Color Consulting and Interior Lighting

Color and light are part of any interior design or home remodel project. Here are some of my recent blog entries from my blog ColorConversations.com
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Nature's Lovers - Green and Purple in Your Home Landscape artists often refer to the color combination of violet/purple and green as “Nature’s Lovers”. Not only do purple and green look good together on an artist’s canvas, they can look amazing together in your home. From soft gray violet to deep amethyst purples, painting your walls your favorite shade of purple will go with more colors than you might think. Here’s why . . . .READ MORE

Are Color Trends a Self-Fulfilling Prophecy? According to Ford Motor Co., and PPG Industries (Pittsburgh Paint), car buyers in the U.S. still vote with their wallets for the color silver as the most popular car color in the U.S. for the 9th year in a row. Colors trailing behind silver are white, then black. The rest of the automobile color line-up varies by city and region.. . . READ MORE

Painting Your Garage Door Trim When color consulting with clients who are choosing exterior paint colors I often suggest they don’t call attention to their garage. This advice doesn’t work for every house or every client, but it’s worth considering. Here’s why. . . READ MORE

Interior Lighting and Your Eyesight - Do you need stronger glasses or more light? Even though you’ve gotten a bit older, it’s not necessarily true that you need stronger glasses (though a doctor has the last word). Sometimes, the lighting in your home is the problem. Though a room may seem well lit to one person, another person may perceive the same room as poorly lit. . . . READ MORE

www.CristinaAcosta.com

Thinking About Color Changes

The changing colors of the season inspire me to write about color. Here is a list of my most recent articles about color from my blog ColorConversations.com:

Blanca, The Color White - I was looking at the color white last week and realized that for me, white had became a symbol of global interconnection. How did a color I see every day suddenly have a new meaning? Here’s what happened. . . . .

Color and Design Concepts - Repetition and Variation (and a Snake) - Good design snakes our attention. Here’s why. Looking at too much of the same thing can turn a good thing into a nothing. That is, nothing you’d notice or want to look at. Too much of the same thing sends our brain to sleep. Maybe not literally, but our attention drifts and we’re on to the next thing. Our human brains are on the alert for differences. That alertness informs us when. . . .

Color Meanings, Color Symbology and Color Psychology - You may not know this, but you were covered in color symbolism, meanings and psychology from the day you saw your first pink or blue baby blanket. Scientists, religions, governments, mystics and artists have always assigned meaning to colors over the centuries of human kind and there’s no way to get away from those meanings. . . . .

www.CristinaAcosta.com

Color Consulting Architectural Project Portfolio

Creating color plans for residential, commercial and institutional buildings is a fascinating way to put color theory into practice. Color is a language that exists in the spoken and written word as symbol and metaphor. I love the challenge of translating the subconscious and conscious reactions of my clients to color into a color plan that they love.

Read more about my color advice at Color Conversations with Cristina
Hire me as your color expert:
Cristina Acosta Art & Design llc, Certified Minority Contractor

www.CristinaAcosta.com

Change a Few Colors Instead of Repainting Your Entire House

I posted a new entry on Color Conversations with Cristina. I wrote about how to fix an exterior house paint project that didn't turn out quite like you'd expected. Here's the lead:

Are you ready for a home makeover but you don’t want to break the bank? Have you ever painted your house and when it was done, wondered why the paint job didn’t look as good as you thought it would? Changing paint colors doesn’t have to be a complete re-do. With a few strategic changes of color you can get the look and pizzaz you want by changing only the colors or areas that make the most difference, rather than repaint the entire exterior of your home. . . . .READ MORE

www.CristinaAcosta.com

Can Color Change Your Mood?

Do you feel like no matter what goes on around you, even if you're not in control you at least know what's going on? Well, you do and you don't. The senses we rely on to understand the world around us aren't always accurate. Shapes and colors manipulate how you perceive the world around you -- along with texture, temperature, scent, sound and more.

Think about bright colors and food. Vitamin rich fruits and vegetables are mostly colorful. Fast food restaurants don't serve colorful fruits and vegetables, so instead they put strong colors in the decor of the restaurant, the pictures on the menu and the packaging. Candy is almost always manipulated to be artificially brightly colored to appeal to the human impulse to eat brightly colored healthy food.

As obvious as the manipulation of food colors are, colors in our homes and business offices manipulate where our attention goes as we move through the space and how we feel about the space. A red door on a brown house focuses our attention on the door.

