Exterior House Colors

Cultivating your dream home is a multifaceted process, involving literally dozens of different decisions. However one of the most primary and the most important features of your home is the color itself. The color of your home is often a starting point for all future elements, making it extremely important that you choose a color that you are happy with and can build off of. Read on for helpful tips when painting the exterior of your home.

Bold and Bright White
The traditional American look for a home is a bright white house with dark black shutters. Travel to almost any town in the country, and you are sure to come across a house with these features. This look has withstood the test of time because it is classic, clean, and appealing. The contrast of the white and black work particularly well with a house containing symmetrical features. One great thing about a white house is that it leaves you with literally endless options to accentuate and decorate the rest of the space.




Primary Colors
When thinking about painting your home, almost any color would work given that you choose the appropriate shade. However, primary colors seem to work particularly well for exteriors. Red, yellow and blue are amazing colors to use for your home. With any of these colors, you could choose a bright and bold shade, or go with a lighter and more toned down approach. Each color looks great on its own, but can be complimented nicely as well. Red houses look great with gray trim or accents, yellow houses pair well with brown, and blue looks amazing with white.









Varying Shades
One way to be able to paint your home a solid color but still add some contrast is to incorporate varying shades of one color. One way to do this is to paint the entire exterior one shade, and choose shutters, trim, or other accent pieces in a different shade. If your house is layered or has visible divisions, you could paint different parts of the exterior different shades. This method tends to work very well with green, as often times one color of green can be either too bland or too overwhelming, depending on the shade.




Back to Basics 
It may come as no surprise that for exterior painting we are certainly advocates of the classics. Beige, tan, gray-these colors are called classics for a reason. They look great on almost any style of home, and give you a canvas upon which to add your personal touches. Stick with one classic neutral-toned color, or incorporate a few different ones for a different look. No matter how you go about it, you really cannot go wrong with this color palette.


The weather is finally warm which means D.J's Painting & Remodeling is in full swing, ready to get out there and paint the exterior of your home! Give us a call today to give your home an extraordinary exterior!

Dressing Up Your Deck

Here at D.J.'s Painting & Remodeling, we cannot stress enough the importance of a good deck or patio. For this article we will explore options to expand beyond the deck itself, and add a structure or feature that really makes your deck your own. There are many different options that serve many different functions, but today we will stick with a few that are popular and easy to implement.

Gazebo
The traditional image of a gazebo is a stand-alone unit out in a yard or garden. However, homeowners have recently started to build gazebos right into their decks. Built-in gazebos offer a beautiful addition to an existing deck. They are not only a decorative focal point, but serve as a perfect area to add a dining or picnic table. Gazebos also offer an easy way to add screening to your deck, protecting you from extreme temperatures, insects, and rain. If you want to add a classic and time-honored feature to your deck, a gazebo is definitely the right choice.



Pergola
Whereas gazebos have been around for hundreds of years, pergolas are becoming the increasingly popular modern option. Pergolas are similar to gazebos, but have their own unique attributes. The open roofing on a pergola still protects from direct sun rays, but allows for the breeze to come through, and is also perfect for nights spent stargazing. The open posts also allow for dressing the pergola up, whether it be with plants and flowers, or curtains to add privacy. Pergolas have such a sleek and striking design, and are a great addition to any yard or garden area. 


Hot Tub 
Everyone dreams of having a beach or lake house. In Central Illinois, this is not always easy to come by. The easiest and most cost effective way to experience a glimmer of the joy of being in water is to add a hot tub. If you already have a back yard deck, a great thing to do is to build the hot tub right into the deck. Doing so will allow you to utilize your hot tub without sacrificing the beauty of your deck. While the view may not always be as nice as the one pictured here, you are sure to love having a hot tub on your deck.



Built-in Dining Area

 If you love to entertain during the summer months, you may find yourself scrambling trying to figure out where to seat all of your guests. Adding a built-in dining area is perfect for any occasion. It creates a designated space that makes you feel like you are dining at a cozy outdoor restaurant. Building seating around the exterior of the deck also frees up extra space in the event that you do have to add additional tables and chairs. If you find yourself eating countless meals on your deck, built-in seating may be the right choice for you.


