Coastal Colors: Bringing the Beach Home

 Everyone has a special place in nature. For some, it’s the mountains; for others, it’s large crystal lakes, and for many of us, it’s by the beach on the coast. Something about the coast sets my mind at ease, and I feel that coastal areas and landscapes are some of the world’s most eternal and soothing places. The seas are vast, mysterious, beautiful, and always present - this could be why many of us long to be near them. 

It’s not always possible to live by the beach or even near any of them in the coastal regions, but bringing the coasts into your home with coastal colors is possible! In this article, I will talk about the different schemes that coastal colors can have, depending on where they’re derived home, and how coastal colors can transform any interior design scheme for the better!

Coastal Colors: What Are They?

Coastal colors are the color arrangements that homeowners use to instill a feeling of being close to where the ocean meets land; it sounds simple, doesn’t it? Well, it is, and it isn’t! The concept of coastal colors is not hard to grasp: bring the natural beauty of the ocean into your home with different color palettes. However, there’s a lot to consider when arranging these coastal color palettes to ensure the coast is accurately represented and best recreated within the home. 

For example, each coastal region around the United States has different hues, tones, and intricacies to their color arrangements. If one or more colors in the palette do not match these natural color arrangements, the end result will feel inauthentic and inorganic. It’s the job of a paint color expert to create beautiful coastal color arrangements that fill the home with seaside joy and also work in harmony with day-to-day life. 

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From Coast to Coast

Costal colors are not as simple as some might think they are, and this is because of the unquestionable uniqueness that each coast has. An evening walk along the beaches of Cape Cod in late August will have very different colors than that of a stroll on the rocky coasts of the Pacific Northwest on a foggy morning in late April. 

As color experts, it’s not enough to say that the ocean is blue, sand is a soft yellow, and the clouds are white - there’s more to a coastal color arrangement than that, and we all must be aware of how the coastal colors will work in each space of the home. 

Close your eyes and picture the last vivid coastal experience you had. For me, there are brilliant purples, pinks, oranges, royal blues, beiges, greens, and off-whites. Walking on the beach during sunset has given me a million different color and color ideas to use for inspiration. There’s no reason to oversimplify the colors that nature provides us, so let’s use them in unique and interesting ways!  

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Coastal Colors In Your Home 

I feel that bedrooms are an ideal space in any home to use coastal color palettes. The bedroom is an area of the home that needs to be soothing, peaceful, zen, and help relax the mind’s chatter, just like a calm afternoon on the beach! Bedrooms lend themselves perfectly to the colors that the coasts provide. 

For example, a master bedroom could be heavily influenced by coastal colors by using multiple shades of whites, off-whites, and creams to set a soothing neutral base color. Layers of blues, such as sky, teal, and royal, would look stunning, scattered in as accent pillows, throw rugs, blankets, and even borders and frames. 

Bathrooms are another ideal place to take the energy from coastal colors and organize them to put any visitor’s mind in a state of relaxation. I love the idea of soft grey appliances and exposed plumbing against soft blues, purples, and creamy oranges in a bathroom. It’s exciting but very subdued. 

Loving the coasts is reason enough to explore some of the captivating coastal color schemes in your home!

Holiday Colors: Traditional, Unique, and Unexpected!

 It's that magical time of year! The holiday season is such a great time of year; people prioritize caring for one another and enjoying the final festivities before we all say goodbye to the year. 

It's a delightful opportunity for designers and color experts to be very creative and pick out elements that reflect the best parts of the season. It's also an opportunity to be somewhat experimental and playful with your color choices because they're only incorporated for a brief time!

In this article, I will discuss the traditional color choices that make for great holiday colors & inspiration! I will also be suggesting some unique and unexpected holiday color choices that can bring some excitement and innovation to holiday design schemes! 

The History of Traditional Holiday Colors 

Hanukkah, Christmas, New Year’s Eve and other holidays all have colors that are synonymous with them. These traditional colors are full of love, nostalgia and history. It would be hard not to include them in your design scheme in one way or another. 

