AboutRebecca Bushner Expertise Specifying paint/coating colors or materials for interior or exterior of buildings including residential and commercial spaces. I also do graphic design & color marketing. I'm the current president of the Internaitonal Association of Color Consultants/Designers North America (IACC-NA), a former Color Marketing Group chairholder, and an award-winning fine artist.
Experience I've been officially a color consultant for 7 years, a designer and researcher (tableware design) for about 10 years. I have my own color consulting/graphic deisgn business in Arizona.
Organizations IACC-NA: International Association of Color Consultants/Designers, North America.
Publications NAFEM (North American Association of Food Eguipment Manufacturers, Ceramics organizations.
Education/Credentials BA in fine art, MBA, and have taken the full International Association of Color Consultants/Designers seminar course and oral exam.
Expert: Rebecca Bushner Date: 6/26/2008 Subject: Need advice for painting basement for scrapbooking
Question Hi Rebecca, We have purchased a 1977 home with a finished basement. Currently the walls are a light textured cream with slates of rustic brown wood along the rm, baseboards & as crown molding. First the brown wood has to go. We also are dealing with a brown brick fireplace. The ceiling is nasty (some water damage). We know painting is our quickest way to remodel after we remove the ugly wood slates, but here's where we need advice. My home business is scrapbooking, therefore we have fluorescent lights. I need to know what colors work best with these lights or it will kill my lighting for scrapbookers. I like greens, oranges, hot pinks, blues, purples, etc. We are up for painting the ceiling one color & the walls another. We also have one wall that is completely windows, but right now are covered with the previous owners tan curtains. We need suggestions quickly as we want to get painting this weekend. I have a stripe area rug with greens, oranges, hot pinks, golds. Thanks for any help you can offer us.
Answer Hi Stacey
First, check your fluorescent lighting: you should be using full-spectrum, either Ott-Lites, Vitalites, or LifeLites from LifeEnergy. (Google all of these). It’s imperative that you have excellent lighting that renders colors as close as possible to natural sunlight. Once you have your excellent lighting in place, colors are up to you within these parameters.
You should have flat (matte) work surfaces in neutral colors or wood (fake wood is ok too); and neutral colors on the walls, especially in the sightlines at your workstations. Bright colors will lead to eye fatigue, especially if you are working with colored materials all day long. I suggest tans, beiges, taupe, muted blue-greys, muted sage greens, muted gold, etc. Keep the colors fairly light and flat or eggshell finish. Put your bright colors into accessories such as the area rugs, an accent wall behind your work station (so you don’t see it while working), pillows, chairs, folding screens, an adjoining bathroom, artwork, etc. I think you get the idea. The main thing is, this is a workspace, so treat it like one and keep it soft, muted,& matte for the large surfaces you look at all day. The rest can be fun colors! Good luck!
Rebecca
