We get lots of compliments on our main floor!

If you want a beautiful home and lower stress, work with Emily. She will give your house a new look and a new life!

–Karla C.

Emily was much cheaper (and much more fun) than hiring a marriage counselor.  The best investment in the house (and the marriage) that we’ve made was to hire Emily to help us figure out what colors would look good, and find a selection both my husband and I could agree upon.

I particularly loved the way she expertly and subtly got each of us to change our minds about colors/concepts we were stuck on. We would have argued and second guessed each other off and on for years.   Was a great use of our time and money.

–Maria L.

A few hours of Emily’s time was invaluable, and saved us money, time, and a lot of stress! Our house was transformed with a new color palette, “our” colors chosen with her expert guidance. She also made many helpful product and design suggestions.

Emily helped us on 3 projects.  We had already remodeled the kitchen, but the new cabinets, counter, and flooring did not fit together as I had envisioned. It took her only a couple of minutes to pull out a blue shade from our palette to replace the existing beige on the walls and ceiling.  The color was darker than I would have ever considered, and I had doubts about have the ceiling dark as well.  The result was as she predicted: the new color highlighted the blues in the counter and floor, and the kitchen now looks designer-planned.

She came in midway on 2 bath remodels and met me at the tile store, where I had previously made several unproductive visits.  Emily helped select and design tile back splashes, floors, grout colors, and also a counter from samples I had. Finally, when we did the rest of the upstairs she helped with flooring, paint, and choosing just the right size and color area rug.  I also appreciated that Emily was realistic as to the scope of our projects. For example, she made adjustments in colors knowing that we did not plan to repaint the existing window trim, as it was in good condition.

My advise would be to work with Emily sooner rather than later in your remodeling project! You’ll have a plan, and be assured that your finished project will turn out just as you hoped it would.

–Judy T.

Emily gets my absolute highest recommendation.  I am a single man, and I recently purchased a unit at the new Gallery condominium.  I had no idea what to do with my all-beige unit.  I didn’t know what furniture to buy, where to put my art, etc.  I considered hiring an interior designer.  But I didn’t want someone to shop for me or to select my furnishings.  After lots of bumbling around, I finally figured out my problem: I didn’t know how to choose and coordinate all the colors.  Enter Yelp.  I found Emily and she made herself available for an immediate 4-hour consultation.  She was totally worth every penny.  She had a neat system: she gathered all of my artwork and worked with me to discovery other colors I like, and using a color wheel, she methodically determined what colors I should use for each of my living spaces.  Emily stayed longer than our agreement, free of charge, to help me out selecting a specific fabric for my couch and a countertop for the office system I was having built.  Finally, she referred me to Elzinga Painting, who did an eye-popping job of painting my entire unit on extremely short notice for the best price I could find.  I saw one little flaw, and he came back the very next day and repainted the entire wall.  My unit looks awesome.  Bruce Elzinga, 206-779-9870, is a professional, and a very cool guy to boot.

–Jim H.

Beautiful, cohesive, brilliant – are only few of the many wonderful things to say about the end result with the help from Emily Lauderback of Color in Space Inc. I called her to come over and help me pick out colors for my ENTIRE interior. She guided me through her simple process and I learned a lot about color and their relationships, the energy they possess, and how to create a sense of balance within my own personal color palette – which in turn put me in a place to find balance in other areas of my life! One room flows right into the next, giving my space a truly intimate, yummy, special place to call home.
I did need some assistance choosing surfaces for my kitchen as well, and Emily not only made it fun, she really made me aware of how all the choices made sense! On top of all of that, she has a whole collective of local trades – it really couldn’t have been any easier! All were affordable, professional, and really achieved the look I wanted!!

I have referred her to many friends and she’s created a harmonious space for them as well! I find that after the experience I had with this process and Emily there to guide me, I tend to stay in a lot more these days – she just gave us this wonderful place to call home, snuggling up on my sofa has never felt so warm!
Did I mention that she leaves you with a palette that can be used not only as paint color, but for your sofa, accessories, etc.??! Let’s just say that shopping just became a lot more FUN!

Emily was full of light, energetic, and really focused on teaching me what she knows about color – I recommend her to all of YOU!   Thank You Emily!! And – you were TOTALLY right about the ceiling!!  Folks, PAINT YOUR CEILINGS!

–Noel C.

