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Questions for September, 2007

Color and Finish Dilemma

Karen asks...
Dear Hal — I really like a golden/orange/brownish color wash faux finish on the walls. But I also like modern furniture. Will it look right to have modern furniture along with a color wash or parchment paper finish? Also, my downstairs rooms are sort of open and connecting. Should I paint every room downstairs in Faux? Or can I choose different colors of every room?

Hi Karen,

Faux finishes have been used in design throughout history. If they are applied properly, they can be a beautiful feature in any traditional or contemporary room.

In contemporary or modernist design, having a feature wall of stone, wood, wallpaper or paint is a part of the basic design principles of the movement. You'll notice I said "a feature wall". The idea is to provide a CONTRAST to the different elements and plains of the room. Painting the whole room would defeat the concept.

Choose the wall you want to feature. This could be the one you see when you first walk in to the room or an end wall or one that's opposite your first view, to provide a surprise. Just make sure it has a large enough surface to show off the faux finish. You don't want to go to all that work, just to have it hidden behind too many large pieces.

I would strongly recommend NOT using the treatment throughout your main floor. Keep it a feature to get the most impact. You can always add the treatment to another wall in a different room later, if you think it needs a punch.

I would also suggest NOT changing colours if your rooms are open and connecting. You want to keep a certain unity and flow between all the spaces that the eye could see at the same time. That being said, I would pick the softest, lightest or most neutral colour from the faux finish and use that for the rest of the walls. That way your feature wall will relate to the rest of your rooms and yet still stand out.

And remember - it's just paint! You can always paint it again if you don't think you got it right the first time.

Happy Brush Strokes!
Hal

Squeezed Out

Tasha asks...
Dear Hal — I am about to move into a new townhouse that is fairly long but also more narrow. What paint colours (light or dark) should I be looking at to make the room feel bigger?

Tasha,
You're facing a problem that many townhouse buyers are encountering. There are lots of new town homes on the market theses days and as property values rise, the footprint of each unit gets smaller or, more precisely, narrower.

There is a simple solution to your dilemma and it does indeed involve paint.

A basic principle behind colour theory is that our eyes perceive light colours as pushing a space out and dark colours as drawing a space in. If we apply this to your townhouse, painting all the walls dark would make it look even smaller and narrower. So, a light colour, of your choice, will help to push out or widen the look of the townhouse. This doesn't mean you have to use white or cream. You can use colour. Just make sure that its' paint company colour base is no darker than a number 1 or that it falls in a pastel base category.

Now here's a little trick that you can use to shorten the spatial length. I'm thinking that the main floor is fairly open concept and that you can see the back wall from the entrance. If not, you can still use this visual trick for the main room in the living space.

With your light walls on the sides, choose a complimentary and darker colour for the end wall you see as you enter. This could be a darker shade of the side walls or a different colour all together. The lighter colours on the sides make the room look wider and the darker colour on the end draws that wall in and foreshortens the overall visual length of your townhouse.

All the best in your new home,
Hal

How to be contemporary...

Tara & Bob asks...
Dear Hal — We are moving into a new house and I would like it to have a contemporary feel. We have mostly traditional furniture however, from "hand-me-downs" (dining room table and china cabinet, as well as traditional looking wood coffee tables and end tables. We cannot afford to get rid of them and buy all new stuff. Is there something we can do with paint and furniture placements or accessories to make our home have a more modern feel?

Tara & Bob,
You're not alone! This is a common problem when you've just made a big investment in a new home and still want a fresh look for your decor.

The things to keep in mind, when putting it all together, are the basic principles of a "modern look". These include clean lines, a certain neutrality of colour, a consistency of materials and a general adherence to the old saying that "less is more".

The easiest overall thing to play with is a limited colour range of white, beige, taupe, grey, brown and black. Choose one of the lighter ones as your primary, mix in another as a secondary and accent with one of the darker colours. Keep the colour consistent on the walls and trim for unity. If you're feeling really bold, try using shades of the same colour for everything in the room.

A trend that's hitting its stride right now is painted furniture. This might be a perfect solution for your older wooden pieces. Anything that's in the same room or visible from one space to another can be painted the same neutral colour. If your trim is all going to be white, then try white on all the wooden furniture for strong clean lines. If all the walls are a soft taupe and you paint the furniture the same colour, you'll get a great, soft tone on tone effect.

You might slip cover or reupholster the soft furniture in complimentary and neutral fabrics. Avoid the traditional florals, silks and velvets. Choose plain fabrics without patterns in linen (or linen look), ultra suede, tightly woven chenille or micro fibres. These are all good choices for any fabric accessories, as well.

Keep the furniture placement fairly open and symmetrical. Try for balance and simplicity. Your aim is for a clean look. So, if you don't need it, don't use it.

Finally, accessorize with smooth glass, metal or wood. Perhaps an extra large chrome framed mirror or an oversized vase might be all you need for a dramatic focal point.

Keep a file with pictures from magazines and brochures of things and looks you like. When you are ready, replace the old pieces you like the least first. Don't rush into it though. It's always better to invest in the best piece of furniture you can afford. Quality pieces become the foundation for rooms with great style.

Enjoy your new home,
Hal

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About Hal Eisen

Halcyon Designs

Hal Eisen is currently the on camera Co-host and Design Consultant for the series DESIGN MATCH, which airs on HGTV Canada and USA. Hal has designed for personal clients across both countries and created events everywhere, from the pool at the old L.A. Athletic Club to the penthouse of the new Trump World Tower in New York.

He is no stranger to the "Lifestyle" T.V. airways either; having appeared as one of the resident, on camera designers on HGTV Canada's LOVE BY DESIGN and HGTV USA's DATE WITH DESIGN.

As a Co-Production Designer, with partner Andrew Bottecchia, Hal has worked on two seasons of HDTV's TRASH TO TREASURE, a FOOD Network pilot called PIECE OF CAKE and a new pilot for West Wind Pictures called PLASTERED; where he also appeared as the guest designer. Before Design Match, he was the Associate Production Designer on HGTV Canada/USA "new" DESIGNER GUYS series for their first season.

You can contact Hal at (416) 533-5508 or at eisen333@hotmail.com