But don't feel that colors have one note, like the keys on a piano. Though many studies of colors have outcomes that insist yellow is happy or red is stimulating, those studies can only address that color in one environment. Colors interact with each other to create a melody line, just as the keys of the piano can combine to create a tune.

The bottom line is yes, color affects your mood. But don't get caught up in creating a rigid identity for every hue. The interaction of a color with other colors and the cultural viewpoint(s) of the people experiencing the colors is the ultimate arbitrator. Assigning one emotional response to a color is like insisting that each note of the musical scale has an immutable meaning. Like insisting that the note of middle C is always happy and F minor is always sad.

Pay attention to the interaction of colors and strive to be aware of the meanings you've assigned to colors and you will begin to use colors more creatively in all aspects of your life.


Photos: I took these photos in Oaxaca, Mexico. The gorgeous colors of flowers mixed into the salad greens and vegetables (it tasted as delicious as it looks) are mimicked in the colors of the candies and other sweets this woman was selling at her snack stand.


See my color consulting work for residences and public buildings on my website at www.CristinaAcosta.com

See examples of my color consulting portfolio and articles on my website.

www.CristinaAcosta.com Call me to schedule a color consulting appointment in Bend, Oregon or a phone appointment if you don't live in Oregon.

Staging Your Home Can Sell it Faster

Today's real estate market is a buyer's market. Presenting your home for sale puts you in competition with an incredible amount of inventory. Look in most any neighborhood and you'll often find a combination of bank sales, short sales and regular sales. Standing out positively among the crowded MLS Multiple Listing Service pages takes special attention to detail.

Many years ago I had a Real Estate License. I sold residential resort real estate in Southern California for a couple of years before going to college to complete my training as an artist. I learned many things from that experience, including this realization: Selling real estate was no fun for me, but I loved to look at houses. It's no surprise that years later I developed my color consulting business in Bend, Oregon, as part of my creative work. Home design is a passion of mine.

Last weekend I staged a client's home in Portland, Oregon. The young family has lived in the home for about 7 years (2 children and a dog). They've had wonderful luck in this location and experienced a happy family life. Their good fortune has resulted in a move to another area, and they were ready to sell their home. They wanted to be sure that their home conveyed a clean, warm and well-cared-for first impression that would welcome buyers.

You can see a fly-around video of the home at this link http://tour.circlepix.com/tour.htm?id=719435&mls_tour=1 or, view the Portland, Oregon family home for sale on the John L. Scott Real Estate website.

Keep in mind this concept when you stage your home. When you style or stage your home for sale, you are creating home design that barely whispers your presence while it loudly invites the visitor to imagine themselves living in your home. You want to create a similar feeling to the one you get walking into a well appointed hotel suite or rental house, only with a bit more personality.

Here are a few staging tips to help you sell your home:

• Have on hand: Moving boxes, tape and markers. Prepare a space in the garage or other storage area to store the filled boxes. Uniform sized boxes are easier to stack.
  
• Clear out storage areas and closets to about half full. Arrange items that are left so that they occupy the space without filling it full. Buyers like to open cabinets and closets - make the shelves look spacious.
  
• Empty full bookshelves to about 10% to 30% of their former selves. Arrange remaining books with decor items to add interest.
• Hide and/or lock away any valuables including prescription drugs.
• Remove family photos - including any refrigerator photos and notes.
• Ask yourself if you can remove any furniture in the room to increase the sense of spaciousness. Be strict with yourself, you can always add pieces back.
• Remove any broken or damaged things from the room.
• Repair any broken or damaged parts to the room including: replace cracked windows, fill nail holes and touch-up wall and trim paint, replace caulking in bathrooms and kitchen if needed, clean and restore flooring as much as possible.

Staging, styling or restyling your home for the purpose of selling it can be your chance to flex your design skills. Learning to see your same old stuff with new eyes opens you to discovering new ways you might live with your furnishings and decor in your next home.

For assistance with home staging, home styling and decor ideas in the Central Oregon or Portland, Oregon areas, call me for a consultation 541-388-5157. I also include color consulting as part of this service.

Looking for the Perfect White?

Going into a paint store and asking for their best-selling white will rarely result in the best color of white for your home. Just because a certain color is a paint store employee favorite and easy sell, doesn't mean it's right for you. Take just a little extra time to choose a white and you'll be happier with the results. Here are some tips for choosing the best white wall paint color:

• If you're choosing a white trim paint color, choose the white after you've decided the wall colors in your home. Put sample color swatches of white against the other sample colors.

