Gray and beige are two of the Blue Door Painting team’s favorite choices for interiors, so it’s not surprising that we adore ‘greiges’ – mixes of both gray and beige shades. If you can’t decide which neutral to use, get the best of both worlds for your interior updates with our top five greige shades!

1. Perfect Greige SW 6073

This rich, intense color makes a statement while still keeping things neutral. This version of greige is warm and cozy, creating a perfect atmosphere and backdrop for bolder pieces.

2. Mega Greige SW 7031

Step up the intensity of Perfect Greige and you have Mega Greige. There’s so much drama in this shade! It’s gorgeous and pairs will with both light and dark touches, but shouldn’t be used to lighten a room.

3. Sticks and Stones SW 7503

This warm greige has lots of brown undertones and we absolutely love it in kitchens with rich wooden cabinetry and/or decor. White trim and accents work perfectly with this shade.

4. Alpaca SW 7022

Looking for something softer? This light and lovely shade is a cooler take on the greige phenomenon. If you have a darker room that needs to be lightened or a space with natural light that you want to enhance, this is the ideal choice.

5. Agreeable Gray SW 7029

Contrary to the name, this shade is actually in the greige family based on the noticeable beige/brown undertones. It’s light and neutral, and can be paired with a wide variety of colors to accent or brighten a space.

Our Top Five series is brought to you by Blue Door Painting’s design partner, Jasmin Reese Interiors. Looking for design ideas or color inspiration? Contact Jasmin and her team for an unparalleled professional opinion.

If you’ve already found the perfect greige and want to get started, contact us today for a FREE estimate so we can help you create the home of your dreams. Follow us on Instagram for daily inspirations and read our 5 STAR reviews on Yelp, Angie’s List or Houzz.

Updating your home’s exterior is about more than just a fresh coat of paint – it’s about curb appeal and showcasing your personality. Summer is the perfect time to give your house a facelift, so we compiled a list of our top five favorite exterior paint colors for a refreshed look.

1. November Rain 2142-60 by Benjamin Moore

This pale beige is the perfect exterior neutral. White trim and porch railings pair well with this color. Use the Wedgewood Gray mentioned below on the front door to add interest. Touches of an olive green would also look great with this color.

2. Wedgewood Gray HC-146 by Benjamin Moore

This pale soft blue/green/gray color pairs well with white trim or the November Rain above. This shade is a great backdrop for lush green vegetation. Add an eye-catching pop of color with a bright red front door.

3. Dior Gray 2133-40 by Benjamin Moore

This is darker and more saturated gray than Wedgewood Grey, but has some of the same qualities. White trim with black touches on doors and shutters would create a dramatic yet timeless curb appeal.

4. Coventry Blue 4005-5C by Valspar

This blue makes you think of floating clouds and summertime. Light accent tones work well, but touches of a darker blue like Blue Sash by Valspar add depth and interest.

5. Collonade Gray SW 7641 by Sherwin Williams

This is a truly timeless gray. Use Panda White by Sherwin Williams for the trim. We recommend adding a pop of color on the front door – a bright red or sunny yellow.

Our Top Five series is brought to you by Blue Door Painting’s design partner, Jasmin Reese Interiors. Looking for design inspiration? Contact Jasmin and her team for an unparalleled professional opinion.

If you’ve already found your perfect exterior color scheme and want to get started, contact us today for a FREE estimate so we can help you create the home of your dreams. Follow us on Instagram for daily inspirations and read our 5 STAR reviews on Yelp, Angie’s List or Houzz.

Out with the old, boring kitchen colors and in with the new, vibrant tones! Blue Door Painting wants to upgrade your kitchen with these interesting and on-trend color options.

Neutral Grays:

– Kendall Charcoal (HC 166)

This luxurious shade pops perfectly against vibrant metals or when paired with bright counters or trim. This versatile neutral would work nicely with most palettes.

– Hazy Skies (OC 48) 

Subtlety is key with this delicate option. Hazy Skies evokes a misty, soft feel in any room that reminds us of lazy Sundays in summertime.

Greiges:

– Stone Hearth CC-490

Photo by Benjamin Moore

A seemly unorthodox choice, this version of greige can accentuate other colors or pair well as the featured shade against bright white cabinets or counters.

