Benjamin Moore – 2020 Color Trends

 
It’s the start of a New Year (and decade), and that means time for a fresh color palette. In researching the final selection for 2020, Benjamin Moore took a look back at the color trends over the past 100 years before deciding upon the colors that will carry us into the future.
As the social climate ebbed and flowed over the decades, so did the colors that were used throughout our homes. Remember the bold and saturated colors from the 60’s and 70’s? Or the more muted and conservative tones as we approached the new millennium that hung around for the better part of the decade? As we enter into 2020 and another new decade, many of us are considering “what’s next?” with the fresh new start. The Color of the Year – First Light – infuses an air of optimism and possibility into an untouched future.
Benjamin Moore First Light is a “rosy” hue and modern neutral that will brighten any room in your home.  It also pairs well with the many grays that have been used on the interior of homes for the past few years. And according to Linda Cipriano, Benjamin Moore’s Architectural & Design Expert, “everyone looks good in pink.” With a slow shift from cool to warmer tones, the coordinating palette offers possibilities for all tastes and styles.

 
If you’re ready to move away from the grays and infuse some color back into your home, download our checklist on how to choose colors with confidence. And if you’d like a second opinion before updating a room in your home, our color consultant would be happy to sit down with you and help you create the home of your dreams.
Choosing Colors Checklist

Choose Color – From Fearful to Fantastic

“Color can convey meaning, often more effectively than words.”
– Zena O’Connor
The foundation of all design is color – and yet it’s something that makes many of us extremely nervous. Especially when we start considering what colors to bring into our homes when repainting.
We often fear choosing the “wrong” color and having it turn into a time consuming and costly mistake to fix.
And we opt for the “safe choice” – the neutrals or varying tones of gray, white, and beige as our design backdrop.

We convince ourselves that we might tire of a “real” color too quickly, we can live with the neutrals longer, and we won’t have to worry about money wasted on a poor choice. We then further justify this reasoning by telling ourselves we can use pops of color as accents to liven things up. However, this is not the same as choosing a true color for your walls or even your ceiling.
Not fully convinced?
Think back to the last time you walked into a room painted with color… Whether bold or subtle, color creates an entirely different energy than a neutral backdrop ever can. Extensive research shows that color can make you feel energized or calm, powerful or peaceful, cheerful or cozy, and most importantly – welcome. Color adds dimension and character to a home. It can convey your style to the world and tell your story without you needing to utter a single word.
If you have a space in your home that you think would be enhanced by color, you don’t have to make the decision alone. Our color consultant has an M.A. in Interior Architecture and Design and will collaborate with you to choose colors that will fill your heart and home with joy and confidence.

Color consulting is a complementary service provided with any project you wish to complete with us. We pride ourselves not only on our exceptional craftsmanship and communication throughout each project, but also on the extra care we take with our customers to make sure they’re confident with their final color choices.
 
Photo Credit: Benjamin Moore Paints
 
 
 
 

The Hub of the House …the kitchen

The truth is, that the kitchen is the gathering place and is the hub of the house. It’s where kids come for a snack when they come home from school. It’s the place where everyone congregates at parties, where the meals are made, secrets shared, late night drinks imbibed.
Kitchen Makeover Tips
When there is so much activity in one place, it’s not unreasonable to think that it gets more wear. Here are some great kitchen makeover tips that can bring your kitchen back to life without having to do a complete kitchen remodel.
The finish on your cabinets, even at the highest level, will start whispering to you that a new coat of paint might be in order.
You won’t have to redo the whole kitchen, but kitchen cabinet painting and refinishing will give you the sense that you have a brand-new kitchen.

Making Your Kitchen Look New
Giving your cabinets a new look means removing all cabinet doors and drawers and marking their locations. These are then carefully wrapped and transported them to the paint shop. This is a controlled environment containing a spray booth. Painting this way gives your cabinets a finish that looks brand, spanking new. During the period of spray painting, the surrounds will be painted by prior appointment s. This will be done in time for everything to be put back together. Once done, you’ll feel like you have an entirely new kitchen again and a new hub of the house.
Custom Kitchen Cabinet Doors
Another way to breathe new life into your kitchen is by replacing old cabinet doors with new custom doors. The glass pane kitchen cabinet doors pictured below gave the kitchen an entirely different look and feel and really brightened up the space.
Don’t miss our next post about using color in the kitchen.

Visit our Painting Services page to see what John Neill Painting & Decorating can do for you!
Our Service Areas include: Philadelphia, The Main Line, Center City Philadelphia, Bala Cynwyd, Gladwyne, Narberth, Penn Valley, Merion, Wynnewood, Ardmore, Haverford, Bryn Mawr, Villanova, Wayne, Devon, Berwyn, Paoli, Malvern, Chester Springs, Newtown Square, West Chester, Blue Bell, Gwynedd, Jenkintown, Rydal, Meadowbrook, and Chestnut Hill.

Garage Floor Coating in Wayne, Pa.

While the garage is often the most overlooked room in most homes, with new top of the line epoxy garage floor coatings now available, it doesn’t have to be. Not only will this garage floor coating enhance the appearance of your garage, but it is also specially formulated for easy cleaning and maximum durability, much more so than a traditional concrete floor.
This process usually takes about a week from start to finish, and as you can see in the before and after photos of a garage floor we recently coated in Wayne, PA, it will be worth parking in the driveway while the coating fully cures. Next time you pull into your garage and step out of your car, take a look down at your floor. Then give us a call for your free estimate and to update your garage floor before the winter weather arrives.
 


