Thanks olldroo! I wasn't sure about the rug but was intrigued by it. I will skip it for now. I was looking at the lighter furniture to try and keep the space light and not too dark and heavy. We have darker furniture other places that works well with the trim. The window has great views of the mountains and during the day lets in a lot of light. I was thinking floor to ceiling curtains but with a long bar so I could have them outside the window and not block any daylight. I really can only easily paint the wall around the window and maybe the half wall. The other two walls also have doorways off of them. Any thoughts on slipcover fabric for a love seat in front of the window? Something that would look good with the drapes? Here are a couple of pics in the daylight.

Maybe a different wall color other than brown around the window?

I think you should use grommet drapes, they have a contemporary look, put them on a rod that's the same colour as the rest of the wood work, it will help balance the room. As you choose your blues and browns, consider the fact that dark browns look best with pale blues that have a maximum colour saturation!

Thanks Live Beautiful Designs! Yes the drapes I have been looking at are grommet drapes. I like that look. I guess it doesn't show in the pictures above. You would use a wooden rod or just similar colored? All of our door handles are brushed nickel. We put a brushed nickel rod in another room and I liked it. I was thinking of using that for all of the curtain rods throughout the house.

I say go with what you like! All I can go from are the pictures you've posted! Here is a colour pallet suggestion

The two to the far right, as long as the brown values work with your wood!

I wish I could add more but the post above really cover enough choices.

love that color palate! Will post some pictures as I get some pieces in place. I think I will need help with some of the finishing touches to make it all work.

I was thinking a aluminum/grey metal navy chair like below. I also need to slipcover a loveseat. Should I look for curtains first for fabric or for the slipcover first? Not sure which is going to be easier to pick first and then find something that coordinates.

Curtains and slip covers are equally difficult to find, I'd do colour in your drapery and a neutral seat cover. Bring your colour into the room via your accents. Such as a coordinating blue pillow. Don't forget to add in textures via your drapery, pillows, rugs, etc.

Yes, trying to match up fabrics can be a nightmare, I have recently been through this so I know what it is like. Check out your options with both before making a firm decision. From what I can see, you can definitely paint the two end walls, the window wall and the half wall. The fourth wall would need to be the colour of walls it adjoins but that would be fine, it would emphasise the "nook" aspect of your office. Definitely keep the curtains off the window as much as possible to allow for light. From the description on the curtains one has a silver background, which I think would be best so wondering if you might be able to get a silver/grey slipcover or a pale grey that would blend well. For that reason I like the metal chair, but I'm just wondering how much use the office will get and whether an ergonomic chair might be more practical? Just a thought. The desk and bookcase seem to have a greyish tinge so that will tie everything together to offset the other brown.

The next thing I'm thinking is exactly where you plan to put the desk? If you put it facing the wall, in the obvious place, you won't be enjoying the view from the windows and what else will you have your back to?? Could you get a desk with a return so you have the option of sitting closer to the window to enjoy the view. For the same reason, is it possible to put the love seat opposite the window, when the window is so low, one could really sit and enjoy the view, otherwise you are really closing the view off, that you seem to enjoy.

There is not quite enough room to put the loveseat opposite the window It would obstruct the walkway into the bedroom, although easier to look at the view. I'm trying to keep myself in the area near the window so there is still an easy, convenient walkway to the bedroom. I am going to put my desk up against the wall. I know boring and not much of a view but it honestly won't get used much. SInce I wont use it much I think the grey chair will work. I do occasionally just need to sit at a desk. I will more frequently use the love seat sitting under the window. A chaise or a swivel chair with a footrest/ottoman would probably work better for sitting at the window and looking out but I'll make do with stretching out on the loveseat. I like the idea of grey/silver in the slipcover to help tie things together!

The only reason that I'm hesitant to paint the end walls is the west wall (that you see coming up the stairs), there is a closet right next to the door into the bedroom and a sliver of wall that would need to be very carefully painted. I can easily paint the east wall (adjacent to the halfwall). Would I paint all the way over to the corner? or stop halfway with the paint color? Would you paint blue on all three (2 ends and 1/2 wall) and then keep brown on the window wall? I've reattached the pic that shows the wall I'm hesitant to paint because of the one narrow space and I'm not sure how it would flow into the hallway coming up the stairs.

Why not make a statement on this landing and paint all the walls, all the way around, your chosen blue? Then use the brown for your accents, so it won't overwhelm the space and make it too brown. Here are some ways others have tackled a landing office.

