Projects for Interior Creativity: Part 2

With the holidays approaching, many homeowners find their sense of creativity renewed. Whether it’s preparing the house for family or simply changing the tone of interior rooms, the sense of accomplishment that comes along with renewed living space can be a major holiday season stress-buster. We put together some shortcuts regarding many of the typical high-traffic areas this season.

Kitchens & Holidays

One of the most popular considerations this time of year is gathering friends and loved ones for the holiday season. While this time of year brings about a sense of closeness and quality time, it has also been recognized as a particularly stressful time for hosts. Aside from the hope that guests have an enjoyable time, most homeowners want to have their residence looking optimal for guests. Many view this as a great opportunity to upgrade the interior of the rooms with higher traffic areas (and many cooks in the kitchen). For areas that will be exposed to water, splashing, or steam such as kitchens, are best painted with a semi-gloss paint. This will provide a clean subtle shine, making the colors appear more vibrant, while still being resilient.

Pristine Qualities

Going along with amplifying “presentation” qualities of a home, high gloss paints are a popular choice for a more dramatic look on cabinets, trim and furniture that’s great for very formal and contemporary settings. These paints possess an almost reflective quality, as the shiny finish closely mimics the look of enamel or plastic. Overall this type of interior paint finish can really help achieve a clean, formal decor effect. However, because this finish has a tendency to magnify imperfections, careful surface preparation and sanding are essential before painting.

It’s also important to recognize that the brilliant finish can easily be overdone. Rather than choosing a high gloss paint for a whole room, the ideal impressions are best achieved when it is used sparingly in select locations. Otherwise, the surface gloss runs the risk of appearing visually cold and uninviting.

Powder Rooms

A quick powder room or bathroom paint job can create a fresh new look for those high-traffic areas for visitors. Additionally, these smaller spaces are nice for a quick holiday paint color. This time of year, a splash of green or red can make decor pop, yet can easily be transformed  into a nice color for the other seasons as well. In this case, a semi gloss paint is an ideal choice as it holds up to occasional cleaning without being overly shiny or distracting.