This Week's (Big) Small Find: Paint

Sorry, I know this may sound like a bit of a cop-out.  After all, everyone knows about paint.  But, I have to tell you, you're going to love me once you read this.

I've been recovering from a flu that the Little One shared with me and my husband, and when we get sick in this house, the TV comes on... a lot.  I know this is probably bad parenting (and a bad habit for us adults as well) but when I'm sick sometimes I just can't deal, and putting Sesame Street on for the Little One to keep her happy while I nurse my cold on the couch is the best solution.  And while she's sleeping, the channel changes, and I watch all sorts of mindless programming.

So this past week, I watched Rachael Ray...


Ok, not mindless television, but definitely not a documentary on the History Channel.  She had her Battle of the Bloggers last week, and I was lucky enough to be watching and learn of PS I Made This.  This woman takes DIY to a new level.  She had a bunch of kid friendly projects she displayed on the show, but her blog is so much bigger than that.  I'm officially hooked.

And so we come to this week's (big) small find: paint.

You've heard it before-- it's cheap, it's easy, and it can make a huge impression.  Even in a small space, with a clever use of color you can manipulate the eye to create the illusion of space and add visual interest.  PS I Made This has a beautiful example of what you can do with paint-- she calls it the ombre wall.  She takes three shades of a color and creates a beautiful varied effect that's interesting without being busy or "faux" looking.  You should really check it out!

Also check out these sights for some great free color tools, and tune in next week for some original thoughts :)

• Benjamin Moore Personal Color Viewer (great for checking out how a color might look in a room, you can even upload a photo of your own room)
• Behr ColorSmart (same)
• Pantone Mood Selector (great for basic inspiration on which color direction to go in)
• BHG's Color Personality Quiz (who doesn't like a quiz?  although you do have to give your email at the end in order to get your results, it's a cool place for inspiration and at the end they give you a whole PDF devoted to your profile-- mine was "spice" and pretty dead on!)

Have a great color site I missed?  Share it!