No matter your preference for dressing up your deck, D.J.'s Painting & Remodeling has you covered. From design consult to the final painting, we can help you create the amazing deck you have always dreamed of. Call today for a free estimate!

Landscaping Ideas for the Summer

Warm weather is finally here! For many of us, the arrival of spring means heading outside and trying to transform our yards into a pleasing and relaxing place to spend the warmer months. Whether this means keeping up with existing landscaping, or implementing entire new features, this process can often be overwhelming. If you know exactly what you want in your yard, then it should be a fun and rewarding experience. Today we are here to help you with a few ideas on how to transform your yard for the summer.

Ponds
For whatever reason, we as humans are drawn to water. Sitting and relaxing by a body of water is instantly more gratifying than simply sitting outside. If you don't live by a lake or river, or have the time or money to install a pool in your yard, have no fear! One simple alternative is to create a beautiful pond in your backyard. It becomes the centerpiece of the outdoor space, and there are so many different aspects that can be embellished or modified to suit your particular taste. Leave the pond as is for aesthetic purposes, or add some pets to your life by making it a functional koi pond!

 
 
Sitting area
While decks and patios are an amazing way to spend time outdoors, sometimes you want to remove yourself even further from your home. If you have a backyard with many trees, plants and flowers, it is wonderful to submerge yourself in that area and simply relax. Creating a space away from your house and deck to enjoy the weather and the view can be truly wonderful. It also becomes a perfect place to take a break from gardening or yard work without having to go too far. Whether you build an elaborate bench such as this one, or simply place a chair along a garden path, you should definitely consider a secluded sitting area.






Garden

Even if you don't think of yourself as having a green thumb, gardening is a hobby that anyone is capable of. If you have the space and want to go all out with flowers, plants, vegetables, trees-the whole works- or if you only have a small space to devote, having a garden serves many important purposes. Gardening is good for the mind, body, and soul and is a hobby with a truly tangible result. You get to enjoy the process of planting and keeping up with the garden, and get to enjoy the beautiful view every day. If you decide to plant vegetables as well, then you get to really experience the fruits of your labor!


Walkway 
Make your guests feel instantly welcome with an astounding walkway. Having a well designed walkway leading to your front door amplifies the aesthetic feel of your home, and adds a sense of purpose to your front yard. Brick, stone, concrete, rocks-there are so many different materials and designs you could implement to make it your own. While walkways are perfect for a front yard, there are plenty of uses for them in a backyard as well!



April is the perfect time to get outside and start creating the outdoor space you have always dreamed of! If you have the ideas but think you may need a little help, give D.J.'s Painting and Remodeling a call! Landscaping is one of our areas of expertise, and we would love to help you transform your yard.

Decks, Patios, Porches: The Best Ways to Spend the Summer.

As the temperatures start to warm up, the value of having a comfortable place to spend time outside becomes tremendous. Having a back yard is usually not enough-what truly steps up the relaxation is incorporating a deck, porch or patio of some kind. Today we explore different options in terms of creating the perfect backyard relaxation and entertainment area.

Wooden Deck
The first go to option is to create a wooden deck. Creating a space that is separate from the rest of your yard has many benefits. You can use this space to grill out, enjoy a meal, or sip on a tasty drink at the end of the day. Wood decks are also the perfect spot to put a matching hot tub, if you really want to step it up! If you have an existing deck that is starting to become out of date, consider staining the deck a bright, fresh new color. Refinishing a deck is the perfect way to give your yard an update while still keeping all of the existing features.

 
Stone Patio
Another option for backyard entertainment is a stone patio. You are still creating an area with the same functions as a wood deck, so the difference is mostly aesthetic preference. Stone patios are truly beautiful, and can be dressed up with matching steps, posts, columns, and tiles. If you want a unique and classic look for your back yard, a stone patio may be the right choice.



