Interior Design Colors of the Year 2024

Every autumn, all the major paint brands and color influencers choose a specific shade that sets the mood for the year to come. Influenced by what’s happening in the world around us as well as trends in fashion, design, and pop culture, the “Color of the Year” is chosen to give people inspiration for how to design and decorate their homes. While each major brand goes its own way, there are sometimes overlaps or themes that really set the tone for the upcoming season. Here is a sneak peek of what we will soon see in homes across social media, according to the big names in color. 

Limitless by Glidden for PPG

Anything but white, this creamy neutral shade is warm and inviting, the perfect pick-me-up that still pairs well with a wide-ranging palette. A beautiful canvas for warmer tones, it works well for walls, trims, and cabinets, setting the stage for more dramatic design elements. If you love neutral colors but are tired of dominant whites and grays, this is the hue for you. 

Renew Blue by Valspar

A sleepy shade of soft sky blue, this shade for 2024 offers off-season coastal vibes when the weather turns, the beach is quiet and everything feels calm and meditative. Think fog, mist, clouds, and everyday earthy elements that lean towards restoration and reflection.  This color looks beautiful when paired with other blue and gray tones and really pops with a contrast of gold. 

Cracked Pepper by Behr

A deep charcoal hue that adds style and elegance to any room and makes for a perfect alternative to black. The softness enables this color to fit in as comfortably in a modern farmhouse aesthetic as it would in a more industrial and modern apartment. If you’ve ever wanted to paint a whole room black but your nerves got the best of you, this is the color that fits the bill. 

Persimmon by HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams

The most vibrant of the picks so far, this color offers the warmth of a Tuscan country estate. A far cry from Barbie, this is pink all grown up with a sophistication that feels elegant and inviting. Warm orange tones bring a nice balance to this color, especially when paired with tans, mossy greens, and deep gray-blues. It’s unique and unexpected but won’t go out of style anytime soon. 

Ironside by Dutch Boy

Army green with an upscale edge, this 2024 pick feels ultra-earthy and sets the stage for settling in. We like the way Dutch Boy uses Ironside as an alternative trim color to typical white or black tones, pairing the deep green with peach and blue hues for a look that’s unique. We would pick this for a masculine retreat, office, or as a way to bring nature into the home. 

Bob O’Donnell is the owner of O’Donnell Bros. Inc., a Bristol-based home improvement company established in 1975. Email your questions to info@odonnellbros.com with the subject line “Ask the Pro.” All questions may be considered for publication. To contact Bob for your remodeling needs, call O’Donnell Bros. Inc. at (860) 589-5155 or visit http://www.odonnellbros.com. Advice is for guidance only.

Be Aware of Ice Dams After a Major Winter Storm

With our first official storm in the books, now is a perfect time to talk about how dangerous winter weather can be for your house. We all know that major snowfall, freezing rain, and sleet make for icy conditions on sidewalks and in your driveway, but what about on your roof? Sure, icicles might look pretty, the ice dams creating them can result in major leaks in your attic, ceiling, and interior walls.

An ice dam forms when heavy snow blankets the roof, forming an extra layer of insulation. As warm air rises from your house and up through your attic, it causes the layer of snow closest to the roof to melt and the water to slide down into the gutters. This would normally be a good thing, but because so many homes in our area aren’t properly insulated, what often happens is that the melting water hits the cold eaves of the roof, freezing again instead of draining off through the gutters. This forms an ice blockage. As that ice grows and grows, the water has nowhere to go so it starts to move under your roof shingles and eventually into your insulation and drywall. This is when you’ll start to see the leaks in your ceiling and walls.

The best way to avoid this problem is by taking preventative measures. I get calls from homeowners to remove ice dams after every winter storm, and for many, it is too late and they are already facing thousands of dollars worth of damage. But if you’re lucky enough to catch an ice dam before it fully forms, it’s a smart idea to get rid of it as quickly as possible.

