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In the Media

A new vacation home at Cannon Beach, featured in the January-February 2007 issue of Coastal Living. Wall colors throughout house, and the tile design, are by Mary McMurray of Art First.

Feature article in a Country Decorating Magazine quotes Mary McMurray on the subject of creating vintage kitchens:

see also "In Living Color' in THE OREGONIAN, Homes & Gardens

csmonitor.com GIVE AN OLD HOME A COLORFUL NEW HISTORY By Silvia Moreno-Garcia Special to The Christian Science Monitor It's time to paint your circa 1860 house again, and you're beginning to think about colors. Should you stick with the same old white house with black shutters, maybe jazz up the shutter color, or try to find out what shade the house was painted when it was built? Historically accurate does not have to mean dull, yet old homes sometimes seem destined to endure coat after coat of boring gray or white paint. Nowadays, homeowners have numerous options. They can choose vibrant paint colors that are faithful to both the time period of their house and to their taste. Some people think that in order to discover the true colors of an old house, all that's necessary is to scrape through the layers of paint. But getting to the bottom doesn't necessarily mean learning the truth. Paint is altered by exposure to the sun and suffers chemical reactions through the years, experts say. For example, linseed oil, a component that might be found in paint on old houses, tends to yellow with time, especially in areas that are not exposed to light. "The original color is no longer there for the untrained eye," explains James Lee of the Society for the Preservation of New England Antiquities (SPNEA). People who depend on scraping "are either matching to a muted or faded color." So, how do you discover the original color of your house? There are several options. One is to have your paint analyzed by a professional. This involves examining samples under a microscope. It's a procedure that can cost from $2,000 to $5,000 and may take four to six days. And, once you see the original color, there are no guarantees that you're going to like it. Another way to find a historically accurate color is to look through magazines such as "Victorian Homes" and through library books about period architecture. But some people don't have the time or patience to do their own research, says Robert Schweitzer, professor of architectural history and historic preservation at Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti. In those cases, a professional color consultant can be helpful. Like other consultants, Dr. Schweitzer has a large collection of brochures and books from various time periods that show buildings in color, old catalogs, and a myriad of other paint documents. He uses them to determine what colors are right for a house. "I make a historic palette of colors that are available at your local store and that would match what people have used in different time periods," he explains. A consultant may charge $400 to $600 for advice, but considering that a complete paint job can cost several thousand, Schweitzer believes it's a good investment.

Several paint companies now have historical color palettes, yet many of them do not provide enough information about their colors for those who want to be historically accurate. "Often they won't narrow it down to an historical period," says Mary McMurray of Art First Colors for Architecture in Portland, Oregon, which specializes in architectural color consulting. If a homeowner is overwhelmed by the choices, SPNEA's Mr. Lee recommends walking around the neighborhood and looking at what other homeowners have done. But just because every house on the block is painted white, your home doesn't have to be white, too. "If you don't like brown, and everyone is telling you your house should be painted brown, there are other options. Don't feel limited to one particular hue," Ms. McMurray advises. Whether you decide to choose your colors yourself, or hire a professional, Schweitzer recommends patience and common sense. "Some people say, 'Let's pick a color this week and get done with it.' Why rush through a decision like that? You need to do some testing, look at the options." Andy Valeriani of California Paints agrees. He believes that hasty customers often make the most mistakes - for example, basing their decisions on a paint chip. "Customers think it looks great in the store, and when they get their house done, it doesn't. Test patches on your house." Schweitzer recalls an unhappy homeowner who depended too heavily on a paint chip: "This woman picked out a gray for her Victorian house. She went away on vacation while the house was being painted. When she came back, the house looked lavender. If you looked at that paint in the living room it was gray. Outside it was gray. On a large surface it was lavender." Because older homes may have been part of a number of periods of history, they don't necessarily have to be painted their original color. If you own a Greek Revival house and don't like the typical color schemes from that era, you can always paint it the way it might have appeared in 1880. In fact, Schweitzer thinks that most people are not bold enough; they're afraid to step out of the monotonous: "They use one or two colors. In Victorian times, [painters] might have used seven or nine." However, there is one truth that applies to a house, whether it is Victorian or Colonial: Some things are not meant to be. There is a fine line between the bold and the grotesque. "If you get 20 gallons of bright pink, it won't look good. Bad taste is just bad taste," McMurray says flatly. The other great mistake people make, Schweitzer adds, is trying to transform their house to something it never was in the first place. Painting a Victorian mansion in the colors of an old-fashioned Southern plantation will only make it look awkward. Colors should appear comfortable with the house, blending into a pleasant, balanced whole. www.csmonitor.com Copyright The Christian Science Monitor

