Renovate with Color

New Storefront Makeover Mural

noreply@blogger.com (Scott) — Mon, 28 May 2012 21:54:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (Scott) — Mon, 21 May 2012 02:06:00 +0000

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

Cure for Big Box Blues: Excellent Customer Service

noreply@blogger.com (Scott) — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 15:03:00 +0000

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)

noreply@blogger.com (Scott) — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 12:21:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (Scott) — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 13:14:00 +0000

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:

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.
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).
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.
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).
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.
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

noreply@blogger.com (Scott) — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 03:11:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (Scott) — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 04:45:00 +0000

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.

S-

A New Alliance

noreply@blogger.com (Scott) — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 13:32:00 +0000

Mountain Paint and Decorating at 110 Merrimon Ave.. 'Building Wrap' mural by Renovate with Color

Owner On Site

It may not be news to you that Renovate With Color's favorite major name brand paint is Benjamin Moore, or that we prefer to buy our materials for our projects at Mountain Paint and Decorating at 110 Merrimon Ave. in Asheville. And why wouldn't we? Mountain Paint and Decorating is locally owned and operated (unlike the other major name brand in town whose stores are corporate owned). We like that personalized service and the fact that more of our dollars stay in town...

What's new

The big news is that 'Mountain Paint' and Renovate With Color have teamed up for an exciting new alliance that will bring you the best of both of our businesses which we will feature weekly on this blog, Facebook and Twitter.

So now you will get the design and color knowledge of Scott Courtenay-Smith of Renovate With Color paired with the technical know-how and product knowledge of a seasoned paint store owner Ted Hughes .

Furthermore, we will be offering some valuable discounts, hosting some great events and featuring some cool makeover projects.

So stay tuned, or better yet, subscribe to this blog (add us to your RSS, or sign up for our monthly newsletter in the sidebar) to make sure that you don't miss a thing.

Happy Painting,

Scott (Renovate With Color) and Ted (Mountain Paint and Decorating)

Live from Pinterest:The Digusting Keyboard/ Where Does Your Garden Grow?

noreply@blogger.com (Scott) — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 15:53:00 +0000

Ok, a little off topic, but this image is causing some really interesting reactions, so I want to take a minute to share some thoughts.

Many of you have probably heard of Pinterest by now. If you haven't, you might want to check it out. It's a new social media forum that is based on sharing images (!!!) and ideas on virtual bulletin boards. Being the visual junky that I am, I was instantly hooked.

Now, back to the photo: I found this on Pinterest and saw it as a perfect addition to my 'Garden' board. I made this board to feature interesting and appealing garden designs-- particularly ones that challenged the ideas of where food 'should' be grown. (Just so you know 'should' is one of my least favorite words). I am a garden enthusiast, and have furthermore been interested in the topic of food security for a while now. I have seen some really amazing designs and implementations of 'gardens' in alternative locations.

This one, I thought, was just fun/ funny, and I think that the originator of this 'pin' intended it to be that way. Apparently, however, some people think that it is really disgusting, or are just confused by it.

What do you think? Nasty? Weird? Ingenious? Stupid? Silly?

And-- where does your garden grow? What are your ideas for gardens in places where they 'shouldn't' be. I'm going make my Pinterest 'Garden' board public. If you want to add your ideas there, feel free. Or just comment here.

Cheers,

Urban Textures

noreply@blogger.com (Scott) — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 02:29:00 +0000

Just a little vision juice for your next project:

Source: Uploaded by user via Scott on Pinterest

Back from the Mines

noreply@blogger.com (Scott) — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 02:55:00 +0000

My dear readers, it has been some time since my last post, and instead of making up excuses about about how very busy I have been, I will, instead, attempt to win back your affection with some inspiring images and ideas that I have been mining as of late. Beginning with this one that was created by Jonna Pohjalainen in Turku, Finland and posted on Street Art Utopia.

This caught my eye as I am working on a home design project using branches, logs and sticks combined with painted surfaces and other re-purposed materials.

During a recent trip to the Screen Door in Asheville, I found these, and think that they would make great cabinet pulls in the right environment:

I also found this:

I think it needs to become functional sculpture-- a lamp maybe? Let me know if you have any ideas for it.

And then there's this from Tattered Style:

Pretty much just brilliant.

Anyway, some ideas are building. More to come as it develops.

Work Continues on Asheville Mural Project's Gateway Mural

noreply@blogger.com (Scott) — Sat, 01 Oct 2011 01:43:00 +0000

The next stage of The Gateway Mural, which depicts a chess match in grand scale, has been progressing over the past few days.

