Just as with any room in the home, the color choice for the office or workplace will be of utmost importance. The office colors should reflect your business. If the business is a design business, a dance studio or something creative, consider bright colors like orange, yellow or even bright pink.  However, if the business is a traditional office setting such as a law office, a doctor’s office or bank, neutral colors such as taupe, cream or a light blue or green would be more appropriate.

To create some pizzazz in any office setting, consider an accent wall or ceiling color with a variant shade of the wall color.

If you are painting a conference room or central office space where ideas are shared, one area of the wall can be squared off and painted with chalkboard paint.  The wall then becomes functional for meetings, ideas and other office-wide messages. Or consider the new whiteboard paint from IdeaPaint to transform a small area or an entire wall.

As with any paint job, Apogee Painting will assist you in choosing the best products for the room size, lighting and office needs. Before beginning the actual painting, the walls will be professionally prepared and prepped to guarantee the best possible finish.

Look forward to going to the office each day. With newly painted walls and coordinated accessories, the office will be an inviting, productive place.

Here are a few before and after pictures from a dental office painted last month by Apogee Painting:

Reception area before

Reception area after fresh paint

Waiting area before

Waiting area after, with warmer tones

Hallway before

Hallway after

Workroom with fresh new colors

Exam room - beginning to prep

Exam room with fresh paint

To get more ideas for new colors in your office, take a look at these fun pictures:

modern & colorful ,

fun

bright

cheery

traditional,

relaxing

and calm

Contact Apogee Painting to start your office makeover.

Paint choices are endless, but nature can inspire us when looking for colors.  Consider a walk outside your home and notice the many hues of color.  The deep greens, browns and golds associated with winter can create a beautiful bathroom setting.  The darkened leaves, stones and pebbles or even a sunset should bring countless color possibilities to mind.  Bring these colors to the attention of the Apogee professionals and they might suggest colors like “straw,” “buttercup” or “olive.”

Homeowners should consider several things when choosing from the green, brown or other “natural” color families.  Skylights or windows give an outside source of light, which would allow for darker paint color choices.  Rooms having no additional outside light source look more open with a lighter wall color. Guests do not want to feel “closed in” from the deep forest green or chocolate brown paint on your walls.

So, as you discuss your bathroom color choices with Apogee Painting, look closely at those colors with names taken from nature like “moss,” “avocado,” or “eucalyptus.”  Highlight your newly painted rooms with sprigs of greenery, plants and pebbles.  You will be surprised at the calming effect these color choices will have on you and your guests.

Chris started to repaint the trim in his 1920’s bungalow, but wasn’t happy with the results. The enamel wasn’t laying out smoothly, plus it was taking too much time out of his busy schedule. Chris called us, & we prepped & painted the trim in 2 rooms. We also prepped &  painted the skirt-boards, treads and risers of the stairwell, in a two tone combination.

From Chris: “thanks again for the work you did on my house. I appreciated your communication during the project & being thoughtful of our pets.  And, of course, the painting crew did a great job. The stairs in particular look fantastic.”

Thank you for the kind words Chris!

Media rooms and  man caves are often in basements or sometimes part of a garage renovation. It will be important to begin the renovation or makeover process by checking for moisture or mold and resolving these issues before painting.  Ask us to evaluate the condition of your walls during your estimate.

Man caves are typically more private spaces away from the entry and formal living areas. Be bold with your color choices. What are your favorite teams? Would you like Trailblazers red & black, Oregon green & yellow or Oregon State orange & black? The sports lover will have no trouble choosing a winning color combination for their room. Of course not everybody may agree that Seahawk navy blue, white & neon green are the best colors for their media room. You may choose neutral but rugged colors like forest green or brown (both of which are associated with the environment and nature)  or a dark red shade (which evokes intensity and power). Whatever the color choice, Apogee Painting will work with you to carefully coordinate your colors.

The Apogee Painting team will then properly prepare the walls before beginning the priming and painting process.  Once the wall color of choice has been applied, consider creating a focal point.  A flat screen television mounted on the wall could be bordered by an accent color, or sports memorabilia could be encased in a cabinet painted in a striking complementary color or carefully stained in a dark wood stain.

