Solar Paint Update

We told you that solar paint was on its way. Developed by a physicist at the University of Newcastle, solar paint was featured as an almost-ready idea on ABCs New Inventors last spring. The problem was, the "pain" was really only very thin solar cells which still had to be applied and attached to roofs in sheets. The University of Melbourne, the Australian Commonwealth Scientific and Research Organization, and researchers in Padua have been collaborating on a much thinner version using nanoparticles.

Again, not quite paint.

Mitsubishi recently announced that they have come up with spray on solar cells which they plan to use to coat cars so the cars can use solar energy. The process should make it possible to move ahead on the concept of solar paint.

In the meantime, paint home exteriors and especially roofs with light colors and "cool paint" to reduce cooling costs.

Painting for a Change

A coat of paint is one of the best ways to signal a change. Your restaurant has a new menu, or your business is under new management? Let people know that things have changed by painting the walls in fresh new colours.

Painting a house in new colours makes it yours, even if it's a century old. We mark milestones in life by painting a new room for a new baby, or repainting a room to signal the new grown up attitude of the child who lives there. When the kids grow up and move away, we might paint their old rooms to recognize the room's new life as a guest room, sewing room, or office -- just as we'll help the kids paint their new flats.

Sometimes the change is more abstract. If you've taken a new job, if you're ready to move on after a loss and a time of grieving, if you feel that you're on the verge of a new adventure in your life, you can signal those changes with new paint, too. The fresh look in your home or office reminds you and tells others that a change is in the air.

Long Lasting Paint Jobs

In this box you can see paint pigment from 1856. It was in an American steamboat that sank into the muddy bottom of the Missouri river and stayed there for almost 150 years. When it was dug up, it was cleaned and dried out and -- as you can see -- it still has its colour. This was a shade that was in vogue that year, and it could be on a stylish wall this year, too.

Pain pigment comes from natural minerals that naturally have the colour they give to paint. There's no reason for a pigment to change colour, because that colour is part of its nature. 

So why do some houses need to be repainted every year or two?

Pigment isn't all that's in paint. There is a binder to make the pigment into a liquid that can be spread on a wall, and a solvent to keep it from becoming too solid to spread. The quality of these two elements is one of the reasons for paint failure. When you have your home painted, make sure that your contract specifies the pain your tradesmen will use.

Another factor in how long the paint will last is the surface and how well it was prepared. If the surface is dirty or peeling, the paint will adhere to the dirt or whatever is peeling from the wall, not to the wall itself. When the outer layer that the paint is on comes away, the paint naturally comes away with it.

Finally, the quality of the painting itself can't be overlooked. Getting a smooth, even, consistent coat everywhere in your home or on the exterior of your building isn't always easy. A slapdash job of painting, even with quality paint, can lead to early paint failure. Be sure your painters are qualified.

Will your paint job last 150 years? Probably not: wind, weather, and sun all take their toll. However, a good job done with good paint can last for a surprisingly long time.

Modern or Traditional for the Office?

Much depends on the kind of message you want to convey. Is your company established, secure, trustworthy -- or is it fun, trendy, cutting edge, agile?

Part of the equation is colour. Using bright, unexpected colours in the office, especially in combination with modern furniture and electronics, says, "We're a modern company." Using traditional office shades like biscuit, oxblood, and charcoal, especially with traditional office furniture, says, "We're a traditional company."

Those aren't the only options. While it's not easy to give a traditional-company statement with brilliant acid green walls, you can choose traditional colours and kick them up a notch with newer interpretations and formulations.

For example, replace traditional off-white and biscuit tones with a warmer neutral such as a very pale gold or a warmed-up grey, trim it with an almost-black shade of eggplant or green, and you've automatically given your traditional colour scheme a sophisticated edge.

Use traditional dove grey shades of paint with a suede or pearl finish, and the traditional becomes almost playful. You're saying, "We're steady and established, but not staid or outdated."

Be more daring by combining very traditional furniture choices with a pink wall or trim that predictable business biscuit with a new blue like Threadbare in the palette below (Murobond).

