Home Office Paint Colors for Home Schooling

I was lunching (al fresco of course) with my friend and Benjamin Moore paint associate Mary Hoffman the other day. As we were catching up and discussing 2020, one of our talking points was how many of my clients have inquired about creating a great home office and e-learning environment. Delightfully in the e-mail yesterday came this wonderful, expert advice from Benjamin Moore’s corporate Color Director.

For any age, a home-schooling environment should be conducive to focus and concentration, while infusing color moments that can spark creativity.  Creating this balance with wall color s is important to avoid boredom or creating a space that may be too aggressive for school-related activities.  It is also important to take the other elements into consideration – beyond furniture and flooring, to include school-related supplies, accessories and other moments that may be good ways to introduce bold or saturated color, while maintaining a backdrop that is not distracting. 

Pre-school: There are two directions one can take with this age group.  I think a very pale blue like Polar Ice 1660 or a soft yellow like Fresh Air 211 would be a nice backdrop.  Another option is a warm white like Mountain Peak White OC-121 as a wall color with accents in primary hues coming from furnishings and small accents, and even toys/teaching tools.  That way there is a balance between lively colors that are eye catching and a wall color that is subdued and will not distract kids, especially when young attention spans are limited.  

Elementary: There is a pretty wide range for elementary students as they could be just a step up from pre-school, or on their way to Jr. High.  A soft green could be nice, like Spring Valley 438 or maybe Cedar Grove 444 for something slightly darker.  I also like Mt. Rainier Gray 2129-60 and Breath of Fresh Air 806.  Again, the wall color can be the back drop for other things happening in the space from furniture, to school supplies, to even white boards or bulletin boards with school-related items on it.  I’d also suggest using chalkboard paint in spots where it makes sense, using a darker color so the chalk stands out well, for instance Downpour Blue 2063-20 or maybe Jack Pine 692. 

Jr High: Now that the student is getting a bit older, the wall colors that will be appealing and will create an atmosphere conducive for studying may be a bit more nuanced.  A few colors that may appeal to this age group include Wales Gray 1585, Airway 828, Stonington Gray HC-170, or Vintage Taupe 2110-70.  There may also be opportunities for a “whiteboard” with notable, so a lighter color will work best to show off dry erase markers.

High School:  With tastes becoming more sophisticated and different school demands, the palette may expand to include some darker hues, and even variations on white for a modern look that also lends itself to schooling.  On the darker end of the spectrum, Van Deusen Blue HC-156 or Chelsea Gray HC-168 are nice choices, while Simply White OC-117 and Cloud Cover OC-25 could also work well.  Other options that appeal to this age group include Smoke Embers 1466, Gentle Gray 1626, or Ocean Air 2123-50.

Benjamin Moore Dry Erase Board Paint: Transform Any Wall Color Into a Dry Erase Board with Notable Dry Erase Paint. Find Your Perfect Color.

BEN® CHALKBOARD PAINT - Chalkboard Paint, available in any color, lets you turn virtually any interior surface into an erasable chalkboard.

Excitedly, I met with a new design client last week and picked Benjamin Moore’s Pale Smoke 1584 for her home office. I’ll be following up this post with my picks and home styling suggestions for her home office re-boot in another blog post. Stay tuned! - Julea

Have a decorating dilemma? You may be looking for some decorating or remodeling guidance, validation, or you are struggle with just pulling it all together. My 2 hour design consultation is a great option to meet your goals. Call or text Julea @ 708.543.8597.

5 Home Staging Trends to Watch - REALTOR® Magazine

© Dasha Petrenko - AdobeStock

Staging professionals offer up ideas for prepping properties

September - October 2020 REALTOR® Magazine

How has the pandemic influenced home stagers? Bloggers from REALTOR® Magazine’s Styled, Staged & Sold team of staging professionals offer up ideas for prepping properties.

Send cozier vibes. “Cozy is the new ‘luxury.’ We’re using more place settings on tables, setting up a coffee station with a tray, mugs, and napkins, displaying magazines and books on coffee tables, and draping fur throw blankets over beds—all of this conveys a more homey feel. Outside, we’ll have a fire pit surrounded by chairs or a hammock on the lawn.” —Krisztina Bell, No Vacancy Inc. and Virtually Staging Properties Inc.