Once the painting is complete, overstuffed chairs, pillows, game tables, sports jerseys and photos can provide the finishing touches, guaranteeing that the owner of this “man cave” will feel quite at home while cheering on the team! Add black-out drapes to get the best color from your TV.

For more man cave ideas, check out these galleries, ideas and the Man Cave show, then look at Apogee Painting’s interior painting services and our gallery to see examples of our interior work.

(Thanks to MyBadPad blog for the photo).

Black can be a striking color choice, especially on large windows or in rooms with tall ceilings. Carefully coordinate the color choice for walls as dark wall colors with black trim could make the room seem dark or small. Consider tan or taupe wall paint or a paint color with a light tinge of olive. Tall windows with black moulding paint and black wooden slat blinds will be quite stunning. If there are columns and chair railing, they too can be highlighted with the black paint.

If trimming a whole room in black seems risky, try painting the handrails in your stairwell. After a proper professional sanding, cleaning and priming of the outdated white oak handrails, they could be finished with a beautiful satin black paint.

The kitchen too is a room where a small section of black paint can have an enormous affect. Black crown molding around white cabinets or an island painted black gives a sharp, clean feeling to the room. It is surprising how the eye is drawn to the black highlights in any room.

Talk to Sundeleaf Painting, Portland’s experts on interior painting, about framing your kitchen, handrails, family room or doors with black trim.

Here are several examples of using black trim paint:

First, photos from the House Beautiful blog, an interview with designer Windsor Smith

Next, black moulding and built-ins, from the Design Sponge blog:

And black interior doors from the Design Around Denver blog:

The first step should actually already be done. Considering the type of paint for the room (high-traffic room vs. low-traffic room) is crucial. Gloss and semi-gloss are easier to clean, but matte and satin finishes are often preferred in bedrooms and living spaces.

The second step is to take measures that may prevent marks and dirt from staining your walls. Chair railing, wainscoting and baseboards can all help to hide marks or prevent future marks.  Also, when hanging artwork, affix a small piece of rolled painters tape to the back of the frame. It will keep the frame from shifting and creating scratch marks.

Third, keep touch up paint on hand. Mark the paint can well and place in a cool dry environment. Also, keep small, clean paint brushes on hand so they are available when needed. Remember that over time, paint color can change slightly and the touch up might be slightly different than the original color. To minimize the color difference, slightly dab a minimal amount of paint onto the wall.

The fourth step involves learning how to carefully wash those beautiful walls! Use some warm to semi-hot water with a sponge. Gently, wipe over the walls, rinsing well. Make sure that you start at the bottom of the walls, and thoroughly wring out the cloth you are using.  Water running down walls can create marks, so carefully wash and carefully dry the walls.  For tough marks, use a small amount of baking soda, but rub gently over the stain. Most marks will disappear with a little cleaning and your walls will have a fresh look! And finally, remember that starting with premium paint on your walls will give you a better value for your money. Premium paint allows for easier cleaning and better touch up. Keeping your walls clean and mark free will create a beautiful backdrop to that beautiful room!

Since the bedroom is not typically a high traffic area, painters will offer the choice of flat, eggshell or soft sheen paint finishes and all are appropriate for the bedroom. Any of these paints can offer hundreds of colors and color choices, but don’t be overwhelmed. Consider a main color with an accent color to create interest and definition in the room. Or choose a beautiful piece of art and build colors around that.

Neutral colors are a popular choice in a bedroom retreat. With neutral colors, splashes of color from bed linens, window treatments, plush pillows and eye-catching art can be scattered throughout the bedroom.  Sleep, rest and rejuvenation should come in this quiet retreat. Start planning your winter project today! If you need help, we’d love to hear from you.

Here are a few examples of bedrooms painted by Apogee Painting. For more examples of our interior and exterior painting, take a look at our gallery.

NW Portland

North Portland condo

North Portland condo

NW Portland custom home

NW Portland colonial home

People often ask, “what do you specialize in?”  That’s easy:

• We answer the phone
• We show up on time
• We do what we promise

We’re painters doing what we do best.  We don’t hang holiday lights, rebuild fences, replace roofs or add dormers. We’re painters. We paint inside. We paint outside.

We show up, we prep, we paint.  Your home looks great.