– Tapestry Beige BM OC32 

You can’t go wrong with off-white! This color is a part of the Benjamin Moore Off-White Collection, and looks amazing against a range of tiles, granites and beautiful backsplashes.

Cool Colors:
– Down Pipe

Dark moody blues are showing up more and more in kitchen designs and we are in love with these saturated rich colors. This shade has deep blue undertones and is a wonderful way to create a dramatic and chic look with your cabinets.

– Van Deusen Blue HC-156 

This blue will pair well with white or grey cabinets for a fresh look. A white marble countertop with grey veining would be the perfect finishing touch. For a contrasted look, paint lower cabinets blue and uppers in white or a light grey. Another blue that would work well is Downpour Blue 2063-20.

– Forest Green 

We absolutely love the patterned tile to accompany this bold choice. Some other color options to give the same dramatic effect include: Green Bay and Hunt Club.

This color inspo is brought to you by Blue Door Painting’s design partner, Jasmin Reese Interiors. Looking for design ideas? Contact Jasmin and her team for an unparalleled professional opinion.

If you’ve already found your dream cabinet color and want to get started, contact us today for a FREE estimate so we can help you create the home of your dreams. Follow us on Instagram for daily inspirations and read our 5 STAR reviews on Yelp, Angie’s List or Houzz.

Gray is anything but bland – it continues to shine as a popular choice in interiors, from interior walls to cabinets and veining in marble choices. The Blue Door Painting design team expects this trend and its “greige” color cousin to stick around.

Thinking about updating your interior with some trendy neutrals? Check out some of our favorite grey and “greige” options, as well as some beige wall colors that combine beautifully with gray decor elements.

1) Repose Gray SW 7015 

This Sherwin Williams shade is the perfect gray base with warm undertones. It immediately creates a comfortable and warm feeling of home. There’s nothing flat or dull about this gray!

2) Gray Owl BM OC-52

Scared gray walls may be too overwhelming? Consider this soft-as-a-cloud option. It features cooler tones and is gentle on the eyes. The adaptable shade is approachable and picks up the tone from the surrounding environment.

3) Timber Wolf BM 1600

Not for faint hearted, Timber Wolf by Benjamin Moore is a bold saturated color that provides drama without draining the light from the room. Embrace the gray and make a daring statement with this moody and deep color. Bonus: It plays well with gold touches.

4) Mindful Gray SW 7016

This versatile and warm gray is in the same family as Repose Gray. This shade is a perfect neutral that works beautifully with any color combinations because it has enough coolness to transition. Mindful is not only great for walls, but makes for a classy cabinet color.

5) Classic Gray BM OC-23

Names can be deceiving – this color is actually part of the Benjamin Moore Off-White collection. It’s a subtle nuance off-white with just enough gray to make our top five. Classic Gray walls create a tranquil and serene environment, so this is the perfect base to create a restful space.

Our new Top Five series will join our Job of the Month series as a regular facet of the Blue Door Painting blog. It is brought to you by Blue Door Painting’s design partner, Jasmin Reese Interiors. Looking for design ideas or color inspo? Contact Jasmin and her team for an unparalleled professional opinion.

If you’ve already found your perfect gray and want to get started, contact us today for a FREE estimate so we can help you create the home of your dreams. Follow us on Instagram for daily inspirations and read our 5 STAR reviews on Yelp, Angie’s List or Houzz.

Some people look at beige and see…blah. But don’t write off the versatile neutral that quickly.
An article from Houzz put the color back into perspective for us when we realized that, yes, beige has taken a backseat. The nineties color trend has faded in recent years, but its merits have not. Take a look at some of these gorgeous rooms with a focus on the mellow shade.

Janet Dunn at Houzz got it right when she said, “It can be soothing, sophisticated, flattering, rich and mellow, formal or casual, and a perfect launching pad for bolder decor choices. It is also never clinical or cold, an accusation often leveled at gray.”

The neutral, unassuming color opens up unlimited decor possibilities while still seeming inviting. These pops of blue perfectly balance this setting:

These rich, vibrant tones are right at home against a beige backdrop:

Even better, with a color like beige, you can get a little crazy with patterns:

No matter how you use it, beige can be the best laid plan for a modern, sleek new look in any room.

Want to bring back the beige trend? Call us for a free color consultation.

