Natura

What a wonderful time of year!...unless you're not quite happy with the walls you're at which you are staring. If your walls need a fresh coat of paint or a fresh color, it's always the perfect time of year to paint. Natura is the perfect paint to use. It has zero VOC's even after tinting, and virtually no odor. Natura is available in any color and it is washable in the eggshell or semi-gloss finish. So give yourself a fresh perspective. You might as well enjoy the walls you'll be staring at for the rest of the winter.

Hollywood loves Detroit!

Over the past 5 months Teknicolors has taken part in the making of "Red Dawn". We supplied everything from paint, to fullers earth and powdered graphite. It was a sincere pleasure to work with the art and construction teams from both the local and Hollywood teams. We were able to develop a friendship as well as a mutual trust with the entire crew. We look forward to many more movies being made in Michigan. Thanks "Red Dawn"!

'Mich., Detroit have so much to offer'
I would like to extend a sincere thank you to the wonderful people of Detroit for opening your city to us while filming "Red Dawn" for the past several months.

I was less than thrilled when I heard we would be shooting "Red Dawn" in Detroit as result of Michigan's film incentive program, and I couldn't have been more wrong. Instead of all the bad press that I have read and heard about, I found a fantastic, if somewhat challenged, city that is full of generous and kind people who have a great work ethic and an ingenuity to make more out of less.

You have allowed us to divert your traffic, close your streets, occupy your homes and buildings and let us make a bit of noise with some movie magic explosives. And for this we are eternally grateful.

Michigan and Detroit have so much to offer and I look forward to telling everyone who will listen what a wonderful experience we have had in your city and hope that this is just the first of many movies we are able to film here. Detroit, you truly do rock.

Jennifer Eddy , director's assistant,
Los Angeles

Article courtesy of The Detroit News

Sonu Blog: color

Ever wonder abou tyour color choices? Do you worry that the style you fell in love with is going to change? Check out Sonu's blog for a great atricle.

Sonu Blog: color: "The Best Color & Design Don't Go Out of Style"

Fabric at Farmington

We have new fabric at Farmington! We recently received a new selection of fabrics from Kasmir. Here are a couple of the offerings. In addition to this beautiful fabric, we have a wonderful woman who can create window treatments to full fill your dreams. Stop in today to browse the whole selection.

Benjam Moore on Facebook

Goodness! It's been a while! Funny how life can get away from you and 3 months can pass in the blink of an eye.
I was on Facebook today and found the Benjamin Moore page. It's full of painting advice and ideas. We already know you're a fan of Benjamin Moore, make it official on Facebook. One of the Facebook discussions is about your first car. What color was it? Would you paint your house the same color? I would guess that many of us did not have a choice of colors for our first car. I guess I was lucky because my first car(actually a truck) was dark red, pretty close to our Classic Burgundy color. I can't say that I'd be opposed to painting my house that color. I'm pretty sure I've had my front door painted that color at some point over the years. If you get a chance, hop on over to Facebook and join the discussion!

Doors!

I am going to paint my front door. Why? Because spring is in the air, because it doesn't match my flowers, because it's Wednesday, because I can. Painting a front door is a simple project that can change the look of your home and change your outlook. Try a shade lighter or darker. Try a high gloss finish. Try a low lustre finish. Try a dramatic look. Keep it simple. It's your choice.

When painting a front door, the same rules for exterior painting apply. Depending on whether or not you have a covered porch, you might not have to worry about moisture so much. If you don't have a covered porch, look out for the sun. The sun is a welcome sight these days but it can cause trouble for your paint job. Painting in direct sunlight will make the project much more difficult by making the paint dry too fast. It can also cause your color to fade.

If you're not sure about cutting in a straight line around windows and hardware, use tape. This is the first impression people have of your home. You want it to look as nice as possible. Speaking of impressions, keep in mind your surroundings when choosing a color. A fluorescent green might not look good on a Colonial, but a subdued lime green might not look bad. Take many samples home to see how they look in natural light.

Keep the door open, or at least cracked, as long as you can to let the paint dry. One trick professional painters use is to apply petroleum jelly to the weather stripping before closing the door. This will keep the fresh paint from sticking. Once the door has dried overnight, you shouldn't have any problems.

So pick a color and give it a try!

Spring painting

Spring is in the air....some days atleast. We have been lucky to enjoy a few days of nice weather lately. That might get some of you thinking about outdoor projects so I thought I cover a few basics of outdoor painting.
The first thing you need to think about is the temperature. Most exterior paints can be used if the temperature is above 40 degrees. However, you also need to take into account the actual surface temperature of what you are painting. For example, if you are painting a concrete patio, the temperature of the ground (the concrete) might be lower than the air temperature. One other factor that should be taken into account is the dry time of the paint. The temperature must stay above the minimum temperature until the paint is dry. Keep in mind that most dry times are listed at 70 degrees. A cooler temperature will slow the dry time.
Another major factor of spring painting is moisture. Moisture is a leading cause of exterior paint failure in any season. Any bare, porous surface(like wood or concrete) needs to dry for a minimum of two days after being exposed to moisture. The more moisture, the longer the surface should dry.
All this may prompt you to wonder if you can ever paint outside. The answer is yes, you just have to be ready. If you plan to tackle that exterior painting project, just plan an alternate date in case Mother Nature decides to rain on your parade.