Having installed a large section which was pre-painted by two of AMP's senior members, Molly Must and Ian Wilkinson, using a technique called "marouflage", AMP's artists are now painting sections directly on the bridge.

The affect is amazing, and is already beginning to draw attention.

Dobra's Wall of Tea

noreply@blogger.com (Scott) — Sat, 01 Oct 2011 01:20:00 +0000

New "Wall of Tea" at Dobra Tea House in Asheville, NC. "Tea" in 5 languages (Hebrew, Czech, Chinese, Russian and Arabic) designed and painted Scott Courtenay-Smith of Renovate with Color.

Gateway Mural Continues

noreply@blogger.com (Scott) — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 14:08:00 +0000

Work continued yesterday on the next phase of the Gateway Mural Project under I-240 in Asheville, NC..

The new section of mural, on the north side of Broadway, continues the local love theme by depicting a chess match in grand scale that features two actual residents of Asheville often seen facing off at Pritchard Park.

The design for this stage of the project, which has become a showcase for the talents of The Asheville Mural Project, was by Molly Must-- who has been a creative force behind the Gateway Project since the start-- acting as the director of AMP during the Lexington Avenue phase. Ms. Must and current AMP director, Ian Wilkinson are the layout coordinators for the piece with Mr. Wilkinson also acting as a lead artist and Ms. Must as Charge Artist. Kurt Thaesler is acting as support artist.

The installation, which is moving along quickly, will continue over the next couple of weeks, and will include some detail work by other members of the Asheville Mural Project which is a branch of Arts2People and a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization-- existing to beautify and diversify Asheville’s urban landscape.

Asheville Mural Project Begins New Section of Gateway Mural

noreply@blogger.com (Scott) — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 03:49:00 +0000

Ian Wilkinson and Molly Must are seen here beginning to piece together the next stage of the Gateway Mural on Broadway under I240 in downtown Asheville. The large mural, when finished will depict a chess game in grand scale across the supports for the overpass.

Now a member of the Asheville Mural Project, Scott Courtenay-Smith of Renovate with Color is watching the progress and offering moral/ physical support as needed. He hopes to contribute artistically at some point to this world class project, but at this point he is happy just to be involved in an amazing organization/ collective.

How to Paint a Mural of Your Big Greek Vacation

noreply@blogger.com (Scott) — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 03:39:00 +0000

This is a recently completed residential mural project. The clients had visited the Greek Islands and wanted to do a mural in their guest bath to commemorate their trip. Luckily one of them is a great amateur photographer and had a lot of source images to work with. (Otherwise, I might have been forced to travel there for research) ; )

So here's how you do it:

1. Draw "cartoon" in pastel

2. Prime walls

3. Chalk up composition on walls

4. Block in under-painting. (Shadows first).

5. Begin to add color

6. Take picture of self in mirror.

7. Finish adding color/ take crazy panoramic photo with iphone app. (Photosynth).


8. Clean brushes

Where does your vacation need to be immortalized? Give us a call (828) 318.3519

Doctor Dave's Fantastic Retro 70's Customer Lounge

noreply@blogger.com (Scott) — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 03:36:00 +0000

As some of you may know, we have been working with the amazing Dave Anderson of Doctor Dave's Automotive for some time now. Back in February we created these huge painted plywood letters and installed them on his roof:

Wow, there were so few cars back then!

More later on the exterior...

For now, Dave asked us to come up with a design for his waiting room, which he decided to call "the customer lounge"-- its got a nice ring to it, huh?

"Nobody really hangs out there now", Dave said, matter-of-factly. Not surprising considering the way it looked in its leftover-from-previous-owner state, with the same blazing yellow as the exterior:

So, taking this sentiment into consideration and also the fact that DDA is a unique business-- specializing in Mercedes Benz restorations and alternative fuel (primarily veggie oil) conversions-- we set out to create a distinctive design that captures all of this.

Dave had already started a collection of vintage 70's furniture including a pleather sofa and easy chair set, so we decided to continue the theme and come up with a retro 70's look that would set it apart from any other mechanic's shop in town.

This started with some some stripes, and a really fantastic green (Tequilla Lime from Benjamin Moore):

Next we added a distinctively 60's/ 70's era Merc Coup (in brown, of course-- we wanted the colors to be retro 70's but in a "Mr. Natural" kinda way):

Then, (and I really don't remember where this came from)-- we added pine trees. It's partially the nature thing, partially air-freshener-- don't know-- probably came to me in the middle of a bout of insomnia...

