Rockland Home Staging

Maureen, Lowes also sells the color deck for 17.98  with over 1220 colors.

 

They have another one with the American Tradition Paint that is higher - with 1600 colors25.98

 

 

How many colors does Benny have in his color fan deck?

Rhubarb paint in your master, NO WONDER you have 4 kids, keep it Red HOT

Marci - We put a TV in there 6 years ago - haven't had a kid since.  LOL

Thanks for the tip about the other fans.  I don't know how many Benjamin Moore has - it is big though. 

 

Roy and I have been thick as thieves since I opened my first box of crayons.  Such happy memories...

I own Ben's fan deck, but only use it with builders.  For my painter, I use the Pittsburgh paint colors because that is what he insists on using.

My favorite color palette - and the one I use any time I can is Behr. ( For my DIY homeowners it is great because it is easy to find - not so with Benjamin Moore.  There is only one place in town that sells it.)

Behr preferences: Green - Riverbank. It is not so much sage as it is earthy with grey undertones.

Gold- Ripe Wheat. Perfect warm gold that is a surprisingly neutral.

Beige - Desert Camel - very masculine, but women love it, too.  No sign of pink in this one.

Taupe - Mochaccino and Mississippi mud (that one always gets them). Both are very versatile and look good in different lights.

I worked with another stager who insisted on painting every kitchen red.  I can't bring myself to do it.

Maureen, What a colorful post. ROY brought back memories and yes I remembered. You title made me want to read more. Congratulations on the gold star!

www.Homerome.com

Baltimore,Md

Kimberly - thanks for the colors from Behr - is that the Lowes brand?  There are colors that just work well in many different homes.  That store Restoration Hardware has only 3 colors I think.  One green, beige and gold maybe? I like to recommend colors that I have already used and I know they work.

Margaret - Glad I could take you back. Thanks for telling me about the star.

Wow - a gold star from the rain gods - it is embarrassing to admit but that totally made my day!!! 
<insert me doing the happy dance>
Thank you rain Gods. 

Maureen, I love this post and all the colors you mentioned.  I use Benjamin Moore too and they offer a designer discount.  

Just today I discovered wonderful color palletes by Restoration Hardware.  I'm going to check them out tomorrow, shopping- yay.

Maureen,  I think Behr is a Home Depot brand.  I've used it before in a previous house I lived in, but thought the quality was inferior.  I've loaned my color decks out to a friend so, not to risk confusing names with brands, I won't mention any, except the two I have in my house now that I love... Whole Wheat by Sherwin Williams and Paprika (I think it's by Duron).  It's a great reddish color with a little more brownish, orange in it... kinda like the name says I guess!  It's on my dining room walls and ceiling!  By the way, have you thought about leaving your business cards or brochures at the paint store????

 

Oops... sorry I forgot to log in.  That last comment was from me, I got distracted when I saw your picture as the first post when I came to the site and immediately clicked on it.  Congrats!

I tissue-papered the master bedroom last year in Lyndhurst Mushroom, then bronzed it.  The paint came from Lowe's.  I'm not a decorator at all, but when I take photo's of other homes, it helps me to pick the right colors.  I this area, stage setting hasn't caught on yet.  I'll be glad when it does.  Great post.

Maureen you have chosen many of the colors I am seeing in all the homes that seem ready to sell. The only color I am personally not fond of is the Wedgewood Blue; I'm pretty much alone in this though because it seems to be 'hot.'  Is orange passe now? Good post!

One of my services to our customers is free color consulting.  I used to get paid for color consulting as an architect and my customers love that I do that for them for no additional charge.  BTW - as a designer, if you spec out Benjamin Moore to your customers, BM will give you color palettes for free.  I have suitcases with swatches on rings that are numbered and make it really easy to choose colors because you can separate them from the others.  The color decks are sometimes difficult to use because colors reflect on each other and you cannot appreciate the real hue. (get in touch with the local rep and ask them for free materials). I use a lot of China White, Shaker Beige, Adams Gold, Carrington Beige, Fernwood greenand butterscotch for umph.

Hey Maureen

This is an excellent blog and I too love RED..Believe it or not, I don't recommend to this without a lot of thought but I actually painted a kitchen mexican red. WHY...the kitchen was small, nothing special except is had great high angled pitched ceilings and nice cabinets, new stainless appliances and nice counters. I wanted to draw attention to those peaks in the ceiling. The color was beautiful and when the homeowner came home and said WOW I knew we did the right thing.