I met Emily at a seminar she hosted at Space, and just knew I wanted to have her help me on my kitchen and living space remodel.  She built a palette based on the colors I had in furniture, paintings, dishes, etc.  She helped me select not only wall and trim colors, but also surface textures, cabinet and floor stain, countertop, backsplash and shower tile styles, carpeting, as well as cabinet placement.  Everything flows from one room to another.  As an example of how well she worked well other subcontractors, I brought in a beach rock that had the color for concrete countertop, and the color is exactly what I had in mind.Emily really has a talent, and I’m so glad I had the opportunity to work with her.

–Diane B.

Emily helped us choose a color palette for our new home.  We had struggled for a couple of months…bringing home sample after sample of paint colors and putting them all over the house.  Just before the painters were about to start, I took a chance and wandered into Space on Greenwood Ave.  I told Emily my problem and she came to our house later that day.  She REALLY has a gift for color.  We worked through her process and chose an AMAZINGLY BEAUTIFUL palette of colors for every room in our home.  I could have never selected these colors on my own….because they look SO different on the walls in the rooms.  But Emily already knows how these colors “behave”.  For one room, I really was NOT SURE about the color we settled on.  I was having second thoughts and was concerned we made a mistake.  Emily was reassuring.  So I took a leap of faith based on her obvious talent and gift.  The painters did that room first.  It looks GREAT!  The colors exceeded all our expectations.  I would highly recommend Emily.

–Julie G.

Emily has been dead on about everything! She has great instincts and a sound process for helping you create a space you love. We have been very happy with the colors chosen for the exterior and interior of our home. The finishes she helped us select for our bathrooms feel inspired. The end result is something we never could’ve imagined on our own, but absolutely love! Emily has been professional, efficient and an immense help to us in the overwhelming process of remodeling a home. She continues to be our go-to person for the myriad of design questions we need advice on.

–Amy O.

We finished our basement recently and had a TON of blank walls to fill with color.  We had a direction, but really needed help.  Emily at Color in Space was fabulous.  I shared our thoughts with her and she guided me through color choices that would complement both the style of the house and our existing carpet and finishings.  She also gave us suggestions on tile design.  The basement is spectacular – warm and inviting as we had hoped.  Anytime we show it, we receive many compliments – all thanks to Emily!

–Wendy S.

In the planning stages of a kitchen remodel, I was feeling uninspired by the kitchen designer’s color suggestions.  Looking for someone who specializes in color, I found Emily online.  She selected wall colors for my kitchen and almost every room in my house.  The kitchen is nearing completion, and her selections look great.  The colors are more bold than what I (or the kitchen designer) would have chosen, but they really work.  I have yet to repaint the other rooms, but based on the kitchen experience, I have complete confidence that the palette she suggested will look great.

I really appreciate Emily’s approach to choosing color, which is a nice combination of methodical process and the intuitive.  And process she does:  she was at my house for several hours, taking into account my art, furnishings, and existing finishes, finding a selection of colors that works with what I have.  True, she does talk about the energy of color, but I didn’t find this off putting.  We all know that some spaces feel really good, while others don’t.  Many factors play into how a space feels, but surely color is a big part of it.  My kitchen looks and feels great thanks to Emily.

Every room in our house has now been repainted in colors chosen by Emily — all walls and ceiling.  The final result is incredible.  Just about every room and ceiling is a different color (19 of them!), yet they all flow seamlessly.  In some instances the shades are similar, but in others the contrast is marked. It all works.  Our dining room now has dark brown/aubergine walls, with a dusty blue ceiling (and off white trim & molding).  I never would have chosen a dark wall color like it on my own, but the effect is beautiful:  our art and light fixtures shimmer and glow.  The room now feels calm, cozy, and inviting.  We’ve had the new colors for only one week so far, but anyone who has seen them remarks on how great the house looks.

–Kristi S.

Lori loves to travel the world and brings home exotic art from the most remote places. To honor her sense of adventure and spirit, her art guided the choices for the colors throughout her home. In addition to paint, Emily also helped her with some new fabric selections for upholstery and updating architectural finishes such as new countertops, hardwood floor finish, and tile to be sure that all of the finishes are energetically balanced and flow. Her red dining room is certainly the center and heart of her home!

The red of the dining room flows from the art and textiles in the hallway into the living room and kitchen in the rugs.  Creating an energetic flow with color provides for a unified feel throughout the entire home from one space to the next.

The granite countertops in the kitchen provided a lot of color for the palette.  The color used on the cabinets can be felt dancing in the granite and was then carried onto the walls in the living room to create the energetic flow throughout all of the spaces.