LIVING SECTION

ELEMENTS OF STYLE / blue porch ceiling Getting underneath the great outdoors By LORI MENDOZA SPECIAL TO THE OREGONIAN People have been painting their porch ceilings blue since the mid-1770s, when Prussian blue pigment became widely available for the first time. Prussian blue, invented in Germany, is one of the first blue pigments that could be mixed with white lead and linseed oil to make paint.     "Before then, blue pigment was too expensive and didn't maintain color," says Mary McMurray of Art First Colors For Architecture. The light robin-egg blue color took off in the Aurora Colony, established in 1852 as a Christian community, and became known in the Northwest as "Aurora blue."     "It was a commonly held belief that the light blue color repelled flies," says McMurray. "They thought that the flies would perceive the ceiling as the sky."     That sky blue color today, available in hues from gray blue to turquoise, probably doesn't fool flies. But it does evoke a feeling of being outdoors while still being sheltered by a roof. It also raises the ceiling. "To me, if it's on the right house with the right colors, it has an optimistic impression as you approach a house," McMurray says.     Although the color could go on just about any house, it originally was most commonly found on Victorian and Colonial houses, according to McMurray.     Today, she doesn't hesitate to recommend a shade of blue on the porch ceiling of almost any style house.     Lori Mendoza can be reached at mendozalori@hotmail.com.

In this house, with colors by Art First, the porch ceiling is painted a light robin-egg blue. The porch floor got a darker blue treatment.   Photo by Serge A. McCabe of The Oregonian

Accent walls

Try a color variation on one wall to liven up your interior

By Mary Jo Bowling

Creating an accent wall - that is, using color to treat one wall differently from the others in a room - is like adding an exclamation point at the end of a sentence. It adds excitement and importance to a space. "In many rooms you don't have a sense of architecture or style," says colorist Mary McMurray of Art First Colors for Architecture in Portland. "Creating an accent wall is a simple way to provide vibrancy and a sense of place."
Picking a wall
Use the key principle in applying makeup: Accentuate the best feature. In other words, pick a wall with a focal point. These are naturals: a fireplace wall, an unusually shaped wall, walls holding dramatic artwork, or the wall behind a bed's headboard. This is where your eye goes first. An accent color only makes a focal point more dramatic (but more than one color on such a wall can create an unsettling effect).
Picking a color
McMurray says that, as a general rule, cool colors like green and blue are good for places where you want to relax. Warm colors like red and yellow are better for areas where lively activities take place. "When selecting a color, it helps to look at what you already have in the room. A color that exists in artwork or upholstery fabric can make a great choice for an accent wall," she says. "But don't pick the dominant color. If you choose red and you have a red sofa and a red rug, you aren't accenting a wall, you are carrying on the same color scheme. It's better to choose another color that complements your surroundings."

	ART FIRST specified a rich, dark mahogany paint for the accent wall in this luxurious family room, and sophisticated colors for ceiling, walls and trim.
	At left: after. Below: before

The Columbian Basic French Zinc Bistrot rises from Zefiro ashes Maybe 500 N.W. 21stAve. in Portland will reprise its former fame. Recognize that address? It was the home of the now defunct Zefiro, Bruce Carey's pace-setting spot that thrust Portland food into the national limelight and has left this area glowing in it 10 years later. Later, there was the brief, dark Ira's period when Ira Mittleman came and went with in six months last year, leaving town with un paid debts and a few cigarette butts behind in dirty ashtrays. Now the warm-walled Zinc Bistrot- thanks to the eye of Art First's Mary McMurray-has opened at that address, and yes, the 'T' should be at the tail end of that all too familiar "bistro."