I love Antique Lace which is a soft soothing creamy yellow. I have also used Chamois and Calming Creme they are all so CREAMY and RICH, get it rich?

Phyllis Pafumi 

I love this post Maureen, well done!  I love color but I am not really good when making those selections.  I don't think I ever make the "red done wrong" example but I definitely stop at "getting warmer"

Very good post. I love learning about hot colors. It seems like they change frequently. I did know Roy G Biv. I organize my clothes colors like this. I know. CRAZY....lol. I saw an all red kitchen with red appliances and everything. I wasn't very fond of it. It was a little too much red.

Maureen,

You speeka mya languaga...Absolutely Fabulous. If I were you I would rewrite the title and get googled on this one. Just put home staging in it somewhere. Really! 

Great post Maureen.  My wife uses the Benjamin Moore thingy when dcorating homes with her Home Interiors business.  This helps me out as she gives pointers and ideas to new home owners.  It also helps me out when showing homes and bringing ideas to the table which I have learned from my wife.

Maureen,

Great post.

I like Benjamin Moore Bleeker Beige (it's not far from Shaker beige But sounds more like New York) I also like BM Bennington Grey (like khaki putty) looks great with white trim and ceiling. I like neutral warm and minimal.

Ralph Lauren has some interesting colors. I think China white is one I like.

I just love stagers.  You always know what small thing to do to make a room look great!  We are very good friends with the Ben Moore Corporate Marketing Person.  Great company, great products.  It's all we use in our home.

I've just gotta say I love this post, too. Colors make me happy, and your graphic at the top (as well as your title) grabbed me.

This is helpful information, the color thingy is a great idea, and I'm thinking of painting my room rhubarb now -- and getting rid of my tv :-O

Thanks, and keep the good info coming!

I actually remembered it!  From....art class in junior high school??

I had four sisters and a neighbor active in Eastern Star... we learned this by osmosis.  Me...?  I'm partial to the Historical Colors palette at Kelly-Moore!

Dear Maureen,

My painter, who is a buddy of mine, for some reason swears by the Bennie Moore paints.  They do seem to have nicer colors and they paint is very good quality.  We were very happy with them in our new home.

Love this. The title sucked me in and I stayed for the whole thing!

Maureen,  Nice post.  I got them all right until "Indigo".

I knew ROY G BIV in college. I hated ROY B BIV in college.  In every design class he was introduced ... actually I was taking design classes from three different schools in the University,  Maybe just the intro to each made us do a color chart....to be sure we knew ROY G BIV.  We have a gallery in town called ROY G BIV. 

Have had a rocky relationship all my life with Mr. BIV.   He seems like a nice feller, and then he goes and trips me up. :)

Like an estimated 10% of the male population, I have some color-blindness.  It is worst in earth-tones, but difficult across Mr. BIV's entire name.

Can't tell blues and purples apart.

Teal makes me squeal.

Blush and bashful have me babbling.

Hues and tints?  I get the Squints.

It drives me crazy to see folks picking over swatches and chips that look the same to me.  And it's worse when they ask my opinion....

Great post!

Maureen - I love your post!  Thanks for all this color info.  I've toyed with the idea of color on some of my walls, and something in the sage green family is just what I had been thinking about for my master bedroom.  My walls now are a beautiful creamish color that changes with the time of day - I love watching the different shades it takes on at different times of the day.

Thanks for the color info - very much appreciated!
Ann

Kay - Your bedroom sounds interesting - I'm sure we all would love to see a pic!!!

Gina - Did not know about the discount.  Must look into that.

Rick & Ines - Thanks so much for the tip.  I am going to look into it today.

Carole - Personally I don't like the wedgewood blue - or any blue for that matter but a lot of clients like it so I included it.  Do you have a better neutral blue that you like?

 

Sheron - I put in a staging subtitle - google should spider the entire Blog - I think - Well this will be a way to test that theory.

Mike - Very funny!

Phyllis - I get it - I will mark those colors down.

Mitchell - It is all about attitude - I'll look into that Bleeker Beige - Staging is all about subtlety.  We live 10 min from NYC and mentioning the word Bleeker will keep that in people's mind.  Love it!

To ALL - Thank you all so much for your comments and encouragement!  I think we may have to start a ROY fan club!

Maureen, there is not a blue that I like either lol. If it is used as an accent color, minimally, then maybe the colonial or wedgewood is ok. But I prefer others. We used Terra Cotta in the master bedroom of our model in Tremont - that color is pretty popular here - I love sage and celery and neutrals. Colors are awesome! I even used to watch that cable show about colors on HGTV? they take real things and put them in a color pallette and let clients pick. I found that fascinating. Great post here!