1. For a crisp look, choose a white that pops out from your wall colors.
   
2. For a subtle and serene look, choose a white that is soft and subtle against the wall color samples.

• Whites are either basically cool or warm (color temperature). Sometimes the paint company will tell you the color temperature on the samples. Benjamin Moore paint company has a fan deck of over 100 "whites" with either a "W" or a "C" near the color number to denote a warm or cool toned base. If it's not obvious, ask the paint store professional to point out the difference.

• Cool whites are bluish, greenish or purplish. Warm whites are yellowish, orangish or reddish. (Sorry about all of these "ish" endings, but I hope you get the idea.) Choose the color temperature you like, but be aware that a North facing or shady room will tend to turn a white to the cooler side and a sunny room will enhance warmth.
  

See examples of my color consulting portfolio and articles on my website.

www.CristinaAcosta.com Call me to schedule a color consulting appointment in Bend, Oregon or a phone appointment if you don't live in Oregon.

Beware of Matchy Matchy

Have you seen the TV ads of homeowners bringing their lamps and teddy bears (or whatever) to the paint counter of a big box retailer? They look so relieved when the friendly paint store employee informs them that, "Yes, we can match this color!"

They may be relieved at the paint counter, but that doesn't always mean they're going to love the paint color on the walls of their home. Though looking for paint colors that exactly match a favorite object may seem like the best solution to finding the proper hue, the wall color may not look as good as you imagined when the paint is on the walls in the 3 dimensional space of your home. This is because your eye perceives a paint color differently depending upon the amount of color, the light conditions and the paint tints and base used to achieve that wall paint color.

Here are a couple tips to guide you when you're looking to experience a favorite color on your walls:

• Take your favorite object to the store, but don't exactly match the color. Choose a color that is either 1 to 3 shades lighter or darker. Now the color of the object and wall will relate, but not try to replicate each other (much easier than the near-miss of trying for a color match). The colors of each will be enhanced.

• Sample 2 to 3 versions of the same color. If you want a purple bedroom, sample a dark, dusky eggplant purple, a deep reddish purple and a lighter blue gray purple. Testing limited variations of the same color will educate you on which direction to go with a color you love.

See examples of my color consulting portfolio and articles on my website.

www.CristinaAcosta.com Call me to schedule a color consulting appointment in Bend, Oregon or a phone appointment if you don't live in Oregon.

Read more of my Choosing Colors blog entries.

Will the Color Gray Pave Your Path to Serenity?

Some interior designers and color forecasters are touting gray as the new "it" color -- the color that is guaranteed to update your home. I've read pieces claiming that the color gray is calming and will soften the mood of any room. Don't believe it.

Yes, it is possible to use gray in such a way that it does create an inviting and serene interior design color palette. And yes, the color grey can meld well with other tones (remember the famous 80's mauve and gray combo)? I have created many color plans for color consulting clients using gray and the result for them was beautiful. The key concept is "for them".

Gray may not be your serene and calming color. In fact -- if the color gray is all wrong for you, you'll find yourself dissatisfied, depressed and unhappy with any walls you paint the color grey. You'll hate it. So much for serenity.

Any of the national paint companies offer thousands of colors. In the Sherwin Williams line there are over 200 colors of green. In the Benjamin Moore line, there are over 400 colors of green. As for the color gray, if you include brown-grays, green-grays, yellow-grays, dark grays and light grays, you're going to find hundreds of potential colors that could be considered "gray" in one trip to the paint aisle of any paint store.

Colors shape the mood of any environment, and there are many books and studies written about the effect of color. If you're interested, I encourage you to read everything you can about color. But if you're going to paint a room in your house, put aside those books and think about how color effects you (and the others in your home).

If you can't get out of your head to what a color really feels like for you, take some time to notice color during the next couple of days. Take a few notes or some quick cell phone photos of what interests you. Don't second-guess or edit your impulse to note a color. Look at your favorite clothes and ask yourself if the color could possibly work in your home.

When you've found the colors that work for you -- then you can fine tune them at the paint store and not get yourself confused with the latest fashion trend.

See examples of my color consulting portfolio and articles on my website.

www.CristinaAcosta.com Call me to schedule a color consulting appointment in Bend, Oregon or a phone appointment if you don't live in Oregon.

Read more of my Choosing Colors blog entries.

Home Design -- Color Choices are Part of a Melody Line

Have you ever found yourself looking at 2 or more paint colors or other home decor colored items and been completely confused as to which color is the best choice?