Covered Porch
If you are trying to extend the life of your porch beyond the summer months, a covered or screened in porch is the perfect option. You still get to experience the joy of being outside, but the walls offer a bit of security if the weather is a bit cooler. Covered porches are also a great option if you have kids or pets, but don't have a fence-installing a small gate is a pretty easy task.







Whether you just need to update an existing deck, patio or porch, or you need a brand new one entirely, look no further! D.J.'s Painting and Remodeling has spent countless summers helping our customers create the perfect backyard. Give us a call today!

Kitchen Wall Colors

While there are so many aspects to creating a perfect kitchen area, it is important to not overlook the basics: the wall color. Choosing what color to paint your kitchen can be difficult-you want something that compliments the rest of your kitchen appliances and accessories, matches with the surrounding rooms in your home, and a color that you don't mind spending a lot of time in (when was the last time you went a day without stepping foot in your kitchen?) Here we have a few ideas on which colors are most suitable for your kitchen.

Browns

If you already have brown cabinets in your home, you may be hesitant to continue with that color for the walls. However, varying shades of brown in your kitchen can actually compliment each other rather than overwhelm. Pick one color that matches well with everything, or switch it up by painting different walls different shades. If it still feels too dull, adding a brighter color as a backsplash or even an island color will liven up the room while still keeping the brown walls as the focus. Ideal colors to accent the walls would be a light teal or a deep purple.



Yellows

Kitchens often have a lot of natural light, which is exactly what you want when trying to focus on cooking a meal. The thought of sitting down in the morning with a cup of coffee and a newspaper in a sunny kitchen is just so pleasing. A great way to play off of this natural brightness is to paint the walls yellow. Bright yellow can often be too much for a kitchen, so it is best to stick with a lighter, softer shade of yellow. Yellow walls are ideal for kitchens that have either bright white or dark black cabinets and appliances.

Reds

Painting a kitchen red seems to be a rising trend. Red walls in a  kitchen give off an extremely warm and welcoming feeling. As the kitchen is often a gathering point for guests or festive occasions, this is a very important feature. A deep, rich red is ideal for a kitchen, and honestly goes with any color or shade of appliances, cabinets, and counter tops. If red walls still seem like too much for you, consider keeping the majority of the walls a neutral color and painting only one wall red. You will still get the same effect, but that one wall will truly pop.

Neutrals

As with almost any room in your home, neutral colors are always great for a kitchen. Bright white, light or dark gray, classic beige-any one or combination of these is a classic choice for a kitchen. The best part about sticking with a neutral color is that it leaves you with endless possibilities for dressing up the rest of the space. You could brighten up the room by painting the cabinets, add personal style with paintings or other art pieces, or make it truly unique with exquisite counter tops and flooring.


Whichever style you decide to go with, D.J.'s Painting & Remodeling can help take your kitchen to the next level. Call us today for a free estimate!

Decorating Your Home with Wallpaper

If you’ve ever bought a new house and immediately ripped down the previous owner’s unattractive, out of date wallpaper, you may turned off to the idea of wallpaper altogether. While there are certainly plenty of tacky wallpapers on the market, there is also a wide variety of beautiful and unique wallpaper designs that are a great alternative to painting. Opting for wallpaper over painting can have many benefits including the cost, labor to complete the job, and ease in which it can be changed or updated. Read on to discover which rooms in your home are best suited for wallpapering.

Dining Room Accent

A dining room is a fantastic space for the addition of wallpaper. Typically, dining room areas are fairly open and may not have much wall space. This is perfect, because adding wallpaper to one or two walls only allows you to bring color and design into the space without being overwhelming. Whether you use your dining room on a nightly basis or only for guests and special occasions, it is a significant room that brings people together. Because of this, it is important to create a space that is welcoming and entertaining. There are so many design options that you could go with, but when choosing a color consider sticking to blues and greens-psychologists say that these colors promote healthy eating, and thus help your diet.

