Paints & Finishes

Learn how to remove water- or oil-based paint without damaging your wood floors.

Choosing paint colors for your home can be a daunting task, especially when it comes to the living room. It’s a space that is both an intimate setting for your family and a gathering place for your friends. To find your favorite hue among a sea of swatches, St. Louis, Missouri, interior designer Joni Spear advises staying true to the colors you love most. “When it comes to paint colors, I always rule by my heart,” says Spear, principal of Joni Spear Interior Design. “You have to be happy in your surroundings.” Draw color inspiration from a cherished possession, Spear suggests, like a painting, pillow, rug, or vase. Be sure to view paint samples at different times of day to see how sunlight and ambient light will affect them. Here, Spear, along with other interior designers and paint professionals, offers nine colors that are worth your consideration.

Rules are made to be broken—this is as true for interior design as it is for anything else. Read on for 9 common rules about paint colors that merit some reconsideration, along with tips for flouting these rules to delightful effect in your home.

Your home is your refuge, so why not paint it in soothing hues? Create a tranquil, spaa-like space with these stunning paint colors.

Hello, my friend, hello again; today we come together to talk about Is Stripping Paint Really Necessary? and hope the blog can help you. It’s always amazed me to see workmen sanding all the paint off a home’s exterior just because some of the paint is peeling. All that work and expense, and rarely is it…

Hello, my friend, hello again; today we come together to talk about What to Do with Old Paint and hope the blog can help you. Not sure what to do with old paint cans cluttering up your basement or garage? Follow this action plan to either condense or dispose of your surplus—and win back some valuable floor…

Red symbolizes strength, power, and courage, but at this time of year we associate it most with love and desire. Around Valentine’s Day, it seems like red is everywhere, but in some homes, red is a permanent—and vibrant—fixture year-round. Aside from beauty, what are the benefits of decorating with this strong color? Some enthusiasts cite the concept of color psychology, which examines how certain colors can affect our moods and behavior. For example, as red is considered a very energizing color, it might be good to use in a rec room or a high-traffic area like the kitchen. Color psychologists warn, however, that simply being in a red room can actually raise blood pressure, which makes red a bad choice for some folks. And note that red increases appetite—witness its extensive use in fast-food advertising—so dieters might want to go easy on it in the dining room. Psychology aside, there are lots of reasons to decorate with red, as this rich, vivid group of rooms prove. While some take the plunge and swathe a space in the color, others use it primarily as an accent in an otherwise neutral room—but they all celebrate the power of this warm, attention-getting hue.

Today, the science of paint analysis is providing new insights into early decorative schemes, to the benefit of homeowners seeking historically accurate paint color ideas for centuries-old homes.

You don’t always need to repaint an entire room. Sometimes repairing and repainting the dings and scuffs is all that’s needed to freshen it up.

One day? Two? How many coats? We answer all these questions and more in this guide on how long it takes to paint a room.