Carrie's Apartment

Ever wonder what blue Carrie's apartment was painted in the first Sex and the City movie??  It transformed her New York apartment and created a beautiful and luxurious space with gorgeous and graphic prints and thick molding!  The colour...Benjamin Moore's "Electric Blue!"  Confidence in style and not being afraid to try bold colours and designs are what we love about Carrie!  Especially during  the grey winter days, don't be afraid to try something new!  Start with a powder room, and make a statement!

Light Up Your Life With Colour!

What do natural light, artificial lighting and the colour of your walls have to do with one another? How important is it that you choose the right colour, considering the natural light in your home? The answer to both is everything!

As the days get shorter and we creep towards the stay-indoors and hibernate months of fall and winter, making sure your home is properly lit is very important. Not only does good lighting affect your overall mood, but choosing a wall colour while considering the amount of natural light you get in a space is essential.  For instance, many people think that the best colour to paint in a darker room is a light, fresh tone to “make the space feel bigger” when in fact it's the other way around! 

Think about it, how will you see the light, fresh colour when it’s overcome by shadows in the room.  Much better to use a warm, mid-tone or even a cozy, darker shade and leave the provision of light to some swanky new table lamps!

The opposite is true of airy, natural light-filled rooms, these often look wonderful painted a lighter colour that contrasts subtley with white trim.  In this case, artificial lighting is only necessary in the evenings.  Either way, there is no hard and fast rule to darker or lighter paint colours in any room, as it is your taste that matters most in the end. The most important thing is that your space is a warm and inviting place to relax and shed the cares of your day!

Hot Design Comes to Vancouver!

Vancouver is again the proud host of two of the hottest design shows in the country.  The Vancouver Home and Interior Design Show www.vancouverhomeshow.com kicks off September 9-12^th at the new Vancouver Trade and convention Centre and IDS West (Interior Design Show West) www.idswest.com arrives October 14-17^th at the same location.  Both shows will feature a plethora of speakers and vendor booths with every kind of design advice and gadget imaginable.  From green to dream, there is a solution for all of your upcoming projects if you know what you’re looking for.

For new homebuyers, both shows offer a chance to gather ideas for any renovations or updates you plan to do in your new space.  The trick is knowing what to choose once you’ve brought all those nifty samples home with you; it can all feel overwhelming if you don’t have a plan or a colour scheme in mind.  Hiring a professional to help doesn’t need to break the bank. 

Benjamin Moore Dunbar’s Colour & Design Consultants can help you pick out colours to perfectly match the fixed elements like tile, counters, cabinets and flooring that you choose.  Not even sure which tiles are best? We can help with that too! We will determine the look and feel that you are trying to achieve, work with your existing furniture and art and help narrow down which fixed elements will work best with your new colour palette.

So after you go and enjoy the shows, book an interior or exterior colour consultation ($135-150) with one of our colour experts. Every consultation includes a customized colour chart and a $25 Gift Certificate to the Dunbar Paint Centre or any of our 8 convenient locations.  Let us help take the stress out of your design process!

Introduction

Studio colour and design consultants are available at selected Benjamin Moore retailers.  We are proud to present our new blog that will keep you in the loop with all the latest trends and interesting concepts in colour and design!