Asked on Feb 08, 2015
Paint colors
by
Glenda B
+22
We have an open floor plan with entry, dining room, living room, kitchen, and den all flowing together. When we moved in 10 years ago we had everything faux painted, a golden color and it cost a fortune. Anyway we are sick of the color and would like to know what color we should paint it. My husband is a school teacher so we don't have tons of money to spend and are too elderly to do it ourselves. Looking for suggestions.
Looking into living room from large arch in dining room.
14 answers
-
..I believe your room, although lovely, needs ' lightening up ", this will go a long way in making it feel ' fresh". Personally, I like a VERY soft beigey -yellow on living room walls. its neutral and goes with many other colors, and is easy to decorate around. I would suggest maybe replacing the draperies with something lighter in color, that compliments your other furnishings.
Shelby @ The Weathered Barn Studio
on Feb 08, 2015
- See 1 previous
-
Call some of your local paint stores and ask them to give you names of paint contractors. If you want a regular paint finish for your walls the price shouldn't be nearly as high as that decorative finish you have now. Your room is large and you have those nice windows.I would recommend a light taupe color.
Kathy Owen | Petticoat Junktion
on Feb 08, 2015
-
Love the warmth and coziness of this room. Love this room but understand you want a change. Have you considered getting a "lighter" window treatment? This might make a considerable difference to the tone of your current wall colour. And/or lightening the colour of your crown molding and ceiling?
Marion Nesbitt
on Feb 08, 2015
-
Marion that is definitely worth considering. If I could sell the drapery for a third of what I paid for them, my husband might go for it.
Glenda B
on Feb 08, 2015
-
I think that you may find a color by looking at the colors in your sofa pattern and choosing a lighter tone. You could also move to a two color scheme by finding and repeating some other underused color from your rooms.
J'nelle Cahoon
on Feb 09, 2015
-
I agree with J'nelle - we have the same situation and used different tones of the same color group. Since our walls are painted with a regular finish, the tones help relieve the blah of a large room painted all one color.
Mary S
on Feb 09, 2015
-
@Glenda B, to save money as the biggest expense in professional painting is molding & trim, pick a lighter tone from the existing that works with the ceiling; as a rule, whatever your trim color is, your ceiling should be the same (in flat finish). BTW, I'm a remodeling contractor with a sense of design, so I know what's architecturally correct.
Jencole Contracting
on Feb 09, 2015
-
You could also try Angies list or find a local handy man with good references to do the painting. The room is absolutely beautiful but dark. Maybe different lighting?
Dee
on Feb 09, 2015
-
About the heavy dark drapes... suppose you didn't use any drapes at all? Looks like living room windows open to porch. No curtains, or very thin airy ones would be so much lighter and more "current". Beautiful home!! .
Donna Bommer
on Feb 09, 2015
-
All colours in your room are in balance, but are bold/heavy tones. I don't think you are going to be able to repaint a light, airy colour without leaving the furniture and drapes looking heavier than ever in contrast to it. Maybe try splashes of bright on select places: a wall, a sofa, etc. Also, is it possible to raise the valence to expose more window? I had those, but they cut out so much light I altered them.
Duv310660
on Feb 09, 2015
- See 1 previous
-
Very warm and cozy room. I would try removing either the drapes or the valances to get more natural light in..you may do both in time and replace with lighter sheers in a warm tone, Perhaps have a summer pair and go heavier in the winter. If you can use some reflective surfaces like mirrors and metals It might help,. I too have a lovely "dark" room with lots of red oak (1907).
Jan Munroe
on Feb 09, 2015
-
I have gotten so many helpful ideas. Sometimes you just need to think outside the box and I appreciate all the kind people who offered ideas. The wheels are turning and that is exactly what I needed ... I had gotten stuck in the ideas of either all or nothing.
Glenda B
on Feb 09, 2015
-
I just did a few rooms in my current renovation in Behr Ultra "Wheatbread" (matte), the trim in Behr Ultra "Silky White" (semi gloss), and ceilings in matte "Silky White". I agree that ceilings should be the same as the trim color. Anyway, the wheatbread is a brownish taupe color with pink undertones, with darkness about a 4 on a scale of 1-10. It's warm and inviting, and seems to go with every color I put with it. I believe it runs homeowners around $37 a gallon at Home Depot, and as a pro I can attest to Behr ULTRA being a surprisingly good paint. Pros get discounts depending on how much they've purchased in the past. If you search for the color on google or pinterest, believe me when I say that the color in your room will be much different. But this is the closest example of the actual tone of the color taken in shade (at least the tone that it is in my house... top photo): http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/aves-neutral-coral-nurserynurs-147858 . As for hiring someone, get bids from a few different people (at least 3). Never choose the lowest bid, since with paint, you truly get what you pay for. I won't even begin to tell you the horror stories I've had to fix from other "pros".
Lucid Designs
on Feb 09, 2015
-
Have you thought about just changing some of the accessories, etc in lighter colors? If you know a DIY'er they could easily take some of your pieces such as your metal wall decor, and paint them a lighter color to freshen up the room. Pillows could be an inexpensive change also.
BJ
on Feb 13, 2015
Sign Up to Answer
