The Sentinel

Best paint colors to refresh your new space

SNS - The right paint can completely change how a space looks and feels. Whether moving into a new home or simply updating a room, choosing the best colors to refresh your new space is essential. When you choose the right color palette, the space will look brighter, larger, or cozier. Paint colors influence mood and set the atmosphere. Some shades create an energizing effect, while others promote relaxation. Finding the right balance ensures that your home feels inviting and reflects your personality.

Preparing a Room for Painting

Before painting, proper preparation ensures a smooth and long-lasting finish. Start by clearing the room of furniture or covering items with protective sheets. Clean the walls to remove dust, dirt, and grease that can affect paint adhesion. Patch any holes or cracks with filler and sand them smooth once dry. Use painter’s tape to protect trims, baseboards, and edges. Apply a primer if changing to a significantly different color or covering stains. Ensuring proper ventilation speeds up drying and minimizes fumes. With the room prepped, painting becomes easier and delivers a polished result.

Paint Your Room While It Is Empty

The room is easiest to paint while being empty. If possible, schedule your painting and renovation before moving in. This allows you to move into a fresh, functional space without worrying about furniture getting in the way. However, don’t tackle the furniture lifting alone, risking potential damages and injuries. Instead, hire professionalmover.ca to handle your transport to a storage unit. Their services make settling in easier, giving you more time to focus on painting your walls without bumping into furniture.

Best Colors to Refresh Your New Space

Selecting the right colors to refresh your new space makes a significant impact on how your home feels. Light tones make small rooms look more spacious, while darker shades add depth and elegance. To make a space feel fresh and inviting, opt for soft, neutral tones or muted pastels. If you want a more vibrant look, incorporate bold hues sparingly as accent colors. The right shade can breathe new life into a room without requiring a complete renovation.

Soft Neutrals for a Timeless Look

Neutral tones work well in any home. They provide a fresh, clean look and allow flexibility when decorating. Warm white adds a creamy touch that pairs well with natural materials. Soft beige is ideal for creating a cozy and inviting atmosphere. Light gray offers a modern and sophisticated feel that suits any room, while greige, a mix of gray and beige, brings the best of both worlds with its balance of warmth and coolness. Neutrals create an excellent base for adding accent colors through furniture, textiles, and decor.

Earthy Tones for a Natural Feel

Earthy colors bring a grounding and calming effect. These hues connect your space to nature, making rooms feel harmonious. Olive green adds a natural, refreshing touch to living spaces. Terracotta brings warmth and richness, making it perfect for accent walls. Deep brown creates a sense of comfort and coziness, while warm clay, a soft blend of orange and brown, enhances natural light. Using earthy tones makes your home more cozy and enhances the natural elements in your home, such as wood furniture and plants.

Soft Blues and Greens for a Calming Atmosphere

Blue and green shades have a calming effect and work well in bedrooms, bathrooms, and living spaces. Sky blue creates an airy, refreshing ambiance, while sage green is a muted, soothing shade that adds a subtle pop of color. Teal, a mix of blue and green, adds depth and personality, and pale aqua is a soft and gentle shade that promotes relaxation. These colors work well with both contemporary and traditional interiors.

Bold and Dark Shades for Drama and Sophistication

For a dramatic look, deep and bold colors can add elegance and sophistication. Charcoal gray provides depth and pairs beautifully with metallic accents. Navy blue is a bold yet classic choice for bedrooms and dining rooms. Forest green is rich and inviting, making it perfect for accent walls, while burgundy, a deep red, brings warmth and personality to any space. Dark shades work well in rooms with plenty of natural light. Pairing them with lighter elements maintains balance.

Warm Yellows and Oranges for a Cheerful Ambiance

Bright, warm colors bring energy and positivity to a space. Sunshine yellow is a lively shade that brightens kitchens and dining areas. Burnt orange adds warmth and works well as an accent. Golden mustard is a rich tone that pairs beautifully with neutral shades, and coral, a mix of pink and orange, creates a vibrant look. Warm shades are great for social spaces, encouraging interaction and liveliness.

