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To anyone that says accent walls are passé, show them the Kabinett House in Paris, designed by septembre. A black wall against a pale or white interior packs a punch of contrast, and hey, when you involve the kitchen cabinetry as well, you’ve got a strong statement. Also worth pointing out is septembre’s space layout, with storage alongside either side of the apartment (see plan below)
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If you lack any bravery when it comes to bold colors in your home, just take a look at the GMG House by Pedro Gadanho. Even if you don’t particularly like the colors chosen, you can see how color plays an important part in defining the space- red for the powder room or light turquoise for the stairs- and how it can add energy and movement to a large space. Plus, just think of how easy it would be to guide visitors to certain places: “The powder room? Sure, just go up the turquoise staircase and look down the hall for the red pod.” To see Pedro Gadanho’s other projects, visit his blog shrapnelcontemporary.

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Just when you thought you were over feature walls, a few photos pop up that have you itching to pick up a paintbrush. Here are just a few images that show how color on just one wall (or in a closet) can add depth and interest to a room; maybe have a think about if your home would benefit from a little color jab somewhere?
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This is one of those no-brainer products that probably should have been invented a long time ago. When you finish painting a room, load up the Paint Pen and it will be in reserve for any quick touch-ups in the future.  Great for small apartments and condos where you can’t afford the room to store paint cans. I haven’t seen these in person, but it seems like these could be a great tool for artists as well.

Set of 2, $19.99

Whiteboards need not be white. IdeaPaint is a clear paint-on coating that can be applied to any smooth surface for dry erase functionality. The basic kit at $225 covers 50 square feet and includes roller, stir stick, can opener, and wet paint sign. It looks especially good on woodgrain, and would work great in the office or kids’ room.
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A huge whiteboard to sketch out ideas? Yes, please. Rust-Oleum carries Dry Erase Paint, but IdeaPaint seems to focus more on larger areas, offering kits to cover 50 square feet. As the pictures on their site show, you can go completely crazy and cover whole rooms, columns, etc.

50 square feet kits start at $175.00.
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Submit a photo of your dullest room and say why it needs a makeover and you could win 3 gallons of BEHR paint. Why do you care? Because it could mean free paint. Now if they only offered to paint the room for you…

See Vidafine’s post for more details.

I love the Ace Hotel. I’ve stayed at the one in Seattle, and they’ve really done a great job of taking a rough, existing space and making it comfortable. There is also a sense that it can be done on a limited budget because the treatments aren’t complicated. They start with spartan digs and work smartly with space and paint to create ‘zones’ and then add a few decorative elements.

I especially like how they’ve chosen this dark color to separate the bath space from the rest of the room. In a residential situation, a sink in the bedroom isn’t ideal, but the use of paint to create zones can be utilized in any multi-function situation.

[posted by kris]

Indoor air quality is become increasingly important to consumers as we become aware of the dangers of air pollution. One great way to reduce air pollution indoors is by using paints with no VOC (volatile organic compounds). You can get them in a number of color ways, and

I like Freshaire Choice because the not only does the paint itself have no VOC’s but the pigments also have no VOC’s.

[posted by kris]

Remodelista did a post recently on blackboard walls; some of the pictures have me wishing I had more wall space to play around with.

Also, they give a great link to Abacus Construction Index which provides a great overview of different chalkboard paint suppliers.

Why not put a few birds randomly about the home?  Or you could do some wallpaper-like patterns all over a room…might be interesting.

“This stencil is for the birds! This set of 6 mini stencils is just the
thing for decorating your walls, shirt, furniture – just about anything
– with pretty plumed pals. Each stencil is approximately 4″ square, and
each contains a unique design. Imported. Wipe clean.”

8.5″w, 11″h

[posted by katie]

Dry Erase boards can look a little too ‘office-y’ sometimes, and that’s why I’m a little too excited about this paint. Right now I can think of a few walls in my house that might be perfect for this…

“Rust-Oleum Dry Erase Paint is a smooth, hard finish that creates a unique white writeable-erasable surface. Once dry, simply use any dry erase markers to draw or write messages and then erase! Application is easy and it has minimal odor making it safe to use indoors. Ideal for use on interior surfaces such as drywall, masonite, wood, cement, metal.”