 

Kitchen Backsplash
Adding a backsplash to your kitchen walls is becoming increasingly popular. The traditional method is to use colored or patterned tile for the backsplash, but an alternative is installing wallpaper instead. Using wallpaper is much more cost effective, and easier to remove in the event that you change your mind and want something different. Floral designs and geometrical shapes such as diamonds or diagonal lines are common patterns for wallpaper backsplashes.

Half Bath

Half bathrooms are an excellent place to add bright and exciting wallpaper. Often times, these rooms are quite small and there are not a lot of options or space in terms of decorating. Rather than picking a paint color and coordinating the rest of the accent pieces and decorations, use wallpaper to make the walls themselves the focal point of the room. Many people go with tan or beige colored wallpaper with soft or textured designs for their bathroom. This style maintains a sense of calm and relaxation. Others choose to go with a more nature-based approach, utilizing patterns that include flowers, trees, animals, or some combination. Whether you decide to go modest or bold in design, wallpapering a half bathroom is certainly a good choice.



Kid's Rooms
If you have children but little or no artistic skill, wallpaper is the perfect solution to give them the amazing theme room they’ve always dreamed of. Wallpaper is perfect for a kid’s room for two reasons: there are so many amazing and intricate designs out there that would be extremely difficult to replicate while painting on your own, and it is much easier to swap out once your child outgrows it. There are many patterns that are appropriate for the entire room, and other bolder or character themed murals that are ideal for an accent wall. For a kid’s room consider using removable wallpaper so when they do decide it’s time for a change, you can upgrade their bedroom with ease.  
 

Foyer 

One final room that is fitting for wallpaper use is the foyer. As noted time and time again, the foyer is the first impression of your home and so you want it to be special and unique. Rather than going with a bold design, neutral toned wallpaper with a textured design is perfect for a foyer. Employing this style brings something extra to your foyer that you can’t get with paint, but doesn’t take the wallpaper over the top. Depending on what color you decide to choose, there are so many different options to achieve a textured look.

 

Wallpaper is an easy and fun way to dress up your home. No matter which room you decide to put it in or what style or pattern you choose, you should always keep wallpaper in mind when thinking about updating your walls.

Flawless Foyer Wall Colors

Having a foyer or entryway that is pleasing to you is a very important part of home ownership. It is the first thing you see when you walk in your house, and that first point of contact can be extremely significant. When you get home after a long day, you want to feel comfortable and happy about the state of your home. Choosing the right color for your foyer walls can be difficult, as you want something exciting and welcoming, without being overpowering. Read on for color options that are suitable for your foyer.

Beautiful Blues

Blues are a favorite choice for foyer walls. Almost every shade of blue out there, no matter how different they may be, gives off an extremely crisp and cohesive feeling. Darker blues such as navy look amazing with black or very dark brown floors, and can be lightened up with white accents on the stairs or with decorative pieces. Lighter shades of blue pair perfectly with rich wood floors or paneling, as well as with a carpeted floor. Having blue walls keeps your foyer bright, bold, and inviting, while providing a canvas 

for any decorating motif.

Neutral Tones

Varying shades of tan and beige transform your foyer into an elegant entryway with an antique feel. These neutral tones are particularly suitable for homes that incorporate rustic charm. Lighting is important with tan and beige tones, so make sure that if there isn’t already an ample amount of natural light in your foyer that you add enough lighting. Chandeliers and wall sconces really amplify the sophisticated look that the wall colors will provide. 

 

  

Graceful Greens

When thinking of the ideal foyer color, green may not necessarily come to mind. However, choosing a green for your foyer walls gives off an amazing calming effect when entering your home. Lighter greens such as teal or sea foam green are better for entryways-anything too bright will be overwhelming. These toned down green colors look great with bright white trim, stairs, or decorations. For these shades, softer lighting is ideal as the colors will stand out more than with very bright lighting.

 

Everyone wants to feel at home when they open their front door. Crafting a foyer that is calming and suitable to your taste is very important in the grand scheme of your home. If you are thinking about giving your foyer a new color, D.J.'s Painting & Remodeling can help you choose the right color and execute the painting to match your needs. All you have to do is call and you are on your way to a flawless foyer!