Green and Red

Christmas has long been associated with deep evergreen colors and bright, vibrant reds. Winter solstice celebrations, dating back to the Romans' time, incorporated reds and greens because of the holly tree with its gracious green leaves and red berries. 

Interestingly enough, it wasn't until Coca-Cola commissioned an artist in 1931 to create a depiction of Santa Claus with a big red coat against a deep green background that the color combination became cemented as THE Christmas colors in American culture. 

Now, you cannot go a month in December without embracing this classic color combination. 

Blue and White 

The classic blue and white paring used for Hanukkah celebrations are deeply rooted in custom and tradition. Many people associate the blue and white colors of Hanukkah with the Israeli, which is true. 

However, the colors have an even older connection to the Jewish faith: a tallit, a traditional prayer shawl, is recognized to have threads dyed a 'tekhelet' blue - accompanied by white threads as well. Today, blue and white are still the most honored colors of Hanukkah. 

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Gold

Gold is one of those ancient, mesmerizing, and eternal colors that provide warmth. You see, gold makes its presence known during the holidays because it's synonymous with celebrations, riches, and giving. 

Gold is also the color most closely associated with the sun and light, which are so important in winter's dark short days. A gold champagne bottle, a gold necklace against a black dress, or gold stemware make the best impressions during the holidays when we can all use a little warmth. 

Unique and Unexpected Holiday Color Ideas!

Now that we've recognized the beauty and significance of traditional holiday colors let's explore some new color schemes you can try this holiday season. Some of these suggestions can work as winter colors that extend beyond the holiday season!

Cream and Black

The color combination of cream and black can make for a highly effective yet understated backdrop for a holiday party. There is a warmth to the color combination that is even better felt when juxtaposed with a few more traditional accent colors for some flair. 

It doesn't matter if it's Christmas eve, a New Year's Eve dinner party, or the first night of Hanukkah; cream and black set a very elegant and beautiful backdrop for your celebrations. 

Soft Pink and Light Gray

Sometimes it's nice to offset the powerful and dominant colors of the holidays with softer color hues that provide some slight variations on tone. 

A soft pink and light gray combination manages to feel traditionally festive but also contemporary and understated. The color combo provides a youthful and light touch to winter color schemes and can work wonders when trying to lighten up space while still being festive.

Blue and Gold

Perhaps the greatest aspect of using blue and gold in your holiday color scheme is it can encompass a wide range of styles. It can be sophisticated, modern and edgy, or warm, coastal and easy going. Either way, the color combination will instinctually leave a celebratory impression on your guests and family.

Saying Goodbye to 2020

2020 has been a challenging year for many reasons, and many of us need a reason to celebrate; the holiday season gives us that opportunity.  Any color consultant will tell you that It's important to feel joy and more inspiration from the color choices you make.  

Whether your color choices will be more traditionally inspired for a sense of warmth and comfort or unexpected to change things up and get a fresh vibe in the home, the important thing is that the colors and design choices you make help you and yours be happier.

What Art Degree Jobs Could You Do? Four Unique Options to Consider

You graduated with a fine arts degree. Congratulations! 

So… now what? 

All college graduates struggle with what they should do once they graduate. Do you want to go on to more schooling to get a graduate or a doctoral degree? Do you want to become an art teacher or try to make it in the art world?

Or, do you want to try something a bit more unique with your degree?

Art degree jobs don’t have to be limited to “artist” or “teacher.” There are so many directions that an art degree can take you. Here are just four of those options:

Art Degree Jobs: Color Specialist

A professional color specialist works with, well, color. It’s their job to understand how colors go together, what colors relate to different aesthetics & time periods, and how to create palettes for homes, buildings, sculpture, graphic design, etc. 

Many color experts find work as an online paint color consultant working with people looking to re-paint their homes. Others work directly with brands & businesses to create brand colors, graphic design elements, business cards, offices, and more.