Recently, I was working with a color consulting client when a concept came up regarding how to use color to accent part of the architecture. We were discussing the idea of either using a deep lush red that cross-pollinated with another accent red surface in the room, or choosing a color that cross-pollinated with a subtle green in that same room.

The issue wasn't which color would be "best", though that would seem to be the question. The real question was, "How does this color work with the melody line of color we've already established?"

The answer to that question has to take into account a variety of design elements: warm vs. cool color balance, texture balance, and the age old question, "How much is "enough?" We decided that considering the other colors, shapes and textures in the home, the subtle green was the best choice. Why that color choice answer surfaced is due to a web of interior design concerns that are beyond the scope of this blog entry.

My point is that you need to be aware that every color in your home that links to another color is part of an overall melody line of color. Keep that concept in mind when you get stuck between 2 color choices.

Read more about my color consulting portfolio and examples along with my home decor articles on my website.

Ask Cristina: Which Color Should I Use for the TV Accent Wall?

Dear Cristina, (via my website www.CristinaAcosta.com)

I just purchased paint from Benjamin Moore 2159-40 (amber wave) and AC-9 (Nugget). These colors seem too dark. The Benjamin Moore specialist suggested that we use the Nugget as the accent wall. For some reason it doesn't look too good. Can someone suggest a color that will complement (Amber Wave) or a color that we can use as an accent wall with the color (Amber Wave). Oh by the way the room is in the basement and it is the longest wall in which we plan to put the TV on.
Looking for HELP.

Thank you.
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From the sound of your note, you're planning on keeping the Benjamin Moore wall paint color, Amber Waves and replace the Nugget. You haven't said anything about your decor, so my advice is a bit of a shot in the dark. Nonetheless, here goes!

I like the color Amber Waves as it's a light and happy gold and would likely be a good choice for a basement color as it's not full of black. The Nugget didn't work because it's a bit blah against the Amber Waves, and the value (the relative lightness or darkness of a color) is too close. Because your accent wall is the TV accent wall in the basement, I'd go for some drama. Here are some deep, rich tones that accent the Benjamin Moore Amber Wave color: Amazon Soil 2115-30 (a beautiful rich and dusky eggplant purple); Pine Cone 2106-30 (a rich warm brown) and Cinnamon 2174-20 (a gorgeous earthy red).

Don't chicken out and choose a blah (in comparison) accent wall color. An accent wall is all about drama -- choose a bold color. Don't worry about the darkness of the color -- the basement is dark already -- put in dramatic color and add lights to highlight any posters, art, or play areas like pool tables and card tables. A lighting expert can help you get dramatic yet practical results. I'd love to see what you ended up doing, send me the before and after photos..

Read more color advice on my website.

Winter White -- Article in Latina Style magazine

White is a year 'round color in home decor. I wrote an interior design article for Latina Style magazine about the color white titled, Painting Your Home with Style, Turning White into Wow! For a couple of years I've been regularly writing a design column called Su Casa (Your Home) that answers decor questions. It's fun and interesting work, and I always learn something new with each article. The next issue of Latina Style will include my article about interior lighting.

This issue is all about white (just in time for snow in the northern climes). Though white is not on the color wheel, when it's used in home decor and interior design, white functions as a color, (which is as good as being a color).

Here are some of my tips about using the wall paint color white from the home decor article:

Mix up the sheens (texture).
Choose a basic eggshell sheen for the majority of surfaces. Mix in other whites in matte and glossy finishes. Play with this idea, using gloss as the basic sheen and matte sheen as the accent (or vice versa).

Layer whites from bright to creamy.
Here’s an example of layering three colors of white: Semi-gloss bright-white trim (cool); matte sheen creamy-white though slightly darker ceilings (warm); with eggshell sheen creamy-white (warm) walls that are slightly darker than the ceiling.

Keep your whites in line with your décor.
Bright whites are a stylish boost in stark modern home designs. Enhance a traditional home with warm whites.

White walls don’t have to be boring when you play tonalities and textures of white together. Try some of these ideas and send me your photos to share on my Web site.

Sources:
www.BenjaminMoore.com
www.Sherwin-Williams.com
www.VoiceofColor.com
photo courtesy of Benjamin Moore

You can read more about design (and other things) on my website at www.CristinaAcosta.com

See examples of my color consulting portfolio and articles on my website.

www.CristinaAcosta.com Call me to schedule a color consulting appointment in Bend, Oregon or a phone appointment if you don't live in Oregon.

Read more of my Choosing Colors blog entries.

Ask Cristina: Which Wall Should be an Accent Wall?

