Larry Lane Architect: January 2012

Thursday, January 12, 2012

How to Select the Right Color for Your Home

How much of one color should you use while decorating your home? Here is a rule of thumb that will help you better balance your choice of colors.

Use the 60-30-10 ratio. What does that ratio mean?

When I choose a men’s suit, I first choose the jacket and the trousers. The color of the suit is primarily one color. That choice of color will be 60% of my entire ensemble. Then, I will choose a shirt that will have its own color. That shirt will be about 30% of all of the color. Lastly, the final 10% of the area of my wardrobe will be colored with my tie.

So, in the homes that I decorate, I will choose the wall color that will be 60% of all of the entire space (by the way, I might bend the rules and choose an accent color for one wall – that is an exception). Then, I will choose the upholstery color – that will be the 30%. Then, I will accent the room with another color that will give it a little “punch.” This accent color will be about 10% of the colors in the whole room.

If you need more help with this, stay tuned for an upcoming podcast that I will be releasing soon with more ways to choose the right colors to decorate your home. In the meantime, come visit me at the Ashley Furniture HomeStore at 561 Rt. 46 West, Fairfield, NJ 07004 to get a personal, one-on-one, design consultation that will transform your home into a home that reflects the lifestyle of you and your family. IMPORTANT for your best design, you MUST ask for "Larry" at the front door. Otherwise, you will be just dealing with someone that is trying to sell you stuff.

OK, for you folks that need answers NOW, just click on the the icon to the right of this blog post titled, "Paint Cheat Sheet" to get some valuable tips to launch your home design beyond what you might recieve from any interior designer. Heck, your interior designer should be paying you for the information that you will know after you grab a copy of the "Painting Cheat Sheet."

Click on the "ReTweet" button below and follow me on twitter. I am LaneArch there

What Are People Saying About Lane Architecture + Design?

Working with Larry Lane was an exceptionally good experience. Building anything is stressful, time consuming, and at times, seemingly pointless when you can simply, well, do something else! But if you want your vision, your own baby, Larry Lane can help deliver. Mine was a Bar & Grill in Park Slope Brooklyn.

His company was prompt, direct, and worked with other companies that were professional and detailed. The plans he provided for our space were of perfect quality, and were accepted by the building department upon first submission. That is because he knew the laws and requirements for building my establishment.

He surrounds himself with artisans that know their craft, and is stern in removing them from the roladex if they prove otherwise. Thank goodness the contractor had to follow the plans!

I highly recommend him for your next project. If you have an artistic vision, he’s the one who can put it on paper. If you don’t have a vision at all, and are the business guru, he can envision the space for you. He really is great at what he does.

- Kim Rubens-Quiros

Quiros & Rubens Enterprises, Inc, Brooklyn, NY

“Recently, Mr. Lane accompanied me on a walkthrough of an office building and provided his professional opinion from top to bottom, indoors and outdoors. His professional evaluation service is priceless, especially at the acquisition stage! He pointed out the zoning and code issues that will need to be addressed and how the building can be more of a profitable investment by explaining what would be required to increase the rentable area (structural, mechanical and space planning concerns). He also pointed out some of the new design considerations I needed to know before investing (accommodating the physically handicapped, choosing "green" interior finishes, building bulk restrictions, adding skylights and changing the façade of the building on purchase to attract prospective tenants).

Frankly, I didn't even have a clue about these details which would definitely increase the value of my investment! Then, to add icing on the cake, Mr. Lane provided a detailed check list of the things I need to be aware of before investing in commercial real estate from an architectural point of view. I was absolutely blown away by this priceless document as it has already saved me a ton of time, money and energy as I consider how much I have literally lost and wasted over the years because I didn't get a heads up from those other architects on key things that would save me time, money and energy.

The coolest thing about working with a true professional like Mr. Lane, who actually cares about the success of my project, is the comfort of knowing that someone with trained eyes is looking out for me and my project's best interests from the very beginning. This is so much better than only relying on the contractor or my expertise, because there are so many details that we don't know when it comes to a building's construction and design. I strongly recommend that if you are working on a residential or commercial project do whatever is necessary to get Mr. Lane on your team from the very beginning!”

- Marlene Green

Real Estate Investor/Entrepreneur, Jersey City, NJ

“I think that you did an absolutely phenomenal job at showing what could be done on the property with your feasibility study. It is a brilliant plan and it makes it so much more tangible as to how one can put this project together.”

-Linda Dawson

ReMax Realtor, Bridgewater, NJ

“We are just really happy with it. We were please with the whole process which generally produced results that were far better than what I even imagined. We were very pleased with your services… All of our expectations were exceeded.”

-Dr. Victor Belfi

Client

“I am so happy that we are working with Lane Architecture + Design. We really needed your architectural expertise on this project.”

-Iwona Herdzik

Beton Builiders

“I like the way you talk to your clients. I sometimes forget that they don't understand the DOB (Department of Buildings) language.”

Mitra Mehr

NYC Expediter

“After listening to Larry's presentation to our Coldwell Banker Realtors, it was evident that Larry is a seasoned Architect with an amazing talent for great design and a wealth of information about all aspects of the building process. Larry is highly recommended to our clients.”

-Marilyn Grum

Coldwell Banker Realtors, Basking Ridge, NJ

"We are most pleased with how the apt. came out. Since we were largely absent during the project, I especially appreciate the ease of working with you and Beton. I would definitely recommend you or give a positive reference."

-Kerry Clayton

Client, NYC

Larry Lane Architect

Thursday, January 12, 2012

How to Select the Right Color for Your Home

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

A Daily Dose of Architecture: Today's archidose #548

You and Your Architect by the A.I.A.

What Are People Saying About Lane Architecture + Design?

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