Spring is closely approaching and we’re all feeling the urge to freshen up and shake off the doldrums.  The easiest and most dramatic way to change the look of a room is with new color.  I stopped by my local paint shop, South Bay Paints, to see what is new for this upcoming year.  They have some great ideas and you’ll find a lot of inspiration.

Color trends for homes begin on the fashion runways.  The colors then move to the auto industry and finally to the walls of our homes.  In 2009, the trends are leaning towards greens and earth tones.

Speaking of color, you now can get paint chips in 18″x 18″ squares.  So much better than those little swatches.  You can also purchase 3 oz. samples of paint to see how the color really looks on your walls.  Paint the color on different walls to see how the light will affect it.  Be sure to look at the color at night as well the day.  Something else to consider is the exposure in the room.  Eastern exposure equals cooler light and a western exposure will be warmer.

It can be expensive if you hire someone to paint your project, but Bob Hathaway owner of South Bay Paints, says with these tips you can get a great paint job yourself.  “Good prep is 90% of the work,” Bob said.  So, take your time to prepare your room.  Don’t rush, paint over several days.  “You can wrap your brushes and rollers in plastic wrap and refrigerate over night, that way you can use the same brushes for up to 5 days without rinsing them out,” Bob said.

Here are a few more:

• When choosing colors think of your home as an octopus.  The head is the central hub of your home and choose this color first.  Then move to the outer “legs”.  Also, consider the fixed objects of the room, like furniture and art.
• To determine how much paint you will need, you need two measurements — the height and the width of all the walls.  First add up all the widths together and multiply the total by the ceiling height.  That gives you the square footage of the room.  One gallon of paint covers approximately 350 square feet.  Brighter colors need more coats to cover completely and quality paint requires fewer coats.
• As paint dries it loses its sheen.  So touch up work can take up to a week to match.  Also, the higher the sheen, the easier to clean.
• Synthetic brushes work best with water based or latex paints.  Use natural china bristle brushes with alkyd or solvent based paints (the bristles tend to bunch together in water based paints).
• Choosing the right size brush can save you frustration. A 3″ straight edge brush is good for a large area.  For trim use a 2″ to 2 1/2″ straight edge brush and when painting windows, an angled sash brush works best (try 1 1/2″ to 2 1/2″).
• Use short-nap rollers to apply higher gloss paints to smooth surfaces.  Use medium-nap with flat or low sheen paints on flat surfaces with minor imperfections.  Use long-nap covers for textured surfaces such as rough plaster, stucco or concrete.
• The surface and the paint must be at least 50 degrees Fahrenheit.  Paint won’t dry if the temperature drops below 50 degrees.
• If you do decide to hire a paint contractor, be sure you specify the grade of paint for your bid.  Each paint manufacturer offers a “good”, “better” and “best” grade of paint.  This way you can compare apples to apples.

And finally, if you are color challenged or slightly skiddish when it comes to putting something other than Navajo White on your walls, go to South Bay Paints and ask for Gabe. He’s the color specialist and will help make that leap.

South Bay Paints
1749 W. San Carlos
San Jose, CA 95128
www.southbaypaints.com

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