Art Degree Jobs: Art Therapist

Art therapists often have dual degrees in fine arts alongside psychology, or a master's or doctorate in psychology on top of a fine arts degree.

These therapists focus on using art as a way for clients to express problems, issues, fears, anxiety, past traumas, and more during a therapy session. Art therapy helps people to express things that are deeply uncomfortable and scary, and commonly is used to help survivors of abuse, neglect, and trauma.

If you’re interested in working closely with people using art, then art therapy could be the field for you.

Art Degree Jobs: Medical Illustrator

If illustration is your passion, don’t feel that you have to limit yourself to children’s books and comics (unless those are your passions, of course!).

Think about everything else that requires illustrations: technical guides, instruction manuals, business presentations, and, of course, medical texts.

Medical textbooks, diagrams, and explanations all require high-quality and intelligent artists to illustrate complex concepts. This could include everything from microbiology illustrations that help students understand how DNA is replicated to illustrations of anatomy and physiology in a medical school textbook.

If you have an understanding and love for science, then combining that skill with your art degree gives you a great job opportunity.

Art Degree Jobs: Photojournalist

Art isn’t always painting, drawing, and illustrating. Photography is an art form oft-forgotten as “art”, but many fine arts degrees are focused on photography as the main medium.

Photography is perhaps the most applicable art form to traditional jobs with school photography, family photography, digital photos & social media, and graphic design all pulling from the art of photos.

An interesting and exciting way to use photography in your career is through photojournalism. Photojournalists work with newspapers, magazines, and online publications to take photos that align with stories and articles. They’ll also often attend local gatherings, natural disasters, concerts, and other important events to document it for a later publication.  

Best Virtual Home Designing Games You Can Play Today

Video games were once for a small niche of mostly teenage and young boys during the 80s and 90s. Today, however, an estimated 70 percent of all Americans play video games every year. This ranges from playing little games like Candy Crush on your phone during your commute to spending hundreds of hours playing Skyrim on your PS4. 

One of the best parts and the reason why video games have such wide appeal is that there’s a genre for everyone. Horror games, action games, farming simulators, trivia, puzzle games… the list goes on!

This article in particular is going to go over some of the best virtual house designing games. If you love interior design, decorating, and puzzle games, then these four games are going to be perfect! 

Let’s get started so you can get playing!

Design Home - iOS, Android

Design Home is a mobile game for iOS and Android devices that’s described as equal parts relaxing and challenging. This game has you playing as a color expert and interior designer responsible for designing and decorating homes for your clients. 

The game provides you with daily design challenges to sharpen your design skills. You’ll also get to unlock stages and rewards as you progress including allowing your to change colors as a color consultant, design more room types like bathrooms and kitchens, and unlock more home décor options as well.

The game helps you sharpen your real life design skills since you’ll be designing virtual homes, using real-life brands, and connecting with other players through chat, messaging, and other in-game interactions. 

The best part? The game is completely free to play! You can purchase add-ons in game if you’d like, but you can also have a great experience with this game without paying for a single thing.

The Sims 3 - PC/Mac, iOS, PS3, Xbox360, Android

The Sims is a classic simulation game that isn’t solely dedicated to interior and virtual home design, but a large part of the gameplay is dedicated to design. The Sims 3 has some of the best design gameplay out of all the Sims games, but almost any iteration of the Sims has amazing design options.

For those just getting into design video games, Sims is great because it has preloaded and pre-designed homes. You can go into these pre-made homes and design what you want as you go.

For those of you who want a big more of a challenge and who are also into architecture, the Sims allows you to build and decorate a home from scratch. Simply get a vacant lot for your Sim family instead of a lot with a home on it and get to work! 

There are some amazing Sim home creations that you can find all over the Internet, some of which have tutorials to help you along. Check out one of those here.  

