Creating the Ideal Palette: Part 2

Part 2 of our "Creating the Ideal Palette" leaves the Red, Pink, and Orange of our first post ( Check out post #1), and explores the possibilities of Yellow, Green, and Blue.  Color Psychology, the study of colors and how they affect human behavior, is important to keep in mind when planning to paint your Houston residence or commercial business. Below, we break down the three color stars of this week's post.

YELLOW

Yellow is a happy, cheerful, and enriching color. Commonly associated with laughter, yellow releases serotonin, a ‘feel good’ chemical in our brains. Like orange, yellow's optimism helps boost creativity and intellect.

Spaces painted with yellow encourage people to be more extroverted and talkative. Shading, however, is a little tricky with this color, as some shades are popularly associated with cowardice. A too-bright-yellow is not recommended around babies. A more gold-toned yellow is ideal.

GREEN

This is the color of hope, growth, and the inspiring natural world, associated with healing and relaxation because of its restful effect on the eye. Green can be a very inspiring and positive color, but like yellow. working in shades can be tricky. If you use bluish tones, you may risk coming off as boring.

This color is recommended for: work spaces, outdoor spaces, and rooms purely meant for relaxation at home.

BLUE

The color blue induces the release of calming chemicals in our bodies. It also symbolizes trust, spirituality, wisdom, and clarity. Avoid using blue in excess because it can induce melancholia and feelings of loneliness.
Lighter shades of blue are excellent for bedroom spaces.

You may also use this color for sports-related spaces because it enhances athletes' performance. 

Creating the Ideal Palette: Part 1

The color  you choose for the interior and/or exterior of your home or business sets the mood and can have a psychological effect on your friends, family, and customers. As you begin painting your Houston residence or commercial business, it's  helpful (and fun!) to familiarize yourself with color palettes and their meanings according to color psychology-the study of colors and how they affect human behavior. 

The art of color psychology gives you the power to send a positive or negative message, calm a crowd, encourage sales, or simply encourage enthusiasm. Each individual color comes with its own connotations and vibes.

Part 1 of our series of posts on color psychology will closely look a a number of different colors, explaining how appropriate each is for your living or work spaces. We'll start with Red, Pink, and Orange.  

RED

Red suggests passion, excitement, and power. It has activating and stimulating properties. Red is also associated with love, richness and luxury, and can be used to signify abundance and prosperity. This may seem strange, but the color red can encourage  a stronger appetite, which is why we see it used so often by major food franchises, like McDonald's and Pizza Hut. And of course, red is the color of seduction. For this reason, it may not be the best choice for work spaces. 

Red can be effectively used for the following spaces: kitchen, dining room, and living room, with more earthy reds reserved for the bedroom. 

PINK

Pink is the color that soothes the mind and symbolizes love and romance. Oddly enough, pink is the wall color of choice for many prisons because it has been shown to reduce aggression and violence in individuals. 

Use pink effectively in the bedroom, keeping in mind that too much pink may make space overly feminine. 

ORANGE

Orange is an incredibly energetic color that is often associated with fun and active lifestyles. It’s sociable, cheerful, optimistic, and creative. Due to its creativity-boosting properties, orange is often used for artistic spaces. And, like red, this fiery color is known to boost the appetite. 

Paint Outside the Box: Unconventional and Economical Tips

Here at Pro Painters, the premier Houston Commercial Painting Company, we admire painting projects that are imaginative and break convention. This is especially important for the walls (floors and furniture, too!) of your home. After all, you want your house to make a statement, to stand apart from the others on your street. We have compiled a list of seven painting project tips for residential spaces that are unique and economically feasible. But before we begin, as experts in House Painting Houston, we want to make sure you buy and use top-quality paint that is both stain and mildew resistant. 

Tip 1 – Paint one wall in a chosen room to create an accent that does wonders for the ambiance. This easy project can provide the eye with a break from monotonous, neutral colored walls.

Tip 2 – Paint all of the windows and wall trim of an entire room. This is a guaranteed way to give any room a dramatic look, especially if you choose dark trim paint.

Tip 3 – Do you have a “chair rail” along the border of a room? If you do, we envy you. Try painting the area above the rail a bold color, and leave the area below a lighter color. This technique creates an interesting and pleasing visual boundary.

Tip 4 – Paint that front door!  Any realtor will tell you that giving your front door a fresh coat of paint is the best investment you can make because this will be the first thing a potential buyer sees. You want your home to make a great first impression.

