The Many Colors of the 2010 Olympic Games

As we all sit eyes glued to the television watching these amazing athletes compete at an event of a lifetime, you may not realize how the strategic placement of color helps aid in your visual excitement of these 2010 Olympic Games in Vancouver.

It's not mistake that from curling to biathlon, skiing and everything in between the colors above have been prominent. The colors that have been chosen are an interesting twist off the Olympic ring colors, and have been placed in a way to make even the most mundane sports visually stimulating.

As you can see of the athletes above, notice all the vibrant greens and blues in the banners, ice rings, etc., mixed in with the added vibrant uniforms of the countries. With all this combined it creates an energetic backdrop and focal point to make even you at home, visually stimulated and excited. This was by no means a mistake.

So next time your watching the Olympics, remember that some marketing geniuses spent hours on the color selections and placement of color to help aid in the you excitement of watching the games. Happy viewing!

Quilts, Patterns & Fabric, OH MY!

Stumbling upon a find like this, really NEVER happens, and when it does, you have to jump upon it.

Growing up in a small town in Massachusetts, around a seamstress and many quilters in the family, I started sewing and quilting before I really can remember. My grandmother decided that she HAD to teach me how to use the sewing machine, since I started to teach myself, and you know what could potentially happen there... fingers getting stuck! Yikes! That had to be around when I was 5. I can even remember the first quilt I made, it was the Ohio Star.

Needless to say I have a great appreciation for the time and passion that goes into each end every quilt. Every quilt carries a story with it, every quilt have a 'mistake from God' (there always ends up being a 'mistake' and it's acceptable, well that's what's been passed down through generations, that the mistake was a gift from God.). I can only imagine the stories that were told during the making of the quilts. I know for myself, summers were spent quilting and sewing around my Mom, Grandmother, Aunts and Cousins, laughing and sharing.

For me handmade quilts are so much more than 'just' an item, they carry a story, and with that being said, I came across this collection of quilts, and fell in love.

Imagine the stories behind them, the bond that women(or men) could have shared during and after the creation of these quilts.

Take a look!

Resturant Update | Adding a SPLASH of Color!

Today is the clam before the storm... energy's brewing, and things are moving. Tomorrow marks the day for the start of a restaurant re-do.

This once tiered, outdated restaurant is getting torn apart and thrown back together, with a vibrant splashes of color with touches of faux finishes and murals added in.

Here's a sneak peak of how the restaurant looks now, and some general color/design concepts that's going to take place.

Don't forget to follow us on twitter: @tremblaydesign for up to date progress!

Happy Valentine's Day!

We took painting skills from decorative painting on walls, and transferred it to cookie making... that's right. It was heaven. 2 little hands helping make valentine cookie perfection. What could be better?

Happy Valentine's Day... put down the paint brush today and make something sweet...

Stairwell Painting | Adding Color to Large Walls

Here's the perfect solution for adding a splash of color to a large stairwell. So many houses have an open floor plan that includes wide open spaces, that adding color and selecting the right painting can be a challenge.

One of the best ways to find the right size, is using a hollow door that you can purchase from Home Depot or Lowes.

Splash some color the the unfinished door after it's primed, attach hooks and WA LA! An instant splash of color on a large intimidating space.

Adding a Special Touch to an Open Floor Plan

Most homes now are faced with the challenge of planning colors for an open floor plan. The most common question then is "How do you add personality into different areas while having an open floor plan"? For this home, that has no clear division lines, to split up the straight painting, we turned to the ceiling to add personality.

To create personality for this dining room, we added a hand painted vine, in very faint neutral colors. It's important when adding decorative painting to an open floor plan, to keep in mind that the wall colors should appear in the decorative painting to keep the colors harmonized.

Now this dining room has it's own personality through a custom, hand painting vine.

Cabinets Re-Finishing | Easy Update

There are easy ways that you can cut corners when you are remodeling your home. One of the best ways is to salvage you old cabinets and give them a new updated look, with half the cost.

Here's the cabinets before they were painted. Still in good condition, solid wood, but the style of the counter top and fixtures really dated this bathroom.

My client loves hand painted furniture so I took clues from what she had around her home already, as inspiration for the bathroom vanity.

After a few coats of paint, some decorative painting, these once dated cabinets got a much needed update with a price tag that can't compete with re-finishing a vanity.

Stay tuned to more posts/tutorials on the very popular idea of using the cabinets that you already have.

SNOW Day FUN!

The one thing that's been tough living in the Mid-Atlantic region has been the lack of snow, which means a lack of playing in the snow, AND playing in the snow is the best thing in the world... so this decorative painter got her fill on playing in the snow.

Here's today's castle in the snow... now for a quick nap before another round of shoveling and playing in the snow.

22 FOOT Hand Painted Ceiling

Overcoming fears of heights, has to be done when you're attempting to paint a center piece in foyer... here's the ceiling...