Animal Crossing: New Leaf - Nintendo 3DS

Both Design Home and The Sims are relatively realistic. If you want something a bit more fun and whimsical, Animal Crossing: New Leaf is one of the best. 

This game puts the player in a position as a new villager in an established little town filled with cute little animal townspeople. The twist of this Animal Crossing game is that when you arrive to the town, everyone mistakes you for the mayor! 

This lets you make a lot of custom changes to the town including decorating, creating homes, and building other types of buildings the town needs. You can completely decorate your home and design it to your specific liking all while taking up little quests and tasks to make your town the best it can be.

Home Design Story -  iOS

Home Design Story is a lot like the “Design Home” game we went over earlier. This game lets you create designs and decorate homes for all sorts of clients. You’ll design cozy cabins, huge mansions, rustic farmhouses, and more.

As you get better at fulfilling your clients’ promises, you’ll become more and more successful and well-known. Your task is to become the world’s best designer!

You get to do all of the following:

• Decorate the home with styles that range from vintage to modern
• Paint or change the walls 
• Become successful and unlock new designs, decor items, and more
• Decorate gardens, lawns, and landscapes
• Unlock and progress through story-based levels

You’ll also get some great weekly updates so you’ll never run out of things to do.

Like Design Home, Home Design Story is completely free to play with optional purchases in-app.

4 Cool Careers You Didn't Know Existed

When kids are asked what they want to be when they grow up, they usually shoot for the stars, right? You’ll hear “President” or “Space Cowboy” or “Prince” or “Ice Cream Cone Tester” among other amazing sounding jobs. 

As we get older, we get a little more practical. Ask high school or college students and you’ll get some more “adult” answers: accountant, graphic designer, marketer, etc. 

But are you one of the people who’s a kid at heart? Do you still want to follow the cool careers you dreamed up as a kid? Do you want everyday at your job to be fun instead of just a 9-5 slog?

We completely understand. That’s why we’ve made this post: to show you that cool careers do exist… you just have to search for them. Here are 4 awesome and unique jobs that you didn’t know existed.

1. Color Consultant

You’ve probably heard of interior designers and design experts, but a color consultant is a bit more specific than either of those positions. 

A color consultant, also sometimes called a paint color specialist or simply a color specialist, focuses on creating color palettes and schemes via paint, decor, art, plants, lighting, and more to fit a specific design aesthetic.

This means that color consultants have to not only be experts with understanding color, but they also need to understand different design aesthetics, work with various clients, have interior design knowledge, work with nature (exteriors need color too!), and more.

Color consultants also often work alongside interior designers or are interior designers themselves. These consultants often take all of the work off the plate of their client, including testing colors, buying paint options, consulting with designers, etc.

So if you like color, design, and working with others, color consulting could be for you!

2. Video Game Tester

Do you love playing video games? Most people would say yes to this question, which makes the idea of “video game tester” as a job seem like a dream come true.

But it’s actually more difficult than just playing your favorite games. You need to have immense knowledge about the video game industry, be able to play new games, and be able to stand out in a very competitive industry. 

You also should understand that this job might not always be fun. You’re essentially a software quality control or quality assurance tech that just happens to be testing video games instead of more, well, boring software. You’ll need to make sure the game delivers what it says it does, understand software issues, repeatedly test the same things over and over, and more.

If you have a passion for games, though, then this should all sound amazing. Be sure to invest in some good blue-light filtering glasses and have hobbies away from screens (everyone needs a break sometimes).

3. Certified Ethical Hacker

When you hear the word “hacked”, you probably immediately think of something nefarious. Either people getting their computer hacked and their information stolen or large-scale cyber attacks that release thousands of peoples information to those who wish to steal it.

However, there are skilled computer workers and hackers out there that choose to use their hacking skills for good instead of evil. That’s where certified ethical hackers come in.

These hackers are skilled professionals who know how to hack into systems, find weaknesses, and identify system vulnerabilities so that those things can be strengthened and fixed. Instead of illegally hacking into these systems, government agencies, large companies, and internet servicers will hire certified ethical hackers to legally target them, find problems, and recommend solutions. 