Dear Cristina, (via my website www.CristinaAcosta.com)

I was wondering, how do you know which wall to use as an accent wall? I have an oblong living room and I am having it professionally painted soon. I am trying to decide which wall would be best. I was told to use the first wall you see when you come in the room as the accent wall. I was also told that I should not make the wall behind my TV the accent wall. (This is the first wall you see). I am so confused now. Please help. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Much thanks!!
Michele M.

Dear Michele,
A focal (or focus) point is an area of a room that catches your eye. A focal point area could be a wall, window, item of furniture (like a piano or TV), an architectural accent (such as -- ornate trims, a niche, fireplace, a unique ceiling) or fixture (such as lighting or appliances). A room will have a primary focal point, secondary focal point, etc.

How those focal points come to be is a combination of architecture and interior design. And, it sounds as though in your home the architecture makes the TV wall the focal point of the living room.

A painted accent wall can enhance or create a focal point. Because your living room is also your entertainment area I recommend you work with the TV. Put in cabinets and shelving that are attractive and cover or minimize the appearance of the TV. The cabinetry should include shelves to display art, memorabilia and decor items that enrich the focal area so that the TV is not visually dominant - an important factor when the TV is not on. The idea is to reinforce the natural visual dominance of the TV wall but at the same time, subordinate the visual importance of the TV.

With the above concepts in mind here's what to consider when you choose which wall to accent with paint:

• A colored accent wall would look great behind built-in shelves. The accent wall color would reinforce the focal point created by the cabinetry.
• OR, if the TV wall is also the longest wall in the room, AND after you have the cabinetry designed, IF that wall is too dominant you'll want to consider emphasizing a secondary focal point to create a little asymmetrical balance.**
  
• You could choose to accent a secondary focal point, consider a wall behind the seating area or a wall that frames a visually significant window.

Read more about accent walls on my website, www.CristinaAcosta.com.
When you're done with your room, I'd love to see photos.

Warm Regards,
Cristina

**Yes, this is a conditional answer, but it's the best I can do with the information I have. You'll need to consider these concepts when you make your decision.

See examples of my color consulting portfolio and articles on my website.

www.CristinaAcosta.com Call me to schedule a color consulting appointment in Bend, Oregon or a phone appointment if you don't live in Oregon.

Read more of my Choosing Colors blog entries.

2009 Decorating Color Forecast - The Work Behind the Trends

Have you ever wondered why when fashions change with the season you see a lot of the same colors at a clothing store or home decor store and those same colors seem to be everywhere? If you think it's because those colors are suddenly "in-style" by some magical arrangement of molecules, think again. The group think behind the styles in colors comes from, you guessed it -- a group!

The Color Marketing Group is the first big player in the color forecasting world. An international association for color design professionals, the Color Marketing Group creates color forecast information for professionals who design and market color.

The Pantone Color Institute is the leader in color tools. They bills themselves as, ". . .the world-renowned authority on color and provider of color systems and leading technology for the selection and accurate communication of color across a variety of industries. The PANTONE® Name is known worldwide as the standard language for color communication from designer to manufacturer to retailer to customer." I first used Pantone color systems when I painted billboards years ago. Design agencies would give me color numbers that cooresponded to a fan deck (or "book") of color swatches that were referred to as PMS (Pantone Matching System) colors.

Both the Color Marketing Group and Pantone Color Institute influence the colors used by manufacturers in industries across the board, including apparel, housewares, interior design, automobiles, and others. Don't think these groups are solely dictating color trends. They run a fine line between researching which colors are currently being used and then predicting which colors will be in use 1-2 even 5 years in the future. The people that think about color for industry application all the time usually have titles like: Color Forecaster, Color Stylist, Director of Color, etc. These people belong to groups that observe color use and social trends in the areas their customers (the manufacturers) sell to so that they can help the manufacturer create products in colors that people will buy.

Of course -- there is always an appetite for something that bucks the trend, so every color movement has it's corollary opposite. An example is the Eco color palettes vs. the Black-and-White color trend.

Keeping up on these trends is a full time job and often results in articles targeted for specific industries. The Paint & Decorating Retailer, an industry periodical published by the Paint & Decorating Retailers Association, explores product trends for the Paints and Coatings industry. They are a great resource for color trends in the paint market.

Trends in color are a result of the cultural/societal trends. Regardless of those trends, the colors you love and are drawn towards may merge with or oppose current color trends. So, pick and choose what you enjoy from the color trends and add in those colors that are close to your heart regardless of fashion. You'll be happier with your choices.

