Kina Design House Since you have white woodwork in the house, I would make the wall with fireplace a bold statement. A metallic graphite would be great (Ralph Lauren Paints and Martha Stewart) !! While you may think it would make it seem dark, it will actually reflect light from the big window while adding great aesthetic and character to the space. The other walls I recommend a light warm gray for contrast and balance. Let me know if you have trouble finding the right paints and shades. Hint: refer to my Facebook for gray sample shades!
joaniek It seems like you may not have tons of light in this room. I'd go with something warmer than grey -- what about a buttery cream? What color are the kitchen cabinets?
Monique Jacqueline Design Details or photos of the kitchen cabinetry, countertops and flooring would be very helpful in providing some ideas. A buttery cream is always a beautiful color and can go towards the traditional or contemporary feel. It is a beautiful backdrop. BUT before making that a final decision, I feel that we need to be provided with more element details of your home. In addition to the requested kitchen details, it would be great to have another photo of your family room. Also, which direction do the windows in the photo face? That would help us determine your type of lighting.
Cheers!
m.
fife2 For room adjacent to the kitchen area, I agree with joaniek - I would choose a warmer family of colors as you want this space to be totally inviting. What color is the stone on your FP? I can see larger windows from above reflected into the mirror - so not thinking light is the issue.
WHAT ARE YOUR favorite colors? I think this is the most important question - what do YOU like? Grey is such a nebulous color - while I think it can be great - and very classy - it is just not warm and inviting - especially with slate blue sofas - it would end up all looking like a blend of not contrasts. UNLESS - this is a look you like and that can be ok. BUT - your decor is not telling me you like that modulated all-one, tone on tone look.
And if you want these two rooms to blend - I would choose similar colors for both rooms. As joan has said, what color are your cabinets?
sookmomof4 Actually we have lots of light in the room. It is a bad pic. There are 5 windows at the top. The ceiling is 19 feet high. The kitchen is white with brown granite. I love blues and browns and collect antique flo blue china. The floors are Brazilian cherry. The room is sunny and south facing. When I took the pic southern California was having a rainy day.
I was thinking of putting restoration hardware cappuccino- but worried that it will be a little dark. I will try to post another pic when the sun comes out again!
Thank all of you for your help!
joaniek If you love blues and browns then I'd definitely consider a buttery cream -- goes lovely with both those colors. I think cappuccino will be too heavy think latte with lots of milk if you want to go in the coffee family.
Kina Design House Love what I am hearing. Some recommendations since you are considering a couple different directions with lightness/darkness of your paint: It is okay to do a dark color in a room as sunny as this- In your case, it will actually be beneficial in bringing a sense of intimacy in a space that has such high ceilings. It will also create a nice sense of contrast with the light woodwork as I mentioned before. I would recommend a darker color on your main accent wall, which seems to be your fireplace wall - the rest I would go with the BM Bleeker Beige. To bring additional pops of lightness/contrast you can use accessories - cozy throws, vase/flowers, white frames on the walls, etc. I just want you to know all of your options before making a decision!
fife2 MMMM - what about a lovely cinammon color for your accent wall? NOT a really DARK cinammon - but this would certainly look lovely with the floors with the red-tone? Yes, now that we realize you have that many windows in the family - I thought I saw them in the mirror - a darker tone than a buttery creame would work much better. Is there a stone in the FP which has a color or tone which could pull all of this together? This could be used for the upper shades of your warmer colors. I do like the suggestion of a more "latte" colored wall, as it would give a nice contrast to the darker slate of the sofa.
As you collect the wonderful flo-blu - which is pretty traditional - and although your floors are stunning - have you considered a rug for your seating area? There are so many traditional oriental rugs available now - I have just seen some great ones, with the colors you like - which pretty much have no patterning in the center portion, and beautiful blues, ivories, creames and beige tones in the boarders. This would certainly pull in your flo-blu and provide you with a nested cozy area for seating - tying all of your colors together.
I have a friend in Charleston who collects Rose Medallion, and has hung all the plates, teeny-small bowls, platters, etc., above her sideboard in the DR. It is absolutely stunning. I hope everyone gets to enjoy your beautiful collection as well.
Can't wait to see what you decide on. Let us know.
sookmomof4 Yes, I have a number of oriental rugs but they hide the floor and I got tired of them over the years. So I have tried to pair down the room a bit.
sookmomof4 to Kina design house
What color would you suggest for the fireplace wall?