Give prominence to the home office. “We’re seeing the home office as an area to stage. We either stage a room that was clearly built as an office or we create a space for use as an office. The rise of people working from home means showing a space that can be used for that purpose. We’ve invested in more desks and office items to support the growing request.” —Jennie Norris, International Association of Home Staging Professionals

Spotlight outdoor living. “The ‘bonus room’ may now be your livable outdoor space. Home staging will not stop at the back door. From pretty porches that offer an optimal first impression to an outdoor haven that expands the home’s living space—staging in 2021 will embrace the entire property.” —Julea Joseph, Reinventing Space

Bring on the natural light. “The pandemic has created a higher level of anxiety. Studies suggest that natural light from great windows or enclosed outdoor spaces can boost people’s mood and, over the long term, improve mental health.” —Karen Post, Home Frosting

Offer contactless services. “We’ve offering our staging clients a safe and cost-effective way to enhance their property’s appeal and engage buyers with new virtual staging consultations and ‘staging box’ services. After our experts take a virtual tour of the seller’s home,, we provide ‘staging box’ options with front-door delivery. The box includes things like sofa pillows, rugs, wall art, lighting, bedding, and tabletop accessories, with detailed placement instructions and other guidance as needed.” —Patti Stern, PJ & Company Staging and Interior Decorating

Reprinted. For digital article https://magazine.realtor/home-and-design/feature/article/2020/09/5-home-staging-trends-to-watch.

A Few of my Fall-orite Things. Fresh ideas for a new Season

Mornings are a bit cooler, there is a subtle fall scent in the air , and the acorns have begun to fall.  

Summer takes its toll on your home interiors.  Perhaps you have piles of papers in the dining room, a spooky dust covered living room, and the family room’s pillows have been over loved by both the kids and your dog.

A fall home re-style is the perfect remedy for your home’s summer style malaise.  It’s time to try a new furniture arrangement, an accessory shake-up, and some strategic power shopping to put a bit of fall zing into your home spaces. Here are a few of my fall-orite things.

1. Cozy Textiles. The term ‘sweater weather’ comes to mind. Nothing gives a space a fall style refresher than touchy textiles. Throws are the sweaters of home and are an easy up-style choice. Nubby mega knits either handmade or purchased, cozy cashmere blends to cuddle up with, or a vintage hand woven blanket can transform, layer and create that ultimate fall home environment. Shop your own home for more rustic pieces to give your main living area a seasonal transformation. Could you swap a leather chair from the study or flip flop the shag rug from the guest bedroom to achieve your goal?

2. Colors of the Season. Rust, indigo, mustard, ink, and pumpkin tones, - all colors of the autumn kaleidoscope. By infusing these colors into your home decor you will revive your rooms. Can you find a color thread in your art and reposition it, swap out lamps shades to set the mood of the season or re-purpose an accessory or furniture piece with paint? Shop for pillows/pillow covers in velvet, plaid, or kilim are good choices. Add a few new trendy accessories that tell the story of the new season to shake things up a bit.

3. Harvest Finds. Think fall farmer’s market. Your fall decor can come into to play here - autumn leaf, berry and nut swags, pumpkins fresh and faux and dried floral.

4. The Scent of Fall. As that weather changes, so do your senses. The simple sense of scent can bring the happiness of the season. In the powder room seasonally scented soap, on the island a big bowl of apples that evokes the thoughts of that crisp sweet scent and in the foyer, soy or bees wax scented candles greeting your guests. And yes, there is always pumpkin spice…

By changing up your home environment, you refresh not only your space, but you as well. A new seasonal chapter can wash away the staleness of yesterday and give a fresh new perspective of things to come.

-Julea

Love these ideas but just want to come home to a refreshed and seasonally changed home? We have a 3-hour seasonal refresher session special for $525. We use what you have and re-style for the season.

And we can one up that by shopping our favorite hidden haunts for just the right new pieces for you to fall in love with your home for an additional fee.

Calendar dates are limited, call/text Julea for details 708.543.8597

Baby got Back(yard) - Outdoor Space Consultation

Outdoor Space Consultation

It’s right outside the kitchen window, the sliding glass door, or like my client’s situation yesterday, they can see it, but can’t get to it - the Backyard. With most of us sheltering in place, that forgotten, seldom used backyard has become valuable real estate. So baby, if you got back(yard), use it!

I hadn’t worked with this client since 2011, and although we couldn’t hug, it was great to see her and again help her with her home. This project outside is perfect for socially distancing. Most people think I can only help with the inside, but my consultation services can be used for your outdoor spaces too. This consultation was about planning a new deck. Their current deck has no stairs, which doesn’t allow them to get down to their yard. With our home truly a shelter from the storm, and summer on the horizon, why not make your outdoor spaces as usable as your indoor space?

Here are a few tips we discussed yesterday about utilizing your backyard.

1.) Consider how you get out there. What space on the inside gets you to the outside? Are there multiple options? A door out from the breakfast area, and from the family room? Can you easily walk around to the back yard from the front yard? These traffic patterns may determine how each usage area of your backyard is planned out.