Firstly, when you’re clearing snow from your driveway and sidewalks, think about your roof too. Removing snow from the house is the best way to protect your home against ice melting and refreezing in the gutters and up the roof. If you already have an ice dam forming, you can use a hammer and chisel to get rid of it, but be very careful as roof shingles are more delicate and brittle in cold conditions. One safe home remedy is to fill a pair of pantyhose with ice melt and lay it across the ice dam so the water will melt into the gutter. If you’re not comfortable on a ladder, call a professional to help you get rid of the ice dam quickly and safely.

These, of course, are just stop-gap measures. The only way to prevent ice dams from forming permanently is to have your home properly insulated and ventilated. More than 75% of homes in our area are under-insulated which causes the heat from your home to shoot right through the roof. Having appropriate insulation and ventilation will keep your home free from ice dams and will keep you much more comfortable in both the winter and the summer. You’ll feel the difference immediately, and you’ll see the benefit in your energy bills too. 

To all of my readers, may you have a wonderful Christmas and holiday season. I look forward to seeing you in the New Year.

Bob O'Donnell is the owner of O'Donnell Bros, Inc., a Bristol-based home improvement company established in 1975. Email your questions for Bob to info@odonnellbros.com with the subject line “Ask the Pro”. All questions may be considered for publication. To contact Bob for your remodeling needs, call O'Donnell Bros, Inc. at (860) 589-5155 or visit www.odonnellbros.com. Advice is for guidance only.

Don't Leave Roof Leaks To Wreak Havoc on Your Home

When rain comes like the forecast says it will, my phone starts ringing off the hook with calls to fix people’s leaky roofs. We had a dry autumn thus far, but as soon as the skies open up, the rain finds its way right into people’s homes, causing dark, damp spots on their ceilings and down their walls. With more rain in the forecast for this coming week, I wanted to address this common problem for homeowners and give you some advice to follow before the real wet and wild winter weather arrives.

If you find a leak, have it checked right away. Leaks show themselves in the walls and ceilings but it’s not always easy to find the source of the problem. Roof leaks generally only surface during bad weather and won’t cause issues when the sun is out, unlike pipe leaks can appear anytime.

To know for sure, grab a flashlight and head up into the attic. You can remove the insulation around the spot where the leak is staining the ceiling. Then look up at the pitch and see if you can see any holes or light shining through. Popular roof leak sources include valley flashing, gaskets around vents, or cracks and crevices around your chimney or utility entrances, but it’s tough to know without jumping up on the roof for an inspection which I’d leave to a professional.

If you call a contractor, he or she will want to thoroughly inspect the roof and the ceiling to find the cause of the problem. Often times they will find corrosion or lifted shingles, but in these conditions where we had a lot of leaves fall in a very short period of time, the problem could simply be coming from rainwater that can’t drain due to clogged gutters. Once the water path into the house is detected, a repair can be relatively simple, inexpensive, and might be fixed on the spot.

While many repairs are minor, it’s very important not to ignore the issue. Water traveling from the roof to the inside of your home has a lot to get through to finally appear in your ceiling, including layers of shingles, wood, and insulation. If the water sits stagnant, it becomes a breeding ground for mold growth which can deteriorate the materials that help your house stay strong. Mold can also be dangerous for your family to breathe in every day, and having it circulating through your home as you begin using your heating system can cause both short and long-term health issues, especially for young children and people with asthma.

Simply put, a roof leak isn’t something to mess with and even if it is a major issue, getting someone to give you options for dealing with it will help you plan for the work that may be inevitable. With more rain in the forecast this coming week and with winter on the way, it’s a problem that’s better for you to deal with now before it has the opportunity to get worse.

Bob O’Donnell is the owner of O’Donnell Bros. Inc., a Bristol-based home improvement company established in 1975. Email your questions to info@odonnellbros.com with the subject line “Ask the Pro.” All questions may be considered for publication. To contact Bob for your remodeling needs, call O’Donnell Bros. Inc. at (860) 589-5155 or visit http://www.odonnellbros.com. Advice is for guidance only.