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Workshop Offers Painting Tips That Will Help Hue

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By LAURA FRAZIER, The Tampa Tribune

Published: February 16, 2008

LITHIA - Elizabeth Travis was delighted to pick up valuable decorating advice for free at a home decorating workshop at the Palmetto Club in FishHawk Ranch.

The clinic, Decorating With Color, was sponsored Feb. 9 by Fine Designs, a Benjamin Moore paint and interior design center in Valrico, primarily to introduce a new line of paint, Benjamin Moore's Aura series. Brant Wensloff, who owns the consulting business with his mother, Kay Wensloff, said it was an opportunity for local businesses to show homeowners how to use color to feather their nests in style.

Travis dropped by to check out a faux-finish painting demonstration by Kristi Caterson of Dream on Designs of Valrico, which specializes in creative custom painting techniques. The FishHawk Ranch woman said decorators at the event were helpful and sent her away with great ideas to help her apply a faux-marble finish to a wall in her master bedroom.

"It was unusual and fantastic because even though I want to do the work myself, they helped me pick out colors and glazes and shared techniques with me for free," Travis said.

Angela and Richard Kelly of Plant City came to look at the new line of paint and picked up ideas for redecorating their children's rooms.

"This event is great. It sort of stimulates the juices," Angela Kelly said. "I saw a paint with a chalkboard finish that would be really cool for the kids. I could write all their chores on the wall."

Fine Designs offered free color and decor consultations. Susan and Felipe Zagal scored a sample of the new paint in a shade of burgundy.

"All the walls in our house are the same color," Susan Zagal said. "We want to customize it and make sure there's some flow between the rooms."

Rosemary Cosme of Brandon brought family members to get a glimpse of the Palmetto Club, where her daughter will be married Nov. 2. After a tour of the building, the ladies happily stumbled upon the workshop. They perused the displays and picked up a free vanilla coffee crème offered by Joffrey's Cafe of Valrico.

"We learned some great decorating ideas, and also that there is live music at Joffrey's 'til 10 p.m. on Fridays, so we plan to check it out," Cosme said.

Debbie Ploor, owner of Orange Home Accessories in Valrico, said it was an opportunity for businesses to get together and illustrate how their diverse products and services can combine to create a cohesive, fashionable decor.

"People have a hard time pulling a room together," Ploor said. "All these businesses here, we have a nice partnership. Someone working with decorators at Fine Designs can bring their paint colors here, and we can show them how to incorporate accessories into the room. It's all about color."

Using color as a guide, Ploor said, "You can build an entire room around one object that you really love."

COLOR TRENDS 2008

Home decorating color trends for 2008 fall into three categories: Eclectic Chic, celebrating the spirit of individuality; Pure Harmony, in tune with the movement back toward nature; and Global Artisan, reflecting the world's artistry and beauty.

•In Eclectic Chic, refined taste meets relaxed lifestyle. It is a cosmopolitan, sophisticated palette that includes soft violets and sages, sleek greens and blues and rich terra cotta paired with plum and warm neutrals.

•Pure Harmony is an organic, timeless color scheme, inspired by light, air, water and earth - the elements of nature. Beautiful, serene shades reminiscent of clouds, foliage, driftwood, stones and sand harmonize with cheerful, warm, sunlit colors and ethereal blue accents.

•The Global Artisan palette, with its worldly, exotic feel, features deeper hues of delectable spicy tones of paprika, cinnamon and golden curry, along with saturated, jeweled hues of blue, green and gold.

Source: Fine Designs of Valrico

Reporter Laura Frazier can be reached at (813) 657-4523 or lfrazier@tampatrib.com.

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