August 25, 2011

Environmentally Friendly Paint, Eco-Friendly for a Greener Environment

Available now, when you are painting your home, is a fairly new product called environmentally friendly paint. It is a very exciting item because of all of its functions that the average person probably isn’t aware of. It is beneficial to the surrounding environment and people. For the city of Seattle, it even helps clean the surrounding air when used on exterior surfaces and siding. We live in an age of concern for nature and friendly goods that don’t promote any more pollution. This paint is becoming increasingly popular and maybe even a necessity.

Certain environmentally friendly paints actually absorb carbon dioxide from the air as they continue to harden. Some contain natural lime, which acts as a fire retardant. We’ve all heard of traditional house paints that are harmful and dangerous. VOCs (volatile organic compounds) are found in older paints and release toxins into its surroundings. These toxins are even harmful to plants so imagine how they affect humans or animals! Imagine how much cleaner the air in your home would smell and be by using these paints. In a nursery this would be a definite plus. Add the natural fire retardant properties and you have a perfect paint for baby the entire family.

Seattle and the Washington state area have always been on the forefront of environmentally conscious ideas. Having such a beautiful natural environment to live in creates the desire to preserve it. Everyone is benefited when surroundings are safe and healthy. The air we breathe in is a very important part of our health. SBS (sick building syndrome) can be directly caused by the vocs in some paint. Environmentally friendly paint still fights mold, mildew, and fungus, like older paints. Zinc oxide is one natural substance that is a fungicide in eco-friendly paint. The difference is the older paints contain toxic biocides that can continue to seep for five years after application.

It seems that it is increasingly apparent that we, as the earth’s citizens, have a responsibility. We are to be good stewards in all of our habitats. Becoming aware of and using environmentally friendly paint certainly seems like a step in the right direction for anyone. In Seattle, in our homes, businesses, and everywhere, it is an advantage to begin using these eco-friendly paints. The benefits are immediate now and our future generations will thank us!

Authentic Home exterior paint has a lifetime warranty and is a low VOC, very high premium paint formulated for the Great Northwest. You would be hard pressed to find a comparable paint at any price. This is a terrific way to protect your Authentic Home.  Browse our online store for paint color inspiration, palettes and to purchase 4 oz sample color cans, quarts and gallons.

You can now purchase Authentic Home COLOR Paint™ at Rodda Paint Stores, check out our current list of Rodda locations and other resellers for Authentic Home COLOR Paint™ in the Pacific Northwest.

July 20, 2011

Give Your Homes Entry a Fresh New Look – Paint The Front Door!

Do you want to give the exterior of your home a quick and inexpensive fresh new look? Paint your front door a new color!

Your homes exterior makes a huge impression upon your neighbors and guests and a quick and cost effective way to draw energy and therefore guests to your home, is to have a welcoming entrance. Along with your landscaping, the front door plays a big role in allowing energy to enter into the home. Having a visually appealing front door creates an instant statement or “pop” to the eye.  A door that “pop’s” and is clear of clutter provides a clear path for good energy to enter into your home.

How about selecting a color trend like this Peacock?

Other front door colors to consider include Pumpkin, Butterscotch, Sky or Persimmon. All are “current”, bold colors that will definitely make a statement!

I’ve always wanted an orange front door so I created the Authentic Home COLOR Paint™ Pumpkin and it really makes a statement to my front yard and neighborhood.  All it takes is a quart of paint, a very low cost, and in less than 1 hour you could transform the exterior of your home! Have fun and enjoy this quick and easy exterior transformation!

July 13, 2011

Authentic Home COLOR Paint™ Launches in Two More Rodda Paint Stores

Our partnership with Rodda Paint is growing again, we are launching our Authentic Home COLOR Paint™. line in the Redmond, Wa and Issaquah, WA stores this weekend.  Look for our display filled with 4 oz color cups, paint samples, quarts and gallons of our superior, high-quality acrylic interior paint that offers a rich, elegant finish with exceptional coverage and durability.  All paints are zero VOC base, with low odor and minimal solvents to help maintain a clean painting environment. You will love the way this paint performs!

