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laurelw1

I would LOVE any advice on paint colors. Anyone?

5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago

I'm having the house painted. The Grass Cloth paper in living room has to come down and I was thinking of something in the white family but am open to suggestions. Room is very light with large windows on one side (south facing). One side is brick with dark grout. I was considering having a German Schmear done at some point, if I can find someone who knows what they are doing, but that's for later. There are cabinets and the floor that have a bit of gold color in them, so I have a LOT going on. (Floors need to be refinished though and that's next). I also need paint the foyer and hallways, and the dining room. It's a bit overwhelming. I considered starting with BM Wind's Breath, but I'm not sure I love the sample I've gotten pinned to the wall. Perhaps living room and foyer should be same color. I'm a bit overwhelmed.







I went with the White Dove in the great room and Pale Oak with White Dove trim everywhere else. Thanks all.

Comments (19)

  • 5 years ago

    I'm open to anything.....

  • 5 years ago
    last modified: 5 years ago

    How about picking a color from your large rug? The blue, for example, would be lovely with the sofas.

    Cool Crisp Living Room · More Info


    laurel w thanked apple_pie_order
  • 5 years ago
    last modified: 5 years ago

    I love the look of warm white walls with natural trim. If you go that route you might need a darker rug to balance out the beams and help ground the space. This article has other color suggestions as well. I would also consider editing and reworking your accessories, art, lamps, etc.

    https://www.simplehomesimplelife.com/blog/living-happily-with-wood-trim

  • 5 years ago

    You need to work with rug and furniture as they are staying. I agree with blue , very light, and it should go throughout the foyer also

  • 5 years ago

    I like the blue idea as well but if you are thinking something more neutral, I think an oatmeal type color (from your rug) would be nice.

  • PRO
    5 years ago

    IMO since floors are the next biggest thing to walls in a home I would work on the floors first and IMO from what I can see of your decor white I think will not be the best wall color. I love grayed / greens for walls they are neutral but still a color , they go well with wood and brick and tha mattin on that painting is a greay green so use that for a start in choosing the actual color but just lighter than the matting.

  • 5 years ago

    All good suggestions. It's an inherited house and much of the decor is left from my mother and I won't necessarily keep it forever. The painting I sat on the mantle because my grandmother painted it, but it's not going to live there forever either. I was basically trying to get rid of the drab faded wall paper and put up a light color that won't conflict with the colors from the wood and brick. After agonizing all day, I'm thinking of trying BM Pale Oak for the foyer, Revere Pewter for the dining room, and BM Swiss Coffee for the living room, and BM White Dove for all trim and bottom of dining room walls (below chair rail). I am fearful some horrid undertone is going to come out and yuck it up, or these colors won't play well together.


    The floors are a later project as i'll be adding hardwood down the hall and I really can't stand this wall paper any longer.

  • 5 years ago

    I have questions. Are there really two colors of brick (red brick fireplace, orange brick wall)? If it isn't two colors, any guesses as to what's going on to make it look like two colors? I usually favor keeping brick as is rather than painting or schmearing, but I don't think I could live with pink and orange.

    Is the ceiling as yellow-green as it appears in the photos, or is it a trick of the light/photography/my monitor? I don't normally have a visceral reaction to ceiling color, but that looks horrible (some of that may be how it pairs with the grasscloth). The BM Wind's Breath looks very similar to the ceiling color, so I'm a big NO on that color (again, could be the photography or my monitor).

    I'm guessing that there is a green shift in how colors are reading in your space and it isn't just photography or my monitor. If that's the case, you need to factor that into your choice of paint colors. I think something on the warm side of neutral would still look neutral post color shift, or you could just embrace green as Patricia suggested above.

    I think the right paint will transform the space.

  • 5 years ago

    It's just tricks of lighting. Brick is uniform throughout and ceiling is white. I just can't see painting green next to peachy brick.

  • 5 years ago



  • 5 years ago

    The light hits the hearth differently but the brick is uniform throughout.

  • 5 years ago

    With a lot of wood trim, you might find some compatible paint colors shown in this article:


    https://www.houzz.com/magazine/11-terrific-paint-color-matches-for-wood-details-stsetivw-vs~9025200


    Do think carefully about having so many different colors. And also consider hiring a color consultant who can look at your house and furnishing in all light conditions.


    If you're thinking blue, here's a room in a similar style:

    Midcentury Living Room · More Info


  • 5 years ago

    Thanks that article helps. A cream that isn't too yellow sounds right.

  • 5 years ago
    last modified: 5 years ago

    BM Gentle Cream is lovely and soft. It's shown in one of the photos in that article. Why don't you save the other colors you like for the bedrooms or side rooms that don't open up on each other? I like your brick a lot, btw. You can place a large, modern work of art over the fireplace, add beautiful modern lighting like that fixture in the photo and update the rooms quite a bit.

  • 5 years ago

    I hope you keep the wood trim and hearth as is for now--costly to paint in any case. They will add so much color, texture, and character to the room. More easily changed is paint and new furnishings and lighting.



  • 5 years ago

    Paint the brick! Indoor brick does not weather like outdoor brick. I’ve had my fireplace painted for 15 years and it looks like it was done yesterday. But what I am really wondering - what are you doing with the poofy purple armchair??!!

  • 5 years ago

    Haha! It's amazing what light does...that's actually a brown recliner, which of course means that a Mr. likes it. Totally not purple. The suggestion above for the Romabio limewash sounds interesting. I looked that up and that's exciting. And it's not permanent if a mind change occurred.

  • 5 years ago

    That limewash product looks amazing. It says it let's you tint the color (not that color choices are my strength). After all of the comments, I think I want a light, creamy white for the great room walls and this will be the same color as the trim in the dining and foyer/hall ways. Perhaps a pale pewter, or greige for the foyer/hallway walls, and the same creamy white trim color below the chair rail in the dining room with a stronger color on top. I really just need to decide on the white that will be carried through the rest of the house and make sure it plays well with a lightened revere pewter or other light gray and the as yet to be determined dining room top color. At least this way one color will be consistent throughout the house. Wish me luck ya'll.