What color to paint bedroom Help

Andrea Reed
by Andrea Reed
I have a double wide mobile home at the beach, so trying to get it to look real beachy...Iam going to attach a few pics if my bedroom and get your ideas on painting it...I would like to paint the walks teal, like the bedspread but a little lighter and accent color coral...not sure how to paint the walks, half way up with the teal, or do one wall coral, or any other ideas Help please...
  34 answers
  • Z Z on Sep 05, 2014
    Not seeing any coral in the quilt so, for me, I wouldn't add it on the walls unless you are planning on adding it in other accessories. I agree with the walls in the pale teal. That was my first thought. If you want you could do a slightly darker teal on the wall behind the bed.
  • Lex263207 Lex263207 on Sep 05, 2014
    I think the coral may compete with the wood furniture in the room. I would consider painting the wall behind the bed in the darker teal color. You can then leave the other walls neutral or paint them with one of the lighter colors in the quilt. If you are bold enough, you can paint the furniture with CeCe Caldwell's Vintage White chalk paint & seal it with a polycrylic sealer. This color would look great against the walls should you choose to paint them in the teal family. Paiting the trim in the same color as the walls will make the room look larger.
  • Andrea Reed Andrea Reed on Sep 05, 2014
    Thanks for your help so glad I asked about using coral...I just thought if I didn't bring out another color it would be too much teal....Bonnie, I would be afraid to paint the furniture....but thanks Any more ideas
  • Carole Carole on Sep 05, 2014
    What about painting your walls in a watercolour effect (similar to ombre effect but more subtle). I would pick a shade of blue or aqua - something like the sea and go dark at the bottom and light at the top of the walls, then while the paint is still wet, blend the edges into each other with a large brush making random strokes to blur the edges and get a varied tone between the two colours for the mid wall area. Blend up from the bottom (dark area) and down from the top (lighter colour) to mix the two paints. I think for a small space a solid dark blue or teal could be over whelming. You could try this effect on one of the smaller walls and if you like it - do it on all walls. Painting your bedroom furniture white would also make the room look more spacious and fit in better with your ocean theme. Add some beachy elements to the room. You could paint the drawer fronts in a contrast colour or do the whole set white which would showcase the walls and make them more of the main feature in the room. Beachy elements need not be expensive to add. Some found objects such as driftwood, shells, sand - coloured layers of sand in a recycled large food jar. Tea towels and fabric stretched over a dollar store canvas could bring in some pops of colour. If you stick to your beach theme. These are an inexpensive way to bring in some art works. The canvas is very light to hang. You can use twine and eye hooks on the frames ( the eye hooks easily screw into the soft wood) and those sticky back hooks to hang on the walls. That way they can be removed without marking your walls. Or if you fancy paint your own signs. Something like - This Way To the Beach and an arrow - or a no swimming sign or sign that says Beware Jellyfish or Sharks or something like that (can you tell I live in Australia - ha ha ha!) Don't be afraid to experiment. You can always paint over something if you don't like it and that goes for the walls and furniture too. If you dip dye your plain curtains so that the bottoms are in a dark blue or aqua (similar to the wall idea) that is a cheap and easy way to jazz up plain curtains) or add a fabric border to the bottoms (just use that iron on hemming stuff that comes in rolls from the fabric store) and then the change is not permanent if you want a change later). So many ideas! Above all - have fun - it is your space and should make you feel relaxed and happy! Hope these ideas have given you some inspiration! Good luck!