 

Let your office colour choices speak for you before you say anything at all. 

One Colour Colour Schemes

Artist Marco Ugolini shot photos of monochromatic shopping baskets for his blog. He gathered up all the green stuff in the store in a basket and photographed it, all the black stuff in the store, and so on through quite an interesting series of images.

This is not how a monochromatic household colour scheme should look. You don't want people to walk in and think, "This is so orange!"

A monochromatic colour scheme can feel restful and pleasant, not as though you've been trapped inside an orange. Here's how:

• Vary the tones. If you want orange on all your walls, choose various shades to provide subtle variety. 
• Vary the textures. A matte bedroom wall with a slubbed silk duvet and gleaming floorboards gives the eye the changes it needs.
• Use neutrals. You can choose a brown that is more orange in tone or a white with a delicate peach undertone, but do include some neutrals in the look. 
• Don't be afraid to add accents. While the monochromatic colour scheme makes a strong statement, it will feel fresher to you if you make an occasional change -- yellow flowers, a blue vase, something to refresh the eye and make the orange more pronounced.

Always choose a colour or colours that you love when you paint your walls. The rest of the colours and furnishings in the room can be changed at any time to give the room a new look.

Colour Confidence

We've probably all heard that blue makes people fell calm, red makes them hungry, and yellow makes them irritable.

New research suggests that colours can also make people feel confident. Shades like deep teal, burgundy, and bottle green increase people's sense of capacity and help them feel that they can take on the world.

Think what this could do for the boardroom or conference room, the waiting room in a clinic or office building, a hair salon or music studio.

The colours that do the trick are rich, deep colours, colours you might think of as jewel tones or dark brights. Why these colours give people a take-charge attitude is uncertain, but you might as well consider them in settings where people may need a shot of confidence.

Some current paint palettes that feature these shades:

Dulux Forbidden:

Murobond Travelers and Magicians:

  

Clashing Colours

Last time, we talked about using the colour wheel to identify great colour schemes. We've also suggested examining the palettes created by the designers at our paint suppliers. We even recommend hiring a good colour analyst.

But let's suppose that you have a couple of favourite colours that you really want to use -- and they don't fit into any classic or trendy colour scheme. Maybe your favourite shade just doesn't work with the equally favourite shade of your new flatmate. Maybe you need to bring your new-to-you suite of furniture into a space that is already home to something completely different in the way of colours.

In short, how can you combine colours that aren't already friends?

This old poster pits a yellowish brown and a brownish yellow against a purple-pink mauve. The effect is startling and unattractive. It might have been fashionable in its place and time, for all we know, but we would discourage you from painting your walls mauve and picking out the architectural details with mustard.

But look how the border on the right uses the same colours in combination with other colours. The green brings out the pink of the mauve, the blue cools it down a bit, and the neutral black and white anchor the bright colours. Instead of fighting with the mauve, the yellow provides a pop of colour.

Adding more colours and balancing the quantities of the clashing shades can bring harmony to a colour scheme that seems difficult at first.

Look for a piece of art or a fabric that brings both of the colours together. Notice the balance and the other shades that help bridge the two difficult shades. Experiment with different arrangements. And then bring in professional painters and decorators to make it work. In Sydney, Courtney & Wise will be your first choice. In other areas, check with the Master Painters Association to find well qualified painters.

Mixing Colours

This season's favourite colour combinations are eye-catching, and even a little jarring. How can you mix colours up in ways that charm rather than clash?

Start with the colour wheel. You might think that will just lead you to boring old classic looks, not the exciting new ways with colour -- not so.

Refresh your memory on the old, classic approaches to planning colour combinations with the colour wheel:

• Monochromatic colour schemes usea single colour on the colour wheel, such as green. They may use lots of shades, and you can also vary textures to keep the look rich.
• Complementary colour scheme use colours on opposite sides of the colour wheel, such as red and green. Again, they can be any shade -- the spicy pinks and acid greens we've been seeing together are a complementary colour scheme.
• Analogous colour schemes use colours next to one another on the colour wheel, such as green, blue, and yellow. The balance of colours in this type of scheme make a big difference.
• Triadic colour schemes use three colours evenly spaced around the wheel, such as green with orange and purple.

