Painting dilemmas- need advice
by
CS
+22
This weekend my boyfriend and I will be installing board and batten in the living room, hallway, and entry way of our house. If you scroll all the way down, you'll get an idea of what we're aiming for. We will be using very similar colors too. Since we have to work with the carpet in the living room (which is in great shape), I thought the navy would compliment the green. Here is my dilemma. The one long wall of the living room is continuous with the hallway. While I love the navy in the living room, I am worried the navy in the hallway will only make the hallway darker. If I opted for a different color in the hallway, how can I stop the navy since the wall is continuous? And should I keep the entry way portion navy too or tie it in to the hallway color if I select a different color option for the top portion of the wall? Also what type of paint should I use for the lower part of the walls? It's a high traffic area and the walls are already a mess. I was trying to decide between semi and satin for the lower portion based on this. Mind you, we have 5 kids.
10 answers
-
If you're going to put white that high up on the wall, then doing the hallway dark shouldn't be a problem. You could even change the ceiling light out, or add some sconces if you're really worried about it. You could add artwork to the walls that have big, white mats and frames as well to break of the dark color. It will look very dramatic! If you want to stop and change colors for the hallway, I would suggest stopping the color right at the beginning of the hall, opposite the wall across from it, which looks like a natural starting point. You don't have to do anything inbetween the colors, but if it really bothers you, you could frame the opening (either the hallway or the other opening to the left of the hallway entrance) in moulding to act as a "breaking point." (Although, it looks like the hallway entrance already has some sort of moulding around it?)
KatAych
on Feb 27, 2016
-
I myself would do only the hallway and the entry way only in the board and batten. Then do wainscotting in the living room to tie it in but give it it's own look. Semi gloss paint would be my choice with kids and pets on the board and batten and or wainscotting. Its is so forgiving, scrabble etc. I like the navy and think it would look nice in the entry and hallway. The maybe a lighter shade of blue then for the living room.
Kini
on Feb 27, 2016
-
Honestly with all the traffic that will happen in that hallway I would not use the navy ,I would go with a medium of a grayish in between the green and navy to compliment the rest of what you are working with. Keep in mind with children and light you need to modify color and practicality. Do not use semi-gloss as the dirt will show evenmore,
Janet Pizaro
on Feb 27, 2016
- See 2 previous
-
I don't think everyone here looked at the last photo which is the inspiration room. The navy color is only at the top of the wall. And just because there are five children in the household doesn't mean they're going to muck up all the walls! This room will be lovely. To help with the finish of the paint, the best choice is not flat paint. Walls painted with a semi-gloss finish are scrubable and relatively easy to clean. The next most easy-care paint finish is satin, which tolerates light scrubbing and can be wiped clean. Eggshell finishes are somewhat resistant to stains and scuffs, while flat or matte paint finishes hold dirt and are more difficult to clean.
MN Mom
on Feb 27, 2016
-
Hi Cindy- this is going to be fun! Loving those color choices : ) Just to clarify, in the living room, you are leaving the green carpet, painting the board and batten white and then the top in the navy color? This is my suggestion: do the living room first, with painted trim and walls. Then decide if you want to continue the dramatic look into the hall. You can always just paint the hall in the white or navy, bringing in one of the two colors from the living room walls. You have a natural stopping point at the entry way with the rug changing to tile. If you decide to continue the board and batten down the hall, you can paint the top and bottom white to stop the continuous horizontal line of the blue, or continue the same blue from the living room. Think about the opening as the fourth wall (because that's how your eye will see it because there is no trim around it). Good luck! Can't wait to see the "after" pic!
Country Design Home
on Feb 28, 2016
-
I like your board and batten inspiration picture. The navy is great, too. As to where to cut the lines when transitioning, think about how the eye travels as you walk from one space to another. I would continue the board and batten and the navy on the long wall from the LR into the hall on that side. I would also wrap it around the one corner on the right and stopping flush with the hall wall. If you are handy; I'd love an arch (small one) in between as in your inspiration picture. You could put windows in the arch to still let light in, and even do small windows along the left side to put a fab entry to your LR. White hall will look best, I think. I wouldn't do the board and batten there...gets beat up with kids, pets, etc... 5 kids...I get it. I trained my kids to keep their hands off the walls, I was an older parent and kind of a neatnik. Even so, a fresh coat of white paint is an afternoons work. Consider a navy trim around the doors in the hall? They won't show dirt and give a feeling of continuity from the LR.
Ell4829332
on Feb 28, 2016
-
I like your inspiration picture. As for a stopping point for the navy, why not use a board (from the board & batted and have it go from the floor all the way to the ceiling using the edge of the carpet as a guide. This would give the eye the separate feeling of the living room wall from the hall way wall. This would create a stopping point for the navy and with the door trim and baseboards being white, it should tie in just fine. I would not paint the hallway and entry way navy because with a darker color in the usual small space in both areas, it might make them feel smaller and/or closed in. As for type of paint, ask the clerk at the store which paint is most kid friendly.
Ksm9542
on Feb 28, 2016
-
I would not recommend your scheme. 1) the navy and the green are both very strong colors. 2) your room is very large but the ceilings are not high. A board and batten wall (walls?) will make your room look smaller. (the ceilings in the inspiration picture are much higher.) As far as the break between hall and living room. . . it appears that something is on the wall near the thermostat? Don't understand first picture. Where was that taken from?
Emily
on Feb 28, 2016
- See 5 previous
-
with five kids (small kids?) you probably both have a lot on your plates. What you want to do is very sophisticated and labor/time intensive. If the walls are clean and smooth (as they appear to be) I would leave them for now and focus on the furniture placement, and other wall decorations. If you want to do something that would make a big impact I would consider doing something on that piece of the hall wall that is in the first picture and that faces into the living room. Maybe a big piece of mirror held in place with wood framing put up on the all over the mirror? Or a big map or another big poster that you could glue right to the wall.
Emily
on Feb 29, 2016
- See 1 previous
-
The wall that carries onto the hallway, could remain white, beige, taupe, and the rest of the living room navy, Or paint just that one wall in the hall all navy, then leave the rest lighter. But your inspiration photo is awesome with the navy at the top. I really love that look. and again paint the top of the one shared wall navy, that one wall will not darken the hallway, besides how light does a hallway have to be, add another ceiling light or a bigger light in the hallway. Paint the rest of the walls taupe to guard against little finger prints, but be sure to use a washable paint.
Tara Lynn
on Feb 29, 2016
- See 1 previous
Sign Up to Answer
