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dgarstang

Picking Interior colors that flow throughout

8 years ago

Frustrated. I've spent maybe $300 on paint samples trying to paint various walls in my condo. I finally found a color I like yesterday, SW Amazing Gray, which I put on a wall in my 3rd bedroom/office. Since it's an office, I had wanted to go with a modern blue/gray look but I've realised I don't much like gray and blue risked it looking like a baby's room. But, is amazing gray the right color for an office? It's basically beige, which is great in that it's a neutral, but is it the best color for an office? The room is small, only 8x10. Thinking of selling in a year or two, so it has to be neutral as well.


The bigger picture.... I want all the colors in the condo to flow. How do I do that? Do I use amazing gray everywhere? Just in this room? How do I go about coming up with an color scheme for the entire condo when I have trouble even picking one wall? If I use amazing gray in the office, then what do I use in the other two bedrooms? Should they all be the same? It seems like amazing gray is more of a bedroom color rather than an office color, so if I use amazing gray in the office, how do I pick a color that flows for the bedrooms? :(


Doug.

Comments (8)

  • 8 years ago

    Agree with the idea of hiring a color consultant. It will end up being cheaper than spending hundreds on samples, and your end result will be better.

  • 8 years ago

    I'm not American, so I looked up Amazing Gray, and I don't see any reason for it not to be used in an office. So relax on that score, for now. Colour play is obviously not your field of expertise, so as you are doing a whole house, it seems, yes, please get in a colour consultant. He/she may eventually suggest you dump the Amazing Gray, but he/she will motivate that and (if he/she is any good) help you reach a palette you like. Remember, it's a one-off expense, and you will live with the benefit for ages. But do get quotes and check credentials, there are sharks in that sea. Good luck. Please as you discuss the colours, show your consultant all the furniture you have that you intend keeping.

  • PRO
    8 years ago

    This is going to sound like I'm being sarcastic, but I'm not. Have you considered living with the condo just painted white for a year? I know that, in our culture, everyone wants every thing right this second. But trying to make a whole lot of decisions has already cost you way more money than anyone should ever spend on paint samples in their entire life.


    So maybe take a break, enjoy the space without worrying about how to paint it. Choose colors after you've taken the time to appreciate your space.


    Good luck.

  • 8 years ago
    last modified: 8 years ago

    How do I go about quantifiably picking a consultant? I went through yelp and using the ones that advertise prices (most don't), it appears I'm looking at $250+ for a minimum of two hours of consultation. Maybe I shouldn't even be bothering to paint the walls. I've been living here for almost four years though, and the walls are a generic white, really yucky, so it feels like it's about time they get painted. If I paint all the rooms neutral colors, can I go wrong? Still thinking about the fact that the amazing gray I put on the wall is a very similar color to the tan carpet (which itself may be replaced at some point). I don't know if similar color for carpet and floor is good or bad.

    What about an online color consultation? I have a good high quality camera I can submit pictures with. Can anyone make a recommendation?

  • 8 years ago
    last modified: 8 years ago

    Pics help a lot. But what we see on our monitors is different than what you see IRL. That is why we suggest using sample boards in the room so you can see the color during different times of the day and night. It makes a difference.

  • 8 years ago

    If you look at ben moore's affinity line, all the colors in that series will play nicely with each other. They have all colors represented, but it's the specific shades and tones that make it all work.

  • 8 years ago
    I’ve used a Sherwin Williams Color Consultant on 2 homes with great results. It costs $90 and you receive a $50 SW gift card so the actually cost is $40 if you use the card on paint (or more paint samples!). The consultant comes to your home for about 90 minutes, can see your carpet, furnishings, and the lighting. And coordinates the colors throughout the home. Prevents expensive mistakes. I recommend!