Looking for professionals to do the painting for you? Call Blue Door Painting today.

For September, our interior design partners at Jasmin Reese Interiors are giving a nod to blue, possibly the most versatile color on the spectrum. It’s also very special to Blue Door Painting, of course!
For the native New Englanders at JRI, blue is especially evocative of the coast, and September is when the chilly Atlantic is finally at its warmest. You can bask in the waves and enjoy the last breaths of summer at the beach. In honor of this exceptionally rich, classic color, Jasmin’s design pros assembled a selection of beautiful blue tones, as well as some tips for using blue paint and decor to make your home spectacular:

We love using barn doors like these to add a pop of color to interiors for bathrooms, or anywhere else sliding doors might be a practical solution for the space. These lovely barn doors, painted a Yale Blue and fitted on an iron track, add some drama to this living room entryway.

This high-gloss floor-to-ceiling royal blue paint, with a setback ceiling painted in gold, render this elegant salon extraordinary. Blue pairs wonderfully with gold, and also with white. The simple white and blue furnishings and ginger jars nod to the gorgeous blue and white Greek Key flooring.

Here’s another great blue and gold example! Hexagonal tile in cerulean blue works well with the golden shower head and accent mirror, giving this well-appointed bathroom a lavish feel.

Blue is a fabulous color for accent furniture because it complements so many other colors and designs. You can add style and save money during a bathroom renovation by repainting existing cabinets for a revitalized, fresh-looking “new” piece of furniture. We love this vanity painted a crisp navy blue to call out the navy honeycomb wallpaper. We often paint vanities in bathrooms a bold color to add drama.

We love the luxury this deep turquoise delivers when applied to custom built-in bookshelves — complemented by turquoise lamps and drapes and set off by unexpected burnt orange accents — in this classic library. We are working on a similar vibe in a library in Evanston right now, and we’ve included that paint color as one of our picks for the month. Stay tuned on our social channels for pics to come!

For our favorite paint colors this month, we’ve selected Benjamin Moore, Tropical Paradise (the color we used in a gorgeous Evanston library!) and Sherwin Williams, Indigo Batik.

We adore many shades of blue for their soothing elegance, and for the timelessness that they bring to complete a design. Share some photos of how you’re using blue in your home and garden!

Not sure which shade best suits the room? Call us for a free color consultation.

Looking for professionals to do the painting for you? Call Blue Door Painting today.

Need some on-trend color inspiration? Jasmin Reese Interiors is turning their attention to the understated beauty of blush tones for the month of July.
Blush is an especially fitting choice for this month because it evokes the sweetness and tranquility of a warm summer night. Think sweeping salmon-y sunsets and a chilled glass of rosé on the deck…are you relaxed yet?

Blush and pink tones are traditionally associated with tranquility and femininity. This is by no means a new concept – Feng Shui masters use blush tones to calm the energy in a space. This lovely nursery exemplifies the soothing effects of the color with a pale blush accent wall.

While blush is naturally subtle, it provides a stunning contrast point for the rich green accent color lining the bookshelves in this stylish office. Plus, pink represents fire and green represents wood, and we think the color pairing below nails that combination!

Blush interior paint is a striking tool to soften a space and to provide a powerful yet gentle contrast to a stark, minimalist palette. Just a warning: the color tends to be most effective in small doses. This lovely bedroom decorated in neutral grey tones with just the right touch of blush accent on the ceiling is perfect!

Here’s an even more dramatic example of blush as an accessory color to offset stark, masculine black walls. The chunky crystal chandelier adds a final touch of glamour to this alluring sitting room.

blush sitting room

If you’re considering adding some blush accessories to your space, don’t miss this lush velvet from Schumacher in “Sophia.” The fabric is upholstery weight so it can be used for furniture, pillows, or even drapes if they’re lined.

As for paint picks, here are our faves right now:

Wild Astor from Benjamin Moore

Cosmetic Blush from Sherwin Williams

Brag about blush! Do you have a success story using blush tones to paint or decorate your interiors? Share the pics on Facebook!

Need to find just the right shade? Call us for a free color consultation.

Looking for professionals to do the painting for you? Call Blue Door Painting today.

