Today’s color dilemma:
I am really struggling with this - trapped by brick around the lower half of my house (yellow-beige with almost no variation in the brick) and dark brown vinyl window frames. Currently the siding, doors and trim around the windows is painted dark brown as well. We would like to go lighter on the siding but are really stuck about what might fit with the two “set” colors. Most of the neighborhood is 1960’s muted - whites, taupes, grays. Both of our neighbors have mostly white houses. Any ideas?
Barbara suggests:
Try something earthy but not of the same color family as what you currently have that can’t be changed. Perhaps a gray-green-something mossy or sage type. Maybe it could be just a little deeper in color than the brick. It’s hard to say exactly, but this could be a color direction you might try.
Another idea in a different direction: Rust type. But as I often say, it’s hard to make a recommendation without seeing even a picture, so you will have to test,test,test, on large areas, and view the colors at different times of day on different areas of the house - to see what looks good.
Suggestion: Use Tru-Hue test boards or poster boards, at least two of each color and at least 24 inches square for your testing.
If you use poster board prepare them just as if they were the actual siding by starting with a coat of prime. If you use the Tru-Hue test boards they are already prepped so you can skip the Prime. Then roll two or three coats of your color.
You will be able to move them around, tape them to the siding, etc. Do NOT do little brush strokes of colors on the side of your house, it won’t give you a true idea of the color and just leads to being more confused.
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Reader’s color dilemma:
I want to do my daughters room with a beach tropical theme. i would like ideas for the paint color for the walls. Thanks Kathy
Kate suggests:
When thinking of tropical colors luscious and relaxing colors come to mind. I am always drawn to the blues and greens of the sea surrounding islands or the shores of exotic destinations. But colors of tropical blossoms or the lush green of foilage can also be used to create the look.
Palm tree, beach or nautical prints could be incorporated but I recommend keeping these obvious elements to a minimum and using furniture, fabric, textures and accessories that are instead simply suggestive of the theme will keep the room from looking cliché. (more…)
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Reader’s color dilemma:
I’m going to turn this into a bistro. Would love some suggestions. The theme is Mediterranean ( mostly Italian). Inside decor will be darker (mostly reds and browns) Any suggestions would be appreciated.– janemuir
Kate suggests:
I think this home will make a cute bistro. While the darker colors you mention could work on the interior I would start with something a bit lighter on the exterior. It will not only make the place look a bit bigger but will give you a canvas to add some details that can carry your theme to the exterior.
I’d start by painting the main part of the house with a color like Valspar 3004-8A Oatlands Gold Bluff or the slightly lighter 3004-6B Oatlands Yellow. Use a creamy white for the trim that has the same undertone.
I would go with a toned gray for the shutters. Something with a bit of color in the gray but not too much. 5001-4C Slate Court could work nicely but before putting it on slap on a coat of reddish brown first and let it dry. You don’t have to do this to carefully because it is an undercoat. Just avoid sloppy paint spills or drips. Once dry give the shutters a nice coat of Slate Court. When completely dry…and I mean completely…hit some of the high points with sandpaper to allow some of the undercoat color to come through and give you an aged look.
You can do the same thing with the door. You could use the same undercoat color as long as it looks different enough from the door color or you could go with a shade of blue or even use the leftover paint from the shutters. Again give the door a nice coat of a color like Valspar 1008-5A Belle Grove Flamestitch Red and then give it an aged look with a bit of sandpaper.
You can try out the look on a piece of scrap wood to make sure you like the way the undercoat looks when it comes through. You should also test out the main exterior, trim, door and shutter color on test boards so that you can confirm that the colors work perfectly before you begin painting.
You don’t mention if you are going to keep the awnings but if you could match them to the main house color, the trim color or do something a bit creative.
Giving the aged finish to the door and shutters will begin connecting your guest with the theme before they even get inside. A bit of landscaping to anchor the house and a few planters that look like they came directly from the Italian countryside and I think your place will say “Italian Bistro– Come on in!”
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11th Jun. '08
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Living Spaces
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Tags: blue, color-dilemma
Authored by Kate Smith
Today’s decorating dilemma:I have recently bought a house with a light blue carpet running through out. I need some advice on how I should go about choosing an appropriate colour for the walls and decor. I have already purchased medium brown coloured furniture. Can you give me some inspiration?
I have thought of painting the house an ivory colour so it would compliment the colour of the carpet and furniture. Need your advice for interior decor! Hope I am not doomed by the blue! –Melanie
Kate’s Note: During June and July designer and guest blogger Bethany Good will be assisting me to answer the dozens of questions that I receive each week. Take it away Bethany….
