15 Dramatic Interior Paint Makeovers
Light to dark, dark to light. Soft to bold or newly toned down. See how these homeowners transformed their interiors with paint
Houzzers, we made the call and you answered, showing us the dramatic difference you've made in your homes with paint. Today we're looking at how paint has changed your rooms, from the kitchen to the bedroom, from the living room to the laundry room. We have only so much room here, but to see all of the makeovers, check out the original Houzz Call.
13 Dramatic Exterior Paint Makeovers
13 Dramatic Exterior Paint Makeovers
AFTER: Houzz user Stephanie Van Dyke's newly dark living room walls.
BEFORE: Van Dyke wanted to switch up these light walls. The new colors are Ralph Lauren's Smoked Glass and Tibetan Jasmine. "The Smoked Glass is a beautiful, dynamic color that changes throughout the day," she says.
BEFORE: Houzz user and blogger c2marsha did not have much love for this pale green color in her bedroom. "The old pale green color just felt really stale and boring; we wanted something bolder but not bright or harsh," she says.
AFTER: "We chose Behr Bitter Chocolate for our master bedroom, which sits on the second floor of our Dutch colonial in Minneapolis," she says. "We didn't want our room to feel too feminine or masculine, and we wanted it to feel like it fit us well, which made it very difficult to pick a color!"
The rich brown brought in a modern touch that works with their mix of vintage and traditional pieces.
The rich brown brought in a modern touch that works with their mix of vintage and traditional pieces.
BEFORE: Maple trees surrounding the house and the colors on the walls made Houzz user hellovijp's home in Quebec City very dark inside.
AFTER: Because one room flows into the next and the spaces were lacking cohesion, hellovijp painted the entire floor the same color, SICO's Portobello #6185-41. It really lightens things up while keeping the look warm.
BEFORE: Amanda Haytaian wanted a fresh look for her living room; pink walls and a dated fireplace were no longer working.
AFTER: She brought the pink into the room via smaller accents. A beautiful new coffered ceiling and marble fireplace surround freshen up the space. The walls are Benjamin Moore's Etiquette in matte, and the trim is Benjamin Moore's Steam in semigloss.
BEFORE: Becky, of the blog this is happiness, had been dreaming of a whiter kitchen.
AFTER: "It's still a work in progress, but we took our very dark kitchen to a cheerful, bright white," she says. Kwal acrylic paint in Pure Snow did the trick.
Tip: She recommends having the cabinets spray painted to avoid brushstrokes.
Tip: She recommends having the cabinets spray painted to avoid brushstrokes.
BEFORE: "This laundry room is a great example of white not making a poorly lit, windowless room light and airy;
it just made it gray, dingy and scuff-marked," says Cathy Zaeske.
it just made it gray, dingy and scuff-marked," says Cathy Zaeske.
AFTER: Going for an industrial chic look, she chose a new pendant light and Sherwin-Williams' high-gloss 6076 Turkish Coffee. The new room is much better at inspiring the homeowners to want to do their laundry.
BEFORE: When done right, of course white can work in a laundry room. Houzz user bathhous just needed to deal with the bulkiness of the appliances and the outdated cabinets.
AFTER: Some smart rearranging, a new counter from Ikea and Valspar's Oxygen White banished the claustrophobia from the room, and it is now a cheerful and efficient space.
BEFORE: Houzz user epeemom's remodeling work is not done, but I wanted to include her because: 1. It is one of the most dramatic makeovers and 2. Her very diplomatic description of this hallway is a wonderful example of how to be gracious. "It was the former home of an extremely creative person and very taste-specific," she says.
AFTER: While she's still mulling over the final colors as they remodel, she found this light gray, Sherman-Williams' Passive, much less jarring.
BEFORE: Houzz user Leslie Granger found the beige in her family room boring.
AFTER: She livened things up with Behr's Aztec Brick.
BEFORE: Houzz user lcdeane's kitchen makeover is a work in progress, but for now paint has made a dramatic difference.
AFTER: lcdeane got rid of the panels on the original cabinets, then painted the uppers Benjamin Moore's White Dove and the lowers Benjamin Moore's Wythe Blue. New hardware also helps update the look.
BEFORE: Sherri Early's teenage daughter, Megan, was not loving the yellow paint and wood trim in her bedroom.
AFTER: With some help from interior designer Crisy Saele, Early created a vibrant space for her daughter with paint. The blues she used are both from Sherwin-Williams: Cote D'Azure at 75 percent saturation and Calypso. She painted all of those stripes herself and some needed up to four coats — what a labor of love!
BEFORE: Houzz user swan12 was bored with the tiny powder room in this 1940s beach cabin.
AFTER: This fresh coat of Valspar's Green Tea Latte, paired with a matchstick window treatment, is much more appropriate for the coast.
BEFORE: Houzz user Justone was ready for a big change in the kitchen and chose one that would bring in high contrast.
AFTER: Behr's Ultra Premium Plus Very Black satin paint (now discontinued) on the cabinets is the most striking change. Other new or changed features: appliances, beadboard, legs on the island, hardware, a faucet, a backsplash and quartz counters.
BEFORE: Houzz user deepistol decided to repurpose this room that the previous owners had been using as a dining room into an office.
AFTER: Benjamin Moore's Gray Cashmere and crisp white molding are a soothing combination and create a pleasant place for working.
BEFORE: "When we built our home four years ago, I picked paint colors on a whim," says Katie Peters. "I chose bright yellow for my home office thinking it would be energizing and motivating ... while it may be for some folks, it didn't turn out to be for me."
AFTER: For her second stab at decorating the room, she started by choosing fabrics and an overall color scheme. The walls are now Sherwin-Williams' Lattice, and the office is now her favorite room in the house.
AFTER: The light gray in Peters' office is now relaxing, especially paired with the cozy furniture.
Thanks to everyone who shared their makeovers, and please keep them coming — you may share them in the Comments section.
More: 13 Dramatic Exterior Paint Makeovers
Thanks to everyone who shared their makeovers, and please keep them coming — you may share them in the Comments section.
More: 13 Dramatic Exterior Paint Makeovers