But I have been using benjamin Moores software to look at different paints and the room is as you say -very light so I could go darker everywhere. The purpose of painting it is as you said to make the room a little cozier. We end up hanging out in our bedroom because the room feels to cold.
fife2 WOW - Love the arrangement of the Flo-blu - stunning - much like the Rose Medallion I spoke of.
Since your room is so large, and accommodating - again - would a cinammon color work? That is always warm - and would carry the red-tone of the wood ??
fife2 WOW - Love the arrangement of the Flo-blu - stunning - much like the Rose Medallion I spoke of.
Since your room is so large, and accommodating - again - would a cinammon color work? That is always warm - and would carry the red-tone of the wood ?? And it looks lovely with the blue.
sookmomof4 Hi I, tried the warmer yellower tones but it seemed to make the room even larger. It is usually a bright and sunny room (with better weather of course!)
Also, I actually have two displays like that and could do more. I plan on trying to get an Ethan Allen wall cabinet in a dark wood so I can display more of them at once.
I will post later the images with a cinammon color later.
Thank you so much for your responses!
Kina Design House Can you guess out of all the images which I like best? I have worked with many different types of spaces and color is definitely One off specialties. I used my behr color app with a generic fireplace room to give you an idea of a nice color contrast. Don't be afraid, but I do recommend sampling paints before committing to the entire space. The colors shown here are a rich chocolate accent with a soothing warm gray foundation for the room. I would place the accent color on the fireplace wall and the gorgeous plate display wall (the blues and whites will pop!!)
asook wow I really do like that! Thank you. -my question is which color would go in the kitchen, dinette area -which has the brownie granite and white cabinets?
fife2 Asook: What about the same "pallette" like the one above, just another shade or SHADES of these colors for your kitchen & dinette area? I did that for my kitchen - I took the entire range of the colors on one stripe of paint sample - and applied them around my kitchen.
But, I had orginial BeadBoard, the wall above that, the ceiling and then the trim. For me, that worked great. But I kept everything in the same family - and it is very peaceful because it all flows.
I still suggest however, since you like these colors above - and the sofa IS slate blue - to perhaps think about warming this a little - with a slight warmer base (cinammon - Again) get over the "cold feeling" you said you did not like about your room? Would you be at all interested in trying this? With your beautiful floors - I just do not see a flat brown bringing your room the warmth you speak of wanting.
it would still be within the range of the colors in the pix's above - just warmed up.
I think they still have those little sample cans you can purchase - to try out individual paints?
asook Thank you all so much for your comments. I played around with colors and found some brown colors I like. Although I do like the grays, especially the gray-browns, I am not confident of my ability to make them work with the room and the rest of the house -the room opens to the second floor.
karen paul interiors I looked at your first photo and know for a fact, you cannot do this well on line. Find a good paint consultant with a portfolio that you can relate to. Your rooms are filled with nuance and ever changing light. You need a second pair of eyes on site to get this perfect. Don't torture yourself. It won't cost that much and it will really make a difference as the two of you can have 4 eyes on the space, dialogue, get samples up and come to some good conclusions. Best of luck.
asook Which does everyone prefer? the room has a north and east exposure. It is 19 feet high and has 2 windows at top facing north and 3 at top facing east. And so gets the early morning sun here in California and is quite bright. Later on in the day due to the northern exposure it is not as bright but still a light room. Recent picture taken in the morning.
asook Thank you for answering Billie. The color of the room is now flour sack white and is very yellowish. I am very tired of it! But I am leaning toward the taupe too since it will go well with the kitchen and the flow blue I collect.
But all the designers are pushing gray and since this room is a difficult one to paint I don't want to paint anything that will not be up to date. Therefore I am hesitant on the taupe.
Monique Jacqueline Design Hello!
So here are my thoughts!
I love the Cinder Grey, reason being:
1. Your space looks light and airy.
2. Your blue pottery really pops!
3. The fireplace is beautiful on the Cinder Grey, again, the contrast is what is making the fireplace pop!
The Taupe is nice too, but everything seems heaviers and the fireplace mantel does not make such a statement because it does not have the color contrast. I hope that this makes sense! There is not a right or a wrong, it is all in how you perceive color, which, everyone see color differently. Also, the taupe space feels darker and will be darker, it will absorb the light, instead of bouncing the light back into the room!
