New Storefront Makeover Mural

We just completed this storefront mural wrap for Willow's Dream Salon and Spa in Asheville. This was a collaboration with Ian Wilkinson of the Asheville Mural project who designed the piece.

The mural is a great way for this business to get noticed as they relocate. They are moving from Marrimon Ave. to Broadway in downtown Asheville.

A great move and a great new look.

Mellow Mushroom-- Raleigh

Mural that we are doing in partnership with Ian Wilkinson of the Asheville Mural Project.

Cure for Big Box Blues: Excellent Customer Service

As some of my readers might already know, am not a big fan of big boxes. I know that they seem to have found their place in our lifestyle-- mostly by just being open "all of the time" and having "everything".  I've also noted that lately they have made an attempt to beef up their customer service by stationing a bunch of extra employees near the front door (at least on the week ends). Too little too late, I say. Especially when I stop to think about where my dollars are going-- namely lining the pockets of the CEO of a major multi-national corporation rather than staying in the community where we need it.

I often tell the story of my favorite hardware store: Ellis Ace Hardware in Oakland, CA. When you walk in, there are 3-5 friendly, knowledgeable people ready to help you-- two of whom are the owners. You tell them what you need, and they go find it. It's refreshing and wonderful.  Check out their reviews if you don't believe me.

I'm telling this story because Ellis Ace Hardware reminds me of Mountain Paint and Decorating at 110 Merrimon Avenue in Asheville, NC. The owner, Ted Hughes, is there, daily, with his staff, standing behind the counter when you walk in, smile on his face, ready to hear about your painting project and help you find what you need. And his products are carefully selected for his customers. If he doesn't have something that you need , he will order it, or if you use it regularly, consider stocking it for you. (Try to get that to happen at he big box).

I know what you're thinking: "But what about the prices?". The fact is, Ted offer's a wide price point that can match or beat the big box if your budget is tight. And, personally, I feel like other factors, such as time spent looking, gas money for the inevitable return trips, and the hidden costs of not buying locally easily outweigh what slight differential there might be.

So if you are in the Asheville area, give them a try-- and tell Ted that Renovate With Color sent you.

Painted Ceilings: How to Make Your Small Room Bigger (And More Beautiful)

One of my least favorite colors (apart from beige) has to be 'ceiling white'. A product that I feel was created as a generic 'band aid', it's really only appropriate if you have you are painting a multi-unit apartment building. And even then, it's on of the first things I'd change as a tenant.

An example, from Benjamin Moore's website of the ceiling done as a tint of the walls rather than generic 'ceiling white'

The truth is that a common misnomer about painting a ceiling white is that it will make your ceilings feel higher, and thereby make your small room seem bigger. The hole in theory is that, if your walls are a color, and your ceiling stark white, the drastic difference between the two draws attention to the low ceiling and thereby "brings it down" visually. A better approach is to actually tint down your wall color-- adding 20-30% white-- ask your paint store for help on this.

And, if you are interested in creating a more design oriented or creative feel to your space, there are many decorative options for ceilings as well-- treating your ceiling as if it was a fifth wall. Below are just a couple of the exciting options.

Found this great paisley laundry/ bath on Pinterest

This great combination of an apple green with white trim and box beams is from Apartment Therapy

In summary, don't forget your ceiling when you are considering color for your home. Though it may not be right for every situation, it can be a wonderful element in your overall design.

For some more exciting ideas, check out our Painted Ceilings Pinterest board. And, if you are in Western North Carolina, give Mountain Paint and Decorating a call for the how to's.

How To Create a Pinterest Mood Board

I wouldn't say that I am obsessed with Pinterest-- the newest social media craze that uses images on virtual 'pin boards' to convey ideas. Ok, I'm a little bit obsessed. How can I resist, really-- being the visual junkie that I am.

But what I like the most about Pinterest is that it provides a great way to organize your ideas and visions for your project.  I've written before about how I recommend creating a vision board (sometimes called a mood board or presentation board by interior designers) to help you hone in on the direction for your project. Pinterest provides the means to do this along with a wellspring of examples and inspiration. It also has the advantage of being digital, and therefore very 'change-able'.

