Painting Basements? Choose These Top 5 Colours

Basements are interesting places to decorate. Most homes have basements that double up as storage places or as an extra room. Homeowners also like to use this extra area to organize parties and family meets. If the basement is going to be used as a place where you spend time with family and friends, it is definitely a good idea to paint some interesting colours. 

A number of Ecopainting’s clients have specific uses for the basement. If you plan to use it as a TV/media room, use dark colours. In case you plan to use it for reading or relaxation purposes, a monochromatic or light colour scheme will work well. You can stay conservative and stick to neutral colours, but the basement is one place where you can go bold with colours and experiment. 

Selecting a good colour for the basement should not be difficult provided you know the limitations and advantages of this unique space. Considers painting samples and adjust the available lighting so that any paint colour in the basement turns out just right. 

Your basement can be dingy and dark with no windows or a big, bright room with a walk-out door. It makes more sense to take into account the lighting needs first and then choose the colour. Once you have determined that, your colour options will also increase. 

Here are some colours that are great for painting basements

• Benjamin Moore’s Pottery Red – A deep red colour, this shade will be great for a media room and used alongside black and white. Such a red will work with distinct styles and accent colours. Pair that up with a white ceiling and trim so that the room doesn’t feel cramped and acts as a contrast to the red. 
• Benjamin Moore’s Golden Honey – If you have a basement that doesn’t have enough natural light, this yellow shade will brighten up the area. Some clients choose to use basements as play areas or home offices, in such cases a warm yellow will make everything look bright and inviting. However, do not assume that a yellow paint colour will be able to completely compensate the lack of natural lighting around the room. Some light will be needed though. 
• Benjamin Moore’s Wandering Heart:  Neutrals can work well in basements too. If you want to paint your basement a neutral shade but don’t want it to be too dull, the Wandering Heart is one colour you should consider. The pale green undertone gives a unique appearance under light. 
• Benjamin Moore’s Arctic Blue: Basements painted in a universal colour like blue appear light and open. The Arctic Blue is a paint shade that has just a hint of green undertones and doesn’t look all blue. It’s a spa like colour that is ideal for creating a calm atmosphere in the basement. 
• Benjamin Moore’s California Lilac: Lilacs and Purples are great alternatives to all the greens and blues out there. A deep purple shade will make a basement look royal. It is great for inspiring creativity and fun. With adequate lighting, this paint colour is most suitable for game rooms. 

In addition to choosing the best colours for your basement, the right sheen has an important role to play as well. The sheen will determine how the light will be reflected on the painted walls, whether it will highlight or hide flaws and how easy it will be to clean the walls. If you have a damp basement that may be affected by mold, a satin paint finish will be needed as it can tolerate moisture better than other paint types. 

Homeowners should also take into account, the current finishing of the basement and any other existing materials that may have been used to finish the basement. For example, if you have brick walls, you may like to paint the adjoining walls a refreshing colour such as pale green or a blue. In case the basement has a carpet or complete drywall, deeper and richer colours will be more appropriate. 

What colours do you think look best in a basement? Do share your colour and décor ideas in the comments section below. 

Patching Drywall Training

Drywall Repair, Patching and Taping – A Free Training Event by Ecopainting There are many YouTube videos about how to do anything these days and you can find step by step instructions for any DIY task. When we decided to host our Drywall taping and patching event we didn’t know what response we would get from our community. Ecopainting had free educational and community events before with various degrees of success. We called this one Read More >>
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Painting In Riverdale

Painting the Exteriors of Riverdale Homes and Local Businesses Are you looking for local painters to paint your home in Riverdale? Maybe you are a business owner thinking that the exterior of your establishment could use some sprucing up? We think you should consider hiring Ecopainting. We love painting in Riverdale and our customers are ecstatic with the service that they receive. During the last twenty years we have painted homes, stripped and stained decks, Read More >>
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Painting Suggestions For Smaller Bathrooms

Painting Small Bathrooms – How to make them look bigger ? Small bathrooms can be a pain to deal with.  If you as a homeowner are planning a residential painting project, optimizing the use of existing space is probably one of your major concerns. A home can certainly use more area, but in situations where it isn’t feasible to expand an existing bathroom, one of the ways you can make a small bathroom look larger Read More >>
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Top 5 Exterior Painting Blunders to Avoid While Painting Your Home

Summer is one of the best seasons to begin exterior painting for your home. But, there is more to an exterior painting colour scheme than just choosing a trim colour and a nice neutral for the outside. Conscious homeowners are aware of curb appeal and have begun to give similar importance to both interior and exterior painting.  While selecting the right exterior colours is not a difficult task, in order to maximize the curb appeal, make sure you avoid the commonly repeated mistakes discussed below. 

• Disregarding the Neighbourhood Exteriors: In an ideal world, we would all live in our happy bubble and not concern ourselves with anyone else around us. In reality, it is very different. Some neighbourhoods have guidelines about exterior colours. You may be expected to paint your home exteriors in a certain colour to match the other homes on the street. Before you pick a paint colour, all you need to do is take a quick look down the street and see if your colour plans will look out of place. You may want to paint the outside walls a moss green but be prepared to change it or tone it down if the colour goes against the neighbourhood vibe. 

