Whimsical … Pool Decks?

"There is no such thing as a bad color, only bad color combinations."

~ Elizabeth Mayhew

You know that feeling you get when you look at a room, the exterior of a home or an outdoor space and something’s just not right? It isn’t visually appealing because the furniture is placed all catawampus, the architecture is out of balance or the colors are just bad?

No? Okay, maybe it’s just me. And (woe is me … this is the cross I bear) I get that feeling A LOT. Often in my own home. But there was one thing that particularly bothered me – and my dad … the pool deck.

“It is just so ugly,” he said.

My friends, he was right. Light gray concrete. Bleached by the relentless Florida sun. Bland. Boring as oatmeal.

The deck didn’t do a thing for the pool. Or the view of the back yard from our living room. So after checking into the feasibility and cost of covering it with something like pavers (ouch), we decided to stain the concrete.

For some reason, I thought this would be a quick, easy project. A cinch! We could practically give the kids some rollers and stain and it would take care of itself! Oh brother … was I ever living in a dream world. The project took every bit of a three-day weekend (with my parents helping us) and wasn’t nearly as easy as I’d hoped.

First, let’s talk materials. I heard about this new H&C product at Sherwin Williams and liked that it was water-based, didn’t require etching or priming, was quick-drying and – with diluting and mixing – allowed for lots of color options. Also, it wouldn’t make the surface slick like paint or oil-based sealers. Which is good -- because seeing my kids fall by the pool is in the top ten on my mental reel of nightmare scenarios.

To warm up the deck and complement the blues of the pool, we decided to go for a terracotta color. We borrowed small sample bottles from our SW store (free – they just ask that you return them) and tested them on the deck until we got the right combination. We finally chose a mixture of Henna, Dahlia Red and Autumn Breeze.

There’s a hitch in every home improvement plan and here was ours: Being about 30 years old, our deck is VERY porous and really soaked up the stain (more on this in a sec). As we started spraying, we were amazed how much stain the concrete was soaking up and how … well, NOT great it was looking. Big blotches and clumps of color here and there. Also, the concrete was MUCH more or less porous depending on how much it was exposed to water and sun.
Bah. We wound up having to go over the same areas several times with slightly different versions of our color mixture to get the right color throughout the deck. I even got down on hands and knees and used a sponge to do a little faux treatment and blend in blotches. It was pretty frustrating, but at last we started an impromptu pattern and got a system down. Our strategy was to layer on the color using pump-up sprayers to get a more natural, marbled look of varying color. But if we had to do it over again, we would use rollers with long handles and perhaps sponge on a pattern afterwards.

AND -- this is big -- we would seal the surface first. We used a paver sealer after the deck was completely stained and dry (gloss, as recommended by the SW rep, which doesn't look glossy at all -- just a bit shiny. No, in a GOOD way). But, I think we could have avoided using so much product – and spending so much time – if we had sealed first too.

Oh well, hindsight’s always 20/20, right?

If you decide to take on this project, don’t be frightened by my lamentations of hard work! Try a sample of the product I used (but be advised, it’s a new product and SW stores may have to order the color you want). Here’s another water-based stain that’s available at local Benjamin Moore stores (like Watkins in downtown Orlando). Or check out more affordable stains at the big box stores. Just be prepared to do the etching first and work with some slightly noxious stuff (get out the HazMat suit!).

Check out the before and after…

Makes a splash, no? I think the hard work and expense was definitely worth it. I love the way the terracotta sets off the blue of the pool -- and blends with the brick on our house.

Now Dad and I no longer cringe when looking out the back doors. Finding the right color and getting it done ... gotta love it!

What a Difference Color Makes, Part Deux

“The purest and most thoughtful minds are those which love color the most.” ~ John Ruskin

In my last post, I professed my love of color. It's something that I hope to pass along to my children by decorating our home and their rooms in vibrant hues and unexpected color combinations. Seeing the bright paintings they bring home from school and the, um ... unique outfits they pick out in the morning ... I get the feeling that they're catching on pretty well.

Part of their color education is making their own colors. An easy exercise is mixing food coloring into water and talking about what happens ... how the colors make us feel.

Stay with me, I know this sounds kind of touchy-feely -- but psychologists have proven that color has a measurable effect on mood and physical wellness. Here's the conventional wisdom on how colors affect us:

• Red: Stimulates, excites and warms
• Yellow: Stimulates memory and alertness
• Green: Brings feelings of calm, anticipation and hope
• Blue: Soothes, relaxes and even offers a cooling effect
• Pink: Also soothes and can even relax muscles
• Orange: Stimulates the appetite and reduces fatigue

That's why I nixed the jade green on the walls of our kitchen and adjoining dining area (which is now a playing area) in favor of a creamy yellow that reminds me of french vanilla ice cream. Yum. (It's BM's Vellum, which, as you might recall, is also the stripes of our dining room). I spend about half my day in the kitchen and Lord knows I need as much help with memory and alertness as I can get!

But seriously. This color choice follows a weird little rule I've always had: Cool colors -- greens, blues and violets for sleeping places, and warm colors -- yellows, reds, oranges and browns for gathering places.

(The exception is my Best Boy's room, which is honey mustard yellow. A snap decision that I am thinking may need to be reversed soon. Sorry, honey)

Anyway, back to science. Researchers think that people have preferences for color based on what their minds and bodies “need.” For instance, if you have lots of stress in your life, you’re more likely to pick up color samples in the green, blue or pink families at the hardware store. Simply put, you are naturally drawn to the colors that help balance your emotional and physical wellness.

But what if color psychology isn't working for you don't feel drawn to any particular color? You might find yourself being sucked toward the beige abyss. Back away, my friends, back away!

Try this: take a spin through your closet and see what color pops up most often. (If it's beige, I'll give you my phone number and we'll just have to work through this together.) If it's something like hot pink or orange, don't freak. Just find toss pillows and accessories in these bright colors and paint your walls in a "safe" neutral that makes them pop, like light gray. Or try a more subdued blush or coral with bright accents.

Or take this approach -- think about the mood you want to set in your space and choose a color accordingly. The color phobic can usually stomach sage green -- practically a neutral itself. Might I recommend a pretty, silvery green Sherwin Williams calls Svelte Sage? (SW6164) I liked it so much, I painted my first house this color!

It's not that beige is a terrible choice, just don't make it the only choice. By thoughtfully choosing colors that make your heart go pitter pat, you'll find yourself more at home in your house.