If you're looking to add color to your home, take a look at my Project Portfolio page for ideas. If you want some help to push the colors you love into a workable color palette, contact me and request my Free PDF E-Booklet detailing my color consulting service. (Put the words "Free PDF E-Booklet" in the comments box and I'll send you a link.

www.CristinaAcosta.com

See examples of my color consulting portfolio and articles on my website.

www.CristinaAcosta.com Call me to schedule a color consulting appointment in Bend, Oregon or a phone appointment if you don't live in Oregon.

Read more of my Choosing Colors blog entries.

Ask Cristina: Roofing Colors

Dear Cristina,

Please give me some advice. I am building a one-level secondary school in an Amerindian village in the interior of Guyana. I've finally received the money to put the roof on this 70'x 40' concrete building and I need color ideas. I am planning to purchase royal blue metal roofing material. What color should I paint the school to coordinate with the roof. I am also planning to build two small dormitories, two staff houses and a kitchen/cafeteria. Do these buildings need the same color roof? I would really appreciate it if you could give me some suggestions.
Siparuta Mission Academy

I checked your website Siparuta Mission Academy and noticed that the school is in a tropical jungle near a river. According to your website: "Siparuta Mission Academy was opened September 10, 2007 with 43 students in the Amerindian village of Siparuta, Guyana, South America. The school was an answer to the prayers of Amerindians who longed for a secondary school for their children." I checked Wikipedia about the country of Guyana, and got an idea of the weather.

I can understand why you are attracted to the royal blue color for the metal roofing. The landscape of the area is so unrelentingly green that a strong cool blue is a welcome accent. It also is the color of the school uniforms. As much as I love the cobalt color, I'm concerned that in a tropical setting the darker blue of the metal roofing will create too much heat in the rooms it shelters because the darker color absorbs more UV energy.

A local metal roofing company salesperson I called said that yes, darker colors on roofs do absorb more heat and that if you are in a climate where cooling is more of a challenge than heating, a lighter colored metal roof would be better.

So....here's my advice: If heat is a problem, choose a light color like light blue or yellow or even an orange (if the village people would enjoy it). Stay away from green -- there is more than enough of that color already. If heat isn't a problem (or is a small problem), go with the cobalt metal roof color, it's gorgeous.

I looked at the aerial view (or hillside view) of the village on your website and I think that making the metal roofs the same color would unify the compound. If that is not enough variety for your community members, at the least, make the buildings of a similar type have the same color roof. (i.e. "public" bldgs. vs. dormitories, etc.) I helped my local Habitat for Humanity with a hamlet of 10 homes and recommended that with the variety of home exterior wall colors, all of the roofs be the same color. It was very visually successful.

For a general color palette I would include the cobalt on doors or any other trim area if you don't use it on the metal roof. Looking at the photos of your village area I don't see much paint (yet), mostly natural wood and concrete colors. You are surrounded with so much green in the landscape that cobalt, deep yellow, deep purple, red, bright pink, and orange are good accent colors. Take your cues from the population you are working with as I'm sure they have preferences.

The wall colors can be more fun. Sometimes in tropical climates people prefer white or very soft yellow/white walls so that insects are visible. White of course can get dirty easily. A compromise is to use mid-value or darker colors on the bottom part of the buildings -- like a band of color that rises about 3 to 5 feet from the ground, then white or other light color above that. On the outside, a mid-value to darker color part way up the wall will look better when rain splatters mud on the sides of the building.

I urge you to have fun with the color scheme and include members of the village in the process. A vibrant, happy and welcoming looking compound is the first step to welcoming visitors, encouraging newcomers and giving your local population a sense of ownership and community.

Another idea is to incorporate Shade Sails into your compound. Shade Sails come in many colors and even the dark colors (the navy blue is close to the color you like) hold up well in the tropical sun. They are easy (with a crew) to install and you can get immediate shelter that is modern, colorful, stylish and very affordable. Read my blog posting about Shade Sails.

Send photos, I'd love to post the results and hear about the project.

Best Wishes, Cristina
See my color design portfolio on my website.

See examples of my color consulting portfolio and articles on my website.

www.CristinaAcosta.com Call me to schedule a color consulting appointment in Bend, Oregon or a phone appointment if you don't live in Oregon.

Read more of my Choosing Colors blog entries.

Green Health: Low VOC Wall Paints

Color consulting clients often have questions about low-VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds) paints. VOCs in paints are usually chemicals including formaldehyde or benzene, etc. On a planetary level these types of chemicals are linked to ozone depletion and water pollution. On a personal level, these chemicals are linked to asthma attacks, headaches, irritation to the eyes, nose or throat, cancer, nervous system disorders and more.

