Recently, I helped my friend pick paint for her new kitchen! We decided on Pale Oak 75% lighter in a satin finish on the cabinets and the above molding/trim to make the kitchen have a cohesive feel. The kitchen is open to the dining area, so to create distinctive spaces the dining area walls will be painted Decorator's White in the eggshell finish and the trim in the semigloss finish. My kitchen is open as well and I’m happy I created distinctive spaces with color separation, like in the below picture.
Picking paint can be a journey. A color that looks great in someone else’s house might look awful in yours, which is a mind f**k. If you’re picking paint colors for your house, give yourself ample time to potentially try a lot of samples until you find the perfect fit! Here are things I do to find the perfect color.
Order a bunch of samples from samplize in various color ways I like for the project I’m working on. I’m not big on painting on the actual wall, because painting a sample color over an existing wall color (that is sometimes way darker or lighter) can really mess with my eye. And I like to move my samples from room to room (a color might work in one room and not in another). If a color isn’t available on samplize, I paint some poster board.
Put the samples up where they’ll be (specific room, walls, cabinets, etc), and leave them there for a few days, so I can look at them at different times of day in different light. I did this with my front door and drove by my house several times (lol). If I like a color, but it’s too dark or too light that is something that’s important to note, because colors can be adjusted in 25% increments to go darker or lower to get the perfect shade. Or it will point me in the right direction for finding a different color.
If I have fabrics, tile, hardware, or any other finishes picked out for the space I’m working on, I see how they play with the paint sample. For example, if the bathroom tile is already installed, I put the sample right next to the tile to see how they play together.
When I pick a paint finish, I consider how much traffic the room is going to get and how durable it needs to be. This is super important if you have kids! Typically, the higher the shine, the easier it is to clean and the more matte the finish that harder it is to clean but it shows less imperfections, so there is a trade off and it’s all based on preference. The style of the house will also dictate the paint finish. Personally, I like walls in eggshell or satin, trim in semigloss or satin (can go down 25-50% if wall is same color to create some interest), ceilings in flat, bathrooms in satin (more durable), and cabinets in satin, gloss, or lacquer (has to be sprayed and it’s a whole thing) (more durable and easier to clean). Many brands also have specific paint lines for different needs: cabinets, bathrooms, ceilings, etc. so those are always great to learn about and consider.
Give yourself time! And go with your gut!
Here are this week’s interior finds. . .
1. Wood Desk 2. Aerin Bamboo Mirror 3. Coffee Table Lacquer Finish 4. Marble Tray 5. Le Petite Verre, Set of Four 6. Hillhouse Floral Ditsy Wave Linen Fabric 7. Tullio Marble Incense Holder 8. Dune Table Lamp 9. Dhurrie Rug 10. Aerin Raffia Nightstand 11. Maire Semi-Flush Mount 12. Helios Chair
13. Elm Handwoven Wool Rug 14. Ronny Cordless Led Table Lamp 15. Rattan Wine Cooler 16. Washable Rug Bloom Natural 17. Kelly Easel 18. Nenuphar Wine Tumbler 19. Cushion Cover Alok Brown 20. Star Backplate 21. Fab Rustic French Table 22. Anna Bracket 23. Vivi Side Table Oak 24. Aria Rattan Braided Side Table 25. Kitchen Tang Green 26. White Rattan Charger Plates (Set of 4)
27. Salvador Round Coffee Table 28. Hart Mirror 29. Seabound Shelf 30. Leonel Side Table 31. Declan Counter Stool 32. Domino & Cigarette Mini Ashtray 33. Bozovich Solid Wood End Table 34. Wickham Mini Cordless Table Lamp 35. Nenuphar Dinner Plate 36. Mini Frog 37. Cabral Coasters (set of 4)
Here are this week’s fashion finds. . .
1. Essie Mini Skirt 2. The Imogen Sunglasses 3. Gisele Striped Dress 4. Annabel Avian Toile Shirt 5. Birdie Visor 6. Lucce Top 7. Charis Button Down Blouse 8. 1980s white terry beach jacket 9. Cotton Gauze Tiered Maxi Skirt 10. Belted Linen Jumpsuit 11. Carryall Beach Bag 12. Yara Bubble Top
13. ZW Collection Patchwork Embroidered Top 14. Embroidered Lace Button-Up Shirt 15. Funnel Neck Top 16. Marin Pant 17. Barby Wedge 18. Finny White Sleeveless Linen Top 19. Zofia Top 20. Pauline Embroidered Lace Blouse 21. White Iyla Soutache Long Sleeve Blouse 22. ZW Collection Patchwork Embroidered Pants 23. Fred White Floral Printed Top 24. Giulietta Pintuck Top
25. Royal Stripe Bag 26. Feathered Silk Tee 27. Fernando Linen Wide Leg Pant 28. Pierra Skirt 29. Sequined Mini Basket 30. Pack of Resin Bracelets 31. Amalfi Leopard-Print Calf Hair Thong Sandals 32. Mikki Blouse 33. The Mae Top 34. Nele Shirt 35. Shirt Dress with Eyelet Embroidery 36. The Booker Shirt
To make things easier, I have created a ShopMy Page with all the goodies from today’s newsletter and previous newsletters. Full disclosure, I may earn a small commission from a retailer if you make a purchase through any of the affiliate links sprinkled throughout this newsletter, which helps me run this newsletter and technology associated with it. As always, if you need help finding something or need ideas for a project, feel free to reach out!
Current Obsessions
-Aman is launching a Janu property in Turks and Caicos and it’s going to be insane.
-A Pan Am branded experience for $60,000 for a 12 day trip has taken off!
-Starbucks is testing a protein cold foam. The protein craze continues.
-I love this melted cane coffee table…
-Hermes fashion show along the Seine.
-Icon, Anna Wintour, is stepping down from her role at Vogue.
-There was an auction this past weekend selling Princess Diana’s personal items. You can see what everything sold for here!
**DEAR STYLE SNACKS: If you have something you need help finding, troubleshooting, or are curious about, please leave me a comment or send me a message, and I will be sure to feature your question (with the answer) in an upcoming newsletter.**