4. Cool Careers: Mermaid

Yes, you read that right. If you so desire, you can be a professional mermaid.

Well, kind of. Half-fish people don’t really exist (that we know of), but there are some humans that make pretty convincing mermaids. These professional mermaids create intricate costumes, dances, and routines that they perform while underwater. This interesting art form could be considered a type of dancer, performer, athlete, and actor all in one.

This career comes with a lot of dedication and training. One mermaid said that she can hold her breath for over 5 minutes all while doing underwater acrobatics. 

Most mermaids were once professional swimmers, scuba divers, and free divers. You have to be very comfortable in water and in peak physical condition to be successful. But if you can do it, it’s very rewarding! That mermaid who can hold her breath for over 5 minutes, for example, says she makes over 6000 dollars per show she does.

A Day in the Life of an Interior Designer

If you love design, color, and working with people, then becoming an interior designer could be the perfect career path for you! It allows you to combine your creative mind to design homes, buildings, offices, and more with your practical mind to take care of logistics, budget, customer-service skills, and planning.

However, sometimes people enter into careers without understanding what an actual day in the life is like! Before you commit yourself, keep reading to learn what a day in the life of an interior designer is really like.

We’ve done research on a number of interior designers around the country to give you a pretty decent picture of what an interior designer’s day is like.

Let’s get started! 

9 AM - Meet with a Client and a Paint Color Expert

Color is one of the most important parts of any interior design project. Oftentimes, the color scheme of a room will impact the layout, the overall design style, and the furniture that will eventually be chosen for a room.

Many interior designers are also considered a paint color expert as well, but there are others who choose to employ a separate interior paint consultant as well. These people specialize in color to bring another expert opinion to the table.

Meetings like this will bring the design experts together with the client so everyone can understand the expectations, wants, and desires of the project. The client will outline a budget, what theme they’re thinking of, brand colors, as well as another other factors they can think of. 

Then, the designer and the color expert will suggest various color schemes, oftentimes laying out paint swatches and options to give the client a visual of what to expect. At the end of the meeting, you should either have gathered information to later finalize the colors or you should have confirmed the color palette that will be used for the project.

10 AM - Check on Construction of a Project

As you’ll soon see, a lot of the day for an interior designer is taken up with check-ins and meetings. You’ll most likely need to check on a construction project during the day to make sure things are progressing, that construction is following design and architectural plans, and to make sure the timeline is on track.

You’ll need to take measurements of rooms, notice where/how much light there is, and speak with the head of construction to understand the completion timeline. This will help you as you plan, order furnishings, see how flooring/walls look, and more.

11:30 AM - Consultation with a New Client

Meeting number three! A big part of being an interior designer, especially when you run your own business, is finding and taking on new clients. During an initial consult, you’ll probably show them some of your past work, get to understand what they’re looking for, and discuss some preliminary ideas and proposals for the project.

12:30 PM - Working Lunch 

Taking time for lunch is crucial for both your mental health and your productivity! On busy days, it may need to be a working lunch where you reply to emails or calls. However, even taking just 20 minutes to yourself will help you feel recharged and ready for the rest of the day.

1:30 PM - Notes from Client Meeting, Start Planning

After your meetings from earlier, you’ll want to make sure you have detailed notes, measurements, paint swatches, and fabrics compiled into a folder in order to start planning for the overall project. 

For new clients, you’ll want to create a visual guide, presentation, and/or sketches to outline your vision and ideas for the space taking into account everything you spoke with them about. This is where you’ll likely continue to collaborate with other experts like flooring designers, color experts, architects, and more.

2:30 PM - Finalize Sketches and Visual Plans for Another Project

The grind never stops! Once you finish with the outlining and planning from the meeting and consults of the day, you probably will move over to do some work on existing projects. Finalizing sketches, incorporating feedback, creating a presentation, outlining a budget, etc, are all things you’ll need to stay on top of each and every day.

