I am so proud to announce that we at G&R Paint Company were recently awarded the 2010 Paint Dealer of the Year Award. This award is given each year by The Paint Dealer Magazine, an industry chronicle dedicated to the independent paint dealer channel. If you have been following our story as it has been unfolding in the past year, you know we have made some pretty big vendor changes at G&R Paint. These changes were made primarily so that we could remain focused on being San Francisco’s Truly Independent Paint Store. To have this recognized by our peers, and to have this story published in the leading journal for our industry, is a unique honor.

Thanks to everyone at The Paint Dealer Magazine, and to all of our customers who give us the opportunity to show our stuff each and every day. To read the full story copy and paste the following link into your browser, or go to the G&R Paint link above.

http://www.philipsperfectcolors.com/PDF/Dealer%20of%20the%20Year.pdf

Congratulations to all the folks at Pratt and Lambert for winning the 2010 J.D. Power and Associates award for interior paint. This award is based on 9800 people who actually painted in the last twelve months with the twenty different brands rated. Unlike some consumer ratings, this one is based on the actual experience of end users. This is the first year that Pratt and Lambert was included in this survey. Now the general public knows what we at G&R Paint have known since the first day we opened - Pratt and Lambert paints are second to none! We are happy to be San Francisco’s premier dealer of the full line of Pratt and Lambert paints. Check out the entire survey at:

 http://www.jdpower.com/homes/ratings/interior-paint-ratings/sortcolumn-1/descending/page-

I am delighted to have been featured in this Sunday’s San Francisco Chronicle. The Home and Garden section has been running a column for the last several months featuring designers and others that are having an impact on design in the Bay Area. Anh-Minh Le was kind enough to interview me and the results plus my own favorites and cheat sheet tips are featured on SFGate.com. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/02/12/HOFJ1BRUDP.DTL&type=homeandgarden.

fog-article1

Recently I was asked by the San Francisco Chronicle to comment on the topic of fog as it relates to picking out paint colors. Some parts of the country may find it hard to believe that in the middle of the summer San Francisco is generally shrouded in a fog so thick that temperatures barely reach 65 degrees, while it can be as hot as 100 degrees a mere 40 miles inland. We have been experiencing this typical pattern this past week so I thought I would share the Chronicle article with all of you. If you click on the link above the picture it will take you to the July 8th article at SF Gate, the online edition of The San Francisco Chronicle. As always I am grateful to the designers who steered this editor my way. Pay special attention to their comments, I acknowledge their generosity of spirit.

I recently completed a series of TV ads that will begin airing on a local San Francisco channel today. I had never done this sort of thing before so it was a very different sort of experience. Now I understand why movie stars often don’t want to see the final product of their work. It is awkward watching yourself talking as if it is casual and unscripted when you know it was exactly the opposite! In any event I hope the DIY tips are helpful and that if you are in the SF Bay Area you tune in to KOFY TV for their local broadcasts of Color Splash and Curb Appeal, where you will see my talking head. Thanks to Benjamin Moore for partnering with me on this.

Janet, Sarah, and Julie of Remodelista fame, hosted the hottest party in San Francisco last night coinciding with the AIA Convention in town this week. I was honored to be a co-sponsor of the event. We had fun transforming an empty shell of a commercial space into a festive carnitas flavored hangout. The offices of Matarozzi/Pelsinger Builders are housed in this uniquely green building designed by Aidlin Darling. I especially love the four parking spaces in the rear alley designated for ALT Fuel Parking (alternative fuel vehicles only). This parking lot features small concrete squares that will eventually be taken over by the grass planted between them. Architects both local and from around the country got a chance to mingle with each other and learn more about what a great resource www.remodelista.com is for anyone the least bit design curious. Once you start checking out this site you won’t be able to stop. I am always amazed at the far ends of the earth they are willing to travel in order to uncover beautiful and simple designs. Thanks again ladies for the opportunity to partner with you and share in your vision.

Here is a link to an article that was published in the San Francisco Chronicle back in October.

http://sfchronicle.us/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/10/01/HOOK133KJS.DTL

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In September I had the great opportunity to be a sponsor for the West Coast Green Showhouse. This three day event was held at the San Jose Convention Center and was seen by thousands of designers, builders and the general public. The latest in environmentally friendly technologies were on display. The entire interior of the showhouse (made from recycled shipping containers) was painted with Philip’s Perfect Colors mixed in C2 LoVo paint. The picture above is of the master bedroom and it is done in PPC-V9 Olivia’s Gray with PPC-W8 Susan’s White trim and ceiling.  Zem Joaquin from Ecofabulous.com,  in collaboration with Will Wick Design,  was responsible for coordinating the interior spaces in this showhouse. Go to www.ecofabulous.com to see videos of all of the interior rooms and to learn more about a fabulous sustainable lifestyle.

I gave my presentation, “Why We Gravitate To Certain Colors” at G&R Paint Co. last Thursday the 13th. As usual the information was well receive albeit with a little bit of surprise. One guest commented, “I actually learned something this afternoon.” Another guest stated that she learned more in this 45 minute presentation than she had in an entire semester of the color class she was currently taking! This thought provoking presentation aims to educate the attendee as to why certain colors resonate with us culturally, and also gives them the inside scoop on what the paint industry has provided historically (poor quality colors), and what we at G&R are currently offering , (full spectrum complex colors). This is the second of a series of four presentations that I plan on giving in the store. I have also given this same basic presentation to audiences in Boston, Chicago, Toronto, and Tucson. If you’re interested please let me know and I’ll put you on the list for the next one. If you were present at this last one and care to share your comments, please do.