How to Choose the Right Paint Finish

The type of paint finish you select affects how the color appears and how durable the surface is. Keep up to date with home design trends for 2025 and choose a trendy paint finish. Some options include:

Matte
Eggshell
Satin
Semi-Gloss
Glossy

A matte finish offers a soft, smooth look that hides imperfections well, making it ideal for living rooms and bedrooms. Eggshell has a slight sheen, making it easier to clean while still maintaining a subtle elegance. Satin provides a velvety finish that resists moisture and wear, making it a great option for high-traffic areas such as hallways and kids' rooms. Semi-gloss is durable and moisture-resistant, perfect for kitchens and bathrooms where easy cleaning is essential. A glossy finish provides the most shine, making it ideal for trims, doors, and furniture, creating a sleek and polished look. Choosing the right finish enhances both the appearance and functionality of your space, ensuring longevity and ease of maintenance.

Transform your home with the right colors

Choosing the right colors to refresh your new space makes a significant difference in how welcoming and stylish your home feels. Whether you prefer soft neutrals, calming blues, or bold statement shades, the right color choice creates the perfect environment. Refreshing your space with new paint is one of the easiest and most effective ways to enhance your home’s appeal and comfort.

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IDPH reported bird flu outbreak in Illinois flocks, here's what you should know

by Matt Sheehan
OSF Healthcare

PEORIA - Last month, the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) has reported the state’s first bird flu cases in poultry flocks.

In a health advisory sent to long-term care (LTC) facilities, farm bureaus and local health departments, the IDPH reports large commercial poultry flocks in central and southern Illinois have recently tested positive for the H5N1 virus. Farm owners are now in the process of “de-populating” the birds.

Photo provided

Doug Kasper, M.D.
OSF Infectious Disease Specialist

Several counties in northern Illinois have reported events where many ducks and geese have died, referred to as “die-offs.” The reason LTCs received the notice is because many are located on retention ponds that attract waterfowl and wild birds.

No human cases have been reported in Illinois yet. But health officials continue to warn those who interact with potentially infected animals that if they don’t wear the proper personal protective equipment (PPE), they are at higher risk of developing the novel influenza A virus due to H5N1.

Doug Kasper, MD, an infectious disease specialist with OSF HealthCare, says bird flu has really hurt local American farms.

"Avian flu is a different strain of Influenza A. It's a strain that has been circulating in bird and cattle populations for over two years. It has been devastating to those populations, like poultry and dairy farms across the country," Dr. Kasper says. "What was unique was that in the calendar year 2024, was the first confirmed testing where the spread from an animal to a human occurred of this specific strain of influenza."

In early January, the Louisiana Department of Health reported the first-ever human bird flu death in the United States. The patient was reported to be over 65 years of age and had underlying medical conditions. The patient contracted H5N1 after exposure to sick and dead birds in a backyard flock.

Currently bird flu is only transmitted from animal to animal or animal to person. There have been no reported cases to have transmitted from human to human, but Dr. Kasper says there is always a concern about that possibility.

"Whenever there is an animal strain of infection that's not typically found in humans, we worry about the impact of if it were to cross over," Dr. Kasper says. "We've seen this with other infections throughout history. Even within COVID-19, there was the initial thought that it was an animal strain of infection."

The current flu vaccine does not protect against avian influenza, Dr. Kasper says.

"Each year the influenza vaccine, which is made up of three or four strains of influenza virus, is reexamined and matched up to a variety of factors to try and predict which strains will be most prevalent the next year," Dr. Kasper says. "Right now, avian flu cases in humans are so low that it doesn't warrant a different strain that would be much more likely to be found."

IDPH’s guidance to LTCs is to have residents tested for the flu if they are suspected of having acute respiratory illness. Don’t touch dead or sick birds, only trained staff in appropriate PPE should handle with caution.

"The average person who does not interact with poultry or dairy farms is at very low risk of avian flu," Dr. Kasper says.

There is concern that bird flu could enter the food production and distribution across America. This is why the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is closely monitoring dairy and poultry farms, to try and limit any possible contamination of dairy, meat or poultry products.

The bird flu continues to be rarely seen in humans, as only 67 cases (as of January 15) have been reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Most cases have been mild, Dr. Kasper says.