3:00 PM - Meeting with Furniture Source

Now you get to what you probably envision interior designers doing: picking out furnishings and other components for a room! 

Many interior designers work closely with suppliers, sources, and sellers in order to furnish and supply a room with items that match the design scheme you’ve settled on. You can request various textures, colors, styles, and more and these people will show you options in the hopes that you’ll use them in your design.

You’ll need to take measurements, watch for color and texture, and make sure that you options match with the client’s wants and needs.

4:00 PM - Networking Meeting with Architect

People you work alongside are often the best people to network with. When you have connections within the industry and with people who are on the periphery of the industry, they’ll often be able to get you more work, connect you with clients, recommend you, and generally help your business grow.

Scheduling networking meetings can be a great way to get both of you more work and leads.

Wondering What to Do with Leftover Paint? Try These 4 Cool Crafts and Art Projects!

When painting a room, the outside of your home, your tool shed, or a wall, you have to buy huge gallons of paint in order to get the job done. The problem is many people don’t actually use up all of the paint during that one project, leading to most people having a ton of leftover paint that’s destined to waste away in your garage or the back of a closet.

While it isn’t ideal to allow the paint to go to waste, not many people know what to do with leftover paint besides painting another wall. However, there are tons of leftover paint ideas and easy painting projects you can do with leftover paint to have some fun and get the most use out of that jug! 

Keep reading for 4 creative crafts and ideas for leftover paint.

1. Reuse for Another Home Paint Project

Perhaps the most obvious option is to use the paint again in another home painting project. While you might’ve used a color specialist to decide on that paint color for whatever room you used it in, that doesn’t mean the paint can’t fit somewhere else, too.

And don’t limit yourself to painting entire rooms in that color. If you have outside paint colors leftover then think about using it for your tool shed or your garage door. Use the leftover paint as a backsplash in your kitchen, as trim for your windows and doors, on your picture frames, tabletops, and more.

There are so many places in your home that can benefit from a little pop of color or even just a fresh coat of neutral paint. Use this leftover paint instead of buying a whole new can.

2. Splatter Painting Project

Splatter painting is an easy painting project that’s fun for kids and adults alike. 

Start with your canvas and set up outside (trust us, it gets messy). Place the canvas on the ground. Now, take all of your paints and dip your brush into your first color. 

Instead of a classic brush stroke, you’re going to raise your brush arm up and quickly flick it down towards the canvas so the paint flies off of the brush and onto the canvas. This will cause a “splatter” effect. 

Continue this with different colors and ranging the power of your “flicks”. Watch a video on the process here to see the cool art you can come up with! 

3. Spice Up Your Furniture

Furniture is another way to use up leftover paint. You can repaint tables, chairs, desks, shelves, couch legs, stools, benches, and more! Try doing some cool patterns or accents to make your dining room or study furniture a little bit more exciting. 

4. Create Your Own Chalkboard Paint

A lot of people see chalkboard paint at the store and get excited for all of the crafting possibilities: a chalkboard for family notes, “menu” chalkboards for the dinner table, chalkboard mugs, and even chalkboard walls! However, the pre-made chalkboard paint at the store can be a little pricey compared to normal paint.

But did you know that you can actually make your own chalkboard paint using your old leftover paint? Here’s what you’ll need:

• 1/2 cup leftover acrylic paint
• 1 tablespoon non-sanded tile grout

And that’s it! Simply mix the paint with the grout in a mixing cup, and you’re good to go! Make this paint in small batches since chalkboard paint doesn’t store well and easily hardens. 

Before you start painting, clean the surface you’re working with to make it easier for the paint to be applied. Once you’ve coated the surface (you’ll likely need more than one coat), you’ll need to “prepare” it by dragging chalk over the surface and wiping it off with a paper towel (demonstrated here). 

Once that’s done, your new chalkboard surface is all set!