Sounds scary -- and it can be, which is the reason low-VOC paints are popular and no-VOC paints are now getting more interest. Clients are usually all for the idea of no-VOC paints until they see the difference in price between low and no-VOC. Here's what I usually tell them.

• Most of the VOC's are released as the paint dries (cures) and are gone within days. Paint has a curing time which can be from a few days to as long as a week depending upon atmospheric conditions such as humidity.
• The highest amount of VOC's are in the colorant. A light color in most brands will have the lowest of VOC's.
• One brand, Benjamin Moore Aura paint has acrylicized colorants (they own the patented process). What that means to you is that the darkest colors have no VOC, and that the paint is very durable and covers in one to two coats for even the darkest color. You can order any of the over 3,500 Benjamin Moore colors in the Aura paint, so color choices are not a problem.

I do still hand paint the walls of my home so that I can personally test a paint. As a fine artist, my standards for a paint are high. My current favorite for coverage, durability, ease of application (feel when wet), color choices and no VOC's is the Benjamin Moore Aura line. It's also expensive, but I think a good investment (especially factoring in coverage coats for dark colors).

I'm not saying that Aura is the only paint to use, just that when I personally paint a wall, I love it. I do still use and specify other lines including Sherwin Williams and Pittsburgh. Smaller or more regional lines of paint such as Yolo Colorhouse and Divine are also very good paints.

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Dear Cristina: We Disagree Over the Colors to Paint Our House

Titled "Designing in Pairs" this article was first printed in Latina Style magazine.

Dear Cristina,
Help me! My husband and I have completely different ideas when it comes to decorating our home. I love bright vibrant colors like deep red and citron lime. His favorite colors are beige, brown and white. We haven’t been able to agree and we’ve hardly fought about anything until now. Do you have any ideas that’ll help us figure out a color scheme we’ll both love?”
M.E. Salazar

Since you both care enough about color to fight over it, make the time to choose your color scheme together. Don’t fall into the trap of first choosing colors for both of you and then bring the choices to him for his approval – you’ll only end up in a power struggle. Giving the partner who doesn’t do any of the work veto power over the other’s color choices is a sure-fire way to get into another fight or end in a frustrating standstill.

The colors you see in your home reflect the choices you both make to define your life together. Use this disagreement as a way to reach a new level of understanding in your marriage. Here are a few ground rules to start – add any others as needed.
1. Don’t criticize any color choices (including your own). You can say no to a color without getting personal.
2. Say things you would be comfortable hearing.
3. Remember that you love each other. Compromise is necessary for a new beginning.

Begin by working together to collect swatches or examples of favorite colors. Go through your closet together and collect piles of clothing colors you love. You might be surprised to find that your favorite color of faded blue jean is really more blue-gray than bright blue. When you spot a great color combination, like his natural linen trousers paired with your soft turquoise blue shirt, take note. Move your separate piles of clothing out of the closet and set them aside.

Keep an open mind as you walk around the house and collect other objects that have colors you adore. Don’t limit yourself to the assortment of colors in a few pictures or throw pillows. Open the kitchen cupboards. You may love the deep, rich brown of your favorite blend of café or the amber gleam of a cup of brewed tea.

When you feel like you’ve collected enough samples, sit down together and look at the collection of items. Take turns choosing a favorite color from your own pile and then a color you like (or can at least live with) from his pile. You may both be surprised with the color combinations you discover you like. Remember his favorite linen trousers? Team that soft taupe color of linen with the deep red of your favorite dress and you’re on your way to a great color scheme in the living room – taupe ceiling and walls with a red accent wall. Pair the cocoa powder brown color of his. . . . READ MORE on my website.














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Do You LOVE Color? Visit this website

Webby Awards nominated the COLOURlovers website for their prestigious Best Community Website of the Year award for the second year in a row. If you think about color, you're going to love this website. Register and you can post your own colors.

I haven't begun to do more than lurk on the COLOURlovers site and read the great blogs and other entries. I'll let you know when I do more. In my spare time I've been putting together a PDF Color Consulting brochure booklet to explain my color consulting process to people interested in hiring me to do either on-site or remote (via email and phone), color consulting appointments. Until that's done you can see my color consulting portfolio on my website.