above: the Zinc Bistrot at opening. Photo by Holly Stickley

Co-owner Susan Sarich and Houston Striggow, a Chicago food couple with Levy Restaurants, Lettuce Entertain You andfive-star French chef Jean Joho on their resumes, have done their research and revamped the place to look urbanely urban-French. Though "bistro" has become overused to mean just about everything informal and trendy, the old spelling, "bistrot," conjures up back-to-basics, wine-on-the-table, says Sarich, who thinks clearly in concepts. Fresh baked baguettes, a zinc-topped bar (a Parisian thing), steak frites (you know them as french fries), coq au vin (a traditional French chicken dish), 12-foot communal tables and "plat du jours" are part of the scene, which judging by the shoulder-to-shoulder June 8 opening, will be well-received. What lucky timing, as "Moulin Rouge" can-cans at the same time. The Columbian

below: the bare walls before painting. A "Napoleon's tent" a private dining area draped in red velvet, a tribute to Napoleon's penchant for eating well during battle, is not part of that unfussy concept, but it is French and will no doubt be popular in an outré sort of way. Right now it's dinner and late night bar only, and closed Mondays. Call 503 223 9696.     see also commercial interiors

homeplace FOR THE PREFERRED CUSTOMERS OF ACE HARDWARE PAGE 6 - 10

Moods &Hues painting with personality COLOR paints our dreams and memories, and at times it dominates our vision of a particular moment. Think of a perfect sunset. The fading tints draw hints of romance and sentimentality. Or consider that certan blues build a sense of calmness and trust. Scientific research - and even some common sense - tells us that colors greatIy affect our moods and emotions. Everything from schools to day-care facilities to offices are painted to stimulate the people inside them. In short, there are few forces that shape our sense of style and personality like color. That's why we're painting with personality..... While many homeowners approach interior renovation projects with some anxiety, it may help to know that the costs of a makeover may not be so high. Experts say the most inexpensive way to change the look of a room is to change its color. While that look may eventually include the entire palette of a room's furnishings and decor, the paint on the walls is where it starts. With all the focus on color, what about traditional white? Homeowners have used that color for years. People are painting with more shades now because the average home is much different these days. Most homes of today are much more of a home base than a residence - a foundation for our personalities, if you will; the refuge where we gather with family and friends. Even when we're alone, we're spending more time at home with our entertainment centers, home offices, computers, high-tech kitchens and backyard grills. That gradual shift explains the dramatic possibilities for an increasing number of homeowners. To help introduce new flavor to the feel of your home, it's important to find the color that brings out the best qualities of a given room. The options are endless, but a few examples can get you started. Mary McMurray, a professional colorist who serves both consumer and professional clients, offers the following suggestions: * Consider how the room will be used. Is it a place for work and activity, such as the kitchen, or is it a place where you relax? * Think about the quality of light in the room, as well as the direction of the light flowing through windows. * Make the home's architectural style a key element in the color selection. Colors that look good in a Victorian home might look odd in a bungalow. * Keep in mind that most artwork doesn't look good on white or off-white walls. (You may have noticed that art galleries and museums tend to display art on colored walls). After you consider these tips, think about the colors you might be using. There's no single rule, but some guidelines are always good to remember. Specific color choices are subject to personal taste and the room's overall decor, but McMurray says yellow or light orange can work well in dining rooms - just be careful with the brightness or saturation of the color you choose. At the same time, take care when using a color such as red. It can raise blood pressure and stimulate activity, so it's probably not a good choice for a room you'd like to save for rest or relaxation. "In terms of people's homes, I don't want people to feel pressured to keep up with trends, because that's just one more area of stress in their lives. There are so many colors available," McMurray says. "Color is so popular that I don't think you'll have any trouble finding any particular shade you like." "I don't want people to feel pressured to keep up with trends, because that's just one more area of stress in their lives. There are so many colors available." MARY MCMURRAY, COLORIST