Tip 5 – Paint that floor! With a few paint leftovers, you can make a small segment of floor a surprising focal point. We recommend this for foyers or small kitchen spaces. It works best, of course, with spaces that are tiled.  Follow these general “steps”:

-          Paint the majority of the tiles the same color as the wall

-          Vary the look of the remaining tiles with deeper colors to add variety and accent the furnishings and surroundings of a space

-          Include an eye-catching pattern using pre-cut or hand-cut stencils

-          To maintain a clean and glossy look, despite foot traffic, add a top coat of shellac to the tiles

Tip 6 – Here’s a trick that makes a small bathroom appear larger. Paint wide horizontal stripes that push out the walls, creating an illusion that the space is bigger than it is. It works best if you choose two paint tones that are closely related.

Tip 7 – Do you have a collection of mismatched chairs that are a little embarrassing?  Well, there’s a paint remedy for that, too. Give your chairs a unifying look with a coat of paint and/or decorative decals.  Easily transferrable designs can be found at most home craft stores.  

We hope this list is helpful for future painting endeavors. And remember, you can always count on our Painting Contractors Houston to provide you with quality service and a great paint job. 

The Way We Live: Houston Residential Architecture and Design

As the fourth-largest city in the United States, Houston is also notably diverse. The city has a multicultural population, active arts scene, and booming business sector. Since its founding in 1836, the city has also seen the rise and fall of many architectural trends, which are still apparent when looking at residences throughout the many neighborhoods. If you’re in the market for a home in Houston, here’s a rundown of some of the more popular styles and ways to incorporate house painting Houston to enhance your home.

Victorian

Popular in the period between 1860 and 1900, Victorian homes actually include homes built in several styles, such as Queen Anne, Shingle, and Gothic Revival. These houses feature highly ornate decorations and embellishments as a defining characteristic. Other features common to this style include bay windows, stained glass, and steep roofs. Even large houses of this style tend to be rather narrow and tall and they can be terraced or joined. In Houston, the remaining Victorian houses, which are concentrated in the Heights area, are generally rather large and completely detached.

With this style of home you can really let your imagination run wild in terms of exterior paint. The elaborate trim can be quite contrasting to the rest of the house and the colors for both run the gamut. A popular choice is anything on the pastel spectrum. Because of the many details, nooks, and crannies, it is wise to choice a professional Houston painting company when repainting your Victorian home.

American Foursquare

Beginning as a reaction to the overly embellished and mass-produced homes of the Victorian and Revival styles popular in the period from the 1850s to the turn of the century, the American Foursquare style is decidedly and purposely plain. These homes were originally built by hand, although as they became more popular, people began to mail order them. They are characterized by their square, boxy design, inclusion of two or two-and-one-half floors, and large front porches. These houses are popular in older Houston neighborhoods, including Montrose and Eastwood.

When it comes to painting your American Foursquare, try to stick to soft colors, like ivory, for the trim and earth tones, such as brown, yellow, or green, for the rest of the exterior. If you happen to have a brick Foursquare, ALWAYS leave any exterior paintwork to a professional Houston painting contractor. Painting brick incorrectly can trap moisture and cause serious damage to the home.

American Craftsman

American Craftsman architecture is just one part of the larger Arts and Crafts movement, which was popular from the turn of the century through the 1930s. Architects of this style, like those of the Foursquare style, sought to move away from the over-decorated Victorian aesthetic to a more simple style that incorporated local materials and original handicraft. The Craftsman Bungalow was a favorite of the middle-class, as it was affordable and a sign of improved station. These homes feature covered front porches, use of mixed materials, tapered, square columns, and hand-crafted stone or woodwork. A high concentration of these homes can still be found in the Heights area of Houston.

Connected to the Craftsman philosophy of incorporating local, natural materials, Craftsman homes should be painted in colors inspired by the world around them. Muted greens, browns, and grays are popular choices, as are similarly subdued sunrise and sunset colors. When painting the trim, pick a color a shade or two lighter than the main exterior color and shutters should be painted a third, coordinating color.

Mid-Century Modern

Pioneered by Frank Lloyd Wright in the United States, this style of architecture stems from the idea that form and function should work together seamlessly to create places and spaces. Mid-century modern homes, built in the years following World War II, show the desire to work with increasing updated and available technology to create living, functional art. In America, architects began to open up floor plans, use innovative materials, such as resin, fiberglass, and laminate, and integrate nature into their designs. In Houston, many houses of this style are still standing, particularly in the Memorial Bend area.

