The colors you surround yourself with can affect your state of mind. By Diane Franklin Excitable red, calming blue, optimistic yellow, regal purple—it’s true. The colors in your life have an impact on mood—even to the point that they can stimulate or depress your appetite. Nowhere is color’s impact more apparent than in your home, [...]

Painting is a professional skill built on experience. The good news is that finding a professional painter for any given job, whether an interior or exterior painting project, doesn’t have to be difficult. 4 Quick Steps to Finding the Perfect Painting Contractor 1. Do Your Homework – Turn to your friends, colleagues and family 2. [...]

Here’s how to give your walls the rich, textured look of leather. By Diane Franklin If you love the look of leather on your sofas, chairs or your most cherished books, you may be surprised to learn you can achieve that rich, textured appearance on your walls as well. There are various ways to create [...]

Biophilic design brings outdoor elements indoors to create a soothing effect. By Diane Franklin More and more of today’s homeowners are discovering the advantages of biophilic design, which is a way to draw a deeper connection to nature by bringing outdoor elements into our interiors. Already emerging as a trend in commercial spaces, biophilic design [...]

We try out cars, clothes and even chocolates before we buy. You can test your paint colors, too! By Tammy Adamson-McMullen As savvy consumers, we generally like to try a product before we commit to purchasing it. Many goods fall into this “try-it” category, including cars, clothes and even chocolates. Paint color also is part [...]

White is still the rage, but surprising hues are gaining. By Tammy Adamson-McMullen News flash: Painted cabinets will still be on-trend in 2019, but not all of them will be white. While white has dominated the cabinetry in kitchens and baths, more colorful options are on the rise, from pale yellows and greens to mid-range [...]

Pay attention to lighting when choosing paint colors… By Tammy Adamson-McMullen If you’ve ever painted a room in the perfect color only to have it look less than perfect later, the problem may not have been with the paint, your original paint sample or your application. The real culprit could have been your lighting. The [...]

The new year can be your greenest yet with so many eco-friendly products. By Tammy Adamson-McMullen  If you’re considering a New Year’s resolution to go “greener,” you’ll have a lot of products to support it. This past year has ushered in many more environmentally friendly products in the decorating industry—and many of the already green [...]

Decorating a teen’s room is a little bit you, but a whole lot them. By Diane Franklin  You may have noticed that the older your kids become, the more they want to show how different they are from Mom and Dad. This is especially true once they hit their teenage years. You like Facebook; they [...]