Maureen - Even though I did know the answers without peeking - must have been from my school days long ago - I'm no interior designer.  Thanks for the post!

Colour (Canadian spelling) can be so complicated.  But there is a paint line put out by Debbie Travis, the painting guru here and her line is broken down to four groups based on the feeling you want to capture in a room:  Nostalgic, Dramatic, Cheerful and Calm.  This grouping is sorta, colour for dummies.  You can pick one in any group and guaranteed to get the feeling you were trying to find in choosing a colour.  Is this line in the US?

Anyway, thanks for bringing this topic up, I know its something I want to know more about. 

When did indigo become part of the color rainbow? When I was little, I originally learned it as ROY Good Body, and then they added the Violet in there at some point and Just said ROY Good Body V.  I've never heard it with an Indigo... I guess colors need to change just like everything else in life.

Tina - that sounds great - I will look into it. 

I was asked to post a photo of my steamy red bedroom - I've included it in the original Blog.  The red didn't come out as deep as it really is - the ceiling is painted gold - I think it is called concord Ivory - it is very similar to Chestertown buff. . 

Donna, when I was little, long before you, it was ROY G BIV.

Maureen, Really warm room, thanks for the picture.

Maureen- your bedroom is HOT!  where did you get that headboard? I want one.

 

Gina - I LOVE that headboard!  I used to have one of those all matchy sets - I moved it into one of my kids rooms and got that headboard.  The dresser / night stands are inexpensive ones from IKEA that I added beautiful hardware to - You can't really see it in that photo.  I wanted the dressers to blend but not be a focal point in themselves.  Adding great hardware to inexpensive furniture is a great way to save $.

I got the Headboard from JC Penny mail order catalog:
The Dressers / night stand

Interesting.  Do you determine color for staging based on the age group most likely to buy?  I find that what older people think is great, younger people think is yecchh!  It's a big issue here where we have a lot of diversity and younger people who are techies buying property.  Does staging advice change from Seattle to Kentucky?  Different styles work in different regions?

Ardell - I am working on a remodel in Seattle and have learned that Northern Light is much different than that oc California...mainly becuase the shy is gray much of the time...so I would say yes, that is a very good point to bring up here...the burgandy's and forest greens seem to be popular in the east so could be because of the light. Great point! The south has a lot of pinks and yellows and the north goes for blues and reds...the deserts are earthy.

Ardell - I pretty much use the same color pallet for most of the homes I stage.  I do keep in mind the demographic of the buyers.  According to NAR the majority of buyers are Generation X under 35 years old.  NAR also reported that in 2006 1 in every 5 homes bought in the US was purchased by a single female.  I always go with a neutral color pallet - golds, sage greens and putty colors.  Although I sometimes use deeper accent colors.  I always think pottery barn catalog when I'm staging - You may want more flare or bolder colors after you move in but when trying to appeal to the broadest range of people you can't go to far off with a pottery barn look. I think almost all buyers are looking for the same thing - clean, warm, comfortable living and paint is an easy and inexpensive way to achieve that look. 

Maureen,

I know who he was!

I just love the photos that you used, too.  The "warmer" photo really didn't seem too bad to me, but the "done right" one definitely looked the best.  Thanks for the refresher on colors.

Veronica- I love my pottery barn and Pier1 catalogs - I often rip pages out also I keep them on file to show potential clients what kind of a look we are going for.  It is kind of like that show Sensible Chic, where each episode features a high-end designer-room then they re-created for a fraction of the cost.

Home stagers are like - See this pottery barn room - I can recreate that look for $347.53!!!

Maureen - LOL!!!

Veronica,

You made me spit out my Diet Coke with that CROML! And now that I'm choking. . .DROTR!

(Dog ran out of the room). He doesn't know funny.

 

:-0

Maureen---Wow!  This is good stuff.  Thank you for taking the time to put it all together and making the title so eye-catching I had no choice but to read it!  Good job!  AR gave you a gold star so give yourself a cookie!

Dawn and Veronica - I don't have any pets so - 4KRITSWWSF-LD - OK I know it's a bit long and probably really boring but here goes. 4 Kids Ran In To See What Was So Funny - Left Disappointed.  Some times you just have to crack yourself up. 

Judy - Thanks!  And I will have a cookie!!!

Maureen,

Oh My God - I'm so jealous!  This is the best post ever!  I'll let you in on alittle secret - I hate reading.  Always have and AR has forced me to read, read, read......  But this post really caught me and the colors you discussed are all colors I've used in my own home and are the colors that have given the most success in our listings or homes we sold so I totally agree with you.

