No More Hectic Holidays

As I see the leaves begin to turn from the lush greens of summer to the fiery oranges and golds of autumn, I am prompted to consider all of the change we have seen so far in 2009. We began with the promise of change and we have certainly seen that come to fruition. No matter the size, intention, or result, the process of change is rarely easy and the current economic downturn has made these changes especially difficult for most of us. Now the holidays are approaching and we must all decide how to handle what has traditionally been a time of excess when many of us are suddenly having to cut back.

Flexibility seems to be the needed attitude to successfully get through the season and be better for it in the end. If flexibility is the attitude, then simplicity is the mode. It's time to return to what really matters. It's time to remember the simplicity of how these holidays began: the Pilgrim's celebration of survival, the humble birth of a tiny babe, the miracle of a lamp that kept on burning. What is consistent among all of these celebrations? Life! So let us celebrate life this season by focusing on our families, our friends, and reaching out to those who may feel forgotten. Let's take an honest look at what we have, not the material things, but the relationships, the knowledge, the experiences that shape us and make us who we are. Let's celebrate this crazy roller-coaster ride called Life and make the most of it this season and into the new year.

Holiday Tips 2009

In the spirit of resourcefulness and simplicity, I offer the following tips for having a successful holiday season this year:

• Update your holiday decor by incorporating some of the new color trends into your existing palette. For Thanksgiving, add warm olive greens or honey yellows to your basic brown elements. At Christmas or Hanukkah, combine your tried-and-true red decorations with one of the new teal blues or warmer grays being shown this season. Replace the worn or stained snow-white ribbons on your wreaths with creamy dove white ones. Incorporate new metallics into your decor through fabrics and ribbons. The idea is to use what you already have and simply add a few new items where they really matter or where the old ones are wearing out. For more information on the season's color trends, go to http://www.pantone.com/pages/Pantone/Pantone.aspx?pg=20644&ca=4 . And here's some good news, because home furnishing trends are usually slightly behind fashion trends these new colors will still look great next year!


• Incorporate natural elements into your decor, and I'm not talking about expensive wreaths flown in from Canada or Maine! Go into your own backyard and take a look at your trees, bushes, pine cones, etc. You may already have all the greenery you need. Clip some berry filled branches from your evergreen shrubs and place them on the mantel. Spray paint can turn dead twigs into sculptural works of art that create a stunning centerpiece or an elegant alternative to costly ribbon wrapped around the tree. Use the same paint on pine cones and pile them in a beautiful dish or hang them on the tree. Silver and gold are always elegant, and dove white is beautiful. You can buy flocking spray to achieve a snow-covered effect. If you want to be really bold, paint them a bright glossy red instead! For more ideas on decorating with pine cones, go to Holiday Decorating with Pine cones
  

Here are some tips on honoring Life this season:

• Carefully consider the activities and invitations you accept. Prioritize time spent with family and close friends and be sure to donate some of your time and/or money to a worthy charitable organization. Some of the best times with those you love can be spent volunteering at a soup kitchen or shopping for those in need. If you're not sure where to volunteer your time, I suggest beginning with your local church or synagogue and then take a look at the community section of your newspaper for announcements of meals being served or assistance needed. If you want to make a financial donation, start local and then go global. What better way is there to see your contribution at work than to see the difference in your own community?


• Be sure you leave plenty of time in your schedule to be home and enjoy your decorating efforts. Whether it's a quiet evening alone with a book and a blanket in front of a warm fire or a laughter filled night of baking cut-out cookies or carving pumpkins with the children, we all benefit from enjoying time in our beautiful and comfortable homes.


• And finally, don't sweat the small stuff! So your holiday feast didn't turn out perfect - just be thankful for the time with your guests and the fact that you have food in the cupboards for the next meal. Your decor isn't exactly how you imagined? Be thankful that you have a home and for those who live within its walls. You couldn't buy the perfect gift for a loved one? Remember that love cannot be purchased and find other ways to show your affections. If you find yourself being pulled into the mindset of the commercialized marketplace, remember these wise words:

"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust
destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves
treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do
not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be
also." Matthew 6:19-21

How to Choose Paint

Whether you are decorating your home or staging it to be sold, painting is likely on your "To Do" list. You've heard it before and it's true that paint is the most effective and least expensive decorating tool. It can instantly update, renew, and even change the mood of a room - if the right color is used. That's where it gets tricky. How do you choose just the right color? Well, it's not as hard as it seems.

Have you ever really watched the machine at the paint store add the color to your gallon? If you have, you may have been surprised to see red, green, and even black among other colors being added to your gallon of yellow paint. You probably asked yourself how such strong colors could possibly create your soft shade. The answer is in color theory.

Basically, all colors have different amounts of other colors in them. Take a look at a fan deck, that hinged tablet full of possible paint hues that painters and decorators live by, and you will see that yellow has its own section of cards sandwiched between greens and oranges. The colors are organized this way because they have different undertones. Every color has an undertone, though some are more visible than others. Taking a look at the colors in the fan deck that are nearest your selected color will help you determine its undertone. If it is nearest the greens, then it will likely have a green undertone and likewise for those tones nearest orange.

Colors may also appear different at home than in the paint store. This is because the undertone can be made more or less dramatic due to the colors next to it. So if you select what appears to be a nice buttery yellow at the paint store and it turns to macaroni and cheese on your walls, it may be the red-toned wood floors doing the cooking. There are steps you can take to avoid this change:

1. Get a fan deck! Even if you have to purchase one it is worth the investment. Take the deck home and assign a paint chip to every surface in your room. It is a common mistake to forget about the color of even the most neutral carpeting or beige furniture but even these "neutrals" have undertones. Also take a look at your lighting. Does it glow yellow, peach, or even blue? Lighting will definitely affect color.


2. Spread all of your existing color paint cards on a white sheet of paper and then put the card with your new color next to them. Does the color still seem true or has it shifted? If it has shifted, do you like how it looks with the other colors? Look also at the other colors next to the new one and see if you like how the paint will change their appearance. Continue to try paint colors next to your existing shades until you find one or two that you like.


3. Now it's time to shop. You need to purchase a small amount of the paints you are considering in the sheen that you prefer. This is important because flat paint colors look different than satin, semi-gloss, or gloss paints. Also purchase a large piece of white foam core. Paint squares of each paint, at least 12" by 12", on the foam core and allow them to dry. Cut the squares apart and tape them to the wall in your project room. Step back and take a look at the colors to see which you like best. Be sure to try them on different walls and at different times of day as well. In a day or two, you should be able to determine the paint you prefer.


4. Now it's time to paint your room! If you follow these steps you should have a pleasing outcome and will have, quite possibly, transformed your room for the low cost of a gallon or two of paint.

If you use this process for selecting every color you add to your room (fabric, wood tones, etc.) you can avoid the biggest decorating mistake we see - fighting colors. Often harmony can be found in selecting the right paint for the walls to neutralize the competing undertones. If you find yourself stumped by the color selection process, don't fret. Give us a call at 302.526.4268 or send us an email at info@TribecaDesignStudio.com and we can do a color consultation for you.