Decorating Archives - Page 11 of 11 - Schneiderman's {the blog}

Choosing a Gray Paint Color: Some Options

Posted July 16, 2014 by Schneiderman's Furniture

Gray is a popular choice in design right now, and especially popular as a neutral wall color, but the question is WHICH gray to choose?

There are so. many. options. that it can feel a bit overwhelming.

Revere Pewter source

In case you’re looking for a starting point, we’ve put a post together for you today with some gray paint choices that we are familiar with.

Hopefully one of these will be perfect in your space!

BENJAMIN MOORE REVERE PEWTER (HC-172)

I don’t have any personal experience with this one, but if you do any research on the internet on which gray paints are popular, this one comes up A LOT. It’s a lighter gray with warm undertones and is very versatile.

Benjamin Moore Revere Pewter (image: source)

HIRSHFIELD’S OAK TONE (0217)

This has been a very popular light neutral here in Minnesota. It’s a light gray with brown undertones, probably a little more brown than Revere Pewter.

I’ve used this one and seen it in three different homes and it’s always looked great.

image from Hirshfield’s Color Visualizer

BENJAMIN MOORE ASHLEY GRAY (HC-87)

Benjamin Moore describes this gray paint color as: Elegant and rich – a muted shade of gray that has a slight olive tint.

My personal experience with this paint was in a small room with one window and a west/southwest exposure. It definitely appeared to have a purple tint in that light. Proof that color can really look completely different depending on the space/lighting that it’s in! (wainscoting in the image below is Ashley Gray, walls are Litchfield Gray)

source

SHERWIN WILLIAMS AMAZING GRAY (SW7044)

Amazing Gray is a nice medium gray paint color, and is described as a gray with green undertones.

I’ve used this paint in my own home and would agree.

source

Chad, who is responsible for choosing all of the various paint colors that we use in our stores, has a lot of experience in choosing paint colors!

Here are some of the Hirshfield’s grays that he would recommend:

ZEN RETREAT (0535)

Hirshfield’s

RAND MOON (0532)

Hirshfield’s

SUBTLE SHADOW (0534)

source

It would be nice if the images represented exactly what the paint would look like in each of our homes, but of course they don’t. It’s important to always test the paint in your own space before committing to anything.

Everyone has their preferred method for testing paints, but here’s one option: Paint at least two solid coats of paint (to get a true representation of color) on a large piece of poster board and move it around the room to see how it will look on different walls at different times of the day.

more inspiration:

{browse more color & paint tips and inspiration}

Do you have a favorite gray paint color that you’ve used recently? Let us know in the comments!

Help! My Cat Ate My Tree!

Posted December 9, 2011 by Schneiderman's Furniture

When the holiday season approaches, I start to see a ton of great ideas in stores and online for decorating. The problem is that most seem to center on some sort of greenery. Not that I hate the smell of pine or anything, but my cat eats trees. And plants of all sort.

There are actually many good reasons for people to choose not to bring a tree inside. Some have the Sheldon Cooper Big Bang Theory attitude, calling a Christmas tree a “spider-infested fire hazard,” but some people just would rather forgo the expense and mess of a live tree. So what, besides the artificial tree option, are the choices?

Here are a few ideas culled from the interweb – great options if you’re looking for some alternative Christmas decor!

The collection put up on the wall could be anything from flatter ornaments to small framed pics to vending machine toys. I love the colorful look! If you’re going to do this, consider the white space around each item and make sure to place larger pieces sporadically. I think this would be a cool approach for permanent larger wall art anytime – just form a different shape! Painter’s tape in your chosen shape will help you control the placement and make sure your tree isn’t crooked!

Talk about cost effective! This is a wood ladder, strung with lights and ornaments. What a stunning idea for a large space! I wouldn’t try it with a yellow plastic ladder though. The color might be a bit strong.

This is my fave – a 3D tree-shaped ornament mobile. It looks like someone photoshopped the tree out of the picture! The instructions for this fabulous DIY look are at http://www.notmartha.org/archives/2010/12/20/christmas-tree-ornament-mobile/. (By the way, in searching for this topic, I found NotMartha, a new fave DIY blog. Check it out for a ton of fun craft and decor ideas that don’t require you to churn your own butter.)

Very hip, very cool, very modern. And just think about the cool look from the side with all the book cover colors cascading down the shape.

Another cool reuse of household item into decor. This is a vintage clothes drying rack with ornaments hung on ribbons. Very cool and a great way to show off your ornament collection.

So, if you, like many others, love decorating for the holidays but hesitate over the tree, come out of hiding! There are a ton of ways to decorate without making the dog sick on sugary tree water or chasing the newly walking toddler away from the light strings!