Businesses choose colors based on how they affect potential customers: red makes you hungry, blue makes you comfortable. This technique is used in everything from wall painting in restaurants to font choices in TV ads. At Blue Door Painting, we know that colors can evoke feelings and we love helping you achieve the ideal look and feel of your space. We also know that many new parents are looking to create a certain atmosphere – while remaining on trend – when they paint their baby’s room. Keep these tips in mind when deciding on your nursery’s color and look.

Red

If trend-spotters are to be believed, red is the new black. This powerful, passionate color is popping up in baby rooms everywhere, bringing with it a bold, emotional atmosphere. We wouldn’t recommend going full red; an accent wall or accent piece would be perfect. Be careful though – too much red can cultivate a lot of emotions…and not just positive ones.

Pink

Everyone knows pink as the feminine, light female color, but its calming qualities can come in handy with fussy babies. The romantic color is perfect for a princess theme, and classic pink decor in a girl’s room will never go out of style.

Orange

Not traditionally included in nurseries, this color is cozy. The comfortable, warm vibe given off by this hue is fun while still keeping the room calm and welcoming.

Yellow

As we’ve discussed in other blogs, yellow is a fun, upbeat color that inspires a cheerful personality. Be cautious with yellow in nurseries though; the brightness can be overwhelming and this color can provoke some unrest.

Green

Many moms- and dads-to-be choose green as a neutral compromise, especially if they’re waiting to reveal their new addition’s gender until later. This color has more value than just generic properties, though – it provokes learning and nurturing. The serene nature helps calm babies and promote happiness.

Blue

Along with pink, blue comes with a stereotype outright: boys. But unlike pink, this color is rapidly finding its way into the other gender’s rooms (in lighter, more pastel tones). For both boys and girls, blue can help with productivity, but the shade is important. Some blues – dustier, grayish blues – can lead to sadness, and deep, dark blues can be overused. Think bright, fun blues for a baby’s room.

Purple

If pink wasn’t “princess” enough, consider purple since it’s fit for a queen! The color of royalty, this option lends itself well to girls’ rooms, giving a luxurious atmosphere. On top of the royal treatment, purple also has calming qualities to help with fussier babies.

White

White in nurseries has taken a backseat to more bold choices and statements, but still has its merits. Even white walls need statement colors – photos here, decor there – but the angelic nature of the color is attractive to some parents who don’t yet know what they’re having. Careful, though – white stains easily!

Black

Minimalist parents will love the idea of a black (and white) nursery; clean lines, modern edges and a powerful atmosphere. However, strong and dark hues like black should be used in moderation (accents, linens, etc.) and only in rooms with plenty of light.

Have a dream nursery in mind? Get in touch today to let us help you achieve that dream.

Take a look at a darker recommendation from Jasmin at Jasmin Reese Interiors.

In light of the recent Halloween and Día de los Muertos holidays, we had to opt for black for November’s color. Beyond its reputation for being spooky and serious, black is universally known for being dressy and chic, it works beautifully with both classic or modern looks, and it is endlessly versatile. See what black can do!

Black is very edgy, even to the point of being extreme, so it must be used thoughtfully and is certainly not for everyone’s taste. However, the color is unmatched for its drama and its ability to make other colors pop! A great place to start incorporating it into your home is to paint some black accents, such as windowsills or trim, or replicate this simple black door to add elegant definition and style to a clean, minimal entryway.

Interior renovation of Spanish Town historic residence completed by Ty Larkins Design, Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

If you’re ready for a stronger commitment to black, you can paint the entire walls in a smaller room, such as this Hollywood-style powder room. The glossy jet black paint brings oozes of luxury and class to the panelled walls. And here’s a little-known design pro tip: black can actually make a small space feel larger. In my own small city apartment, I painted the living room walls a deep plum color to see if we could amp up the spaciousness and it worked wonders!

This dining room featuring partially-black walls is incredibly successful. The sleek black color above the white wainscoting and the white tulip dining table deliver mod sophistication to the space, while the vintage Turkish rug and leather upholstered dining chairs warm up the room and bring a classic touch.

