An Interview with Glenna Stone, Interior Designer

During times of uncertainty, it’s important to find leaders who continue to move forward.

Glenna Stone of Glenna Stone Interior Design, is such a leader. She is using her time at home to create new opportunities for her clients and her team.

“We have all been so busy and rushed before all this. Now, we have a chance to slow down and decide what matters.”

“We are taking the opportunity to work with our clients to define what they love and because they have the time, they are enjoying the process.”

Our clients enjoy the fact that they now have the time and the energy to focus on completing their projects. They no longer make knee-jerk reactions due to the stress of their own work deadlines.

She also notes that everyone she is working with is enjoying the extra time spent with children as a family. Her clients are treasuring this time and working the ideas that emerge from these experiences into future home designs such as places to play games, planning outdoor spaces for gathering around fires for storytelling, etc.

Using Zoom meetings, she has moved seamlessly from live meetings to remote with hardly an interruption.

Glenna provides her clients with a defined process as well as important tech tools that move the engagement forward. These include measuring tools, instruction on how to photograph/video a room or a home, and resources for ways to use space in multiple ways.

Her clients love the convenience of meeting from their home. They receive the same process in every way that includes personal conversations, definition of the work, creating a mood board with colors, textures, lighting, fabric choices – all these delivered by mail or dropped off.

“I love the magical process of design where we start with an idea and work collaboratively to create spaces that are a reflection of the client”

Glenna can be reached at [email protected]

 

 

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.

 


 

APC Top Job Award 2016 – Philadelphia

APC Top Job Award Philadelphia 2016 goes to John Neill Painting & Decorating!
We were honored to be selected as one of the top painting companies in the country as a part of American Painting Contractor Magazine’s 2016 Top Job Awards. While this was not a small project by any means, it was a highly rewarding one, which allowed our craftsmen to utilize a wide variety of skills including; faux finishing, decorative painting, and hand varnishing. Read the full story on the APC Website, and remember, no job is too big or too small for our career craftsmen.

 

 

The Story Behind “Simply White” – Benjamin Moore’s 2016 Color of the Year

2016 Color of the Year Backstory: Last week we hosted a designer luncheon along with Benjamin Moore to discuss color (of course) and the current trends in the painting industry.  While some may think that “Simply White” was not truly a “color”, after hearing the story of how Benjamin Moore’s research team arrived on this choice, we all walked away with a deeper knowledge of how the color trends emerge each year.
After traveling the world observing trends and looking for patterns, the new Louis Vuitton Foundation building in Paris left the biggest impression on the Benjamin Moore team. Being compared to a ship with billowing sails, the light and airy feel of the space led them to consider white for 2016, but with over 250 whites in the Benjamin Moore collection, deciding which white was the “right” white was still a difficult task. Staying in the mindset of the artistic world, and drawing from the Frank Gehry design, they imagined the life of various artists and set out to create the perfect backdrop for a traditional painter as well as a digital designer, and all of those who fall in between.


One of the keys to successfully using white to create a backdrop is to vary the tones and sheens of the paint. Pairing Simply White with Ballet White or Mascarpone creates subtle variations in color while leaving an overall freshness in any space. Using a high gloss finish on trim along with a matte finish on wall can also break up what could otherwise become too monotone when using one white throughout an entire space. Simply White also creates the perfect backdrop for more bold colors such as Black Ink, Patriot Blue, and Ravishing Red. The more we learned about white, the more we all realized that “white is not just white”, and the final conclusion of the Benjamin Moore color team was that white truly is an essential color in all decorating palettes. Whether your goal is to create a completely neutral backdrop or infuse a pop of color into a room in your home, choosing the right white to achieve your goal is just as important as choosing any other color. Here’s to white finally getting the credit it deserves as an integral color in home decorating.

 

 

The Colors of Spring

Spring is finally here and the flowers are all starting to bloom. As mother nature begins to awaken from winter and spread color across the earth, why not join in the fun? Here are the top 2016 spring colors. You can expect to see them in clothing and accessories before they make there way into home accents. And with Benjamin Moore’s selection on Simply White as their color of the year, these fun colors are a great way to brighten up a neutral space without making a huge commitment. Happy Spring!!

 
 

 

 

Water Damage and Drywall Repair

Water damage – these are two words that homeowners never like to hear. Unfortunately water poses the greatest single threat to both the interior and exterior of your home. The most common interior issue we encounter is drywall damage to ceilings (and sometimes walls) due to a bathroom leak.
Thankfully, our team of craftsmen can repair drywall on both ceilings and walls to blend seamlessly with the surrounding area. If you have water damage in your home, the first step is to call a plumber and make sure that the source of the leak is properly addressed (we can recommend one if needed). Once the issue has been resolved, give us a call and we’ll be happy to take care of the repairs and painting so you can get back to more important things, like the peak  Cherry Blossom viewing, March Madness, and the start of the golf season.

 
 

 

 

Meet Our Painting Craftsmen


At John Neill Painting & Decorating, we don’t hire painters looking for a job, we hire painting Craftsmen looking for a career. Our Foremen have been with us for an average of fifteen years and all have over twenty years of experience in the painting industry. Many are husbands and fathers, and some are even grandfathers too.
As a family owned business serving Philadelphia & the Main Line, we know the joy that comes from being able to provide for your family while doing something you love, and are thrilled that in building our business, we made this possible for our employees as well.
Maintaining our focus on family has also helped us to deliver the professional service with a personal touch that we have become known for throughout the Main Line and surrounding Philadelphia area.
When was the last time you had a pleasant experience with a contractor working in your home? If you can’t remember, maybe now would be a good time to introduce yourself to the John Neill Painting Experience, and join our list of satisfied customers.
“Your men did a fantastic job and we hardly knew they were here. No loud music, no cigarette butts outside the back door, no messes left behind (all of these have happened with other painting contractors). They were unfailingly polite and pleasant. We will definitely recommend your company and call you again for future projects.” – Julie Schroeder, Wynnewood Pa

 

 

Interior Painting at the Jersey Shore

Before Jonas hit last weekend, one of our crews was in Longport finishing up the interior of a new residential home on the beach. While we can’t share photos of the project, here is a photo of the view from the back deck. And as we’re all still recovering from digging ourselves out of up to 2 feet of snow, I’m sure you’re dreaming of the beach as well.
Do you have a house at the Jersey shore that could use some freshening up? In addition to serving the Main Line and surrounding Philadelphia area, we are fully licensed and insured in New Jersey as well. Winter is the perfect time for interior painting, so when the warm weather does return, your house will be all ready for you to relax and enjoy the spring and summer seasons. Here’s to Punxsutawney Phil not seeing his shadow next week and an early start to spring.
 

 

 

Another Award-Winning Project for 2015

Once again, our career craftsmen completed a project that not only exceeded everyone’s expectations (the builder, the interior designer, and the homeowners), but earned us a national award for interior residential painting as well. Given the size of the house,  this was no small feat. This award-winning project included painting both the interior and exterior of one of the largest private residences constructed in Lower Merion Township in the past few years. Visit our Awards Page to read the full story, and to see the full gallery of images of this magnificent home.

 

Quality Matters. Call Now for an Estimate 610-664-5555

Home Exterior Checklist

Download our FREE maintenance recommendations to keep your home in top condition.
Download Now
close-link