Quarantine Creativity

Photo courtesy of BigStock/Oleksandr Shcherban

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Wendy Doornink of Hirshfield’s shares how paint can be used to spruce up our homes during quarantine.

If we’re all stuck staring at the same four walls every day, we might as well change up the view a bit. Wendy Doornink, color services manager of Hirshfield’s, says that painting offers a creative, cathartic, transformative outlet for folks stuck at home during the COVID-19 pandemic. “It’s so good for the soul and an easy way to update your spaces,” she says.

Doornink suggests adding fresh colors like blue or green to home office/school spaces. She recommends Hirshfield’s 0470 “Dreaming of Day,” or a more bold red, 1053 “Sun’s Rage.” To chase the winter blues away, she says adding pops of color to your home’s interior is the way to go. A rich yellow like
Hirshfield’s 0864 “Lioness” or an easy minty green like 0461 “Calm Breeze” would offer your home a fun transition from the dreary, drab winter gray skies.

For a more fun project, Doornink suggests painting stripes or “frames” to create visual interest and dimension to a space. Painting a large square of color on the wall, and then arranging one or more photos on the square to break up larger walls, can really help break up a room. Another bold choice would be using metallic paint, like Hirshfield’s Modern Masters line

If you’re not so sure about painting your walls, Doornink says painting furniture can be another fun way to add color—and repurpose items!

“Cottage paint is easy to use, especially if you’re looking for projects for the kids and creating a distressed look is as easy as rubbing off color with a wet rag,” she says. “Top with a clear polyurethane and you’ve got something sassy to add to your décor.”

Doornink says she’s noticed an increase in popularity of contrasting colors, like black, charcoal, or navy being paired with white. Dramatic darks like 0529 “Black Licorice,” 0536 “Subway,” or 0627 Into the Stratosphere are popular colors for walls and cabinets, she adds.

“Brighter, clearer colors are on the horizon. Hirshfield’s Color of the Year, 0614 ‘Simple Serenity,’ is a crisp light blue that works with both white and stained woodwork,” Doornink says. “Colors of the Year palettes are typically upcoming trends and here in the Midwest, we are slower adapters of what’s trending. We also tend to stay conservative once we embrace a new color idea, so be on the lookout for pale greens, yellows, and pinks coming in room accents while steady beige and gray colors remain the neutral wall backdrops.”

She says natural oak is also a popular choice, from flooring to cabinetry. Complementary wall colors are very soft and natural, like 0021 “Barely White” or 0003 “Nilla Vanilla,” she says.

“Green is having a moment. Deep green cabinets (H0095 ‘Baize’), the darkest green bedroom headboard walls (H0101 ‘Sayward Pine’), and soft light green walls (0425 ‘Pale Green Tea’) are popping up,” Doornink says. “Green influenced blue is happening on front doors (0687 ‘Stillwater’) and in kids rooms (0694 ‘Turkish Teal’).”

Doornink says that ’70s elements are currently trending, with rich tones make an appearance as accent colors. Rich purples like H0067 “Beauport Aubergine,” yellows like 0891 “Silence is Golden,” and reds like 1053 “Sun’s Rage,” are some of Hirshfield’s hits.

With so many folks in quarantine right now, Doornink says they’ve noticed an increase in retail clients looking to change their spaces or better accommodate their home office and schools spaces.

If you, like so many others, are looking to give your home a little pop of color, Hirshfield’s is ready to help. “Hirshfield’s is a fourth generation, family-owned business that started in 1894—that’s more than 127 years ago,” Doornink says. “We’re passionate about taking care of our customers, professionals, and homeowners alike, with good service and the best quality products. With thirty-two neighborhood locations, Hirshfield’s is ready to help with your decorating projects.”

Not only are Hirshfield’s roots from Minnesota, but their paints are, too. “Hirshfield’s brand paints are made right here in Minnesota using the finest ingredients. Small batch manufacturing allows for our quality coatings to be delivered to our stores within days, so our paint is always fresh,” Doornink says.

To learn more about Hirshfield’s offerings, visit hirshfields.com.