When that's done, I have some ideas for paintings I need to winnow down into a solid concept. Creating a painting is always an interesting process. I start dreaming about the pieces, then the images become so forceful that I paint them. This isn't true for all images. Mostly it's the case when I've been doing a lot of non-visual creative work (like writing) and my brain needs a long dose of non-verbal time.

Community Colors - The Ripple Effect. Habitat for Humanity Silver Lake Blvd.

Success isn't always immediately obvious. I worked on a project a few years ago in Bend, Oregon that has proven to be very successful. I am sharing the result because I believe that each one of us can have a positive impact on our global community with actions that at the time may not create a big splash.

Fitting affordable housing into an upscale neighborhood is a difficult task in cities where property prices have outpaced wages, a situation that has happened in my town. Meeting this challenge in the city of Bend, Oregon, Habitat for Humanity developed the neighborhood hamlet of Silver Lake. They planned ten homes to integrate into an existing upscale neighborhood. Building small homes that would coordinate (rather than match) the surrounding Craftsman/Arts & Craft style inspired neighborhood, Habitat planned for Craftsman details to be added to the Silver Lake homes.

Reading about this plan I realized that despite the addition of woodsy front porches and trim, if all of the Silver Lake homes were painted the white and tan tones of the then usual Bend Habitat home, the vision of a lovely hamlet would fade into a cluster of mini track homes.

Calling Habitat, I got permission to approach a national paint company for a donation (this project was too big to rely on one local store for generosity). Benjamin Moore & Company said yes to my proposal and generously supplied free paint to the Silver Lake project for both the exterior and interior of the ten homes! This gift was valued at approximately $20,000.00 dollars! The local dealer for Benjamin Moore paints, Standard Paint & Abbey Carpet worked with the Bend branch of Habitat for Humanity to make the donation a success.

I developed a palette of exterior paint colors that the neighborhood invested into their covenants and restrictions. Clients could choose any paint colors they wanted from that exterior color palette.

Habitat clients, most of whom had never chosen their own house paint colors were ecstatic! I guided them in the paint color choosing process if they requested my support.

The Silver Lake project was so successful, that it won a local community award, the 2005 Bend Beautification Award. The city saw that Habitat’s concept worked, which led to two more Habitat neighborhood projects of ten homes each. I am very proud to be part of this project. It nurtured the seed of the idea to integrate affordable housing within a community into a successful reality. Thank you Bend Habitat for Humanity and Benjamin Moore!

See more of my color consulting work on my Project Portfolio website page.

See examples of my color consulting portfolio and articles on my website.

www.CristinaAcosta.com Call me to schedule a color consulting appointment in Bend, Oregon or a phone appointment if you don't live in Oregon.

Read more of my Choosing Colors blog entries.

Can Color Change Your Mood?

Feel like no matter what goes on around you, even if you're not in control you at least know what's going on? Well, you do and you don't. The senses we rely on to understand the world around us aren't always accurate. Shapes and colors manipulate how you perceive the world around you -- along with texture, temperature, scent, sound and more.

Think about bright colors and food. Vitamin rich fruits and vegetables are mostly colorful. Fast food restaurants don't serve colorful fruits and vegetables, so instead they put strong colors in the decor of the restaurant, the pictures on the menu and the packaging. Candy is almost always manipulated to be artificially brightly colored to appeal to the human impulse to eat brightly colored healthy food.

As obvious as the manipulation of food colors are, colors in our homes and business offices manipulate where our attention goes as we move through the space and how we feel about the space. A red door on a brown house focuses our attention on the door. But don't feel that colors have one note, like the keys on a piano. Though many studies of colors have outcomes that insist yellow is happy or red is stimulating, those studies can only address that color in one environment. Colors interact with each other to create a melody line, just as the keys of the piano can combine to create a tune.

The bottom line is yes, color affects your mood. But don't get caught up in creating a rigid identity for every hue. The interaction of a color with other colors and the cultural viewpoint(s) of the people experiencing the colors is the ultimate arbitrator. Assigning one emotional response to a color is like insisting that each note of the musical scale has an immutable meaning. Like insisting that the note of middle C is always happy and F minor is always sad.

Pay attention to the interaction of colors and strive to be aware of the meanings you've assigned to colors and you will begin to use colors more creatively in all aspects of your life.

See my color consulting work for residences and public buildings on my website at www.CristinaAcosta.com

See examples of my color consulting portfolio and articles on my website.

www.CristinaAcosta.com Call me to schedule a color consulting appointment in Bend, Oregon or a phone appointment if you don't live in Oregon.

Read more of my Choosing Colors blog entries.