Choosing and exterior paint color for a house is a decision that should be made with careful thought. It is one that the homeowner will have to live with for a long time. In Marietta, Georgia, the average life of exterior house paint is about eight years, depending on the type chosen. One color is difficult for many people to compromise upon, but the possibilities are endless and there should be some hue that everyone in the household can find agreeable.

Color

Look at the other homes in the neighborhood. Choose a color scheme that will blend in to some degree. Bright and dark colors are more likely to fade. However, bright colors are cheerful and make a house stand out more. The darker the color, the less likely it is to show dirt. Even if the homeowner is comfortable with the former house color, choosing a new one can be a refreshing change. Find a coordinating or contrasting color for the trim. This can be added to doors, shutters, garages and porches.

Assistance

Some Marietta painting contractors offer options on their websites that will help the customer find a suitable color. Similar to a personality profile, questions are geared to toward preferences of colors, environment and lifestyle. Each question has a number of choices for answers. At the end, all of the answers compiled together will guide the customer toward a preselected color scheme including tones for base and trim colors. When there are many people in one household, they may all take the test and compare color groupings at the end. They may find that they have similar results, or there may be twice as many ideas to consider.

Type

Choosing a certain type of paint will alter the color selection. While the same basic hues may be available in most brands, some have special additives or features that limit availability. Those in damp climates may need mildew deterrent. In areas prone to storms, homeowners may select very durable paint to protect the home's exterior from wind, hail, blowing sand, sleet, snow or rain. Hot, dry climates may affect the fading of paint colors. Some have a longer life than others. Consult the Marietta painting contractor for the best type of paint to use.

Preparation

Before a home's exterior is painted, it should be pressure washed and any old, chipping or cracking paint should be removed. Any gaps in the areas where the roof, siding, walls and ground meet should be filled or repaired before attempting to paint the home. House painters in Marietta should be able to do the job swiftly and professionally, using the proper equipment and materials. The ground should be covered with drop cloths to protect the landscaping and surfaces that are not being painted, such as windows and chimneys.

There are many different kinds of kitchen furniture to consider when you are furnishing a new home. The most important is the breakfast nook set, but there are others. Kitchen island furniture and kitchen storage furniture are other classes of furniture to choose from.

The breakfast nook set is the most important kitchen furniture choice because it is where your family will gather for most meals and where even your guests will join you. In addition, the breakfast table and chairs are the largest set of furniture in the room so it is where the eye will naturally be drawn. You want the table to be as large as it can possibly be and still fit in the space you have. Even if your family is small now, things may change in the future and you are sure to have guests, so you want as large a table as is practical. Make sure to leave enough room for chairs or benches to be pulled in and out between the edge of the table and the walls. Also, pick a table shape that suits the room. For example, if the breakfast nook is circular or octagonal in shape, a circular table would be a better use of space than a rectangular or square one.

Kitchen storage furniture includes anything from a sideboard to a shelving unit. This variety of kitchen furniture is usually only used in kitchens with lots of space. Most breakfast nooks will not have room for extra pieces of furniture after you get the table and chairs in. A sideboard is a thin piece of furniture that sits no more than two feet out from the wall. It usually has one or two cabinets and a series of drawers for storage. Table linens and china are the most common things stored there. Another popular storage furniture piece is the pantry cabinet. If you are not lucky enough to have a walk in pantry or a closet to use, then pantry cabinets are a great addition. It may seem like they take up a lot of room, but it is worth it. If you use regular cabinets to store your dry goods and canned goods, then there will be a lot of wasted space since you cannot see past the first few rows in a normal kitchen cabinet. Pantries will have shelves that are less deep or that come equipped with shelves on rollers so you can pull each shelf out like a drawer.

Kitchen islands can also be considered in the class of furniture because many people use the island to double as a breakfast bar. If you have the opportunity to design your island, then try to get the counter top to extend out farther than the cabinet underneath so the counter is comfortable to sit at. In addition, try to have the outer edge of the counter sit higher than the rest of the island surface. This is to make sure that there is no cross contamination between prepared and unprepared foods. The seating at a breakfast bar will most likely be stools. Stools with backs are more comfortable, but heavier so you need to weigh those options before selecting. Another helpful hint is to make sure there is enough room between the top of the stool seat and the bottom of the counter so that people are not squished in between.

Malisa is a homeowner who loves to pass on the knowledge she has gained from decorating and renovating her home. Kitchen furniture is one area where she is a true expert. For more information on the perfect breakfast nook set or other kitchen furniture ideas visit her site breakfastnookset.com.