Authentic Home COLOR Paint™ offers the following standard paint finishes:

• Matte – a flat sheen recommended for ceilings
• Buffed – a durable eggshell luster recommended for walls
• Polished – a semi-gloss finish recommended for trim, doors and bathrooms with no ventilation
• Washable Matte – available via special order only; please contact us for details

AND…don’t forget to come to the Rodda Paint store in Seattle, located at 3633 Stone Way North, this Saturday, July 16th, from 10-2pm, where I will answer all your questions about choosing paint colors, AND you will receive a $5 off coupon for your first purchased gallon of Authentic Home COLOR Paint™.

Take a look at my newest article “Could a Can of Paint Save Your Relationship” and then bring all your questions, your spouse, partner or roomy, and we’ll chat at the Rodda Paint store, Saturday the 16th!

June 29, 2011

Room Makeover Completed!

When we first met Katie & Jarrod Hamilton in April they were very excited to be the winners of our room makeover contest and had a list of things they wanted to have done in their living room.  They are a young couple with a four year old, Shelby, in tow and live in a lovely ranch style home built in the early 1940’s.  The house, which sits back off the street, has a lush green lawn and yellow paint with brick façade on the house that welcomes you in. After walking thru the home to gain insight on their style, I realized that Katie loves the “shabby chic” look and used soft blues and cream colors in their master bedroom.  The master bedroom was the only room in the home that was “finished” and so I took all my hints from this room.

The challenge for the living room makeover was to appeal to both Jarrod & Katie and to create a space that was a reflection of them and that they both would feel comfortable in. My challenge was to incorporate the feminine “shabby chic” feel with masculine touches while using their current furniture pieces.  The large 10’ x 15’ living room is just to the left of the front entry and has 4 East facing corner windows that let in a lot of light.  Setting a color palette for the room makeover was the first item on the agenda.  I selected Authentic Home COLOR Paint™ in London Fog for the living room walls with Authentic Home COLOR Paint™ in Champagne on Ice color for the ceiling.

The ceiling was the original fir bead board which is very predominant, was the first thing I saw when I entered. The dull colored fir ceiling darkened the room and I knew it needed lightening up in order to achieve our desired look and feel.  It was the only fir ceiling in the house so I encouraged them to have us paint it.  Both Katie & Jarrod were nervous about painting the fir bead board ceiling so we provided samples of a glaze to paint mixture for their review. After reviewing the samples we decided to use a 1 part glaze and 2 part Champagne on Ice paint mixture to give the “white washed” look to the ceiling while allowing the fir grains to still show through.  Billy Brandt Painting provided his expertise to transform the dark ceiling into something unique and exceptional.

The next area that needed updating was the fireplace. The original orange colored brick lined both the hearth and surround and it quickly dated the entire room.  We agreed that a 12” x 12” tile for both the hearth and surround would improve the overall feeling of the room as well as enhance the original mantelpiece. I selected Castillian Gray tile that brought out the blue London Fog wall color.  Tom’s tile team quickly transformed the fireplace which freshens up the entire room instantaneously.

I rearranged the existing furniture to create a conversation zone in front of the fireplace which is the room’s focal point.  I moved the upright piano to the East wall, the first wall you see upon entering the space. Previously the piano was in the left corner of the room and you barely saw it.  Now it is the second focal point and fits perfectly between the 4 corner windows.  The ivory color armoire that houses the TV was positioned to the left of the room’s entry and placed on an angle. An ivory shag rug anchors the conversation zone and decorative accessories in our color palette pull the room together and are the final touches to complete the new look.

“It was so easy working with Kathy Banak, Tom Fine, and their teams on our living room remodel!  Kathy brought fresh ideas to our living room which we’ve struggled with over the years to arrange and decorate.  We love the color palette that she chose and the updates to the fireplace by Tom’s team have given our living room a more modern feel.  The biggest change was to paint our wood paneled ceiling, we were nervous, but Kathy showed us examples from her own home to reassure us that it would look great.  We finally have a living room with the right colors, the right furniture placement, and the right décor.  We are extremely happy with the end result and highly recommend Authentic Home and Fine Construction.” –Jarrod and Katie Hamilton