Where to go for Inspiration
Typically most people grab magazines to see what is the latest and greatest but there are other sources available to you.
When you are looking at your exterior palette you have your whole neighborhood, city, island and beyond as your inspiration. Most of the time we drive around and don’t really take in the sights of the homes themselves but it is a fabulous resource for you.
What do you like? What don’t you like… do you like the way their garage doors stands out, the way it doesn’t? What is the first thing you see when you look at a house… is that pleasing to you? If you become conscious about what you are looking at, picking your new look becomes a lot easier.
The interior is a bit more difficult… you can hardly drive around the city, stopping and knocking on people’s doors, asking to see their living room! So magazines are a better option. Try to think outside the box a bit… does the kitchen have to be it’s own colour or can it flow into the other areas and blend with the other rooms? A really valuable website for me is http://www.houzz.com you are able to pick your style, pick your room and see what is being done out there. The best part is if you are stumped you can post a picture and ask for input… there are some great ideas out there.
There are also some computer programs offered by paint stores or you can use photo shop and other similar programs. BUT be careful when you are using pictures and computers. What you see on the screen may not be exactly what you think you are going to end up with. The colours on your screen, the lighting in the pictures etc. are skewed by so many things… go for the feeling and then try to recreate it when you have your colour chips. And give your self lots of time to decide.