If you’re ready to go the whole nine and paint one of the principal rooms in your home black or near-black, we don’t think you’ll regret it! Just like pure white walls make a nice blank canvas for other decor and accessories, black is also the perfect background for any artwork. The black wall set back between custom bookshelves in this library makes a stunning backdrop for a big bold painting. Combining black, gold and white for the ultimate sophistication, this luxe library is completed with a pair of gorgeous black bookcases that beautifully highlight treasured books and white marble sculptures.

Here are our favorite paint picks for the month:

Sherwin Williams Tricorn Black

Benjamin Moore Black Iron

Need help finding just the perfect way to work black into your home? 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.

Read on as the design minds at Jasmin Reese Interiors make the case for this month’s featured color: orange.

Orange is one of the boldest colors on the spectrum, calling your attention immediately (but there’s a reason it’s used on “Caution” signs!). Don’t let those fluorescent traffic cones give orange a bad rap — when used correctly, it can be an incredibly sophisticated way to add some unexpected zest and movement to your space.

Orange Beachy Entryway House Beautiful

Many homeowners shy away from including orange in their interior design palate fearing that it will be too intense or distracting. In truth, it’s the intensity that makes orange such a fabulous accent color — the trick is just to use it sparingly!

Here’s a Bohemian chic kitchen in Lake Forest that we had the pleasure of designing recently. We used an orange tile backsplash to add some visual interest to an otherwise neutral-toned space.

LF Boho Kitchen backsplash

A few key orange accents around the room, using furniture and window treatments, pick up the orange from the backsplash and complete the look.

LP Boho Kitchen Window Treatments

Here’s another great example of a strong orange accent making all the difference. This orange nightstand subtly draws out the orange trim on the pillows. Orange took this sweet twin bedroom from conservative and classic to unexpectedly stylish.

White and blue twin beds with orange table

This orange doorway at the Parker, Palm Springs, shows us exactly what fierce modern style looks like. It’s all about contrast!

Orange Door, Parker, Palm Springs

Our favorite orange paint picks are Orange Nectar from Benjamin Moore, and Navel from Sherwin Williams. Use either of these to add some pop to an accent wall or piece of furniture in your home.

       Benjamin Moore Orange Nectar

          Sherwin Williams Navel

Sherwin Williams’s 2015 Color of the Year Coral Reef has been applied to paneled accent wall in this elegant sitting room. Notice that it doesn’t take anything away from all the gorgeous layers of white furniture, window treatments, or the striking fur rug — the whites pop brighter!

Orange Panel Wall White Fur Rug

Just because we’ve emphasized the importance of orange as an accent color does not mean it will necessarily overwhelm a space if it’s used as the primary color in the scheme. If you love orange, go wild and paint the entire room. The orange walls paired with sleek blue furniture, and blasts of pinks, yellows, and reds in the artwork give this fabulous dining room that appeared in Elle Decor a fun, energetic vibe.

Orange Walls dining room Elle Decor

How are you daring to use orange to liven up your home or garden? Inspire us with pics!

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

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

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.

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!

Create a focal point for your home or office – add a dash of color to that wall niche or alcove for an eye-catching addition to your decor. Painting the interiors of nooks and crannies is a wonderful way to introduce vibrant color to a room without overwhelming your visitors.

What can work for this creative color splash? Think open wall cubbies, firewood cubbies, built-in bookshelves, open closets, storage areas under the stairs, kitchen cabinet interiors, open kitchen shelving, bathroom storage nooks, open attic storage alcoves, and shallow recessed wall areas. There are plenty of other options, but you’re looking for small accent areas, NOT large sections of visible space.

For a subtler look, try painting the complete interior of the nook or the back wall only. For those looking to a bolder statement, paint the trim around the nook or alcove the same vibrant hue as the interior. If the niche doesn’t have a physical border, you can create a faux trim by taping off a small edge (one to two inches) before painting to give it a stronger presence in the room.

There are so many color choices! Start with these bold Benjamin Moore paints as inspiration to get your creative juices flowing to find just the right vibrant color treatment for your own creative space:

  Hot Tamale            Rumba Orange          Sweet Orange           Yellow Finch

    Chic Lime            Royal Fuchsia            Peacock Blue               Blue Lapis

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