Tag Archives: paint

How can the best white paint colours for 2023 not include cloud white?? :)

Posted on March 12, 2023 | Comments Off on How can the best white paint colours for 2023 not include cloud white?? :)

Chatelaine has a recent piece out, The Best White Paint Colours, According To Decor Experts, and the best white paint colours are mostly Benjamin Moore paint. Despite that, Cloud White, 967, OC-130, is not on the list! How can this be?

I mean really?

At first I thought that maybe the paint company no longer makes it. But nope,it still exists. Still looks great too. (See image above.)

Sure, White Dove (OC-17) is fine (see below):

But to my mind Cloud White is still the best White.

Who knows, though?  Maybe cloud white has become passe. It was a big thing with designers a decade ago.  Maybe the new ones want new whites.

That all said, I do know that if you want white, you can’t go wrong with white from Benjamin Moore. So check out that Chatelaine piece or the other pieces on my blog and see what I mean.

Advertisement

Comments Off on How can the best white paint colours for 2023 not include cloud white?? :)

Posted in decor

Tagged , , , ,

How great Japanese artists can make you better at art (and much more)

Posted on February 26, 2023 | Comments Off on How great Japanese artists can make you better at art (and much more)


Ok, maybe this lesson on “How to Paint Like Hayao Miyazaki” will not result in work of his stature, but it was interesting to see how basic his technique is. Great work, simple approach.

Here’s a piece on much much older drawing lessons from Katsushika Hokusai Who Famously Painted The Great Wave off Kanagawa. The lessons themselves are online. You can get a sample of them, here: Japanese – Quick Lessons in Simplified Drawings. Old but still relevant.

As for other tools (some NSFW) that can help you draw and paint, there’s Figurosity, Figure drawing poses and gesture drawing tools. There is Magic Poser Web. Give intro Line of Action a visit. Lastly, here’s 20 Artistic Prompts to Get You Through a Creative Slump.

Speaking of NSFW, here’s a good online lesson on Drawing with Charcoal in Craftsy, that I found really good.

Need more help? Here’s a good exercise from Austin Kleon:  The 30-minute noticing workout.

Here’s a wealth of  Watercolour lessons for anyone who wants to go that way.

This article on Netherlands-based designer Teun Zwets who makes storage from residual or waste materials is inspirational, I thought. Look at how beautiful they are.

Maybe making art from discarded things is a good inspiration for you, too.

Need more inspiration? Read this, which has famous artists talking about how to be an artist.

Now get to work.

Comments Off on How great Japanese artists can make you better at art (and much more)

Posted in art

Tagged , , , , ,

When you need to paint your room and you don’t want white or strong colours, then…

Posted on July 25, 2020 | Comments Off on When you need to paint your room and you don’t want white or strong colours, then…

You need to read this piece: The Best Neutral Paint Colours That Aren’t White.

Most of them are variations of gray, which is…good. You still get some colour in your room, but the overall effect is still neutral. (For example, this room in Benjamin Moore’s Revere Pewter).

The article gives a wide range of colours (yes, gray is a colour). You should be able to find something to take the white off your walls.

Comments Off on When you need to paint your room and you don’t want white or strong colours, then…

Posted in decor

Tagged , ,

Quote

How to decide which white paint to go with in your home?

Well, one way is to pick one of the versions listed here: The 15 Shades of White Paint Top Designers Swear By

I’m a big fan of Benjamin Moore paints, and one of the 15 shades highlighted is Super White (shows above). I think that is great, but I was and remain a fan of Cloud White, which has almost a beige undertone and is warm, though arguably not as warm as Simply White.

For more on the Benjamin Moore paints (and the location of the image above), go here.

 

Comments Off on How to decide which white paint to go with in your home?

Posted on July 11, 2020 in decor, new!

Tagged , , ,

Quote

Why people love certain Benjamin Moore’s colours

Can be found here: Why I Love Benjamin Moore’s Tundra Paint Color | Architectural Digest,  as well as here and here.

Comments Off on Why people love certain Benjamin Moore’s colours

Posted on December 4, 2018 in decor

Tagged , ,

Quote

The William hotel in NYC, or how to use bold colour in your home.

I have not stayed at the William, but I don’t need to in order to appreciate the beauty of the place (shown above). Regardless of your travel plans, if you have decorating plans, it’s a great place that illustrates how to effectively use bold colour in your home. For many, using bold colours can be both desirable and intimidating. Some concrete examples can help you achieve your bold colour dreams and overcome your bold colour fears.

For more, see this:  A Bold, Colorful Hotel in the Heart of Manhattan – Design Milk

Comments Off on The William hotel in NYC, or how to use bold colour in your home.

Posted on November 27, 2018 in decor, design

Tagged , , , , , ,

Quote

Alternatives to Cloud White: two other Benjamin Moore white paints to consider

If you want an off white paint for your interiors, you can’t beat Cloud White from Benjamin Moore. However, if you do want to consider alternatives then these two articles agree that you want to look at either White Dove or Simply White, also by Benjamin Moore. These two pieces also go into detail as to when you want to use them (e.g. trim, kitchen cabinets). Before you start painting, check them out:

    1. Colour Review: Benjamin Moore 3 Best Warm White Paint Colours
    2. The Three Best Off Whites By Benjamin Moore – Warline Painting

Comments Off on Alternatives to Cloud White: two other Benjamin Moore white paints to consider

Posted on October 10, 2018 in decor

Tagged , , , , , ,

40,000 home decor links to make your place more attractive

Posted on September 21, 2016 | Comments Off on 40,000 home decor links to make your place more attractive

Ok, not quite 40,000, but quite a lot. Some are very practical, some are inspirational, and some may even have you building your own furniture (as I did).

First, here are a bushel of links from the Apartment Therapy web site. They have lots and lots and lots of pages filled with ideas for people who rent apartments that can be used by anyone, renter or owner. Very practical, low cost, smart ideas and approaches to home decor. Good stuff.

Not so how to oriented, but this handful of links might give you some ideas and inspiration to improve your place:

Now that you are inspired, here are some good links I found for buying furniture:

Or if you want to build vs buy furniture, you might want these links:

Finally, if you are not so much into furnishing your place but more into painting it, then consider these few links:

(The lovely entrance at the top of the post is from a link to How to Make a Small Apartment Feel Huge | A Cup of Jo)

Comments Off on 40,000 home decor links to make your place more attractive

Posted in decor, design

Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Add pattern to your walls and floor (and every where else)

Posted on October 1, 2014 | Comments Off on Add pattern to your walls and floor (and every where else)

Paint may be the easiest and cheapest way to change the look of your place (even if you are rich, getting a designer to do it is more work than you think…trust me). But paint shouldn’t be the only thing you try. Rugs are also an option. While they can seem expensive, places like IKEA have them for well under $100.

Paint and rugs aside, there’s wallpaper. You don’t have to cover the whole room: you can do a backsplash, a closet, a ceiling, even part of a wall. Also, wall paper is alot more varied both in patterns and material than you might suppose. You can get wall paper for any where.

If you are nervous about wallpaper, consider the paint rollers from The Painted House. You get beautiful patterns that you can apply as easily as paint, because it is painting.

That said, I would encourage you to try wallpaper. It definitely helps to have two people do it, as well as having patience. Try and make it a social event. The results are worth it.

Unconvinced? See this: Subtle Yet Striking: 5 Understated Ways to Use Wallpaper | Apartment Therapy.

Comments Off on Add pattern to your walls and floor (and every where else)

Posted in decor

Tagged , ,