design questions, etc. etc.!
#1
03-13-05, 05:00 PM
design questions, etc. etc.!
hi there,
i'm totally redecorating my 978 sf 2/1 half-plex and need some dec/design help! my neighborhood is cookie cutter duplexes, all earth tones, with cathedral ceilings throughout. per cc&r, i cannot change the outside elevation to look any different than the others, so would like to make some interior changes. i'm so tired of white walls! the one thing i have to work around is dark painted rough pine beams. how are these painted? they seem like they'd soak up paint like a sponge!
i put in new laminate 2 weeks ago, a medium cherry. i like it, it really freshens up the look. i'm going to keep all the doors and trim a navajo white throughout, and am considering a gold/terracotta faux finish for the living room. would that work? my less than year old microfiber sofa is a paprika red. it's great, cleans easily too. i'd like to work around the sofa. what colors will work with this piece, including wood finishes?
the kitchen/large dining room adjoins, but i'm unsure what color for it?? i will be installing new cabinets/counters in the next year, probably a medium maple. the dining room has one high vaulted wall that is paneled in a cheap dark unfinished pine, like the beams. i hate this wall, but the prospect of redoing it seems daunting!
lastly, is the ONE bathroom here. i've chosen a light maple vanity with wheat solid surface top. fixtures are brushed nickle, so is the light fixture and the medicine cabinet is a simple beveled glass one. what is a good wall color that would coordinate with the wood finish etc?
i know i've asked a lot of questions, maybe i should just hire a designer, but that is uncharted territory for me and i don't know the first thing about it. this is my first purchased home and i am basically doing EVERYTHING to it as the previous owners (it was built in 1978) did almost nothing.
THANKS VERY MUCH IN ADVANCE!!!!!
ps - what are the color trends for 2005?
i'm totally redecorating my 978 sf 2/1 half-plex and need some dec/design help! my neighborhood is cookie cutter duplexes, all earth tones, with cathedral ceilings throughout. per cc&r, i cannot change the outside elevation to look any different than the others, so would like to make some interior changes. i'm so tired of white walls! the one thing i have to work around is dark painted rough pine beams. how are these painted? they seem like they'd soak up paint like a sponge!
i put in new laminate 2 weeks ago, a medium cherry. i like it, it really freshens up the look. i'm going to keep all the doors and trim a navajo white throughout, and am considering a gold/terracotta faux finish for the living room. would that work? my less than year old microfiber sofa is a paprika red. it's great, cleans easily too. i'd like to work around the sofa. what colors will work with this piece, including wood finishes?
the kitchen/large dining room adjoins, but i'm unsure what color for it?? i will be installing new cabinets/counters in the next year, probably a medium maple. the dining room has one high vaulted wall that is paneled in a cheap dark unfinished pine, like the beams. i hate this wall, but the prospect of redoing it seems daunting!
lastly, is the ONE bathroom here. i've chosen a light maple vanity with wheat solid surface top. fixtures are brushed nickle, so is the light fixture and the medicine cabinet is a simple beveled glass one. what is a good wall color that would coordinate with the wood finish etc?
i know i've asked a lot of questions, maybe i should just hire a designer, but that is uncharted territory for me and i don't know the first thing about it. this is my first purchased home and i am basically doing EVERYTHING to it as the previous owners (it was built in 1978) did almost nothing.
THANKS VERY MUCH IN ADVANCE!!!!!
ps - what are the color trends for 2005?
#3
03-15-05, 10:59 AM
Member
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: Midwest
Posts: 4,017
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes
on
0 Posts
sorry, but if you want quicker answers you'll have to ask shorter questions!!! 
seriously, please be patient, folks! everyone here is volunteering their time!
now then........painting your beams - you'll have to seal them first with a good primer before you paint, so "stuff" doesn't bleed thru your paint. might want to post that question in the Painting forum for those pro's to get the best detailed advice. are you really sure you want to paint them out, though? seems like a neat architectural feature that will blend nicely with your colors.........???
the gold/terra cotta sounds good for the LR walls, with the paprika sofa. you could go with really light woods, or warm honey toned woods or the dark wood. i'd pick what works best with your flooring. the really dark woods seem to be popular now and will be a nice contrast with your floor (ie won't clash). with your sofa being a bold color, i'd go easy on the other pieces and keep more neutral (khaki, gold, cream, etc) especially since your walls will have quite a bit of color, too.