Mid-century modern homes are all about simple lines, so choose colors with that aesthetic in mind. Clean colors with bright accents look best on homes of this style. Consider white, ivory, or browns with pops of bright red, green, or orange. Because it can be a difficult color combination to pull off, it is always worth is to consider hiring a professional Houston painting company to get the exterior of your dreams.

America’s Finest Architect & His Color Palette

Pro Painters literally has you covered when it comes to house painting Houston and Houston Commercial Painting, ensuring high-quality work, efficiency, and the color combination that is perfect for you.  Our Painting Contractors Houston are skilled and consistently provide innovative looks. We value innovation and lasting workmanship that will guarantee us long-lasting relationships with our clients.

We approach our exterior painting no differently than any other expert service we provide because we understand that the outside can be the first and most lasting impression. Frank Lloyd Wright (1867-1959), one of American’s most famous architects, understood this all too well.  In fact, he even had a specific philosophy when it came to interior and exterior paint colors. With a career spanning almost 70 years, Wright designed over 1,141 buildings and inspired an entire school of architecture. You may be familiar with some of his most notable projects. He designed the Guggenheim Museum in New York City, the Marin County Civic Center in California, the Robie House in Chicago, the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo, and his own home/studio in Oak Park, Chicago.  

We admire Frank Lloyd Wright’s imaginative approach to design and even more so; his philosophy when it came to choosing color. Two sources helped him determine his color palette: the natural surroundings of his site and the nature (texture, color, shape, etc.) of his building materials.

Wright’s famous Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York City is currently white, but architecture experts believe that he would not have approved of this color. Wright’s meticulous designs of the building were based on organic shapes—spirals, the nautilus shell, etc.—and so they believe that an earthier tone would have been more appropriate.  We came across an old architectural sketch online that suggests Wright was dabbling in shades of red, including one he was well known for, “Cherokee red.”

Go Green at Home

We’ve all heard about the many ways we can improve the earth and the environment through “green” living. It’s no longer uncommon to see reusable canvas grocery bags at Kroger, hybrid cars on the road, or organic cleaning products at Target. Now, we can take it to the next level with making our homes green, inside and out. Here’s how:

• Use blown-in cellulose insulation.

Not only is this type of insulation made up of 80% recycled materials, it also cuts your energy usage by providing more efficient and effective seals.  Additionally, cellulose insulation does not contain formaldehyde or other highly toxic chemicals.

• Install a tankless hot water heater.

Unlike traditional tanks, these heaters only heat water when hot water is needed and only for how long it is needed. You can easily save energy and money by only having hot water available when you need it.

• Choose FSC certified wood & bamboo.

The FSC, or Forest Stewardship Council, encourages the responsible management of forests and ensures that wood, paper, and building materials are grown and source in a socially, environmentally, and economically responsible way. Keep in mind that bamboo can be used for more than just flooring; this rapidly renewable resource can serve as countertop and wall covering and more!

• Buy ENERGY STAR® appliances.

The EPA uses the ENERGY STAR® program to identify and encourage the use of energy efficient products. Any appliance that is labeled an ENERGY STAR® product has met strict guidelines of reducing the use of energy. Not only do these products help the environment, but they can cut your yearly utility bill by as much as 30%.

• Use paints and water-based stains with low or no VOCs.

Volatile Organic Compounds are solvents found in paint and stains that are responsible for the bad smell associated with painting. They evaporate easily at room temperature and continue to release toxins even after the coat of paint has dried. Another “green” option is to use water based stains instead of gel- or oil-based stains.

When you are building green or house painting Houston, you should never hesitate to hire professionals. When it comes to hiring a building or Houston painting contractor, there can be great advantages, like lowered cost and increased knowledge of supplies and materials. My Pro Painters is a Houston painting company that will increase the quality and speed of your project, without drastically increasing cost. And, through the use of professional “green” building and decorating, you will save money and the environment in the end.

Finding Services for House Painting Houston

A house painting Houston based contractor will not only do a great job of painting for you, but also suggest the right combination of colors. You will achieve a much better result than planning the whole thing on your own. Moreover, saving a lot of time, you will find that you also save good amount of money by hiring contractors.

Professional work 
When you hire a Houston painting company, you can be assured of a quality service. If you do the painting on your own and it wears off after a few months, and you will have to spend even more for the job. However with a professional contractor, you always get a guarantee that it won’t wear off for a certain period of time. If it does, you get a new paint job done on the affected area for free.

Skilled job 
Whether it is Houston commercial painting or house painting service that you want, a contractor has the experience and skills to give you a perfectly painted wall.