 See how "Tender is the Night," an exciting palette from Murobond, uses complementary colours and analogous colours? This is actually a "split complementary" scheme, which means that complementary colours are used (red and green shades) with the analogous colours of the complement (orange and yellow).

Depending which colours you choose from this palette, you can have a monochromatic room in green or warm pinks and reds; a complementary colour scheme of green and red; an analogous scheme of red, yellow, and orange, or a split complementary scheme that brings in all these shades for a rich and lively look.

Are we just saying pick any colours and there'll be a name for it? Not really. The two colours below frankly clash. If we want to use them together, we'd have to do some fancy things to bring them into harmony. Using the traditional colour wheel method gives you myriad options which will naturally work together.

 

Kirrily Johnston for Dulux

We looked at the Dulux colour forecasts at the beginning of the year, but there's one we never discussed: Kirrily Johnston's palette of neutrals with a bold dash of red.

Johnston likes striped walls -- a great look, but one that definitely should be left to professional painters. The palette includes  silks and pearls as well as "wash and wear" basic paints, so there are texture and finish options as well as colour choices.

Stripes, whether going with shades of brown and grey or bringing in the panache of the red, make excellent focus walls. Striped walls paired with floral and geometric prints in the soft furnishings echo the mixed prints trend we're seeing in the spring fashion forecasts, while a tone on tone stripe brings just a hint of audacity to a room full of natural fibers in neutral shades.

Mocha Pearl, Raw Cotton, and Whisper White from this palette will add a bit of distinction to an office or professional building without losing the professional air. Smooth Chocolate and Spice of Life will give the break room a bit of punch.

These are also beautiful shades for the home. Consider Nambia with Blind Date for a modern, masculine look, or Raw Cotton paired with Spice of Life for a kitchen or bedroom. Mix up stripes and solids throughout your home to tie the look together.

Vintage, Undecorated, or Shabby Chic!

A combination of the increasing green aesthetic, the trend toward mixing old with new, and a desire to make our homes look different from our neighbours' homes has launched a new style that makes found objects the focal point of our home decorating schemes.

Instead of choosing some mass-produced decorative object that will be in dozens of homes in your neighbourhood, you can choose something surprising, special, and unique.

How can you make sure that your decor says "chic" rather than "cheap"?

• Communicate with your choices. When you pick an item from the op shop or salvage an architectural find, make sure it says something about you. Items you love will do that, but you can also watch for references to your favorite places, hobbies, or foods. 
• Pick a theme. In fashion and decorating this year there's a move toward mixing patterns and using surprising colour combinations. When you see how the professionals are doing it, though, you'll notice an underlying feel, a common thread, something that pulls the look together. In the snap above, you see an Italian fresco look behind a classically styled angel -- Christmas bulbs are the kicker, but they're a surprise in an otherwise harmonious arrangement. 
• Keep it tidy. An artful clash and a surprising element will give a completely different feel from a bike helmet and a banana left unintentionally on a table. However, if the bike helmet and banana (and dog brush, tights, and toys) are there, your clever undecorating may blend right into the disorder. That makes an overwhelming effect that can even be stressful. 

What paint colour should you use when you're undecorating? Choose a shade that pulls the look together, whether it's a neutral that lets your collection of masks pop, or a coral pink that tones with all the souvenirs from your travels.

This is the year to let your eclectic side show!

What's New in Wallcoverings?

