Cherish Toronto: Benjamin Moore

Showing posts with label Benjamin Moore. Show all posts

Wednesday, January 27, 2016

Basement Reno: So Many Decisions!!

A friend of mine came to me seeking input regarding the design of his home's unfinished basement. After living in the home for many years, it was time to finish the basement and gain much needed space to entertain and hang out. The basement was pretty much a blank slate: think exposed insulation and ceiling joists. It was the perfect opportunity to customize unused space for the homeowner's needs.

After considering how his family would use the space, it was decided that they would need a kitchenette, a full washroom and a large open area with the possibility of converting some of that open space to a bedroom in the future. Since I'm not a trained designer, I sketched out a few rough ideas but left the major decisions to my friend and his contractor. They worked together to come up with a design plan and a budget, and work started almost right away. Feeling pressure to make decisions, we soon found ourselves spending hours choosing countertops, tiles and paint colours. This is my Instagram capture of what we finalized:

The kitchen backsplash will be a classic 3"x6" arctic white subway tile, which we will accent with a 4" band of the glass & marble mosaic tile. The shower wall in the bath will have a similar look, but with a larger 8"x20" arctic white tile (less grout = less to clean) with a 6" accent band and a 2"x2" dark grey porcelain on the shower floor. Floors in both the kitchen and the bathroom will be the veined grey porcelain Techmarble in a semi-polished finish (love this tile - it has the look of marble without the expense). The bathroom will feature a dark grey Caesarstone counter top with integrated white sink which should tie in perfectly with the accent band in the shower. In the kitchen, all upper cabinets will be painted Benjamin Moore's Silver Half Dollar (2121-40), while the lower cabinets will be a slightly darker Pewter (2121-30). Painting has already happened on the walls and we are happy that we chose Silver Half Dollar, it's a light grey which works really well in a basement with very little natural light.

This past week we chose faucets and cabinet hardware for both the kitchen and bath, and this renovation should wrap up within a few weeks. Here are the mood boards for both the kitchen and the bath:

1. Benjamin Moore Silver Half Dollar (2121-40)
2. Benjamin Moore Pewter (2121-30)
3. American Standard Fairbury Faucet
4. Wilsonart Black Laminate Countertop in Black Alicante
5. Cosmas 96mm Polished Chrome Pull
6. Techmarble Semi Polished Grey Floor Tile 12"x24"
7. Frigidaire Stainless Steel Refrigerator
8. Glass & Marble Accent Mosaic Tile
9. Bright Arctic White Subway Tile 3" x 6"

1. Benjamin Moore Silver Half Dollar (2121-40)
2. Benjamin Moore Pewter (2121-30)
3. Moen Boardwalk Faucet
4. Caesarstone Countertop in Cement (2003)
5. Hickory Hardware 96mm Polished Chrome Pull
6. Techmarble Semi Polished Grey Floor Tile 12"x 24"
7. Kohler Memoirs Classic Toilet
8. Glass & Marble Accent Mosaic Tile
9. Bright Arctic White Subway Tile 8" x 20"
10. Nuvo Parker Polished Chrome 2 Light Vanity Fixture

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Project Pantone: Colour Transformation

I believe I've set a personal best on this one - this project moved from concept to completion in just under two weeks! I first tweeted about my inspiration on the morning of January 4th:

I opened up the Benjamin Moore colour fan decks and immediately decided that I would paint my living room accent walls Springtime Bloom (2079-40). It's a beautiful shade of pink:

Things got pretty exciting when I remembered a fantastic fabric swatch I'd seen at Designer Fabrics almost one year ago. Knowing that I loved this bold print, I headed out on a slushy, snowy Saturday to purchase enough yardage for two toss cushions, plus another yard of a coordinating solid fabric. I spent Sunday afternoon sewing, and Phase One was soon complete:

Cushions sewn, I went back to the drawing board with the fan decks to search for an alternate pink. Springtime Bloom just wasn't the right shade to work with my chosen fabric. The best way to select a paint colour is by pulling colours from a great print, as opposed to the other way around:

After several days of dithering, I finally settled on two new colours. Spring Tulips for the coffee table base and Flamingo's Dream for the accent walls:

I chose to use Benjamin Moore Aura paint for the coffee table base since the strong colour would cover in two coats with the low VOC Aura, rather than three or four coats. When it comes to DIY projects, I'm all about getting the job done as quickly as possible.

I raised the table off the floor by placing the base on plastic containers. This made it easier to paint almost all the way to the bottom. I flipped it over afterward to do touch ups.

I spent a bitterly cold Sunday afternoon indoors applying paint to the walls, which isn't my favourite thing to do, but once I started, there was no turning back. This was my mid-afternoon freak out:

Now for the colour reveal. Drumroll please...

Now & Then

Project Cost Tally:

Fabric & Notions: $59.70
Paint & Supplies: $124.61
Labour: Me=Free
Total Spent: $184.31

What do you think of the new colour? Be honest!!

All photos by Pamela Graham for Cherish Toronto.

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

Visions of Honeysuckle Dancing in my Head

I'm dishing out a few hints about what I've got up my sleeve for my next decorating project. It may have taken root in my brain after seeing this year's Pantone Colour of the Year: Honeysuckle.

And the idea may have found its legs when I shuffled through a Benjamin Moore fan deck and discovered so many pretty shades of pink:

Of course, these are strong accent colours, and they'll need to work with my core brown and tan upholstered furniture pieces. This print should help to pull everything together:

Pink living room walls is a bold idea, and there is a possibility that I'll chicken out at the paint store. Stay tuned to see if I follow through!!!

Friday, October 1, 2010

For Sale: 2193 Hixon Street

Well, the house is on the market!! The extreme home renovation project which my brother in law undertook this summer is complete and ready for a new family to move in. The project included the following:

Removed overgrown trees & shrubbery, resodded front lawn.
Replaced garage door, replaced siding, replaced all windows, painted exterior brick and installed new roof.
Introduced new antique bronze door hardware throughout.
Installed new hardwood flooring throughout main floor and refinished hardwood floors on second floor.
Designed a contemporary kitchen with new cupboards and central island, open to living and dining rooms.
Created completely new 4 piece main bath upstairs and 3 piece second bath on lower level.
Freshly painted throughout.

I think the house looks absolutely amazing, check out the final results:

Main Floor Wall Colour: Benjamin Moore Manchester Tan HC-81
Trim: Benjamin Moore Cloud White CC-40

Main Bath Wall Colour: Benjamin Moore Palladian Blue, HC-144

Lower Bath Wall Colour: Benjamin Moore Alexandria Beige, HC-77

For those of you who can attend, there will be an open house this Sunday, October 3rd from 2-4 pm, or you can check out all the details on the MLS listing here: 2193 Hixon Street, Oakville

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Job: One

As the saying goes, "It's not What you know, it's Who you know." My brother in law, who has spent several years in the construction industry, recently purchased a property with plans to renovate the home for resale. Guess who gets opportunity to choose the interior finishes and colour scheme? You guessed it, ME!!! This will be my first official design job, and I am looking forward to a great learning experience.

To date, the colour scheme for the interior rooms has been selected. Since the home is being prepared for resale, the scheme will be a neutral palette which will appeal to most buyers. These are the colours we will be working with:

Benjamin Moore

Manchester Tan HC-81