I can't say I love the red bedroom but I can appreciate the overall look of it for sure.  Great post and you are "Bookmarked" for future reference......

Thank You!

Lisa

hello

THANKS for sharing!!! I personally like the color preview better than classics. I feel that those colors are more modern. 

You can actually get the decks for FREE if you call your local BM rep (or any other paint companies). Tell them that you are a design professional and you do color consultations with your clients. You can also order kits with carrying cases and floor paint books for free. They UPS the items to your home ALSO for free. 

cheers,

cindy

i love staging and all things staging!

i stage to sell, live & work in san francisco bay area

www.staged4more.com

http://stagingtipsandmore.com 

 

Here are some of my favorite colors, on an earlier blog from last year.  Please feel free to check them out.

http://activerain.com/blogsview/Best-Paint-Colors-for-Home-Staging-Cast-your-votes-?8563

Lisa

www.BostonHomeStaging.com

Lisa - thanks for the comment - Your blog was really informative - I marked the colors you suggested!

Hey Maureen, I loved your post!  In fact, so much that I linked to your blog in my recent post Staging 2.0 The Next Level

So where can a novice find this often referred to "NAR" report?

Hey Denise - NAR is the National Association of Realtors (NAR).  You can browse their website at: http://www.realtor.org/ .  You can also sign up to get their weekly newsletter.  It has a lot of interesting facts and info on real estate in it.  Give it a shot - you'll be quoting NAR in no time!

 

Maureen- I knew what ROYGBIV was. :o)

Sounds like our tastes are very similar. I have beige in my living and family rooms (Hot Chowder - Alexander Julian American Tradition), a green in my den (Green Tea- Behr), and a blue in the master bedroom (Smoke Screen- Olympic), and a gold in my hall (Pale Gold- Laura Ashley).

ROY G BIV? Never heard it put this way before but I get it.  I'm an synaesthete.  Ever hear of THAT?  People with genetically crossed wires in the brain as to sensual data.   For me for example all number come  as colors.  7 is always kidney bean red.   3 is yolk  yellow.  I'm normal in all other ways, well some would disagree!  except for excessive dyslexia.  You'll find all my responses involve edit and delete.  otherwise you wouldn't be able to make any sense of it , trust me.  I scramble letters and hands typing.  LIfe's a beach.

Anyway about color, I have a couple of favs to add to this fabulous list.  What a tremendous resource,MAUREEN,  this post!   A deeper green, sort of sage but somehow a little olivey at the same time  BM HC113 Louisburg Green,

 

a softer spalike green  but with great depth -great for beds and baths BM 1495 October Mist

 

and my signature red (that matches every red textile out this year and last) SW 6321 Red Bay fabulous as an accent wall or in this pic used in a new $1M+ home in a tiny badly located powder room (down a long narrow hallway off the kitchen - what was the architect thinking) to make it a destination.  It worked big time!  Everyone loves it.

Lisa:  I looked up your color refs also-terriifc -thanks!

Two other things:  There's a big diff tween Behr and Behr Premium, which I love.  And Home Depot has all the BM formulas.  Just tell them the name or the number, I forget which, and they match exactly the BM color for less than half the price (if you're paying for the paint, of course)

And does everybody know that Sherwin Williams bought Pratt-Lambert as well as Duron?  And two of the leading paint color scientists at P-L quit and formed their own company, called C2, which has huge paint chips for $1.00 each? 

 

 

RED is my favorite color.  When painting, I find excuses to use more red.  Patricia -- I love the red bathroom picture you put in your comment!

Patricia - I never heard of synaesthete.  It sounds really interesting.  The mind is a amazing thing.  I love your color choices.  Red is one of my favorites also.  The red bath is fantastic.  I don't have most of your color choices in my fandex.  I will have to look for them at the store.  I look forward to reading your blogs.

I've updated the blog to include the color #s as well as names. 

Someone mentioned the color rhubarb but i couldn't find it in my fandeck.  Does anyone know the number? 

Mareen:   Thanks for your kind words.  I am working from BM Classics fandeck.  Which one are you using? And BTW I didn't know everybody didn't see numbers as colors until I was far into adulthood, and my sister happened to see an article about the phenomenon in Smithsonian Magazine about 8 yrs ago only. The article named it.  For what it's worth, mine is the most common kind - 1 in 250,000 people have it.  The only common thread in that population is that most of us see 0 as either white or clear.  Otherwise, no correlation among us.  Speaking of white, how would you characterize China White?  I'm looking at the tiny little swatch of it in the fandeck under the light of one of those Sunlight lamps (which gives very weird light BTW) and I can't really determine what undertones it has.  Maybe gray, greenish gray, would you say?