i'd use the gold base from the LR on the walls in the kitchen/DR. that will give you a nice flow but with a change. and gold (tannish gold like chamoise) is great with most all wood tones, so it's great in kitchens with lots of wood cabinetry.
the cheap panelling on the one wall shouldn't scare you. the easiest way to deal with it would be to fill in the grooves with drywall compound or spackle or something (post this question in the Plastering forum) and then paint over it. to hide any imperfections, use the same faux technique as in the LR on that one wall, which will further tie the 2 rooms together.
in the bathroom, how light is "light maple"? super light? blonde? if so, you should use a deeper tone on the walls to set it & the countertop off. maybe a chocolate? with terra cotta towels? have your purchased this vanity yet? because if it's different than your kitchen cabinetry, which is different from your furniture, which is different from your flooring.........(see where i'm going with this?)......then you're not creating any sense of continuity with your woods. it doesn't all have to be the same, and it shouldn't be, but if nothing else in the place is this light maple, then it might seem out of place and/or too contemporary or.....
you've got the classic problem of a lot of solid colors & no multi-colored things. if you'll be needing an area rug for the LR, since it's laminate, maybe start there & try to find a great rug that you can pull some other colors from. or throw pillows or art work or something, so you're not just pulling colors out of thin air. it will really make this easier for you.
seriously, please be patient, folks! everyone here is volunteering their time!
now then........painting your beams - you'll have to seal them first with a good primer before you paint, so "stuff" doesn't bleed thru your paint. might want to post that question in the Painting forum for those pro's to get the best detailed advice. are you really sure you want to paint them out, though? seems like a neat architectural feature that will blend nicely with your colors.........???
the gold/terra cotta sounds good for the LR walls, with the paprika sofa. you could go with really light woods, or warm honey toned woods or the dark wood. i'd pick what works best with your flooring. the really dark woods seem to be popular now and will be a nice contrast with your floor (ie won't clash). with your sofa being a bold color, i'd go easy on the other pieces and keep more neutral (khaki, gold, cream, etc) especially since your walls will have quite a bit of color, too.
i'd use the gold base from the LR on the walls in the kitchen/DR. that will give you a nice flow but with a change. and gold (tannish gold like chamoise) is great with most all wood tones, so it's great in kitchens with lots of wood cabinetry.
the cheap panelling on the one wall shouldn't scare you. the easiest way to deal with it would be to fill in the grooves with drywall compound or spackle or something (post this question in the Plastering forum) and then paint over it. to hide any imperfections, use the same faux technique as in the LR on that one wall, which will further tie the 2 rooms together.
in the bathroom, how light is "light maple"? super light? blonde? if so, you should use a deeper tone on the walls to set it & the countertop off. maybe a chocolate? with terra cotta towels? have your purchased this vanity yet? because if it's different than your kitchen cabinetry, which is different from your furniture, which is different from your flooring.........(see where i'm going with this?)......then you're not creating any sense of continuity with your woods. it doesn't all have to be the same, and it shouldn't be, but if nothing else in the place is this light maple, then it might seem out of place and/or too contemporary or.....
you've got the classic problem of a lot of solid colors & no multi-colored things. if you'll be needing an area rug for the LR, since it's laminate, maybe start there & try to find a great rug that you can pull some other colors from. or throw pillows or art work or something, so you're not just pulling colors out of thin air. it will really make this easier for you.
#4
03-15-05, 06:36 PM
annette, you're the best!!
thanks for your advice...sorry for my impatience
so you think the gold is what i should use for the kitchen/dining room? i'm going to consider this...the terracotta on top of the gold will make it different than the plain gold, i can see that now.
the kitchen cabinets aren't bought yet, but they probably will be a bit darker than the bathroom vanity, which is a LIGHT blonde maple and already bought. the bathroom is very small (5x7), do you still think chocolate would be ok and what about a semigloss? i thought dark colors closed a room in....
the beams are raw looking, but they ARE painted a dark brown already. should i just give them a new coat and would a semigloss be ok? they are dull now.
one more thing....do you have a link to a good website about home dec trends for 2005?
again, thanks for your help annette. i really appreciate your volunteer work here!
peace!
so you think the gold is what i should use for the kitchen/dining room? i'm going to consider this...the terracotta on top of the gold will make it different than the plain gold, i can see that now.
the kitchen cabinets aren't bought yet, but they probably will be a bit darker than the bathroom vanity, which is a LIGHT blonde maple and already bought. the bathroom is very small (5x7), do you still think chocolate would be ok and what about a semigloss? i thought dark colors closed a room in....
the beams are raw looking, but they ARE painted a dark brown already. should i just give them a new coat and would a semigloss be ok? they are dull now.
one more thing....do you have a link to a good website about home dec trends for 2005?
again, thanks for your help annette. i really appreciate your volunteer work here!
peace!