Lori’s love for the depth and richness of color can be witnessed throughout her choices in art.  This bathroom happens to be one of the favorite rooms in her house because it feels like you are walking into the art rather than a room.  We selected the tile and paint colors to be the foundation for the art in this space.  It’s how it all comes together that matters most and where we feel the difference in our approach!

Notice how using the wall color on the ceilings in the two upstairs rooms actually makes the spaces feel bigger. In half-story rooms like these, thinking of the ceiling like the sky makes such good sense. When we are outside, the sky surrounds us: it’s not just above our heads. We always use this same principle for painting interior ceilings, especially when there is no molding at the ceiling.

AFTER

BEFORE

AFTER

BEFORE

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We have to point out the effect of metamerism so beautifully captured in the photo of the kitchen. The paint color in that room is the same on the walls and the ceiling. Yet, the camera captured the color as MUCH more blue where it is right next to the cabinetry. Why? The warmth of the wood (perhaps classified as orange) really brings its complement (blue) forward in the paint color. Metamerism at its best: colors’ appearance changes in relation to the other colors adjacent. Magic!

Join us for thee design event of the summer at CB2 Georgetown! This is the first DC Apartment Therapy Event of its kind and will offer even more mixing, mingling, and great design! First up, design and lifestyle bloggers are invited to a special presentation starting at 6pm. It’s a great opportunity to learn more about CB2 and meet bloggers from across the metro area. RSVP REQUIRED.

At 7pm, let the festivities begin! CB2 will host multiple DIY workshops throughout the store. Learn how to use their awesome products in your own home with these how-tos:

- Add drama to your space with a power-free chandelier using Whirly candleholders
- Say “so long” to blank or boring walls with a tutorial on clustering wall décor
- And don’t forget the floors! Learn to create area rugs using versatile and eco-friendly FLOR carpet tiles

We’ll also view CB2’s new collection for Fall and Winter – cool thoughts on a hot summer night!

You’ve seen the catalog, now see the store! DC is one of only nine locations throughout the country. Hope to see you there!

Tweet: #AptTherapyDC and @cb2georgetown

About CB2
CB2 is a community (which we hope includes you) seeking modern home design that’s clever and in the moment, that’s spare and simple but with great attention to details, that’s priced smart so we can all have it all (and feel smart doing so). The only attitude you’ll find at CB2 is creative, fun, happy to share.

CB2 Georgetown
3307 M Street NW
Washington, DC 20007
www.cb2.com

http://www.meetup.com/Apartment-Therapy/Washington-DC/226991/

They had also recently had the dining room and living room painted in Benjamin Moore’s HC-82 Bennington Gray, which was a beautiful start to the home’s new palette throughout. Using the existing art, exchanging rugs in the office and breakfast nook, and bringing a hallway rug into the bathroom also kept the budget very low. The homeowners were stunned at how inexpensive this transformation was and delighted to retain so many of their existing decor items.

1-3 pm

BREATHE BOOKS

Those who attend will receive their choice of one of the eight Dwelling Palettes® as a gift:  a $25 value.  Your Dwelling Palette® will be used during the class as the tool for understanding how to manipulate the energy of architectural color.  Feel free to bring home decor items that resonate with you deeply:  art, textiles, and architectural finishes inform your color palette most effectively.  Having your personal treasures will allow you to experience the energetic relationships with your choice of Dwelling Palette® while at Breathe Books.

Without light, we cannot see color. When we see color, it is light reflected back to us. Color is light, and light is a form of energy with its own frequency and wavelength. That’s why thinking of color through a scientific or physics lens is often more helpful. This energy (color) is not static. It fluctuates and changes, reflecting the light conditions at the time and responding to the other colors (energies) surrounding it.

With the development of the Dwelling Palettes®, Color in Space has found that educating our clients about Color Theory and physics (the science of light), is the foundation of our success. Most individuals have not had the opportunity to enter the paradigm through which we experience and understand color.

Every color has only one complement. The complementary pairs are red & green, blue & orange, yellow & purple. Each of the primary colors’ complements is a combination of the other two primary colors. Complementary colors make a complete whole, and what they complete is the spectrum of light: between the two colors in the complementary pair, all hues are present.  Thus using a balance of complementary colors and relationships allows us to experience the Full Spectrum.