Billie G @asook, We are not native Dutch either and we will be returning to the US in 5-7 years. I am also in love with blue and white. I guess it comes natural living in Holland. Choosing a wall colour is so difficult. I agonised for months about it ever since we started renovation of the house. When I chose a slighly darker grey my contractor just would not do it, commenting on lots of very rainy and dark months in Holland. So, I chose Farrow & Ball pavilion grey that everybody seems to like, but I am still not sure. Just go with your instinct. It is a beautiful room now and it will become even more beautiful after you are done. Best of luck. Prettige Kerstdagen!
Cheers!
m.
WHAT ARE YOUR favorite colors? I think this is the most important question - what do YOU like? Grey is such a nebulous color - while I think it can be great - and very classy - it is just not warm and inviting - especially with slate blue sofas - it would end up all looking like a blend of not contrasts. UNLESS - this is a look you like and that can be ok. BUT - your decor is not telling me you like that modulated all-one, tone on tone look.
And if you want these two rooms to blend - I would choose similar colors for both rooms. As joan has said, what color are your cabinets?
Please let us know.
I was thinking of putting restoration hardware cappuccino- but worried that it will be a little dark. I will try to post another pic when the sun comes out again!
Thank all of you for your help!
Benjamin Moore HC-80 Bleeker Beige ?
As you collect the wonderful flo-blu - which is pretty traditional - and although your floors are stunning - have you considered a rug for your seating area? There are so many traditional oriental rugs available now - I have just seen some great ones, with the colors you like - which pretty much have no patterning in the center portion, and beautiful blues, ivories, creames and beige tones in the boarders. This would certainly pull in your flo-blu and provide you with a nested cozy area for seating - tying all of your colors together.
I have a friend in Charleston who collects Rose Medallion, and has hung all the plates, teeny-small bowls, platters, etc., above her sideboard in the DR. It is absolutely stunning. I hope everyone gets to enjoy your beautiful collection as well.
Can't wait to see what you decide on. Let us know.
What color would you suggest for the fireplace wall?
But I have been using benjamin Moores software to look at different paints and the room is as you say -very light so I could go darker everywhere. The purpose of painting it is as you said to make the room a little cozier. We end up hanging out in our bedroom because the room feels to cold.
Since your room is so large, and accommodating - again - would a cinammon color work? That is always warm - and would carry the red-tone of the wood ??
Since your room is so large, and accommodating - again - would a cinammon color work? That is always warm - and would carry the red-tone of the wood ?? And it looks lovely with the blue.
Also, I actually have two displays like that and could do more. I plan on trying to get an Ethan Allen wall cabinet in a dark wood so I can display more of them at once.
I will post later the images with a cinammon color later.
Thank you so much for your responses!
One off specialties. I used my behr color app with a generic fireplace room to give you an idea of a nice color contrast. Don't be afraid, but I do recommend sampling paints before committing to the entire space.
The colors shown here are a rich chocolate accent with a soothing warm gray foundation for the room. I would place the accent color on the fireplace wall and the gorgeous plate display wall (the blues and whites will pop!!)
But, I had orginial BeadBoard, the wall above that, the ceiling and then the trim. For me, that worked great. But I kept everything in the same family - and it is very peaceful because it all flows.
I still suggest however, since you like these colors above - and the sofa IS slate blue - to perhaps think about warming this a little - with a slight warmer base (cinammon - Again) get over the "cold feeling" you said you did not like about your room? Would you be at all interested in trying this? With your beautiful floors - I just do not see a flat brown bringing your room the warmth you speak of wanting.
it would still be within the range of the colors in the pix's above - just warmed up.
I think they still have those little sample cans you can purchase - to try out individual paints?
Happy Turkey Day!
But all the designers are pushing gray and since this room is a difficult one to paint I don't want to paint anything that will not be up to date. Therefore I am hesitant on the taupe.
So here are my thoughts!
I love the Cinder Grey, reason being:
1. Your space looks light and airy.
2. Your blue pottery really pops!
3. The fireplace is beautiful on the Cinder Grey, again, the contrast is what is making the fireplace pop!
The Taupe is nice too, but everything seems heaviers and the fireplace mantel does not make such a statement because it does not have the color contrast. I hope that this makes sense! There is not a right or a wrong, it is all in how you perceive color, which, everyone see color differently. Also, the taupe space feels darker and will be darker, it will absorb the light, instead of bouncing the light back into the room!
Cheers!
m.