Put it all together and here you have it-- Doctor Dave's Fantastic Retro 70's Customer Lounge:

Come on down to 1022 Haywood Rd. to take in it's full splendor. And why not get your ride tuned up while you're there?

Doctor Dave's Automotive Customer Lounge Sneak Peak

noreply@blogger.com (Scott) — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 01:49:00 +0000

Here is a sneak-peek of our make-over project for Doctor Dave's waiting room-- photographed from outside the windows. More to come...

How To Paint The Paint Store

noreply@blogger.com (Scott) — Sat, 02 Jul 2011 02:24:00 +0000

Whats the first thing you do when you move to a new town? Find the Benjamin Moore paint store, of course. Which is what we did almost a year ago when we relocated Renovate With Color to Asheville. We sought out the fabulous Mountain Paint and Decorating-- a full service paint and sundries store independently owned by Mr. Ted Hughes.

As we got to know Ted and his business, and he ours, we began to discuss ways to help his business stand out with color and artistry.

Beginning with our See It In Color digital concept process, we were able to show Ted what it could look like. He loved the concept immediately, and chose one of our most vibrant versions.


Here is the (digital) concept. As you'll see we pretty much nailed it in the finished product.

All of the colors are, of course, Benjamin Moore.

Scott lays down some details.

Ian gets tricky.

The Finished Product!

Side View

And the best part was the shortest materials run ever!

Insider's View of The Home of the Week

noreply@blogger.com (Scott) — Tue, 17 May 2011 13:42:00 +0000

As you may know, the house that we have been working on was chosen as "Home of the Week" by the Asheville Citizen Times on Saturday. Things being how they are, we were not quite finished when the photos were taken. So I am posting some more here as we are finishing up (for now, anyway-- isn't every home a work-in-progress?)

Here is the mural wall with the accent color that we chose for the cut-out windows-- 077 Firey Opal-- which worked great under the kitchen soffets as well.

How to create Primordial Chaos, a mural

noreply@blogger.com (Scott) — Sun, 06 Mar 2011 00:47:00 +0000

Primordial Chaos Mural Complete

noreply@blogger.com (Scott) — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 02:38:00 +0000

Finished mural for private residence based on 700 year old scroll painting (The Hunlun) by Zhu Derun (China).

Sneak Peak of Dr. Dave's Big Letters

noreply@blogger.com (Scott) — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 01:54:00 +0000

After long hours of layout, scale up, cutting, putty, sanding, priming and painting of Dr. Dave's very awesome big plywood letter signage, installation finally happened today!

Here is a sneak peak of the installation. We called in Charlie Pierce of Green Mountain Construction to help with the carpentry. Man's a genius!

Charlie pictured with the amazing frame that he invented/ built to hold the letters in place during adhesion.

Stay tuned for the final product. You'll be amazed at how well we nailed it compared to our "See It In Color" concept.

S-

Bean Werks Continues Makeover With Interior.

noreply@blogger.com (Scott) — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 02:50:00 +0000

We recently completed the next phase of our makeover project with Bean Werks Coffee Roasters on Haywood Rd. in West Asheville.

Building on the colorful exterior that we created last fall, we've continued to help Bean Werks to define their brand and increase their customer experience with color and design. Very little has been done to the space since moving in 15 years ago. Long overdue for a makeover, the space had become cluttered and eclectic.

Before

Working with the owners, we came up with a design that is very colorful but clean and focused-- pulling colors and design elements from their existing logo and labels. The result maintains the fun/ unpretentious approach of this locally owned business, while also giving them more clarity of design and branding.

After Renovate With Color

How to "Renovate" Your Home with Stencils

noreply@blogger.com (Scott) — Thu, 13 Jan 2011 19:37:00 +0000

I'm continuing the theme of my previous post to show some more ideas of decorative treatments that can add color and vitality to your home.


This star-burst design is very "mid-century atomic ranch", but when used with the right color palette, the effect is more contemporary than retro.

These ideas came out of a file that I keep called "Vision Juice". All of these are variations on what can be done with stencils.

I love how this room blends Country Home with Modern Design, and I love how this wall treatment blends randomness with formal order.

Far from "country craft" ideas of stenciling as a decorative treatment, these designs are actually very modern/ contemporary ideas that lend themselves to today's homes.

The color choice (green with orange accents -- one of my favorites) and the simple art on the cabinets make this kitchen distinctive and interesting. The designs are actually not stencils, but free-handed in a graphic style. (I also like the random "every-so-often" colored tile accents and how they relate to the roman shade).

Of course, any of these ideas could be adapted to your home using your color palette. The sky is truly the limit to what can be done.