• Absence of a Color Scheme: Just like testing colour samples, it is also necessary to create a colour scheme for the exteriors. Before you choose the paint, consult a painting contractor or a colour consultant in coming up with a colour scheme to beautify the outside of your home. You will need to decide on a colour for the trims, the outside walls, front door and even window colours. Accents can be added too and these can take the form of porch décor, pottery, plants, or furniture. 
  

• Ignoring the Landscaping: Apart from testing paint colours, and trying to match them with the neighbourhood colour scheme, a homeowner must also carefully consider the landscaping colours. If the front yard has bright greens and yellows, a cool hued exterior may look cold and dull. Same goes for those front yards that have single colour flowers. If one colour dominates, this a problem too. To get rid of this problem, ask your painting contractor for suggestions, use a paint colour app for matching and get all the help you need before arriving at a decision.

• Failing to test colour samples: It is a myth that testing colour samples is for interiors only. Sampling paint colours is as important for the outside of your home as it is for the inside. Getting paint colour swatches for the exteriors may even help you from choosing the wrong colour and save you some money. In the past, most homeowners would simply go up to their neighbourhood paint store and ask for a simple beige for the exterior. Nobody wanted to experiment with colours and people generally stuck to the tried and tested traditional colours. The problem with continuing this old approach now is, a ‘builders beige’ can look different on each home exterior. A general residential painting rule is - do not not assume that because something looks good on a neighbour’s home, it will also suit yours too. Each house is built different and testing colours for exteriors will tell how the paint will look on your home. 

• Forgetting the Front Door: The front door can be of the most noticeable things about a home or one of the most unnoticeable ones too! A well painted front door greatly adds to the charm of a home’s exterior. Wooden and white doors may look nice but imagine a pop of colour for the front door. A well-chosen paint colour will make your home’s entrance look very attractive. It can complement the existing colours of the house, work with the colour scheme and also highlight unique architectural features that would otherwise go unnoticed. 

In addition to the above aspects, there are certain other house elements that should be taken into account. For instance, homeowners should think about the existing materials that have been used for the exteriors. Roofs, stone and brick can also influence the exterior colour scheme. Some bricks and stones are brown, some are gray, or a shade of red-rust. 

It is important to coordinate the exterior paint colours with these elements so as to prevent an ugly contrast. Also remember that light colours will make the house look more inviting, especially if it is situated away from the curb. On the other hand, dark colours will help in emphasizing the lower part of the house and indicate a solid foundation and stability. 

What colour are you planning to paint your home’s exterior? 

10 Mistakes to Avoid When Painting Kitchen Cabinets

Painting kitchen cabinets or painting anything for that matter is ruling social media sites these days. Aspiring DIYers are updating kitchens and interiors with fresh coats of paint and posting the pictures of their endeavors on sites such as Pinterest. While painting kitchen cabinets may look like a fun thing to do but there are some blunders that you should avoid: 

1. Not labeling doors, drawers or hardware: The absence of labels is another blunder that people commit. It can be quite the task to remember what goes where. So it’s worth the effort to use numbered labels and these will tell you where everything goes. You can also stick a piece of masking tape with a number at the back of each piece. 
2. Insufficient budgeting of time: Painting kitchen cabinets is not a weekend project that you can finish over a period of one or two days. It can often take four days to a week to do a thorough job. In addition, you also need to factor in breaks and prep time. If all this is overwhelming, hire a painting contractor to do this.
3. Not sanding: Even if your cabinets are in a spotless condition, you still need to sand them so that the paint sticks. Use sandpaper, that is somewhat in the middle (150-200 grit) and use it on all surfaces that deserve a good, quick rub. The surface needs to go from glossy to matte. 
4. A dusty surface: Cleaning up and vacuuming is more important than you think. Before you begin the paint job, vacuum any debris from the surfaces you plan to paint. Even a few specks of dust or foreign matter can ruin the look. If you don’t, you will get a gritty finish and the effect will be like you painted on sand. In order to address this, you will have to sand and repaint all over again. 
5. Having unrealistic expectations: Painted cabinets do look lovely but expecting a hundred percent smooth and flawless finish is unrealistic. Grooves may show through the paint, warn painting experts. Once the paint dries, what wasn’t apparent earlier will show up now. The grain can be covered with putty but it can be a challenging and time consuming affair. 
6. Picking the wrong color: While there is no right or wrong colour, it is important that you select an appropriate colour for the kitchen. The cabinet painting task is not difficult but it is not one that you will be redoing over and over again. So it is important that you get it right the first time. You can always paint a big poster board with colour samples that you’re considering. Hang the board on kitchen walls, appliances or even cabinets and make sure that you have picked the colour you really want to see there.
7. Not cleaning the wood: Irrespective of how clean you think your kitchen is, you do need to wipe everything with a cleaner meant for removing grease. Because, when you paint a water-based paint on an oily door, the paint is not going to stick if it hasn’t been de-greased. This is a very important step and must not be skipped. To begin, remove all the doors, take out the drawers and unhinge any knobs or hinges. There are some people who attempt to paint it all – including the hinges when they’re still in place. However, this is not the right solution. The cabinets and hardware will start to show signs of wear and tear very soon. The paint on hinges will begin to crack and all you can do is to soak the hardware for getting rid of the paint. So, save yourself the trouble and follow the instructions above. 
8. You skip priming: Some painters like to skip priming but think about this. The finished kitchen may look amazing now but few weeks or months down the line, the knots in wood can bleed through the paint. Try using a stain-blocking primer and you can avoid the blotches as the paint settles in.  
9. Selecting sub-standard paint: After trying all sorts of paint, as a painting contractor, we had the most success with Benjamin Moore Advance. At times, it may be more expensive than a generic store bought paint but it is definitely worth it since you’ll get a smoother finish. Kitchen spaces have limited area to cover anyway so you won’t be breaking the bank if you opt for a good paint. 
10. Rushing to re-install cabinets: It can be tiring to wait for paint to cure. However, if you happen to smudge the paint by mistake, you will have to sand the areas and repaint. So, don’t rush to install the cabinets the moment they’re painted. Give them time and the end result will be a spectacular kitchen. 