Pottery Barn Spring 2009

The Pottery Barn Spring 2009 colors are here!

Stop in and take a closer look at the spring Pottery Barn colors for your home. We also have the Pottery Barn kids color selection. All of these colors are chosen from the Benjamin Moore colors and may be available in sample jars or larger color sample sheets.

Change your environment

Introducing Natura Paint

Zero VOC's and virtually no odor. If you're concerned about your environment, in your home or on the earth, this is the paint for you. Available in any Benjamin Moore color.

180s

It may be March but we know that winter is not done with us yet. So if you find yourself hatless on a chilly morning, stop in and take advantage of our 180s ear warmers special. We have these wonderful ear warmers on sale for only $13.99! Keep one in your car or truck, or stock up for winter next year. They also make a great gift!

Let's say you just moved into your new home and your fireplace is green, pink, white-basically anything except what you'd like it to be. Or maybe you've been living with it for years and just weren't sure what to do to it. Here are a variety of options.

One option is to strip the brick. This is a possibility but not always the best option. If you choose to use a paint stripper, you could wind up with problems. The first being that all the paint probably won't come off the brick because the brick is so porous. The second problem could arise if your brick isn't real brick, but a brick veneer. The stripper could interfere with the adhesive that attached the faux bricks to the wall. The third problem is that strippers are messy, time consuming, and the ones that work the best usually aren't the safest for the people (and animals) in your home.

The next choice would be to paint. It is always a good practice to prime any surface before you paint it, but especially if the previous paint is shiny or has a large contrast from the new color(for example, white over black). Once the surface is primed, plan on applying two coats of the color you choose. Like I said yesterday, the color and finish you choose depends on your room and the function of the fireplace in that room. Our staff is here to help you with choosing the color and finish that will best fit your needs.

Let's say your fireplace is painted but the look just isn't what you were hoping it would be. There is always the possibility of trying a painting technique over the paint. Once you have a base coat that you like, you can dry brush a different color lightly over the surface so the second color only covers the high spots. This can be done with two or more colors to give a washed look. You could also use a rag or sponge to apply different colors of paint to give different effects. We can help you choose a technique and colors to achieve your desired look. Visit one of our stores with some samples of colors from your room and we can help you get your project started.

Fireplaces!

It seems to be fireplace week at Teknicolors. We have had many customer visit us looking for solutions for their fireplaces. Some have old, outdated brick and some have a painted fireplace that either doesn't match the decor, has a bad paint job, or both. So I would like to cover a few solutions. Today I will cover how to prepare and paint a bare brick fireplace. I will also cover the basic painting today and get into some decorative techniques in the coming days.

The first step is to clean the brick as best as you can. Obviously brick is a very porous substrate and you won't be able to get all the soot and dust off of it. A vacuum attachment with a brush should help to get the dust off. You can wash the bricks with mild household cleaner. Dirtex works well. After cleaning, make sure the bricks are thoroughly dry.

Now that the surface is clean and dry, you can prime it. Make sure you use a primer for the surface you are painting. I am assuming most people have a bare brick fireplace but some of you might have sealed or glazed brick. We carry a product called Grip & Seal that will work on any of these surfaces. If you do have bare brick, plan on using almost twice as much primer as you think you need. Keep in mind you are covering a porous surface and there is the space between the bricks to cover as well. After you have the primer on, let it dry a minimum of 8 hours. The instructions on the can might say it will dry sooner but you want to be sure that all the areas are thoroughly dry before painting.

What kind and color of paint depend on what look you are trying to achieve. A white gloss paint will give you a crisp, clean look that will stand out in any decor. A muted color in a flat finish will make your fireplace blend with the surroundings. A bold color will make your fireplace stand out and become a dramatic backdrop for modern or contemporary artwork. Think about the feel you want for your room. Do you want the fireplace to be the focal point? Then go with a contrasting color. Do you want it to blend with the rest of the room? Then choose the same or similar color as the rest of the walls. Do you want it to become a backdrop for your art? Choose a color found in your art that flows with the rest of the colors in the room. The possibilities are endless!

Check back tomorrow for some painting techniques to transform your fireplace.

Work Tunes

Here is one of our latest additions. The Work Tunes protect your hearing while providing a digital AM/FM stereo, and they are MP3 compatible. They are perfect for wearing while using power tools, painting, or riding the lawn tractor. Buy them as a gift for your favorite handyman...or even your husband. Work Tunes retail for only $65.95!

Catching up

Getting back up to date....
Wendy and Laura have moved to our Farmington Hills location along with some of the wallpaper books, fabric samples, and interesting home accessories from South Lyon. I am back from maternity leave. Merritt is at the Pontiac store. Kevin spends most of his days at Farmington.
I am looking forward to letting you know about the new paint from Benjamin Moore, new painting techniques, and some products that might make your home improvement project run smoother. Keep checking in with us to see what's new.
Lydia

Teknicolors Website...

Please check out Teknicolors official website at www.teknicolors.com.

We have a lot of great information about ourself and our products. A coupon can also be found there!