Homeowners Looking For Colorful Home Improvements This Spring

CLEVELAND, April 15, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Spring is finally here, and people are looking to update their homes and turn their design dreams into reality. In fact, two-in-three (62 percent) homeowners are planning a painting project, according to the National Home Color Survey from Sherwin-Williams.

From simply updating a room to a complete home transformation, homeowners are looking for ways to add color to their space. The home's most colorful features, paintings/wall hangings (39 percent), walls (23 percent) and furniture (15 percent), are often used to express people's creativity and interests.

"I love to see people get out of their neutral groove and add a splash of color to rejuvenate a room, whether it's with eye-catching accessories or a fresh coat of paint," said David Bromstad, HGTV^® star and celebrity interior designer. "Color can really set the mood for a room and bring personality to your home."

Bringing More Color Into the Home
The National Home Color Survey indicates three-in-four homeowners (74 percent) would like to incorporate more color in their homes, especially the living room (29 percent), bedroom (19 percent) and kitchen (10 percent).

That said, the most commonly used living spaces are in need of the most paint this year, with 32 percent of homeowners focusing on their bedrooms, 29 percent tackling the living/family room and 28 percent updating their bathroom. In addition, 15 percent of people believe their home's exterior could use a refresh.

National Painting Week – Inspiration for the DIY Designer
To help people jump-start their colorful room makeovers, Sherwin-Williams is celebrating National Painting Week beginning April 15, 2013. Each day, NationalPaintingWeek.com will feature color inspiration, painting ideas, expert tips, product information and one-of-a-kind projects from 14 top design bloggers.

"We want to help make design dreams a reality," said Jackie Jordan, director of color marketing, Sherwin-Williams. "During National Painting Week, people can get inspired by a world of color and fun, creative painting projects. We are also providing step-by-step directions for completing projects, such as painting trim like a pro, distressing a piece of furniture, painting stripes on a wall and adding curb appeal to the exterior of a home."

Tips to Rejuvenate Your Home with Color
For people who are considering adding color to their home, Sherwin-Williams offers the following tips:

• Identify a colorful object as the focal point of the room. Select a few colorful pieces to build your room around, such as artwork or a lively piece of furniture. Throw in some fun accessories like geometric patterned pillows, bright lacquered picture frames or unusual light fixtures.
• Explore color. Use a range of color selection tools such as ChipIt!™, ColorSnap^® ColorSnap Studio™ for iPad^® and Color Visualizer to help select colors for your space.
• Highlight unexpected areas. Colorful paint can turn ordinary areas like ceilings, banisters or doorframes into extraordinary spaces. If you want to keep walls neutral, paint a piece of furniture, such as a chair, headboard or the back of a bookshelf. Or balance neutral walls with bright trim on doors, windows and ceilings.
• Use colorful patterns for the illusion of space. When working with a small or challenging space, use paint to create optical illusions. Horizontal stripes can help small rooms feel more spacious, while vertical stripes can add the illusion of height to low ceilings.

Adding Color in Local Communities
National Painting Week is also the time when thousands of Sherwin-Williams employees donate their time and Sherwin-Williams products to freshen up nonprofits, churches and schools in their local communities.  More than 130 local, community projects will be tackled from Seattle to Tampa. Projects include painting baseball fields, YMCAs, churches, schools, Ronald McDonald Houses, Boys & Girls Clubs and more.

For additional information and daily inspiration, visit www.NationalPaintingWeek.com.

About the Survey
The National Home Color Survey was commissioned by Sherwin-Williams and conducted by independent research firm The Futures Company between February 14-20, 2013. The survey polled a representative sample of 1,406 homeowners and has a margin of error of +/- 2.6 percent.

Ask Sherwin-Williams™
For nearly 150 years, Sherwin-Williams has been an industry leader in the development of technologically advanced paint and coatings. As the nation's largest specialty retailer of paint and painting supplies, Sherwin-Williams is dedicated to supporting both do-it-yourselfers and painting professionals with exceptional products, resources to make confident color selections and expert, personalized service that's focused on unique project needs. Sherwin-Williams products can only be found at its more than 3,500 neighborhood stores across North America. For more information, visit sherwin-williams.com. Join Sherwin-Williams on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.

Contact:
[email protected]
Rachel McLennan
Carmichael Lynch Spong
(212) 653-0657

SOURCE Sherwin-Williams