Not all 'pins' are created equally, however. I must warn you to be selective. Just because it's out there, doesn't mean its a good idea-- or a better idea than what you can come up with yourself. Also, the point is to focus on what you want for your home/ business. Sometimes a wealth of ideas can be too much. And often the suggestions just don't work. So here are my 'best practices' for your Pinterest vision board:

1. Focus-- Take yourself to a quiet place. Close your eyes. Envision your beautiful space already finished. Take note of what you see, hear and smell. When you have the complete picture, write it all down. Then, jump on Pinterest and hunt for what you want.
2. Check your sources-- It took me a little while to realize that everything on Pinterest has a source of some kind. Clicking on the image will take you there (and often times it will reveal more from that source that may interest you).
3. Add some of your own pictures-- If you have a cell phone, you have a camera with you constantly. When something inspires you, take a picture of it. Don't worry if you aren't sure why-- just do it. Sometimes it's a specific color or decorative piece that you want or want to replicate, and other times its a palette, simple relationship of colors or just a 'mood'. If you have a smart phone, you can get the free Pinterest mobile app and instantly pin your photos to your board.
4. Pare it down-- Once you've got a good 20-30 'pins' on your board (it's easy to do), start to focus in by eliminating what is extraneous-- keeping only the ideas that you know will work in your project. At this point, I go room by room-- "What do I want in the living/ great room? What will I use in the bath? The kitchen? And so on. Then get rid of the leftovers (they might be for your next house or business).
5. Hire a professional-- Sure-- it's fun to DIY, but just make sure to know your limitations. You will be much happier if give up some responsibility to someone who does what they do full time and does it well, when the alternative is getting frustrated by trying to do something yourself and running out of time patience and money in the process.
6. Use good products-- A gallon of good paint that has excellent coverage, leveling and hide abilities is worth every penny spent. I usually find that I save money in the long run by buying good paint just in the amount of coats needed compared to a less expensive brand.

Meet Mountain Paint and Decorating

Breaking Out of the Box

Recently, I spoke at The North Carolina Main Street Conference in Clayton, NC.. My topic, "Breaking Out of the Big Box", addressed the need for small, locally-owned businesses to focus on their strengths-- namely: distinctive, personalized service. Mountain Paint and Decorating, at 110 Merrimon Avenue in Asheville, is a perfect example of a local, independently-owned paint store that is walking that walk.

Ted Hughes (Owner) an Asheville native, gave life to Mountain Paint and Decorating in 2009. Prior to that he spent twelve years working in various roles and markets with Benjamin Moore, equipping him with the product knowledge and expertise to assist customers in all their needs.

Ted provides the type of customer service that reminds me of an old-fashioned hardware store proprietor. When you walk in, he is there at the counter with a smile on his face, ready to help you with your painting project. Whether you are DIY and need to know the basics of how to paint a wall or a painting contractor who needs to know the leveling and hide ability of your top coat, Ted has your answers.

Kenny Wilson (Store Manager) has sixteen years experience in the paint industry and is dedicated to customer service. Kenny is particularly skilled in color matching, and utilizes this talent on a regular basis at the store, assisting customers with color challenges in a hands-on way. This is a level of service that you won't find at a big-box store. Kenny and his wife, Amber reside in Asheville.

Home Makeover Project

Rustic/ Modern Home Makeover Begins

If you haven't heard by now, Renovate With Color is collaborating with Mountain Paint and Decorating  on a Home Makeover Project. Our version of Extreme Makeover Home Edition  (ABC), it will feature many home decorating ideas, product information, painting tutorials and what I just call 'vision juice'.  We will post these along with photos of the actual process of transformation as we go, so stay tuned (best way is to subscribe to our RSS on the top, right of the page).

A spread of this home in Finland has provided quite a bit of vision juice...(photo via Desire to Inspire)

Our client, a single mom, recently bought a 2 1/2 bedroom, 1 bath bungalow in East Asheville, NC.. An artistically-minded Middle School Language Arts teacher, she is not shy of color or creative solutions-- making her a great candidate for a Renovate With Color project, as we like to find alternatives to full-scale renovation, which can be costly, painful to endure and contrary to environmental sustainability.

We have discussed the project goals with the client and determined that she would like a clean look that blends modern ideas with more rustic, creative ones. We took a trip to her favorite (and ours) home furnishings store The Screen Door in East Asheville to get some ideas started. 

Next, having recently discovered Pinterest, we created a 'vision board' for the project. Take a look to get an idea of where we are going. A fantastic resource for this, Pinterest is a great way to start to gather ideas of what you would like for your home. 

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