  • Carole Carole on Sep 05, 2014
    If you are afraid to paint the furniture white - try painting the inside of that bedroom door white first (just use undercoat/sealer and a white acrylic water based paint over the top) Brushes wash out in water - no turps or smelly chemicals required to clean brushes. A light sand first will provide a 'key' for the paint to adhere to. This will give you some indication of the enormous lift that white will give to that room and may encourage you to do the same to your furniture. It would make the room look so much bigger and give you a lot more scope with choosing colours for your room. The furniture makes the room look smaller as it is the main thing you notice in the room and has a strong colour to it. It takes over. If you find a water based undercoat or sealer does not stop colour bleeding through you can use an oil based sealer first. You can paint a water based (acrylic) top coat over oil based sealer but not the other way around. If you paint over water based paint with oil based paint it will make your paint job yellow. Check this with your local hardware store if you are not sure what type of paint works with what. For painting the walls, use a cutting in brush for corners and the edges of door frame, windows and ceiling edges. You can use a roller for the remainder of the room but if you go for the watercolour effect or ombre effect and soften the edges where the two different shades meet to blur and blend, you will need a large brush to sweep the two colours together to blend them.
  • Andrea Reed Andrea Reed on Sep 05, 2014
    Wow Caroke great ideas...and a lot of them thank you....about using the different colors of paint on the walls, I really don't think Iam that good at doing that, you sound like you really know how to paint, maybe I can borrow you here in US...please.....you can really help me, the idea sounds great, but I don't really think I could do it.....thanks so much fir all your great ideas....so now seriously thinking about painting my furniture........thanks all...
  • Jeanette S Jeanette S on Sep 06, 2014
    The "beachy" look is usually very light, meaning just a whisper of color. If you plan to use that bedspread, I would take one of the pillow covers with me to the paint store and pick the lightest shade in that teal family. If you want to accent, then paint the wall behind the bed the darker teal. One of the best accent colors for "beachy" is white.
  • Opal Opal on Sep 07, 2014
    I know we're talking paint here, but I think if you spread the teal around more you might not want to. The teal is all on the bed. Try moving one of the bed pillows to the rocking chair, paint the mirror frame teal or get a larger mirror, maybe change the color of the framed picture, or just switching the mirror with the framed picture for scale, you could also add an area rug, change the bed skirt to white and re-purpose the old bed skirt for pillows and add stripes to the curtains or other accessory type things. Since you are leaning toward coral in the room, go with a pillow or throw first to make sure that pleases your eye. Please post pics of whatever you do.
  • Lesley Lesley on Sep 07, 2014
    I agree with Jeanette and Opal. Teal accents (matting on a picture or painting a picture frame, etc.) should be enough to dress it up. I think teal on the walls would be too much, unless it was the lighter in the comforter. I'd probably go with a neutral on the walls just in case you want to change the comforter in the future so you don't have to paint again!
  • Cathy Kurpil Cathy Kurpil on Sep 07, 2014
    I have to agree with Opal, some very good ideas there!
  • Andrea Reed Andrea Reed on Sep 07, 2014
    Great ideas here, but now Iam really confused.....please keep you ideas coming...love it Thanks so much
  • Terra Gazelle Terra Gazelle on Sep 07, 2014
    How about wall paper behind the bed with the coral and teal in it, Teal drapes.. I really do not see teal in the spread...but turquiose. I don't think teal when I think beach. For me its light gray blues and sandy shades. I think people see colors differently also...my husband has a gray truck with a bit of blue..all I see is the gray, he sees the blue. Teal has a shade of green..and all I see in your spread is the blue.
  • Andrea Reed Andrea Reed on Sep 08, 2014
    Maybe when Iam saying teal I mean turquoise....the colors in my spread...but if I paint the walls the turquoise, what do you all think about going half way up with that color and leaving the top part the white...ideas want to do this project real soon....thanks everyone...can anyone do a mock up with the colors for me ....please
  • Chris Malans Chris Malans on Sep 09, 2014
    ok lots of ideas wow! and im all about beach :) 1st if you raise the curtain all the way up to the ceiling it gives the wall and room a taller effect for the ceiling :) i did it to mine amazing. if you want to go beach you have to go lighter. pale,pale colors. painting the furniture will really lighten up a lot. I saw your afraid ,but its really easy and fun. I redo furniture all the time just because i love to see the outcome. You can paint the ceiling too. take that little mirror and shell it up! :) i have a little business you can get ideas of things. tinasthriftytreasure on etsy.com . you can wrap the lamp shade in burlap or even get a bigger lamp for night stand and put the smaller one on dresser :) i wish i could come over and help you :) i love this stuff :) frame out the beach picture on the wall w large rope around the frame. paint the ceiling fan :) you can do the blades white and spray the light kit a light beach color to give it a pop...move the bed and big dresser to the taller part of the wall that will help w depth of the room too. you can do the color of the walls a pale pale teal~turquoise or just white w one wall painted. id paint the one wall the tallest wall and maybe all the rest white. get rid of all the brown molding and gold in the fan. you can paint the backside of the door the wall color too. spray the curtain rod a color. the sheer white curtains are great! make some tie backs w rope. you have a fun project :) dont be afraid of spray paint and paint or even MOD PODGE.
