Today’s color dilemma…
Hi Kate. We are in the process of finishing our basement. It is about 2100 feet and will have a main living area (pool table, air hockey, TV area, and a large bar/kitchen), exercise room (the wall that connects to the main living area will be half glass with glass doors), a bedroom and a bath.
The bar and pool table will be a medium oak. Our house is decorated in warm earth tones throughout, and we would like to carry this down to the basement. However, we don’t want to simply replicate the upstairs. I would like it to be a little bit more lively and fun.
We have no direct light from windows, so we are concerned about the space feeling too dark. If you have any color suggestions, we would love to hear them! FYI, our contractor includes Behr or Benjamin Moore paint. Many thanks, Francie
Note from Kate–
Hi Francie, I am out of town presenting at the House Beautiful Color Institute in Chicago but your in luck because the very talented Barbara Jacobs will be responding to your question. Take it away Barbara.
Barbara suggests…
You are thinking in the right direction to want to make your more active space have a more energetic and lively ambiance. Not only will it create variety of design in your home, but it is really more effective from the ‘color psychology’ perspective to create a more high-energy feeling in the kind of social area you’ve described.
Having no direct light from windows is not such a problem in itself; it’s more a question of the type of light you /do/ have there. I recommend working with a good lighting designer if there is someone in your area. Color is one thing—but paint is just one part of ‘color’.
Color does not exist without light, and each type of lighting has a different affect on any color. This effect is called ‘metamerism.’ I often work in conjunction with a lighting designer, because I can use any colors that I think best and that please my client , and the lighting designer will create the lighting plan according to the paint colors and the space itself. That’s what makes it really work well – the combination of Color + Light.
So, in answer to your question about color suggestions: In general, your colors can be a bit brighter and more saturated in some areas, and also have more contrast within the room. You can still carry some of the earth tones into this room as the ‘foundation colors,’ and use them on the floor, but add some contrast and punch in some areas.
For example: behind the bar you could use a rich, rusty color; around or behind the TV, a deep plum. The exercise room area could have some Teal accents. Other accent colors you might include in accessories like pillows, etc. (if you have a sofa) might be a brighter ‘tangerine’ orange, or olive green (or both? Depending…) These are the types of colors I am imagining would work, based on your description.
Use a paint finish like a washable matte, not reflective.
Ceilings might be a creamy off-white
I hope that helps. If any of our readers have suggestions please feel free to leave them for Francie in the comments.
