would be the perfect color to complement her exterior, especially because she already knew she liked it. We then looked at various large samples I brought to see how they looked in the lighting available. Her house faced North, so I knew we’d need a version of turquoise that would brighten the entry, avoiding the tones with more gray. Also, I made sure the color of the door looked good with the foyer walls inside her house, since the door would be open at times. A triad color scheme that added lime green from the accessories on her porch completed the design plan.
Following the rules of design and color, Color Confident Home will help you choose the perfect paint color for your front door. Call me at 248-509-4720.
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