Yes, I realise it would obstruct the direct walkway, it is up to you, if it were me the little walk around it wouldn't worry me for the advantages of having it there. In any case, it isn't a fixed item so you can always move it round to suit your moods. Out of interest, what colours do you have in your bedroom, I rather see this area becoming an extension of it and I think it is a great idea to put a desk there to store papers and things that can be a clutter and a nuisance elsewhere.

I definitely would not do the window wall brown at all, I think it would hit you in the face when you came up the stairs, and make the area look very small. I would keep it all blue so it is lovely and spacious and airy looking. I think the brown would be too heavy for the blue curtains too, I feel you would need brown patt curtains which would create quite a sombre look to the area. It is all up to you and the effect you want to create. That little bit of wall between the door frames is easy to do, get some masking tape and run it down the sides of the timbers, ensuring it is well sealed where it meets the wall, then you just paint down it and when the paint is dry peel the tape off. The fact that the doors are opposite the stairs won't make the change in colour obvious at all, but it is quite common to do this sort of thing so it won't look weird at all, in fact the little bit of colour above the doors will then draw you into the area. Your east wall can go to the end too. Actually if you put the masking tape around all your door frames, skirting and power outlets, you will find all the painting a breeze.

Hmmm... Many things to consider. I will be moving the loveseat up there tomorrow (or rather my husband and brother will be). The desk and bookshelf I will have at the end of the month. Maybe I will try the loveseat on the half-wall until then.

The bedrooms are still a work in progress too. The one coming up the stairs is going to be green and blue accents. Green walls (specific green yet to be determined) with a blue accents. The other one is just storage now and really I don't have any inspiration for it yet. Maybe yellows but completely TBD. So if I did blue walls all around it would work with the silver curtains with blue print above or something similar to that? I do like blue but don't want to have too much blue throughout the house we also have another blue in our dining room.

Look at it this way, all your furniture is moveable so you have options and, like a true woman does, you will probably try things everywhichway before you decide. OMG, I'm just working through my home with greens, blues and yellows, with lots of white to keep it all fresh and clean looking. I love the combination. My theory, is you can get away with different colours in rooms if you choose 3 or 4 colours and and bring all or some into each room. So, you will have a green room with blues, then your blue nook for your desk and with the outside view some nice potted plants would look great for the "green" and also to bring the outside in. If you keep to the curtain colour, it is more an aqua blue so will look really great with greens. If you want another colour to make it really pop something in coral looks great - that would even work in your green and blue bedroom too. Yellow for another bedroom will work well and you can put either blues or greens (or both) into that to tie everything in. I can put up some photos of the shades I'm using if you would like - still all a work in progress too. Unfortunately we have different paints to you so can't give you exact colours.

Love all the suggestions but I don't want to do blue walls. I really wanted blue to be an accent. If I'm going to paint all four walls, options might be gray walls with blue and brown or yellow walls with silver/grey curtains and a darker grey loveseat and then pull in a little bit of blue?

OK, blue is out, not problem, just curious, what colour are your walls now? They look a pinky beige colour on my screen. Personally, I am just over all the grey at the moment, it is the new beige and so trendy, but I just can't take to it. However, you said your landing area is well lit and as long as it gets some sun, the grey will look nice and of course blue looks good with it. If you don't put too dark a grey on the walls, that blue and silver curtain would still look good with it. Naturally I am going to opt for the yellow, because that is me, but honestly, either of your choices would look good. The main difference in the colours is that grey is a cool colour and yellow a warm one so it depends on which way your windows face as to what would be the best option.

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All my walls are white right now, Sherwin-Williams "Alabaster" white. The sample looks darker on my monitor than it does on our walls, it's mostly white.

http://www.sherwin-williams.com/search/?Ntpc=1&N=4294967085&Ntt=alabaster#

The night time pictures I took don't really show the space well. The window is a north facing window. I do really like blue a lot but just not for all the walls in that area. Mostly because as you're coming upstairs you walk past the dining room with one grey- blue and then would next hit the top of the stairs with aqua-blue. Deciding to paint all the walls is what has me rethinking the color scheme.

So a north facing window - does that mean your room is cold feeling? Is there a problem with keeping the white and just bringing colour into accessories?

ok having some technical difficulties but here is a pic of the trim/wall

It's actually not that "cold" feeing despite being north facing. It is as "warm" as our main living space which has mostly east but also some smaller south facing windows.

Ooooh, I like the timber much better there, it doesn't look as heavy. I just associate your north rooms with my 2 south facing ones that are always dull, despite very large windows, and always look cold. So is there a problem with the white? Just trying to save you some work. I have to get to bed, talk more tomorrow.

