Bridget Beari Color Rule #46 - Bring on the Bling!

September 01, 2022 by Susan Jamieson in Bridget Beari Color Rules

Bridget Beari Color Rule #46

Bring on the Bling!

I love working with metallics in a room. Whether on a wall or a piece of furniture, metallics give the room a reflective quality and bounces the light from one area to the next.

We are excited to announce that coming this summer will be our Bridget Beari Metallic line of paints - silvers, golds, coppers, pearl essence and more!

Look at how these designers used metallics to enhance their designs. I love the minimal design of this bathroom.

The metallic walls create a modern and clean look. Too much metallic in a room can be overkill unless you keep it minimal.

Metallics with a glaze for furniture from Froufrugal

Mixing metallics can add even more highlights to a room.
Here they have mixed a gold and a silver!

If you want to add a touch of bling, try a stencil.

How about a gorgeous textured wall in metallic!

Tip: Take old mixed matched tins and spray paint them. See the Cynthia Shaffer blog for complete directions. How about using a metallic!!

Happy Painting.....

Bridget Beari Color Rule #45 - Faux Sure

August 16, 2022 by Susan Jamieson in Bridget Beari Color Rules

Bridget Beari Color Rule #45 - Faux Sure

Sometimes a room needs more than just straight paint. I think faux painting is not something everyone can do. Either you have that artistic touch or you don't. You want the faux finish to look subtle and elegant not bold and garish.

**Interior Design by Bridget Beari Designs**

I love the copper ceiling of this dining room and how it picks up on the color of the draperies. The walls have a soft glaze to them as well as a painted scroll. This subtle pattern is a great contrast the bold drapery fabric. Plain cream walls would be too uninteresting and solid color too predictable. Even the corner cabinet in this room is faux bois or faux wood grain.

Using a textured wall gives the room a softer glow and even a Old World look. You can add more than one color to a ragged wall. This technique can look as soft as velvet on the walls if done well. It could also look contemporary with metallic added to it.

Tip: Use left over wallpaper to line your drawers!

Happy Painting.....

Bridget Beari Color Rule #10 - Test a Color in the Room Before You Buy!

August 21, 2018 by Susan Jamieson in Bridget Beari Color Rules

Test a Color in the Room Before You Buy!

As we have talked about before, colors look different in the store and on a chip. It is important to put a large enough samples on different walls in the room to see how the light affects the color and what other colors in the room are interacting with the wall color.

These days all the paint manufacturers have what they call sample pots. Small pots of paint that cover about a 2' X 2' area. The only problem is the finish - not all finishes come in the sample pots.

Here are some examples of people's attempt to visualize the color within a space.

Painted on paper or board:

Directly to the wall:

Side by Side between trim

Or side by side to select a certain value.

No matter how you do it, it is an important step in the selection process. Even the design professionals do this on every job or at least the good ones do!

Tip: Use nylon brushes for water base paints and natural brushes for oil paints.

Happy Painting.....

Bridget Beari Color Rule #6 - Don't Forget the Power of White

July 10, 2018 by Susan Jamieson in Bridget Beari Color Rules

Bridget Beari Color Rule #6

Don't Forget the Power of White

White acts like a powerful reflector of light which creates energy within a room. A completely white room stands alone as classic and timeless. You really notice the wood beams with the white walls, trim and ceiling.

Similar Bridget Beari Colors:

All colors can change by the content that surrounds them. That is especially true for white. Some whites can turn green from reflection of the outdoors or pick up a pink tone from red oriental rug.

Photo Credit: Traditional Home, Gordon Bell photographer

Interior Design by Bridget Beari Designs

Notice the subtle difference between the cream of the wall and the white trim.

The walls in this photo are Ping Cream No. 61 with Snowball trim No. 2

In contrast to the photo above, notice below how strong the contrast is between the gray and the white. The beautiful architectural details are highlighted by the white color.

Sidebar: Wagging White is naming for the happy feeling of seeing a dog's tail wag and there are many dogs and cats visiting us at Bridget Beari!

Snowball was a cat from my childhood.

Goose Muffin is a nickname for Lulabelle my Sharpei.

Ping is the name of my best friends Pug who is no longer with us. I went with them to the Pug Ranch to purchase her. It was a complete disaster of a puppy mill but Ping was a great dog. Always snorting and loved sleeping on your head.

Newman is a cat that one of my customers gave to Joe, the BBD contractor. She is a feral cat - love you then scratch the h.. out of you and the most ignoring meow. He loves her !

Tip: Vacuum or lint roll new paint rollers to remove the fuzz.

Happy Painting.....

Color Personality Quiz

November 20, 2011 by Susan Jamieson in What’s Your Palette?

My talk on the Bridget Beari Color Rules at the Rhome event was a roaring success! The audience was thrilled and that has fueled my enthusiasm for finishing my book on Color. The only thing I did not include in this talk was the Color Personality Quiz. Many in the audience were interested in taking this so I promised I would add it to the blog this week. Thanks to Renovation Style for the inspiration for this quiz.

What Color are you?

Question #1: What room in your house is in need of a makeover?

A. Kitchen
B. Bathroom
C. Living Room
D. Bedroom
E. All of the Above

Question #2: What is your favorite comfort food?

A. Mac and cheese
B. Fried Chicken
C. Ice Cream
D. Soup and crusty bread
E. anything delivery

Question #3: What season makes you the happiest?

A. Spring
B. Fall
C. Winter
D. Summer
E. All year

Question #4: What is you guilty pleasure?

A. Flipping through magazines
B. Facebook and Twittering
C. Watching Reality TV
D. Singing in the Shower
E. Window Shopping

Question #5: What type of shoe best describes you?

A. Ballet Flat - small and delicate
B. Cowboy Boot - tough ass kicker
C. Loafer - classic
D. Tennis Shoe - comfy and worn in
E. Stiletto - sexy and wild

Question #6: Favorite past time activity?

A. Watching You Tube
B. Exercising
C. Gardening
D. Hot baths
E. Reading magazines

Question #7: Favorite Trip Destination?

A. Africa - safari
B. Italy - cooking classes
C. England - history
D. Mexico - Surf Camp
E. Any Beach- lounging

Question #8: If unexpected guests call to say they are coming in 2 days do you....?

A. Freak out and get nothing done
B. Get the house ready before doing anything else
C. Forget about it until 2 hours before they arrive
D. No worries the house is always ready
E. Thrilled - start cleaning and set up as you feel like it

If you answered with more A's:
Your color is "Red"

you love springtime but you are intense with a fun side
comfort and homey is your design style
mix red with tan for warmth and white for contrast
remember that red is a great accent color

If you answered with more B's:
Your Color is "Orange"

you have a fiery fun side
you love food
mix orange with muted browns for a more natural look
pair with greens and lighter corals for warm look
balance hot colors with cool colors

If you answered with more C's:
Your Color is "Blue/Green"

you love nature and have a cool edge
you pick items that have a timeless nature
pair with pastels for a soft palette
mix with rich tones for a punch

If you answered with more D's:
Your Color is "Gray"

sophisticated and serene
you love a neutral palatte
you like adventure too
can go muted for a softer look or pair with jewel tones for a luxurious look

If you answered with more E's:
Your Color is " Yellow"

fun, bohemian vibe
whimsical side
pair with oranges and citron for a warm look
pair with white and gray for graphic look

Now that you know your color personality look around your own home and see if that color is represented. If not, you may want to start incorporating that color into your interiors. Have fun with color by experimenting with the BBD Color Rules and conquering your fear of color!