Staying in Your Color Lane

Welcome to “At Home With Tom and Sandy!” This month, we have Tim and Jackie Santos, owners and interior designers at Prescott Interior Design Group, joining us. Tim and Jackie have been teaming up to create some lasting color impressions in their interior designs. Read on as they will help us to better navigate the somewhat daunting task of choosing and using colors in our homes.

Sandy:  Tom, I was driving the other day and saw a purple house! I’m not kidding. I did, and of course it made we wonder if the homeowners had intended that color. I mean, of course I loved it because it goes so well with red.

Tom: Sandy, that’s interesting because since we are in the business of building and contracting, we work in and around color options every day and sometimes we see well-done results and, sometimes, not so much. I know you are as anxious to hear what Tim and Jackie have to share with us since Jackie taught Color Theory at Interior Design school.

Sandy:  Tim and Jackie, welcome to At Home With Tom and Sandy! It is going to be great fun having you both as our guests this month.

Tim:  Thanks for inviting us to join you, we’re thrilled to be here and have some great things to share with your readers.

Jackie:  Thank you, Tom, and Sandy. Color is something we really get excited about when working in our design plans for clients but mastering it can take a bit of understanding and practice.

Sandy: So, color is not all black and white?

Tim: Sandy, black, white, and gray have no hue. Arguably, they are still colors. They just aren’t “colorful colors.” Sort of like you! LOL.

Tom: What is one of the most important considerations when you are using color in your designs?

Tim:  Actually, there are several critical elements that need to align for the result to be a color-cohesive space indoors or out. The first might be to understand the components of colors themselves, specifically cool vs. warm colors and the tints, tones and shades that literally make each individual hue.

Jackie:  That’s right, Tim. Using the correct color scheme, along with the correct proportions of cool and warm colors within that scheme, will get the color palette off to the right start. Colors within a palette need to feel connected to one another in order for the scheme to really feel right.

Sandy:  Ah, you know there are a crazy amount of new construction communities being built in Yavapai County right now. What advice would you give to those new homeowners as they develop the color in their new home designs?

Tom:  Great question, Sandy. These new homeowners face some big decisions and we know they can benefit from some of Tim and Jackie’s tips.

Tim:  Tom and Sandy, have you ever walked up to a house and either fallen in love with the impression you got or felt as though something just wasn’t quite right with the home, but you couldn’t put your finger on just what those factors were? Jackie and I are always wide-eyed when we are driving in neighborhoods and one thing we often comment on is the exterior color palettes that are well done and those that might need our help. More often than not, what creates a successful palette is one that stays in its “lane.” Sandy, you know I’m a Jeep guy, so, “staying in your COLOR lane” really speaks my language.

Sandy:  That’s awesome, Tim. I think I get it, but tell our readers what that means in layman’s terms.

Tim:  It simply means that you choose colors that are related and are all within the same “lane.”

Jackie:  Here is a simple and easy way to begin choosing your color scheme, whether it is for the interior or exterior of your home. Select a single color and expand it by incorporating tints, tones and shades of that very color to build a cohesive palette.

Tom: Jackie, how do you determine those tints, tones and shades?

Jackie:  So, tints are the original hue with white added to it, making it a lighter tint of the original color. Tones are the original hue with gray added to it, making it a medium tone of the original color. Shades are the original hue with black added to it, making it a darker shade of the original color.

Tim:  Yes, and do you see how those colors are related then? Each of the three variations (tint, tone, and shade) along with the original hue contain the same base hue or color. They’re like cousins and they really play very well together!

Sandy:  Guys, what if I want something more exciting when it comes to color? See, Tim, you know me, my favorite colors are red and orange. What would you tell me if I wanted to paint my house red?

Tim:  Sandy, we love you. You bring so much color to many people’s lives, it doesn’t surprise me that you would want to brighten your neighborhood with color, too!

Jackie:  Here’s what we’d suggest, Sandy, pick a cool or warm red and then we would create an analogous color scheme in red, orange and a neutral. We could paint the body of your house red, the front door in orange, with a neutral trim. The success of this pallet would be keeping in the cool or warm color “lane.” When you venture out into color schemes like the complementary, analogous, triad, tetrad, etc., it gets trickier and riskier.

Tom:  Wow you two, there is really a lot to consider when it comes to color and design, isn’t there?

Tim: Definitely, Tom. While paint is just paint, these days, the cost to paint a home is significant and can reach tens of thousands of dollars to have done correctly. Unless you have practice, it’s always a good idea to consult with a color expert who can give you confidence in making color choices.

Sandy:  Gee whiz, you guys, I think it’s worth hiring an expert when it comes to color.

Jackie: It really is, Sandy. We offer color consultations to do just that and we’d be happy to assist your readers with intelligent and proper color choices, inside their home or out.

Tom:  Tim, Jackie, thank you for sharing your insights about color with us today. We know folks will be interested in knowing more about Prescott Interior Design Group. Where can they find you?

Tim:  Thank you, Tom and Sandy. You can find us at our website, prescottidg.com; all of our contact information is there. We’d love to connect with your readers to provide color or design consultations.

Thanks, readers, for stopping in and reading “At Home with Tom and Sandy” and meeting our guests Tim and Jackie Santos of Prescott Interior Design Group. Until next month. QCBN

Tom Reilly, Architect, Renovations, 928-445-8506 renovationsaz.com

 

Sandy Griffis, Executive Director, Yavapai County Contractors Association, 928-778-0040

 

Remember to tune in to YCCA’s Hammer Time every Saturday and Sunday morning 7 a.m. on KQNA 1130 AM/99.9 FM/95.5FM or the web kqna.com. Listen to Sandy and Mike talk about the construction industry and meet your local community partners. Hammer Time is a great way to start your weekend.