Here's a thought, since all your walls are neutral, why don't you add a warm yellow like oolldro posted above, my favourite is the last one. Paint the window wall and the wall you're putting the desk on (the wall away from the stair landing) leaving the rest in white. Then add in your browns and blues, with the blues found in the pillows, artwork, and accents...

Live Beautiful Designs Thanks! now I'm going to show my indecisiveness. I initially was thinking brown around the window to act as a big "frame" for the view of the mountains not thinking about how it might make the room look and then found those blue curtains and the furniture. Other than the desk, bookshelf and at least temporarily the loveseat, I'm not really tied into anything else in the room. I'd be into almost any color scheme. I don't want to make it feel small /dingy. Without brown on the window wall it doesn't need to play a major part except in the woodwork that's already there. Blue will probably still makes it's way in too.

For yellow based: BM wildflowers
For purple based: BM hydrangea
For orange based: BM orange burst --- but only as the main color in curtains or a rug not on the walls
For gray based: BM metallic silver

I can't figure out how to get the colors to save and load as images.

Olldroo - I think I was an early adopter of gray as a neutral. I was never a huge beige fan and did my living room in our previous house in gray in 2006 a color called cement I think.

Kimb1 you can try emailing me with the colours if you'd like livebeautifuldesigns@gmail.com
Colour will keep it from feeling dingy. I'm glad you aren't going to use too much brown. I'd love to see the colours you're talking about - Maria

ok figured out how to save images - these are just at a quick glance when looking at the benjamin moore site and looking at them on my computer screen. Not necessarily all of them together and the orange I wouldn't put on the walls. The others I would consider putting on the walls or maybe a shade lighter.

I like the idea of yellow as it looks great with browns and blues in ever possible shade. I think that your yellow is a bit muddy, and too peachy, it needs to be a bit cleaner to work well with your browns/blues. My thought is more to the yellow as shown in the bedroom picture above. I like the shade of grey and smokey plum. But I vote for the yellow.

Kimb, if you like greys, by all means go for it, I have seen some gorgeous rooms done in greys, it just doesn't work for me, I think it might be our light, our rooms seem to need colour to embrace it.

Thank you Live Beautiful, have to say it makes my day when a pro approves a choice I make. I love the yellow idea too, I did one of my south facing bedrooms - the worst one actually - in a yellow I call custard and is probably pretty close to the 3rd bedroom photo I posted above and the room looks really fresh and bright now and not at all cold. I have also done my hallways, kitchen and family room in it and love it, I never tire of it at all. My kitchen faces east and gets the full morning sun, and my family room faces north and gets the sun all day but neither room looks hot, they always look happy and fresh.

I was under the impression, the wall where the stair landing is, is the wall kimb is putting her desk. Correct me if I am wrong and that is the wall kimb is a little concerned about painting.

Kimb, having just painted myself, I certainly know what it is like to be indecisive, especially when you are taking many factors into account and it is easy to loose the plot too. I saw a beautiful bedroom on Houzz with a taupe coloured wall and everything else was white - I absolutely loved it and I wanted all white accessories in my bedroom. I got two mini pots of paint in the shade I wanted but with different undertones and put two 1m sq patches on my wall. Left it there for two days, willing it to work, but all I saw was mud - the walls are now green and look amazing. So my advice to you now is to get a mini pot in a grey you think you would like and one in a nice yellow like that bedroom photo, cover as large an area as you can with 2 coats of paint - do one each side of your window and leave it there for a few days - one will definitely talk to you.

Oh, and I like the idea of adding a touch of purple too - that will look just as good with grey as well.

Moved the loveseat up there last night and it's not going to work. If the halfwall was a foot longer it would have worked to put it there. Now I need to find a knockoff of something like this to put under the window.

Try IKEA, Urban Barn, Home Outfitters, even try Amazon.com. If you want furniture up there try an oversized chair, those 1.5 sized seats. I know you're on a budget, but you can always bring that in last. Decide, and then paint the walls first, then do the drapes, it will help with your vision!

Ikea is great that's where the desk and bookshelf are coming from! Will look at the other two. This room is on a budget mostly because it won't get used much and I can't imagine spending a ton for something that gets sat at 1-2x a month. Although if I love it maybe I'd spend more time there. I think paint and accessories will go a long way in the space. Will keep on bargain shopping for it. I like the idea of painting, then drapes and then adding somewhere to sit.

Well it comes together as you build it. Choosing the paint first will allow you to make the decisions in a logical manner, trying to decorate a room around an accessory is incredibly difficult. Keep me posted!

