Painting do's and don'ts for your home

Dear Claudia:

I have been living in my house for two years and because of the decline in the housing market my husband and I decided to stay at this house at least for the next few years.

My husband does not like the white walls that we have throughout the house. I am afraid of choosing the wrong color. I do not know where to start.

Answer: Unfortunately since the decline in the housing market many homeowners are in the same position as you. They are having to do repairs or remodels to their homes to be able to live more comfortably and enjoy their homes at least until the market improves. Taking into consideration that you are thinking of selling the house in the near future you might what to consider earth tones and you can use accent colors to feature the architectural details or a single wall.

Colorizing is one of the things I love to do. I love how many ways one can be creative. Color can inspire, be refreshing, surprising and bring a calming balance to your life. With color it is true that the selection can be overwhelming, especially when you have advanced computerized color-matching technology the possibilities are endless. There is a computerized online visualizing tool by Sherwin Williams that can help you explore your color options.

One question to ask if you are going to undertake this project as a do-it-yourself, hire a painter or an interior designer that can help you put it all together. If you have decided to do as a do-it-yourself project you have to take into consideration many things such as: if the walls need to be repaired, what paint to choose, how to prepare the walls, what tools to use, know how to paint and how to clean up.

Dear Claudia:

I do not like white ceilings in my house. I am not sure if I should paint them like the color I used for the walls or do something else.

Answer: I believe the ceilings should be painted a few hues lighter than the walls. It will add depth to the room and certain warmth.

There are décor tricks you can use, too. For example, you can install molding, add architecture details and cut outs that you can accent lighting fixtures. Depending on the shape of the room you can be more creative by adding an odd shape to the cutouts. Even though a lot of people do not notice their ceilings, one can improve the room décor tremendously and the possibilities are endless especially with a little inspiration.

Working with an interior designer can help narrow the possibilities and identify which colors best compliment the décor.

Claudia Dabdoub is a resident of Ahwatukee Foothills and owner of D'amore Interior Design Studio. To ask a question for an upcoming column, reach her at (480) 751-9938 or www.damoreinteriordesignstudio.com.