  • Andrea Reed Andrea Reed on Sep 09, 2014
    Oh my gosh Chris you sure gave me great ideas, I sure wish you were my neighbor to come and help, thanks a million....so would you paint the furniture white or cream....about moving the bed really can't do that not enough room,,,,great ideas Thanks so much, I need you here with me, lol
  • Chris Malans Chris Malans on Sep 09, 2014
    ok can you get a picture in a different angle? furniture...let me look again :) and i think it depends on the color of walls or wall you paint too. white is always great cant go wrong im in the process of re doing one i got off craigs list for super cheap let me figure out how i can show you so you know the possibilities :)
  • Chris Malans Chris Malans on Sep 09, 2014
    heres an example from going brown to white :) i didn't do this but its a great example to show you how much better it will look. never mind i need to fig how to show u
  • Chris Malans Chris Malans on Sep 09, 2014
    before brown
  • Chris Malans Chris Malans on Sep 09, 2014
    after :) you dont have to redo the hardware you can paint it...
  • Andrea Reed Andrea Reed on Sep 09, 2014
    Wow what a difference
  • Terra Gazelle Terra Gazelle on Sep 09, 2014
    Chris, great ideas. I have been on a furniture painting binge...I love the look of painted furniture. It lends itself to a fresh, clean and airy look. I paint my ceilings a paler shade of the walls..it tricks to eye and gives a feeling of more space. With the beach theme the lighter the better..a barely there blue gray or sea green with sandy almost ivory.
  • Lex263207 Lex263207 on Sep 10, 2014
    I should add that I am not a decorator, and so I defer to those people who are. After reading Opal's comments about overdoing it on the teal, I think she might be right. Changes made with accent pieces are much easier to undo than painting all of the walls in the teal family. You know what might be pretty is to add some white(ish) beadboard paneling around the bottom half of the room if you choose not to paint the furniture. The paint the upper part of the wall behind the bed in the teal & the other walls a neutral.
  • Andrea Reed Andrea Reed on Sep 10, 2014
    Thanks Bonnie...the more people are helping me and giving me hints I really like them....well I guess doing the whole room teal or turquoise is out, I was now thinking if painting light coral, what do you all think about that......thanks
    • See 2 previous
    • Terra Gazelle Terra Gazelle on Sep 16, 2014
      @Andrea Reed I love the chest right across from your bed... Why not redo the furniture in a white wash...it would go with the beach theme..very distressed. If not all the furniture..may be a couple pieces.
  • Nancy Hatcher Nancy Hatcher on Sep 10, 2014
    Since it's in your bedroom I would choose a color that is relaxing and easy on your eyes. I would try the palest teal/turquoise or a very soft light coral. If you are in a cool climate I would choose the coral, warm climate the teal/turquoise.
  • Peg Peg on Sep 10, 2014
    I think a light coral would brighten up the room, especially with your turquoise bed spread....I agree with Nancy
  • HoneyHomemaker HoneyHomemaker on Sep 13, 2014
    Andrea, Take a look here. You may find something you like. There is one picture in particular that might give you an idea of what your room could look like. The bed in the picture has aqua bedding. The furniture is white, and the walls are coral with white paisley designs. : http://www.bedroompedia.com/coral-bedroom-ideas/ I was thinking you would want to go with walls a different color than aqua/teal family. Nancy is right about the warm/cool climate advice. If it is hot where you live a very light aqua would feel cooler than the pale coral. I really think Chris was spot on with the advice to paint the furniture white. Another possibility is to paint the walls a sand color and just add coral pillows/accessories to what you have now, assuming that you will paint your furniture white, which I agree is really the way to go. I wish you all the best. Please upload a picture if you can so we can see the before and after.