THURSDAY JUNE 29    By Lori Mendoza

Color pro makes minty ensemble a misty memory

PROBLEM: Mint green on Jack and Marion Newlevant's 1909 house felt like a shoe on the wrong foot. Designed for ranch-style houses and modular buildings of a later era, the color didn't bring out the architectural details of their Southeast Portland home. After stripping the house to bare wood, the couple struggled to find suitable colors. "We just didn't know where to start," Jack Newlevant says. SOLUTION: Hire a color consultant. Mary McMurray of Art First Colors for Architecture helped the Newlevants define a palette of historically accurate colors for their home. Like any good color consultant, she is trained to see and judge the subtle differences in colors and know how they will react in different light and with other colors. HOW SHE DID IT: McMurray took the pressure off by breaking down color choices. She prefers that houses have at least three colors: one for the body, another for trim and a third for architectural accents.
	Medium to dark shades on the body of a house make it more noticeable, she says. Complementary trim and accent colors can define architectural features and make them pop out, or in the case of undesirable elements, recede. IT'S ELEMENTARY: To narrow the choices, McMurray also considers roof color and the paint on neighbors' houses as well as overall landscaping."The closer the element is to the house, the more important it becomes. In this case, the roof (newer green asphalt shingles) was most important." The wrong paint with that roof would be like wearing an outfit with a mismatched hat, McMurray says. STYLE POINTS: Another consideration is architectural style. She had some latitude with the Newlevants' predominantly Craftsman-style house because of its colonial-revival elements, such as round porch columns and square corner pilasters. PUT IT ON PAPER: McMurray sketched the Newlevants' home prior to painting, shading it to show how the new colors would look The final sketch also went to the painter. AND THE WINNER IS: The home's new gray-green body, off-white trim and tan and blue-green accents made the awkward mint shade into a memory.
After reviewing a shaded sketch from the consultant, the home owners settled on a rich gray green more appropriate for the 1909 house than its minty predecessor	You can reach Lori Mendoza of The Oregonian by e-mail at mendozalori@hotmail.com.

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The Columbian Life

CONSIDER DESIGN, SUN DIRECTION, LANDSCAPE WHEN PICKING HUE

Think of your house as the most expensive and attractive garment you've ever worn. Just as tuxedos and gowns are tailored to the wearer, so should a home suit its owner, according to architectural colorist Mary McMurray. "Not only do some colors suit some people very well and not appeal to others, but some colors you apply to one house and that look wonderful will look bad on another," said McMurray, who consults on designs for residential and commercial buildings.	By TRICIA JONES, Columbian staff writer	"Generally we try to detour them if they come up with a real bright pink or yellow or fluorescent looking colors, or maybe have them try a quart first before everything's mixed," said Don Bauman, manager of Cascade Paint & Supply in Vancouver. "Colors will be very different outside in the light compared to what you're looking at in the store." Like Bauman, Barry Fraser of Vancouver Paint & Supply said when shoppers look at deep colors, he recommends taking a sample quart rather than making a decision based on a store paint chip.
Style of house, surrounding landscape and the direction from which the sun hits the building are a few of the considerations McMurray talks over with clients. "People who aren't trained have a hard time visualizing color on a large expanse," McMurray said. "For me, the most interesting and challenging work is to try to create something that will suit them." Samples of McMurray's work and suggestions can be found at www.art-first.com. While consultant McMurray believes in individual expression, she also says homeowners have a little responsibility to their neighbors. Paint store owners and managers will sometimes offer advice on color selections they think a customer may regret.	Exploring house color options can be an adventure. But there's a line over which bold crosses into garish.   "It's kind of like going to a scary movie," McMurray said. "Some are called thrillers and some are called horror movies."	Even so, depending on sun exposure and similar factors, Fraser said unusual color choices can be a good way for homeowners to venture out, make a statement and feel good about themselves. "There's no middle ground where you can just live with it, like the neutral colors," he said. "You're either going to love these deeper colors or hate them." Sometimes the negative reaction comes from the neighbors rather than the homeowners. One Vancouver family met resistance several years ago after painting its house black with red trim. The woman living there declined to be interviewed, but she said protest died down once it became apparent there were no city ordinances that could force her to change the house's color. *****

see also The Columbian: Basic French Zinc Bistrot rises from Zefiro ashes

see also The Business Journal: The Color Detective

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