 

 
 
 
 

Front Porch Stair Replacement in Chestnut Hill, Pa.

After over forty years in business, many people are still unaware of the additional services offered by John Neill Painting & Decorating. A prime example of this is a front porch stair replacement we recently completed. This project included the removal of the existing stairs (which were beyond repair), pouring a new concrete footer at the base of the new stairs, installing new stringers, treads, and risers plus a new railing, and finally, painting the new stairs and front porch.
If you have a project at your home that involves multiple trades (ie – carpentry, masonry, painting, etc), give us a call and let our team of craftsmen handle it all from start to finish (and with much less work on your end in dealing with multiple companies). ?
 









“Your carpenter did a wonderful job rebuilding the front porch. He was very detail oriented and took great pride in his work.”
– Carol Strasbaugh, Chestnut Hill, Pa.
 

Exterior Carriage House Restoration in Chestnut Hill, Pa.

If time has gotten away from you and you now require a little more than just a standard repaint, you can rest assured that our craftsmen can handle the job. We are currently in the process of completing three such projects in Chestnut Hill, one of which is an exterior Carriage House Restoration project.
The project featured here is the restoration of a carriage house. After a thorough pressure cleaning, our carpenters repaired and replaced rotted fascia board, trim boards, window frames and siding in preparation for the painting. Next, our team of craftsmen tackled the exterior of the carriage house, with extensive prep work being completed before oil priming and applying two finish coats of paint. The front entrance was also given a brand new look with the use of the Fine Paints of Europe in a high gloss finish.





 
 
 
 
 

2016 Color Trends & Finding Your Signature Palette

2016 Color Trends: While we report on the Color Trends every year, they are just that – trends. When it comes to updating the colors in your home, incorporating current colors can be fun, but figuring out your signature style and using your favorite colors throughout your home is often a better way to go.
This year we shared the “2016 Color of the Year” from the top three companies in the painting industry. Pantone (the world leader in all things color) stepped out of the box by selecting not one, but two 2016 Colors of the Year – Rose Quartz and Serenity. If you’re not a fan of pastels, the lesson to be taken from this selection is that traditionally “warm” colors can be paired with “cool” colors and coordinate beautifully.

 
Sherwin Williams also took a different approach to 2016 color trends this year, opting to create “Color Stories” in place of choosing one particular color. Using the terms passionate, fresh, vintage, and indulgent as their starting point, they have created four color palettes that are sure to speak to both the bold and adventurous as well as more traditional homeowners.

 
Benjamin Moore also chose to go in yet a different direction, and while they did select a single 2016 Color of the Year – Simply White – some question whether this was truly a “color” selection at all. Whether or not you believe that white is a color, what they have done is sparked the idea of starting with a blank canvas. Freshening up any space with a base coat of this creamy white is almost like hitting the reset button in your home. With a clean backdrop, it is much easier to re-imagine what other colors you would like to incorporate into your home, and they have provided some beautiful accent colors in their full color report to assist with this as well.

 
Ultimately, the best place to start when considering a new color palette for your home is with an open mind. Look around when you’re out and about and take note of the colors that catch your eye. Or if you’ve been saying “I’ve always wanted to paint the [ fill in the blank]…” maybe now is the time to go for it. Believe it or not, of all the things that you could “change” in your home, the color on your walls is one of the easiest, but also most impactful. And when you’re ready, our color experts are always here to help you make your final choice with complete confidence.

Sign Restoration and Painting in West Chester, Pa.

When you think of John Neill Painting, you probably think about painting the interior or exterior of your home, but did you know that we can paint just about anything? From mailboxes to outdoor furniture, and even a totem pole, our team of artists and craftsmen have the skills and expertise to handle specialty projects as well. Most recently, it was sign restoration and painting at Cannon Hill, a twenty-two acre farm in Chester County.
Our carpenter discovered the original sign in the garage while completing repairs on the exterior of the house. He mentioned to the West Chester, Pa. homeowner that our team could replicate the sign that had fallen from it’s post long ago (the original was beyond repair). Using the original as a template, a new sign was fabricated and passed along to one of our craftsman for painting and hand lettering. Once complete, the sign was returned to its original location at the entrance to the property, much to the delight of the homeowner.



 
 
 

John Neill Painting & Decorating Voted “Reader’s Choice” as the Best Main Line PA Painting Company for 19 consecutive years

Front Door Refinishing

One thing you might not know about John Neill Painting & Decorating is that we also do front door refinishing in Philadelphia and The Main Line. If your front door is looking a little dull, you may want to consider having it refinished this summer so it will be sound and properly protected before the colder months arrive. Depending on the condition of the door, it may only require cleaning and applying a fresh coat of varnish. If the door gets direct exposure to the sun however, stripping, staining and applying 2 coats of marine varnish may be the best option. This was the case for these two doors in Gladwyne, PA and Chestnut Hill, PA, and I think it’s safe to say the results are stunning. Let our team of craftsmen update your front entrance with the best and most durable products on the market.