#5
03-16-05, 09:01 AM
Member
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: Midwest
Posts: 4,017
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes
on
0 Posts
here's my philosophy regarding small bathrooms - they're small. painting them white or pastel colors won't make them bigger - they'll just be lighter & brighter, but they'll still be small. and since this isn't a small office that you work out of 8 hours a day, i personally wouldn't hesitate a second to paint it dark. (ours is navy & i love it!) i'd focus more on making it look as great as possible and not worry about "big" or "small". i think the chocolate would be stunning and dramatic, and good with the light vanity and brushed nickel. it doesn't have to be the darkest brown you can find, but something darker than the flooring & one that compliments the golds & terra cottas in the adjoining rooms. i'd go with semi-gloss or satin.
since the beams are already painted, i give you permission to paint them again! but first, what color is the woodwork in the house? (baseboards, doors, trim around doors & windows..)
and no, i don't have a link for trends. i watch tons of HGTV (and they have several shows about the newest trends), read several home interior magazines (Home, Southern Living, BH&G, etc) and receive several thousand home decor/decorating catalogs a day!!!
so, i'd recommend (website-wise) going to companies' websites & look at their room settings, like Pottery Barn or JCPenney or any company that sells furniture or bedding or draperies or kitchen cabinets, etc. those room settings will be done up in the latest styles & colors. also, the fashion industry is directly related to the home furnishings industry (common denominator = fabric), so the colors you see in the clothing stores are the same ones you'll see in the furniture stores. (you might be happy (or horrified) to know that i did recently hear ORANGE and FUSCIA are the next "big" trendy colors! want a fuscia sofa??? )
since the beams are already painted, i give you permission to paint them again! but first, what color is the woodwork in the house? (baseboards, doors, trim around doors & windows..)
and no, i don't have a link for trends. i watch tons of HGTV (and they have several shows about the newest trends), read several home interior magazines (Home, Southern Living, BH&G, etc) and receive several thousand home decor/decorating catalogs a day!!!
so, i'd recommend (website-wise) going to companies' websites & look at their room settings, like Pottery Barn or JCPenney or any company that sells furniture or bedding or draperies or kitchen cabinets, etc. those room settings will be done up in the latest styles & colors. also, the fashion industry is directly related to the home furnishings industry (common denominator = fabric), so the colors you see in the clothing stores are the same ones you'll see in the furniture stores. (you might be happy (or horrified) to know that i did recently hear ORANGE and FUSCIA are the next "big" trendy colors! want a fuscia sofa??? )
#6
03-16-05, 07:44 PM
fuschia???
well, i'll let you in on a secret: my first personally decorated bedroom (this wasas a 13 yr old in 1968) was HOT PINK, ORANGE, AND YELLOW! it's a family joke too
ok, all of the woodwork in my home is dark wood, just like the ugly wall and the beams.
i do watch all the hgtv and diy channels religiously, so maybe a visit to their website is in order.
take care, annette!
ok, all of the woodwork in my home is dark wood, just like the ugly wall and the beams.
i do watch all the hgtv and diy channels religiously, so maybe a visit to their website is in order.
take care, annette!
#7
03-18-05, 05:24 AM
Member
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Arizona
Posts: 45
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes
on
0 Posts
#8
04-25-05, 05:47 PM
I have to pipe in here, only because your colors sound along the lines of the ones I'm doing. I'm in love w/a card I picked up at a large hardware store, showing colors of Wheatgrass, Tawny Bluff, and Desert Rouge(kind of the creamy ivory/earthy terra cotta/touch of red)--& plan on using these as the colors in living, family, dining, kitchen, and hall. I did our master bed & bath in shades of gold & LOVE it, including the colorwashed gold accent wall. Anyway, I really got a chuckle from the fuschia & orange comment--I just finished painting my craft room a beautiful orange(Maple Leaf from Behr), and just today purchased some fuschia beaded panels for the window--this room is all mine, and just makes me feel good. btw--in 1968 I was in 8th grade, and my favorite dress was a tent dress I'd made in a psychedlic print of orange & fuschia, w/touches of yellow & green. Man, paired w/my orange fishnets, I sure thought I was the best dressed gal around--LOL!!!