Have you tried painting your kitchen cabinets or hired a painting company to do it? What was your experience like?

10 Ways to Use Colour Psychology for Your Home

When we plan a home renovation project – there are few different approaches we take. Some of us like to stick with an existing décor or pattern and some of us like to choose objects or colours that look more attractive than what exists currently. Colour is generally one of the dominant tools that influences our decisions. The choice of colour has the power to inspire certain emotions, create illusions of space, set the mood or hide flaws. Colour psychology is a field in itself and can be a great way to create a beautiful home. This holds true not just for interior but also exterior painting. 

In this article, we touch up on some simple ways that you can use colour psychology: 

1. Bright colours good for creating space illusion: When you need a home to appear larger than it is, use vibrant colours like eggshells or yellows to add space, especially to exteriors. This will also help with resale if you are a seller. No need to stick to white, it is too common and won’t be as effective as tinted colours. 
2. Red kitchens for building appetites: As per colour theory, blue is a suppressant and red, a colour than enhances. Red/warm colours have been effective in increasing appetite in most people. This is one of the reasons why it is used frequently in restaurants or in dining rooms. It is not difficult to use red, you can paint cabinets red or beige walls can have red windows. 
3. Stay warm in winter: Warmer/Deeper tones are great for the winter. Use oranges, reds and yellows when choosing a paint for the home. In the winter, it will make your home look more inviting from the outside and warm on the inside. This is a great tip to follow when you’re planning to sell your home during winter. 
4. Cool off in the summer: Like warm colours, cool tones will make your home seem clean and fresh in the summer. Think of white exteriors with a blue trim, this is a popular choice for summer homes and new home painting projects. 
5. Look back for a moment: Colour consultants suggest that using familiar colours can inspire a feeling of goodness. Look back, think of your childhood, and are you reminded of any particularly fond memories? What colours do you associate with these memories? Many of us remember colours from kitchens, if you cannot recollect those, reds and yellows are an ever-popular choice. 
   
6. Rest & relax: Most of us have that one room or space in the house that manages to instantly relax us. What colour is this area? More often than not, it will be a neutral or cool colour. If you want to make a room super relaxing, paint it in cool colours like lighter shades of blue, lavender and green will all have a calming effect. 
7. Reds and high blood pressure: While red is great for kitchens and boosting appetites, dark shades of red are generally associated with high blood pressure. Having deep red bedrooms can cause irritability so go for calmer colours if you’re looking for relaxation. 
8. Go green: A number of us either work from home at times or have a fully functional home office. Are we really all that productive when working from home? Consider painting home office spaces with shades of green. It will inspire concentration and help you in working quickly. Apart from painting the room a light shade of green, also consider including a plant or two but don’t turn the area into a jungle. It can be distracting. Painting contractors will tell you that green is one of the most popular green colours currently being used in home design. 
9. An optimistic yellow: Yellow is a cheerful colour and is perfect for sun-rooms. If you want to use shades of yellow inside your home, there are couple of ways you can do that. One way is to paint the entryway yellow or use the colour on an enclosed porch. These places are ideal as you feel your spirits lifting the moment you leave or enter the house. A little pick me up like this will make the daily grind more bearable!  
10. White is not that bad: White symbolizes cleanliness and purity, that’s probably one of the reasons why most bathroom fixtures are white. You don’t want to hide dust and stains in the bathroom, they should be visible so that they can be cleaned. A fresh and clean bathroom with gentle white paint will put your mind at ease. 

Colour psychology is a science, one that should be used when deciding the colour scheme for a home. When everything else fails, nature has the best colour palette. Select hues that resonate closely to the world outside. Colours that appear naturally will also blend very well with the interiors. For exteriors, we do recommend bright colours to create a more welcoming appearance.