Friday Finds: Update on Bud’s Bees Last Spring, Bud and Hans Hirshfield teamed up with the University of Minnesota’s Bee Lab and introduced two honeybee colonies to the environs just outside of downtown Minneapolis. Hive #1 flourished throughout the summer, but Hive #2 lagged behind and towards the end of the summer the U of MN...Read More

The month of March represents renewal and optimism. Winter is behind us and we look forward to the first day of Spring and St. Patrick’s Day. Green is the obvious choice for March, but not just any green. Jungle Adventure 0739 is a classic, organic green with a hint of yellow undertone. Think nature, foliage, a...Read More

  “Home for the Holidays” is the theme for Bachman’s Holiday Ideas House 2014. The Ideas House offers inspiration for holiday entertaining and decorating with vintage, repurposed, and new trends. It’s always fun to see the creativity Bachman’s designers bring to the family homestead with each changing season. KEY TRENDS Bring the Outside In –...Read More

  My love affair with horizontal plank walls began in 2010 when I saw this House Beautiful Magazine cover. The width of the planks and soft whitewashed finish on the pine planks looked crazy good to me. The three blue paintings replicating the horizontal lines of the planks made this corner the pièce de résistance in this gorgeous...Read More

Color of the Month: Glacier Bay H0054 Sophisticated, cool, clean and high-end looking. Today’s blue will add “pizzazz” to any room in your home and our Color of the Month for October is no exception. Meet “Glacier Bay” (H0054). You could say that “Glacier Bay” is “peaking” right now in the trend cycle. Look around...Read More

Color of the Month: I’m a Local | Hirshfield’s 0863 August’s Color of the Month is a great looking yellow with a fabulous name: 0863 I’m a Local. This yellow has life and warmth; it’s bold but not glaring. A range of yellows:  mustard, goldenrod, and dijon,  brighten and relax a room without feeling chaotic....Read More

Paint Your Exterior Trim – the Right Way In these crazy Minnesota seasons, the do-it-yourself homeowner knows that painting an exterior can be tricky. Let’s face it – we don’t want to tackle this project again until we get truly sick of the color. The majority of your home’s exterior trim is wood, which expands...Read More

Color of the Month: Frozen Stream | Hirshfield’s 0669 Now that warm weather is finally here, cooler color trends sound delightful to incorporate into your home. The color of the month this June is Hirshfield’s Frozen Stream, a rich slate-blue-green blend. This Hirshfield’s paint is versatile, sophisticated, and soothing. Blues and greens mingle to shape a feeling...Read More

Exterior Color Consultation for Your Home There’s a home in my neighborhood with a beautiful, new exterior paint job. A fresh coat of paint totally transformed the look of their home, but the paint color they picked looks so bad with their brickwork it hurts my eyes. I want to ask them, “what were you...Read More

Paint Colors Inspired by Spring Break It’s spring break season, and if my Facebook friends are any indication, throngs of Midwesterners are heading south to warmer climates and sandy beaches. When you’re at the seashore, it’s wonderful to get away from the hustle and bustle of dreary, blah, cold life here in the Midwest. The...Read More