  • Andrea Reed Andrea Reed on Sep 13, 2014
    Thank you so much for that link, great ideas there, and it's good to see the colors...the coral and turquoise they have on the walls would be too dark fir me would like something a lot lighter.....yes Iam really thinking about chalk painting my furniture white or off white, not sure about pure white, any ideas? I also got rid if that small lamp and got a bigger one with beachy things on the white base, and it has a blue shade which Iam going to paint also when I decide what color...Iam still so undecided.....turquoise or coral....thank you so much.....I will try and post the pic of my lamp
  • CK CK on Sep 15, 2014
    Paint choice is really a lot of personal choice. So I'm merely going to offer you my own "consultation" advice. Just like I'd do for a client :-) 1.You're by the beach so that means a lot of strong light. Paint the walls a fresh white with satin or eggshell finish...not a creamy white cuz it'll look kinda "dirty/dull" with the strong light reflecting off the water, sky, etc. You might want to look for a white with verrrrrrry light blue undertones. Go right ahead and paint the doors and trim the same paint color too. But don't forget to prime first. If you don't prime, everything's going to come off. I would prime the doors but if you use a paint + primer for the walls & trim, you can probably get away without a separate step of priming....That'll depend on how much use your room has. 2.Next yup, paint that dark furniture too :-) You can use the same white color as your walls but in a semi-gloss. The difference in sheen will make them look great! They'll stand out from the walls even though they're the same color. And a bit easier to wipe clean too in semi-gloss. 3.Take down the ceiling fan and spray paint it either white or teal. (Personally I'd go white cuz if you decide to change accent color later, then you've gotta do this step again.) Too much trouble to remove the entire fan? That's OK too. Just remove the blades and paint them white too :-) It makes a HUGE difference. I've done this with several ceiling fans. It's easy and it's cost effective. Prime the blades too, then paint. :-) 4.Carpeting? Hmmmm....seems a little counterproductive at a beach (sandy feet and all) but if you gotta keep it, throw down a large sisal rug under most of the bed for beachy effect as well as keeping some of the sand off of the carpet. Too pricey for a big rug? Then buy 2 smaller ones for either side of the bed to give that beachy vibe. 5. I see doilies. (They're not saying 'beach front home' to me.) You could replace them with something more beachy inspired...say little wicker placemats or runners. Pier 1 is a good source for those things. Or maybe even use runners made from light colored burlap. (If you make your own, wash and air dry fabric first to get the odor out ;-) Then iron to get the fabric flat again.) 6. Keep your accessories simple and few. LOVE the teal candle holders (?) that you have on your dresser. Great color and very beachy. Of course seashells, starfish (I see them on your dresser), a piece of driftwood. I'd find a tall piece of driftwood and stand it up in a corner for an accent. (Make sure it's clean and free of little living guys.) 7. When you take the handles and pulls off your furniture, you can spray prime them and then spray paint them with a light teal paint. Painting these will give you the teal color you want and easy to change when/if you change accent colors. 8. Suggestion: I might also spray paint your mirror in teal (prime first). Then collect seashells and glue them to the frame. 9. Your teal quilt looks like it's going to work great for a cottage-beachy look so you're off to a great start :-) Bonus suggestion ;-) I know how tight rooms can be in mobile homes. We've lived in two. But....have you tried putting the bed on the other wall so you're facing the window? I suspect it'll be a tight fit but oh to awake to see the view! Then long dresser on wall where bed currently is; end table where the rocker currently is. (Do you need that rocker? Is it taking up precious floor real estate cuz there's no other place to put it?) Just some questions to ponder. 10. Take pics, post them and enjoy :-)
  • Andrea Reed Andrea Reed on Sep 15, 2014
    Connie thanks so much....love your ideas, but let me clarify where my mobile house is...when I say at the beach, it's not near the beach or water, about 8 mikes away so I don't get that view or smell even lol, wish I did..I live in a mobile community...so that would probably natter with painting the walls like you said the white, right......great ideas here thanks....please let he know again about the walls since Iam not at the beach so put it, sorry...thank you again....