Wallpaper is the decorators' darling this year, but you don't have to stop there. Look at the amazing new options:

• Temporary wallpapers, using the same technology as Post-Its, for people who don't want to commit themselves. While these papers cost about half as much as traditional wallpaper and don't last half as long, they're great for teens and kids who change their minds often. People who rent may also prefer them -- when you move, you can take them along. 
• Slate, granite, and mica papers have minerals applied to their surfaces, and end up looking much like a wall carved from rock. Because they're light and flexible, they allow you to bring this look into spaces where you ordinarily couldn't. They're much pricier than the average wallpaper, of course, but they're less expensive than building a granite or slate wall.
•  A Danish company is using light emitting diodes (LEDs) to create luminous wallpapers. You can't buy these yet, but gently glowing walls may be an ordinary part of our future homes. 
• Researchers at an American university have printed photovoltaic cells onto paper, so another future wallpaper might be solar powered. Getting the solar power from the wallpaper to the appliances in your home is a piece that isn't in place yet... Maybe they could get together with the Danes and create solar powered LED wallpapers. 

Nothing on the list appeal to you? We're sure there will be more innovations coming along.

Just What is Paint?

You know what paint is, of course: it's that colourful stuff you spread onto your walls to make your home beautiful. What's in paint, though? We know it isn't likely that happy paint company elves go into the woods and tap trees, filling their buckets with smooth and creamy colour, so what's in the bucket?

Three things, essentially: binder, pigment, and solvent.

 Pigment is the colour. It's powder, generally, and it's usually made by pulverizing minerals. Azurite, for example, is a stunningly blue mineral resulting from the weathering of copper ore. Not surprisingly, azurite when powdered creates a lovely azure hue. 


Cinnabar, or mercury sulfide, is a crystal with a range of red colours from quite bright scarlets to the more complex brownish shade we often call by the name "cinnabar." Ochre creates yellow to brown shades.


While most pigments are mineral in origin, there are examples from plants, such as indigo blue, and from animals, like cochineal, a brilliant red from insects.

There are also covering pigments, which make paint opaque, mixed with the colouring pigments. Lead used to be a common pigment used in house paints, but now its health hazards are well known and house paints use titanium dioxide instead. Lime was very common and is still sometimes used.


Early artists used pigment just as it was, or mixed it with water or blood as a binder. By the time people began painting houses, they had moved on. You could just rub ochre or azurite onto your walls and achieve a colour, but you'll get a smoother and more economical effect if you use a binder, or vehicle.

Egg yolks,  milk, and oils were common in early house paints. Nitrocellulose, a combination of nitric acid and plant fibers, was another that created a hard lacquer finish. All of these substances will harden into a polymer. Polymers are long chains of molecules; plastic is a common example. The binders, then, allowed the pigment to harden into a solid surface rather than rubbing off again.

Latex, a relative of rubber, is a common binder now. Linseed oil is still used in oil-based paints, but so are modern oils synthesized from soybeans.Modern binders create durable surfaces without volatile organic compounds, and are better for the environment.


The solvent in paint keeps it from becoming solid quickly. Water, the universal solvent, is once again the solvent of choice for housepaints, replacing the petrochemicals that were popular -- but damaging to the environment -- in the last century. New formulations of paint allow the use of water as a solvent without giving up the durability and rich colours we love in house paints now. 

Now you know.

True Blue Decorating

Blue is, worldwide, the most common answer to, "What's your favourite colour?" Perhaps it's because of the blue of the sky and sea; blue reminds of something elemental about our world.

Blue is also thought to be a calming colour. While empirical evidence for the widespread belief is slight, anecdotal evidence is strong enough that Japanese train stations have installed blue lights in hopes of lessening the number of suicides on their premises each year. Restaurateurs have long chosen warm colours on the theory that those colours are more exciting and cause people not only to feel hungrier but also to eat faster, leading to more turnover of customers along with more lavish meals. Again, evidence for the claim is sparse, but it's enough to make restaurants, food manufacturers, and food markets turn to red and orange in overwhelming numbers.

Blue, on the other hand, is said to be calming, to make people feel relaxed and confident, and to reduce conflicts.

That makes it a can't miss choice for decorating. A calming room for baby, a living room that invites relaxation after a long day at work, or a bedroom that encourages sound sleep can all add to our quality of life.