For city dwellers lucky enough to have a porch, adding a swing is the perfect touch for a livable, enjoyable outdoor space. Aside from enjoying beautiful nights on the swing, you also allow yourself an opportunity to use the piece as another facet of your decor. Take a look at your porch, your home’s exterior and your vision for your outdoor space and consider these paint ideas to help bring all those elements together.

White

This traditional, classic look goes well with most exterior color schemes and offers a wide range of decorative options. White painted wood evokes a cottage or farmhouse theme that you can easily extend to the rest of the porch’s atmosphere.

Black

If your home already has some darker elements, this is a beautiful option. Adding bright, contrasting furniture and decor around the swing will help make the other colors pop.

Multi-Color

You can incorporate any two colors into your porch’s decor with a cute two-tone pattern like the black and white example above. You can even mix it up – paint every other wood plank a different color, paint just the seat and arm rests white the rest a vibrant hue, go with different colored seats, etc.

Bold Hues

A swing is a perfect accent (or focal) piece for your porch. Get creative with bright and bold statements like primary colors and pastels.

Not sure what color to choose? Call us for a free color consultation.

Looking for professionals to do the painting for you? Call Blue Door Painting today.

Having trouble finding the perfect pieces to match your room’s color or atmosphere? Looking for a vintage feel in an era of modern shopping? Don’t compromise on your look – get thrifty. Chicago’s got hundreds of shops and stores for the interior decorator in you, but here’s a sampling of our favorites – in no particular order – to get the creativity flowing.

Brimfield

This Andersonville antique shop is the baby of Julie Fernstrom, the previous owner of English Cottage in Portage Park. The store is named after her favorite plaid pattern and is filled with repurposed, vintage and antique pieces that suit every budget.

Praha

If you’re looking for unique (but affordable) furniture, look no further than Praha in Lakeview. The eclectic mix of decor and furniture will give you new ideas with old trends.

Modern Cooperative

Mid-century modern furniture is all the rage in this Pilsen treasure trove. The store even sells pieces designed by local Chicago artists who use repurposed materials to create your new favorite decor.

Broadway Antique Market

Trying to get a retro 1950’s look? Check out Broadway Antique Market for a shop that specializes in the sock hop throwback era.

New Elephant Resale

New Elephant is not only a great find, but a non-profit. Stocked with clothes, decor and furniture, this resale shop is perfect for bargain-seekers. Thinking about trading your current couch for a new (or vintage) piece? New Elephant will pick your donation up and drop your new piece off at your home.

Still need inspiration? Call us today for a free color consultation with the interior designers at Jasmin Reese Interiors.

Brought to you by Blue Door Painting Chicago

Thrift shoppers and DIY-ers alike will love this idea: transform a room by taking a bland piece of furniture and turning it into a unique accent with a coat of paint. Recycling (or upcycling) a piece give you a new look and opens dozens of new doors for the rest of the room’s decor.
Whether it’s a piece you already have (think rocking chairs and coffee tables) or a piece you pick up on your next antiquing trip, you can create a new theme and feel with as little as one coat of color.

Photo courtesy of Frog Prince Paperie

Create an accent piece that fits the flow of the room:

Photo courtesy of 33 Dodo

You can get creative with patterns too:

Photo courtesy of Better Homes and Gardens

Photo courtesy of Serena and Lily

But white pieces make for pretty additions too:

Photo courtesy of Better Homes and Gardens

Get creative – try a new piece, a new finish, a bright color or a bold metallic to spice up your home. There are no limits and no reasons not to accent your spaces with personal, colorful touches.

Not sure how to work color into your home? Call us today for a free color consultation.

Need a little color inspiration? Let our interior design partners at Jasmin Reese Interiors tell you about May’s color of the month: green!

Here in Chicago, the spring comes pretty late in the year. We’re just starting to see a riot of flowers budding on the trees in Lincoln Park, and so many lovely shades springing up all over the city!

For us, green represents renewal and revitalization, and reminds us to appreciate and be inspired by nature. To highlight the visual appeal of this undeniably fresh color, we have selected some of the best uses for green we’ve seen in the design world recently.

Photo courtesy of Rue Magazine

Green is a beautiful and versatile choice for the walls in your home. Bolder than a typical neutral tone, but always classic and crisp, green is often a fabulous choice for interiors.

We adore the way this jungle-esque large-print banana leaf wallpaper combines with an elegant, muted rose upholstered dining set to deliver just the right amount of zing to the room.