    • CK CK on Sep 15, 2014
      @Andrea Reed Oh that's OK ;-) Still go with white walls. Maybe something a little 'warmer' then rather than bright white. I'd take in your pillow shams to match the white in them. Or bring home TONS of white paint swatch samples to see which one you like best. Then narrow it down and get a little sample pot. Paint it on a foam board (not the wall). Move the foam board around the room in varying light/different times of the day to see how it looks. That'll help you pick the right white. BTW, I really like your white curtain panels too :-) But your room will look more 'upscale' if you mount them right at the top of the ceiling rather than at the top of the window. Yeah...probably would need new curtains to do that because they won't reach the floor. Or just sew (or use fabric glue) to add on some nice fabric at the bottom (maybe that gorgeous teal you love!) :-) Remember: It doesn't matter where you home is located. You can make it any style that makes you happy :-) I live in a ND town where there is a lot of western stuff (wagon wheels in yards, etc.) But that's not me. My home has touches of French and it makes me very happy :-) We're miles from France, but who cares! Hee hee! Can't wait to see some pics of your redo soon. Have faith in what you love and it'll turn out great! My business motto is "LOVE THE HOME YOU'RE IN ... AGAIN!" I do a lot of redesign (on very small budgets) but it's really more about knowing what you love and going for it than how much money one spends :-) Visit my website to see some of my projects.
  • Andrea Reed Andrea Reed on Mar 14, 2015
    Ok I did my bedroom , now the paint I choose came out way to dark what to do to lighten it up....I did paint the bedroom furniture also, I do like how that came out, but I didn't think the paint was so dark.....ideas please...
  • LeeAnn Gerleman LeeAnn Gerleman on Apr 12, 2015
    I once had my bathroom painted a pretty pale orangey stucco color. It ended up looking like the inside of a cantaloupe. When you are in basic colors, I now get a sample and paint it all over the room in little squares. Of course, my bathroom has been painted now 5 times and I don't like the color of any of them. So I am going to paint it white, with lots of blue and coral towels, etc. At least with white you can change it around. I like the coral color. but it IS quite dark. You could use the rag or sponge on it with a lighter color. I would suggest priming it, then using a much lighter color. If you like the coral, get one of those paint strips from light to dark coral. And pick a color two areas lighter than the one you like. Paler is always better than too bright or too strong. Good luck!
    • Andrea Reed Andrea Reed on Apr 12, 2015
      So your saying priming it, do you mean prime the whole room over and then go lighter , I can't do all that over again....anything easier to do...please.......thanks
  • LeeAnn Gerleman LeeAnn Gerleman on Apr 12, 2015
    I know some paints, Behr is one, I think, that has the primer in the paint. so that could be just one coat. And if you did have a primer layer, you can just roll it on quickly, not worried about how even it is, because you will be covering it. But I can sympathize. Isn't there ragging or sponging with a lighter color that would decrease the color a bit? But that ends up looking like feaux painting. So I'd think of looking at paints with primer in them.
  • Andrea Reed Andrea Reed on Apr 14, 2015
    Thanks for your help and advice, Iam trying to look up about ragging and other things, but then again Iam not good at thus stuff, so trying to get something easy, do you use a white paint over this or another color or what , thank all..
  • Diana Deiley Diana Deiley on Jul 18, 2016
    I live near the beach and a lot of manufactured homes are painted Sundrenched Sand, a perfect light color for accessorizing with any color of your choice. First I'd paint the ceiling and trim designer white in a satin finish which will bring in more light to the room. Your quilt is perfect and I love the colors. The wood furniture is a great addition to the coastal theme. Have fun and enjoy your "new" beachy room.