Oh, rats, isn't it annoying when you get something in your mind and then it doesn't work!!!!! I like that long stool you posted, it would look very trendy and modern under the window but not in the least bit inviting to sit on or veg out on. Is there space to put the bookshelf beside the desk? I have a horrible feeling not, I'm just trying to reconfigure things thinking of those nice simple chairs Ikea have with footstools to create a reading nook in the corner near your bedroom. Alternatively, will the desk fit down your bedroom end?

The desk would fit in one of our bedrooms but for various reasons the landing space works best for my limited office needs. Since we built the house and watched from the ground up, I know there is unused space in the wall behind where I want to put the bookshelf. Someday I want get a built in bookshelf there. I should have asked for it when we realized it was unused space. Eventually that will give me another foot of room. No the bench is not cozy inviting reading nook for lounging but if I can find one cheap and it makes the space look good that works for me.

I've narrowed the paint color choices to purple and yellow just need to get some new squares to hang on the wall, ponder, look at in different lights, and then paint a couple samples. Leaning towards yellow to keep it bright and warm feeling.

Here's an alternative suggestion to the bench, little open cubes that you can put books into and a couple of strategic items on top...

Haha, kimb, you are as bad as me, but then it is a woman's perogative to change her mind. Of coure you are going to have to look for new curtains too, you realise. I think you will be really happy with the yellow, and green looks good with yellow and purple too, I think some nice indoor plants framing the window will be nice to sort of bring the outside view in. I think the desk there is a great idea so don't change that. I was just trying to create a nice reading/lounging nook, but it won't work. Actually that Ikea chair and footstool I was talking about is pretty minimalist and I think it is pretty cheap, you could put it running along in front of the window but basically in the middle of the room so there is room to walk one side to the bedroom but then you can still recline there and read a book or gaze at the view. If the light in the area is good, you aren't going to need a reading lamp or anything, maybe just a small table on the window side to hold a coffee mug or wine glass. I think it will fill the area nicely and make it look really furnished and purposeful (is there such a word?)

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Ok still indecisive but I browsed a lot of office pics on houzz in yellow and purple and think this is going to be my inspiration. It looks cozy and relaxing without feeling dingy. I like the gray/purple paint color and the grayish table with accents of yellow. I will probably use more yellow in the curtains. I don't know how much bright purple I would use.

Don't go to crazy with the bright purple, it will date the room quicker, and I think you'll get tired of it sooner than all the mellowed tones!

I agree LBD, where bright purple is concerned but that photo looks more like an aubergine which is more interesting. Be mindful of your light though kimb - this is in cold colour shade territory again and don't forget this is a large room, you only have a small space. Have you looked a plum? Just a bit warmer.

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I know it's on the cooler side. Will definitely get samples first and test. May not be able to update much as I'm busy this week.

No worries, I have a lot of catching up to do myself. Have fun!

3/4 of walls done. I think it actually looks brighter than the white that was there. In some lights it looks pinker than I thought. It's called touch of grey but doesn't look at all grey. I've also taken a pic with a sample card for some of the darker colors to add as accents and then still thinking some yellow accents.

Here's an updated view if the office. Still plan to change out the love seat for something smaller eventually. Curtains are next. And then some artwork and maybe a small cork board/pin board near the desk. It's definitely starting to come together. Thanks for all the advice so far.

I had totally forgotten about your office kimb, thanks for the update. It is looking really good, I love all the certificates on the wall and a corkboard on the return wall beside the window will be very useful. I can't see the colours in your loveseat and cushions very well, but you seem to have chosen a very good mix of cushions - a nice amount of pattern without overdoing it. Have you decided on a colour for the curtains yet?

Thanks! It's dark green, pillows are beige and brown primarily. I'm just repurposing stuff we had already for now. It's a little big for the space long term. It's hard to get a good photo without curtains. I'm probably going to repurpose some white ones from a room that is going to need light blocking curtains/shades. The natural light shows the colors the best but so much light comes in the window!

Dark green for the curtains?? What happened to the blues - or was it yellows??? You can see better than me, but I'm not sure I like the idea of dark green.

Sorry the love seat is dark green - and temporary- the curtains we already have in another room are white. That room needs light blocking curtains/shades and so I will probably reuse the white ones in my office space. My office is sort of the ugly step child with all it's hand me downs :)

Ooops, did not look green in the photo at all. Green is my favourite colour so is fine for the loveseat, just thought it was a bit "sudden" for curtains. I'm wondering if one of those white mesh blinds would work there, diffuse the light but you can still enjoy the view. I do love curtains to finish a room, but in this case I think a blind on it's own would work well. Now you have the love seat there, you would have to pull it away from the wall for curtains to sit nicely.

For hand-me-downs, you aren't doing too badly.