Photo courtesy of the Glam Pad

We just installed this delightful green zebra-striped wallpaper by Schumacher in a sassy Lincoln Park powder room, and we’re so happy with the results!

Schumacher – Zebra Palm Linen Print

This addition of a rich green accent wall gives this room an air of sleek sophistication, and we love how it draws out the bright hue of the palm plant.

Cilantro Green Sherwin-Williams

Benjamin Moore Seaweed Green

Right now, our favorite green paint picks are Benjamin Moore – Seaweed and Sherwin Williams – Cilantro. Don’t forget — effective lighting for your rooms is essential to help the colors shine!

Naturally, green evokes plants and the organic world. We’d like to leave you with this image of maze gardens at Ruspoli Castle in Northern Lazio, Italy for inspiration.

Maze Gardens at Ruspoli Castle / Northern Lazio, Italy

Think you’d like to liven up your home or office with some naturally inspired hues? Call us for a free color consultation with Jasmin.

So you need to paint something in your home. Calling the experts is always our recommendation, but what if you just need to touch something up? Or maybe you’re feeling creative on a budget. Just making a trip to the hardware store isn’t enough when it comes to a quality paint job, especially when there are so many options on shelves. Take a look at the ins and outs of paint types and what all the buzzwords mean before you make a purchase.

Primer

Though it isn’t technically considered paint, primer is important. Primer helps cover and smooth a surface prior to a new coat of paint, and should correspond to the type of paint you plan to use – oil-based or water-based. Skip it if you’re just touching up a corner, but larger jobs can benefit from a primer coat.

Oil-based vs. Water-based

Pros of oil-based paints:

• More durable overall than water-based options
• Oil-based enamels are shiny

Cons of oil-based paints:

• Takes longer to fully dry
• Cleaning oil-based paints is more difficult – you’ll need harsher, more potent chemicals to truly clean it

Pros of water-based paints:

• Requires just water and mild soap to clean
• A longer lifespan; resists the “yellowing” sometimes seen with older oil-based paint jobs

Cons of water-based paints:

• Not as shiny as oil-based counterparts

Finishes

Each paint has a specific chemical make-up, but also a distinct finish. Take a look at the three most popular finish options and what they mean.

Eggshell paint finish

• Flat finish: If you’re looking to update walls and ceilings, flat is a popular option.
   
• Semi-gloss and Gloss finishes: These are generally shiny, hard wearing enamels, and many people like to use them on wood surfaces.

Acrylic Paint

Acrylic paints are water-based and, unlike latex paint which lacks actual latex, includes acrylic in the ingredients. This type can get confusing, as you’ll see “acrylic latex,” “acrylic enamel” or “acrylic latex enamel” but suffice it to say they are all water-based and offer varying degrees of shine.

Specialty paints

In some cases, you can find paints with additional perks like anti-mold features or hypoallergenic ingredients. There are even anti-condensation additives in some options, making those brands great for kitchens and bathrooms. Take a look at all brand options – and ingredients – before making a decision.

Need more direction or help deciding on a color? Call us today for a free color consultation. Overwhelmed with the options? Let us give you a free quote for your project.

Interior Painting Tips Using Pastels

Whether you want to get a jump on summer trends or follow springtime traditions, pastels are the perfect addition to your color scheme or interior painting project. These pale palettes can add a relaxing feel to any room, as well as open up a world of decorating opportunity with accents and furniture.

Bedroom

Bedroom Interior Paint Recommendations

You want your sleeping space to be cozy and soothing, so pastels are a natural color choice for bedrooms. Popular for nurseries, these paint tones can bridge the gap between kids’ rooms and adult living spaces if done correctly.

Light colors allow for freedom with linens – whites, beiges, grays and other colors can be seamlessly worked into the room without contrasting with the walls and decor.

Kitchen

Kitchen Interior Paint Color Ideas

Though sprucing up the walls with a fresh coat of pastel yellow paint like Benjamin Moore Pineapple Grove (color code 333) can instantly brighten your kitchen, don’t ignore other aspects of the room. Pastel appliances, chairs and other elements can take an otherwise bland room and make it an enjoyable space with style and function. Likewise, painting kitchen cabinets is often an inexpensive option for giving your kitchen a fresh, updated look.