Everyone:  the visitor log on my website spiked yesterday, and it indicated that many were coming in out of the RAIN, but nobody has given me any feedback on the experience.  Is it that bad? :(  Am I just being insecure?  Who me?  Yeah, probably, but... Does everybody hate my colors?  I know it may come across a bit different from most stager sites I've seen, but....   I would welcome some quiet constructive criticism, I think :)  Am I really asking for it or what?  my kids liked it....but I give them money

hmmm.. this has made me wonder.. The vacant home I staged that is STILL on the market ( sniff) has lots of very saturated colors .. The LR has two dominant walls painted a very dark red... This room is open to the yellow kitchen and also the dark olive green dining room !.. I was able to convince the homeowner to let me paint out the NAVY BLUE home office ( sheesh, would somebody turn a light on in here ??) with a light sandy brown.. but it was NO NO for the other rooms.. they had spent a fortune getting them painted..  It is a "Santa Fe" Pueblo style home, so usually this style home can take rich deep tones, but there is something about these finishes that is just wrong.. And this is an area where new homes are popping up like mushrooms after the rain,, so a buyer doesn't need much of an excuse to just move on to a home that is move-in ready.. 

Re paint brands, I have been using Behr Premium with good results. Since there is a Home Depot on almost every corner, it makes it easy .

 

Hey Anne - Sometimes all you can do is give your best advice.  I had a homeowner that had his entire home painted prior to hiring me.  It was a contemporary and he painted it pink, powder blue and mint.  I did address the paint colors with him but he had just had it done and there was no way he was going to repaint.  The house has been on the market 9mo. (OK price it the main factor but the paint isn't helping)

Nicole:  Thanks and did you see the latest HGTV Decorating Newsletter?  It has a feature on "Adding Red"  Thought you might enjoy it.

Anne: It's amazing how many people have no clue about color.  That house might have to wait for a clueless buyer,but you did your job.  I didn't get a full staging job on a vacant I partially staged, well, I contributed some plants and towels and a few bookshelves of stuff, because the owners who have moved to Florida 2 no 3 months ago were afraid I'd put nail holes in the walls hanging pics.  People!  Talk about not being able to let it go.  Frustrating isn't it?

I have gotten some great tips from this post.  Just wanted to add, Lowes paint is terrific quality (American Traditions)  and about 15 -20 dollars less than that other nationally known quality paint.  They can match up any color from any manufacturer. 

Maureen Graziano

Maureen - I do tell clients about the paint at Lowes if they are doing it themselves, but around here almost all the painters will only use Benjamin Moore - that is why I pretty much stick with their color selection. 

Maureen, will you be my blogging coach? This is click #3205 !! 

Sue- LOL  It was only a matter of time before the bits of knowledge I picked up in the 3rd grade paid off.   

Actually guys if you tell them you want a paint fan deck (that's what the paint thingy is called) and tell them you are a designer and give them your card you will get it for free. :)

Sometimes, but not always.  I just had to fork over $13.95 for one at BM, business card or no!

You have to find the Name and # if the BM sales rep in your area.  Send them a link to your site and you will not believe all the stuff they will send you.  I'll have to take a pic of the crazy stuff they sent me.  

Maureen,So what are they sending you? Waiting anxiously for the picture of all the stuff. This post is from January and still getting comments. It is fun to reminded of these "old" blogs and see it still getting comments. Good stuff is just that....good stuff!

Thanks Margaret! 

hello

 

I have a light brown noce deep tumbled marble in my bathroom.  I love hc 45 but it came out too dark   any other colors you think I should use.  thanks somuch

Hi Marie - Currently my two favorite beige colors are; Benjamin Moore - Stone House #1039 - it is one of BM's best selling colors. It is a nice beige putty color. The color I have used most often lately is Benjamin Moore - Powell Buff #HC-35, it has a warm gold undertone. It is a lovely color. Both of these are not too dark. Anything lighter will look like a tinted white.

When the walls are white if you put up a tiny patch of paint, like from one of those sample bottles, the color appears much darker than it will be when the room is fully painted. Next to white everything looks too dark. Over the years I've had clients that wish they have gone a bit deeper but I've never had a client that wanted it lighter when the whole room was painted.

Good luck, let me know what color you choose.