San Francisco Bay Area - Paint color for a small condo

by t3tanya

Paint color for a small condo

It's time to paint and I am completely blocked. I have existing decoration schemes to consider - gold bedroom, scarlet bedroom, white/purple/turqouise living room. I LOVE each room as it is, except for the wall color.. The current wall color is Primer White (yes, primer, shame, shame!) I like the brightness of the white because I get SADS big time (winter depression). I'm looking for a color that will tie in my scarlett bedspread, my gold bedspread, and the living room colors. OR should I use a different paint in each room? (initial reaction is Uggh! unless you can convince me otherwise.) Is there one unifying color and then I can paint an accent wall in each room. I will recarpet in 2014, and may even repaint then. The carpet color now is grey and I will choose a greyed mushroom color.

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Barnhart Gallery Given your SADS, I could see all of the spaces in Good Vibrations from Benjamin Moore.

3 months ago · Like

t3tanya Hi barnhartgallery. Yes! that's a pretty color - although I prefer the more pale shades similar to it in the Benjamin Moore site. Would that yellow go with the red bedroom? I was thinking that the living room can be any color because it is basically white with replacable accessories.

3 months ago · Like

Barnhart Gallery Sure, you can go lighter. It'd be more pastel-ey, but yellows are funny in that the more surfaces you paint yellow, the more yellow each looks -- does that make sense? I think a golden tone would look nice with your beautiful bed in the room with the red comforter -- is there any of that color in your art? It's hard to see. If that's a piece that will stay, make sure your wall color is in there in a close hue value. I'm not a huge fan of white walls, but your LR actually works as is with your bright moments of color. It would also work with the yellow, referencing your mantel items.

3 months ago · Like ·

t3tanya @barnhartgallery. Well I'm looking at those now and what you think of a yellow/brown color. I'm looking at the painting that sort of abstract. And I'm thinking it could go well with the gold and my white living room and the gold bedroom. The color I'm thinking of is in the lower right corner of that one painting

3 months ago · Like

Barbara Griffith Designs I agree about yellow it looks perfect in a small sample and it really amplifies when painted on walls. I would lean more toward BM Candelit Dinner..It reminds me of French vanilla ice cream. Please remember, ALWAYS buy a sample and paint it on a poster board (2 coats) and tape on all the walls of a room..look at it in day and night light. Keep in mind..your space will get much larger if you paint the ceiling the same color.

3 months ago · Like ·

t3tanya Am I correct/wrong in wanting to paint the walls of my 1000 sq ft condo all in the same color? I see that Candle lit dinner goes with Mink and butternut squash. I can see that as a pallet....

3 months ago · Like ·

t3tanya The related shades to butternut squash - especially French Manicure and Creamy Satin. I think this goes with the three color schemes, is warm in tone, and is not such a leap away from my tried-and-true white. Opinions?

3 months ago · Like

decoenthusiaste I like working a color strip to death, so that should do it for your dilemma. Personally, I think a rearrangement of the furniture and elimination of the artificial plants would do a lot for your spaces.

3 months ago · Like ·

hollybar Testing colors in the room(s) is key. One of my favorites in this yellowish range is BM Milkyway. It has a quiet clarity and a freshness that I really like.
Good luck on finding your happiest shade.

3 months ago · Like

t3tanya @decoenthusiaste. Funny you should say that about the plants. I recently took them to church for a special event and lived without them for a few weeks. It felt bare at the time, but now it feels like a Micahels store!!! Too much. I have zero confidence with visual decisions,but thank God, my sister is visiting me soon and she's the bomb!!! I even asked her to help me with my forest when she comes.

3 months ago · Like

t3tanya @ hollybar. I agree that Milkyway is a good pure color. I think I like the rose undertones to the French Manicure to pick up the red in one room and the rust in the other. I feel content enough with that choice to go out and get a sample for the foam core swatch.

3 months ago · Like

Ann Alderson Decoenthustiaste is right, do stay on one color strip and remove the soul-sucking artificial dust catchers (every last one of them!). Nothing wrong with seeing the corners of your rooms! Also, removing the dark curtain valence in your bedroom would lighten and update that window treatment. Do all this before your sister visits so she can work with what's left. Have fun!

3 months ago · Like

Mary Bona I'd do the bedrooms different colors. Contrary to popular belief, yellow has been shown to make people anxious and irritable! Something to consider with your SAD. It typically does not have that sunshine happy effect on people...if you do go with yellow, I'd choose a white with a hint of yellow in it to get a mellow, creamy yellow and not something too sunny. I use Behr "Raffia Cream" for a mellow yellow. I've attached a pic where I used in a room that was windowless and cavernous...

3 months ago · Like

t3tanya @Bona Properties - Beautiful laundry room - it's such a warm, inviting nuetral. I did not know that about yellow's agitating qualities. Good to know!! I think the red bedroom is screaming out for a light,yet cool toned taupe. I just didn't want to do the same to the gold room and was looking for one color. Maybe I don't have to do that. Good advice - thanks.
@Ann - Remove the valance - yeah... that's been up there for about 10 years. Maybe I should ask sister to really rethink every thing. I am doing a homeexchange in Amsterdam with another single woman for six weeks - in about 50 days. These pics are from my home exchange site, so maybe I shouldn't change too much before she arrives. Her home is more streamlined than mine.

3 months ago · Like ·

mamachers I have sads also during the wintery months. Most of our home is ben moore goldtone. It is in our bedroom and I wake up happy every morning to a beautiful and cheerful room.

3 months ago · Like

Mary Bona Yeah, it's a study I read about. Yellow is very stimulating and in some people can cause irritability! Who knew...some neutrals that are a soft beige that I like are Benjamin Moore "Shaker Beige" Behr "Sandstone Cove". I'd attach photos of the colors but right now Houzz won't let me! I'll try again later!

3 months ago · Like