Peter Cagner, the General Manager at CertaPro of Riverside, believes all styles and trends go in cycles. Years ago, he says, it was common for people to make bold statements with their home colors. “Now it’s the opposite. People have been toning down the bold colors and going towards earth tones, with an accent color that might be a little bold, but just enough to show the homeowner’s personality.”

One with Nature

According to Peter, bringing a sense of nature into a paint scheme makes the home look warm and inviting. He believes today’s color choices reflect a heightened sense of environmental awareness. “Earth tones make the neighborhood feel one with nature and, in a sense, blend in to the surroundings. The continuity between the earth tones and the surroundings actually makes the overall area feel more suburban, and that is the whole point – to get away from the urban areas.”

Color Recommendations

If you are interested in finding a color palette of your own, Peter says today’s top choices are subtle browns, tans, grey, green, yellow, and auburn. Keep in mind that earth tones are going indoors as well. “The earth tones tend to make a room look a little smaller than white, or other colors, and at the same time make the home feel warm, inviting, and lived in,” Peter says. “This is big departure from years ago, when the trend was white or light colors that made the home feel sterile.”

Highlighting Personality

To give today’s rooms purpose as well as personality, Peter recommends using one wall as an accent wall. “Accent colors are there to give the house just enough character, to show the personality of the person selecting the colors, and that’s perfect.”

It’s interesting to discover what a seasoned painting contractor like Peter has learned through years of painting. Evidently, a lot of personal style goes into color selection. Peter believes a home is what you make it. “If you are cold and uninviting the house will follow. If you are a warm and inviting person, it will show through the color choices and make the house warm and inviting.”
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Before the announcement, a reminder, so that we’re all on the same page. Back in June, we gave you some homework. In Help Us Find the Most Popular Remodeling Project, we asked readers which area of the home they were either planning to remodel or hoping to tackle sometime soon. Thanks to everyone who voted; we got a ton of votes and have finally sorted through the results.

And the most popular remodeling project is … landscaping! 30% of our respondents prioritize “installing a new deck, patio or other hardscaping in their yard.” (more…)

According to Ernie Wilding of FAS Windows & Doors, not all windows are energy efficient. All the windows sold at FAS are energy efficient, but this isn’t the case for every company. Ernie gives the following advice to homeowners ready to shop around for windows:

• Look for a full service company, a company that offers a full variety of windows, styles, and colors, and a showroom to display their products.
• Look for a company that offers value, not a cheap price. You do get what you pay for.
• Look for a company that offers a full-service team and a long-term labor warranty to handle any problem that arises.
• Look for Energy Star certification. (more…)