Connecting indoors to outdoors (photo: source)

2.) What do your want to do out there? My client had grand plans for her outdoor space: Hot tub, firepit, gazebo and dining/cooking. With those needs, which areas of your backyard are suited for these activities.

Outdoor Dining (photo: Wayfair)

3.) How big do these areas need to be? The stuff you need to use for the activity determines the size of the space. If you want a fire pit area - the key element is the firepit . Size that, then add in the seating around it with correct safe distances from the heat and flames.

Establishing activity areas (Photo:source)

4.) What surface hosts these activity spaces? Grass, concrete, decking, paving stone?

Backyard surfaces (Photo:source)

5.) What are your backyard existing assets or hindrance? Do you want to use that tree as part of the design, or will it need to go? Take advantage of a great view, or not block a view? My client had a beautiful pond in her back yard, and wanted to make sure that gazebo wish didn’t block her neighbors from the great view.

Lastly, have fun with your backyard. You can be inspired by your indoor space color theme, but that’s not a rule. There are oodles of ideas to peak your patio design, but if you need a keen eye, or extra ideas, there is help a phone call away.

Julea - Reinventing Space 708-448-7500 B 708-543-8597 C Julea@Julea.com

!ZOOM that ROOM! E-Design Services

I was chatting with a colleague about how we have to evolve how we do business. I’ve always been a glass half full gal and look at this new form of life not as an obstacle, but as a challenge to stay connected, and to keep my business current. Although I can’t just hop in my car and head over to see a client, I can hop on the internet and phone and resolve a decorating dilemma. From creating a lovely space with the help of on-line shopping to remotely evaluating a home that soon will be going on the market - Let’s Zoom that Room!

With most of us staying at home, we’re finally getting some of those home projects done. From painting a space to re-decorating a whole room. And I should be your first step. Since our ‘stay at home’ chapter, I’ve been busy with remote home staging evaluations, room re-decorating, and even a new Florida townhouse decorating plan for a client that is relocating soon to the sunshine state.

Here’s how it works - take pictures of the space (s) that has a design dilemma, add any burning desires, notes, or rants about the space. I’ll review and suggest in a presentation - then we’ll setup a time to go over it all. It’s as easy as that. You get to work on your space, I solve your design dilemma, and the end result is a beautiful room. Text me to begin 708-543-8597.

Decorating Ideas to Refresh your Space While We’re Staying in Place

With home the focus of our daily life right now, it’s a great time to rethink some of our spaces. Whether re-styling a bookcase, seasonally decorating, up-styling something we already have, or leaping into a bigger project - here are ideas to refresh your space while we’re staying in place.

Paint. -A new color can give a room a fresh look. From spring greens or trending blue hues, paint packs a big punch to giving a space a new view.  Most paint stores will let you phone in, order on-line, and offer curbside pickup. From painting an accent wall, up-styling a bookcase by painting the back, or painting a piece of furniture - infusing a new color into a room can really reboot it.

Paint. -A new color can give a room a fresh look

Rearrange. -Spring has arrived! It’s a perfect time to rearrange a room for a new season.  Give your space a new perspective with a new furniture arrangement. Perhaps swapping pieces from other rooms. Try switching a chair, a table, art; they’re all good swapping ideas to give a room a different look. Lighten your space by removing heavy rugs to simplify a room. Change the sitting area to a new focus from the fireplace view to taking in the nature from the view out the window. By giving your space a new perspective, it gives you one too.

“Give your space a new perspective with a new furniture arrangement. By giving your space a new perspective, it gives you one too.”

— Julea Joseph

Pull out that Sewing Machine. - If you have forgotten how to use it, YouTube has hundreds of instructional videos on how to sew and use your machine. Sew up a new pillow cover, table runner, or add contrasting fabric trim to a ready made window panel on the edge, top or bottom. Re-purpose table clothes, napkins or tea towels into usable yardage.  Fabric can too transform a lampshade, or cover an ottoman. 

Pull out that Sewing Machine.

Discover Your Styling Skills.  After you’ve painted the back of your bookshelves, you’ll need to fill it back up.  Refill it with accents from other spaces, organize your books by color, or even recover them with bright papers. Small art that was lonely hanging on a wall, can find a new home on the bookcase back, or perching on an easel decorating a favorite table. Style an entry table with accessory, or seasonal odds and ends to tell a story - books are great to add height, color and interest to a vignette.

Discover Your Styling Skills.

Need additional inspiration or help with styling and decorating? We now offer consultation remotely.

-Julea

RESOURCES

https://www.acehardware.com/onlineorder

https://jclicht.com/jc-licht-open-coronavirus-response/

https://www.sherwin-williams.com/homeowners/special-offers

https://www.lowes.com/l/store-pickup.html

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