Living Room

Painting Tips for your Living Room

Pastels are versatile – they don’t need to keep a modern theme. If you’re feeling vintage, work some yellows and greens into your living room to compliment wood floors and beige furnishings.

Not into the throwback look? Keep pastels in mind as an alternative to safe tans and creams. They aren’t going to distract from the room in the way a bold, bright accent wall might, but they’ll give you a more personalized, individual look that will guide the rest of your decorating decisions.

Bathroom

Interior Painting for Bathroom Walls and Ceilings

Your time in the bathroom should be calming and relaxed, so create a light, airy theme or a beachy look with pastels. Walls and ceilings shouldn’t be ignored, but this look can be achieved with towels, stylish rugs and small decor pieces in an otherwise bright, white space.

Ready to spruce up your interior with some beautiful pastels? Contact us today for a free quote. Still need some ideas? Talk to our interior design experts for a free color consultation before diving into a new look.

April’s Color of the Month 

Straight from the minds of design – let our interior designers from Jasmin Reese Interiors show you just how versatile yellow can be.

April has come and gone, but this color of the month can have a lasting effect. Yellow, the most cheerful color in the spectrum, oftentimes gets overlooked as too bright, too bold or too blah in favor or reds or blues. But the color has its merits – just ask the pros.

“When we think of yellow, we think of playfulness, sunshine, spring flowers and bright cheer,” said Reese. “To me personally, it’s reminiscent of a drawing I created as a young girl for my mother in wild yellow tones that read, ‘Du bist mein sonnenschein’ or ‘You are my sunshine.’”

Interior Painting Ideas – Yellow

Yellow Interior Painting Tips

Don’t just limit your pops of yellow to bathrooms and kitchens when planning your interior paint colors – there are many shades and many ways to incorporate the tone beautifully into your home and garden.

Interior Painting – Yellow Door

Kitchen Interior Painting – Yellow

Blue Door Painting’s Favorite Yellow Paint Colors

“Whether you decide to paint an entire wall or add a brilliant pop of color like a door, yellow always delivers vibrancy and energy to a space,” notes Reese, mentioning two favorite shades – Confident Yellow from Sherwin Williams, and Sun Kissed Yellow from Benjamin Moore.

Sun Kissed Yellow – Benjamin Moore

Confident Yellow – Sherwin Williams

Interior Decorating with Yellow

Don’t just think paint! Decor can spice up your interiors as well, and considering pieces featuring yellow can add zest without overwhelming the space. Consider, for example, Reese’s suggestion: this “Citrus Garden” print by Schumacher.

Schumacher Citrus Garden Print

It features muted mustard tones, and was created as part of their 125th anniversary fabric collection.

Already ahead of the game? How are you using yellow to add vibrancy to your space? 

Call us today for a free color consultation with Jasmin Reese or to get started with your yellow interior painting project.

Looking for new ideas to make your wood trim a standout accent? Designers are turning the old rule of trim painting on its head to expand the unique opportunities afforded by colored trim. As opposed to making the main walls the accent of the room, we’re increasingly seeing subtle and muted walls as a neutral backdrop and bold trim taking center stage.This concept works beautifully with ornate trim work to bring those elements to the foreground, but is also an excellent option for those who may fear big, bold wall colors and prefer just a hint of color to add drama and scale to their rooms.

Photo courtesy of Young House Love

In large, bright spaces with tall ceilings and big windows, black trim on doors, door frames and molding can be very dramatic and glamorous.  
For a more subdued elegance, try shades of grays as a trim accent.  
For modern spaces with clean lines and clean, neutral wall colors, bolder hues of lime green, canary yellow,  orange, turquoise, bright red and deep greens and blues can add just a pop of color and personality without overwhelming the décor or simple modern elegance of your space.

Photo courtesy of Shannon Berrey Design

Photo courtesy of Apartment Therapy

Photo courtesy of Apartment Therapy

Photo courtesy of House of Turquoise

Looking for a little more glam, sparkle and old world romance? Metallic paints are very inand can add the perfect touch when used on wood trim. Try metallic gold, silver, pewter and bronze paints to add some glitz to your rooms.

Check out our Pinterest board for great ideas on using your painted wood trim as your room’s accent color.  

Call us today for a free color consultation on your Chicago house painting project and let our professional interior designer help you define your space with color!