Bethany suggests:
Actually blue is coming back in a big way, so you are in a good position! What I like to do is (more…)
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Today’s color dilemma…
I have more of a question than a comment. I have an open floor plan with all white walls that are making me crazy. I NEED color!
I want the rooms to flow, but be distinct. The front room gets a lot of sun and has oak colored bookcases, and a little darker piano. I would like to do a sage(ish) green, pale yellowish and raspberry-reddish colors. It flows into the kitchen with one wall that connects via a vaulted ceiling. The kitchen has med. wood cabinets, black countertops, and stainless steel appliances.
The current decor is sort of country(ish) with black, red and goldish yellow. The living room shares the same wall as the front room and kitchen, and currently has a reddish leather couch that will have to stay and is sporting and “Americana theme” which could stay or go.
Most Pictures that will stay as part of the decor are framed in black. All rooms receive a good amount of natural light Any suggestions?
Thanks in advance! -Mindi
Barbara suggests…
Your preference is for sage green, pale yellow and raspberry-red colors, although you did not indicate where you would like these colors to be used. However, colors of the type you mention that could do well together, depending on their location, combination and proportion. I’m going to propose a couple of ways to do this:
From Benjamin Moore: (more…)
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Today’s color dilemma…
Thanks for finally addressing the bricks…The front of my home has partial red brick and the rest is stucco. I am in Florida on a small lake.
The house was painted beige with the mauve trim, plenty of trim includes the garage. The house next to me had the mauve color shot and painted their house in it. The color is ok but not fantastic. It is midtone. What color can I use. Should I color shot the mauve ( from the 70s) and tweek it a little?
I like colorful; One house on the lake is a violet periwinkle and is pretty. Also 2 yellow houses on the lake. The house on my other side is white with lt. blue trim. Can you please show your color chip selections I just love that! — Criztina
Kate suggests…
I’m imagining that your mauve tends towards red if it goes well with your brick and if you are happy with that color than certainly tweaking it a bit is an option but it seems that you might be ready for a change.
Yellow and creamy tan are colors often used on homes that have red brick combined with stucco but with two other homes close by already using yellow I don’t think it would be best to have your home in this range of colors.
I like the idea of (more…)
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Today’s color dilemma…
My dining room is approx 17\’x15\’. It has a large archway into den (approx 17\’x15\’)which is all knotty pine (not paneling). The dining room is currently white & has been for years. I\’d like some color but am afraid of making the den/dining area seem like a cave because of the knotty pine. The ceiling is white plaster swirls. It has pine base boards and pine around archway.
Kate suggests…
If you fear a cave-like appearance in your home, it would be best to choose a color that is (more…)
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Today’s color dilemma…
I have gold/yellow furniture with bronze/tangerine accents and a deep Victorian rose carpet with yellows and yellow/green flowers. There is dark wood around also in assorted antique furniture.
I have a panoramic view of the San Francisco Bay, fortunately, and am thinking of doing the walls in a water color….I love the water also. How would you describe this color? Can I find H2 Ahh! at CSI paints in San Francisco?
Then what to do with the ceiling which is now white? It is 8 foot tall only.
Thanks, Kate in Frisco
Ellen suggests…
We’d be delighted to send you samples of H2 Ahh! and a complimentary set of cuttings of our other colors if you’ll send us your mailing address. The ICI stores do not stock our samples, they just mix the paint up in their product once we fax them our special formulas.
H2 Ahh! Kate Smith’s Signature Paint Color
available through Ellen Kennon Full Spectrum Paint
There are several (more…)
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Today’s color dilemma…
We took our current cabinets and ripped the white laminate from them! Then sanded the glue off and painted them with Benjamin Moore pre-mixed black! The walls are Benjamin Moore Raspberry Truffle. What counter tops should we use? Quartz, Granite, Marble? –Historic_Bessemer
Kate suggests…
First kudos to you for putting so much effort into your remodeling project. Stripping off the laminate, preparing the cabinets and painting them was a huge task but it looks like your efforts produced stunning results.
I think the new countertops will (more…)
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Today’s color dilemma…
I have a north facing room with two large dark objects– the fireplace and the tv cabinet. The room is currently painted yellow, but I think I need a more neutral wall color for selling. I will probably put up blue drapes to replace the valances. Any suggestions for a lighter, brighter color? –fishface
Kate Suggests…
Since the existing color scheme is already quite neutral I would
(more…)
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