In each complementary pair, one of the colors is classified as a warm color and the other a cool color. When complementary colors are seen together, they actually enhance each other’s energy and appear brighter and cleaner. We often say that they appear to sing together. The colors energetically lift each other and are more luminous. (This is the same science behind Ellen Kennon’s Full Spectrum Paint and what accounts for its depth and beauty!)

We can create this same energetic enhancement by using a balance of warm and cool colors. This basic principle employed by Color in Space is unique and operating in a different dimension than just how the color designs look. Using a balance of warm and cool colors makes the color designs feel incredible because of the energy they produce together.

Fortunately, feng shui, the ancient Chinese system used to balance and enhance environmental energy, has increasingly been accepted as a valid and beneficial solution for improving lives in our culture as well.  Fundamental to feng shui is the common sense understanding that harmony and balance, especially with nature, have healing effects.  As our culture is awakening to what ancient Eastern cultures have known for thousands of years, we are witnessing the success and healing effects within people’s homes.

When observing Mother Nature’s use of color, we experience the inherent balance of warm and cool tones and the energy to which so many of us are attracted.  For example, while the main color of wood is warm, on very close inspection, the grain is typically a cool color.  The way in which the tones dance together on a deep level–that we often do not perceive–is the reason so many of us desire wood decor and architectural finishes in our homes.  We don’t necessarily see the complementary relationships, but we feel them.  Humans are also animals of the Earth, and the energetic balance that resonates with us outside is possible to be brought inside our homes to support us most effectively.

Color Theory, the science behind Mother Nature’s divine plan, has been a very effective tool to educate people about this basic principle of feng shui.  Color Theory illustrates that by balancing complementary colors, we can create an energetic whole much greater than the sum of the parts.

Undoubtedly, the architectural application of color is an infusion of energy.  We at Color in Space know how to manipulate and balance that energy to better support us.  Educating our culture about the energetic depth of the architectural application of color–the Full Spectrum–not only benefits us individually.  The benefits ripple out to our greater collective whole.  On a mass level, we even have the ability to heal the Earth with the conscious and intentional use of color.

As Lin Yun has stated:

“According to feng shui, our life and destiny are closely interwoven with the workings of the universe and nature.  All permutations, from cosmic to atomic, resonate with us.  The force that links man and his surroundings is called ch’i (translated as human spirit, energy, or cosmic breath).

“The point of feng shui is to harness and enhance environmental ch’i to improve the flow of ch’i within our bodies, thus improving our life and destiny.  Harmony and balance are both crucial factors in feng shui – they pervade the process linking man and the universe.”

Also, to streamline the environment making it feel most natural, the trim was always painted the same color as the walls. This contemporary, new, “green” construction is airy and simple. Feels like we’re at the beach! All of the Benjamin Moore colors used in this palette can be purchased in our Cabana Palette® available through our website.

Woods are warm and can be considered as red, orange, or yellow to determine how other colors will relate best. We prefer using “cool” colors as the paint or other dominant architectural finish to give the best energetic balance with the “warmth” of the wood.  If the wood appears “red,” the cool color will most likely take on a “green” cast, “orange” toned wood will bring out the “blue” in the cool color, and more “yellow” woods will enhance any “purple” tones in the cool color.  This is the complementary relationship in action.   The complementary color pairs want to find each other!  The warm and the cool complete the spectrum and raise the energetic vibration.  This is the most basic principle to understanding Color Theory developed as a phenomenon of physics by Sir Isaac Newton in the 1670’s.

However, this can be tricky business!  Complements also enhance each other and make each other appear brighter and more vibrant.  Therefore, if you choose a cool color for balance that has too much pigment, it can appear too bright and harsh!  Using soft, muted cool colors work best.  On their own, one may even call them “gray.”  But as soon as it’s next to the wood, suddenly it’s blue, green, or purple.  Magic!

This is why we have to see the colors we’re considering in isolation with the other finishes that will be present when the painting is all done.  Use swatches that are a single color with no white borders for the most accurate read.  We have found that 4″ swatches are best because our eyes can take in the entire relationship in one shot.  If the swatches are too big, our eyes are busy scanning rather than feeling the relationship.  When the swatches are too small, there is not enough there to feel the influence of the colors’ relationship to each other.  This is why the Dwelling Palettes were developed with Benjamin Moore Paint 4″ swatches.  The swatches can be considered as mini models of your walls.

Also remember, if the swatches are mini models of your walls, light is the other component of metamerism.  Hold the swatches vertically when you are assessing their relationship to the wood architectural finishes…unless of course, you are considering painting your floor with that color!