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feathers11

House interior color scheme

5 years ago

Disclaimer: I know this post is a first-world problem during a pandemic. Before you disparage me, please note my family has been impacted in severe ways by Covid. In fact, I'm posting here for some advice (and not "pro" advice) because I want to get this done and move on to the more pertinent details of life.

I'm moving into a new-to-me house after the holidays, and I'm doing some planning. I can't post photos out of respect for the current homeowners. But this house will be a nice place for me to land after a traumatic year, and I want it to be a welcoming place for my young adult kids in the coming years as they continue to maneuver this time in their lives. Believe me when I say it's the perfect house for me in every way.

The house is Victorian style with a yellow exterior with white trim that likely will not change in the time I live there. It's in an established neighborhood with mature trees that shade the home, so I'm not keen on heavy, dark colors inside. The interior has natural wood floors that I will not change, with white woodwork. The walls will be painted a neutral white/warm white throughout the main living areas. My furniture will be a hodge-podge of current ownings (mostly neutral pieces), along with various pieces I'll buy in the next few months (bedroom furniture, area rugs, some accent chairs). My art is mostly nature-inspired (botanicals). The kitchen cabinets are gray (painted--not my first choice, but I'm keeping them until I decide what I'll do in the kitchen.) White quartz counters, fortunately I love their lightness.

There's a wall or two that I could do an accent wallpaper, and then tie in other decor accents throughout the main floor, which is fairly open. The first choice is yellow as a nod to the exterior. I like yellow... but only certain yellows, like light, lemon-y yellows. Like in this wallpaper...




I do not care for yellow/gray, so won't forge that combo beyond the kitchen. All the pinterest inspiration seems to be yellow and gray, or mustard yellow, which isn't really my ideal shade of yellow in this house. And I'm concerned about how the yellow will work with the natural wood floors--the natural oak with a slight orange tint. Would the above wallpaper work with these color floors? (These are not my floors, but representative of their color.)



Given this, should I just do an easier color scheme like blue?

I have a couple friends who have moved during this pandemic. One has decorated in a tonal theme that is very much her style and is wonderful, but I could never pull it off. (Plus, I need a bit more color.). Another explicitly stated she wanted a happy home and chose some fantastic colors that are indeed happy. But her rooms are more defined than mine. And I'm not as brave as she is with color. But I do want my house to be happy--I love that, and is influencing my choice of yellow.

Any suggestions? I'm hoping to get this done within a few months of the first of the year. I don't want to overthink this.


Comments (12)

  • 5 years ago

    On my screen, that wallpaper looks like light green, not yellow. The greener yellows are tricky. If I were trying to find a yellow that can work in a whole-house color scheme, I’d be looking for warmer yellows.


    I like Ben Moore Key West Ivory and its neighbors.

    Feathers11 thanked Sueb20
  • 5 years ago

    I think light sagey greens will look good with the flooring. Blue could work too - actually blue and sage green might be a good duo. Congrats on the new house!!

    Feathers11 thanked Tina Marie
  • 5 years ago
    last modified: 5 years ago

    I love that wall paper and I like yellow, too. I'm not sure if I would do it with those floors. What I could see working is a light sagey green like Tina Marie suggests and then using pale yellow accents.

    When we were last house hunting, we almost bought a house with a pale yellow nursery. The floors were similar to yours. It was fabulous, but it was a small room and the floors were mostly covered by an area rug. So I guess I'm saying an accent wall like that could work, but it would depend on the space.

    ETA: Speaking to your disclaimer: we don't usually judge, but we almost always enable :-)

    Feathers11 thanked daisychain Zn3b
  • 5 years ago

    Look at JamesFarmerInc or JamesTFarmer on IG. He uses some of the colors you are considering. I love his designs.

    Feathers11 thanked bbstx
  • 5 years ago
    last modified: 5 years ago

    Since you plan for this to be a long-term home, why not wait until you take possession, then pin up wallpaper samples to get a feel for the colors in the natural light of the house? I think you will be surprised at how easily the floors become a neutral, especially if you are using area rugs.

    Feathers11 thanked Fun2BHere
  • 5 years ago

    I just wanted to say that your new home sounds lovely. What type of trees do you have? Are they ones whose leaves turn autumn colours and then drop allowing for the low winter sun to shine through? I would consider your light as you move through the seasons given the trees that you have when considering colours.

    Feathers11 thanked blfenton
  • 5 years ago

    One of my favorite all-over colors is Benjamin Moore's Windham Cream, which despite its name, is a yellow. It's just the most livable, cheerful but not too-too, color....I also think it pairs particularly nice with a 'natural' palette in art, furnishings, etc.


    Your home sounds like a wonderful respite. I'm sorry you've had a traumatic year. Let's hope better days are ahead.....



    Feathers11 thanked Bestyears
  • 5 years ago

    Pretty paper. I like nice clean yellows, and I find they look great with a natural(ish) oak like you have there. Orange and yellow don't fight at all, and yellow on the walls won't keep the floor from playing as neutral. I think you should go for it.


    (Disclaimer: I have yellow walls and 50s oak floors and ORANGE mahogany woodwork and I think they are excellent together so I am probably the wrong person to respond.)



    It is a good sign that you are moving into a yellow house. It means 2021 will be happy!

    Feathers11 thanked Fori
  • 5 years ago
    last modified: 5 years ago

    Boy can I relate to your description of this year. loss and sadness pretty much describes it in a nutshell. I hope your new home will help you and yours to heal. I love earth tones, my go colors are the happiest of them, blues, greens and yellows. I’ve tried other colors, but always end up going back them.

    Feathers11 thanked Lukki Irish
  • 5 years ago

    Thank you all for the suggestions. I spent about 3 hours in the home during inspection, in the afternoon, a few weeks ago. I'm in Chicago, and, Blfenton, the lighting is exactly as you describe (maples, birch, ornamentals fall color). For that reason, and because of the exterior of the home, I'm hesitant to do warm yellow or other brown-based earth tones because the lot is deep but narrow, and there are trees on both sides. The feel of the house just lends itself to lighter colors.

    I won't be able to get back inside before closing because one of the current family members is immune-compromised, and showing the house was stressful enough for them. So I'm going to wait to decide on wall color until I move in, but Bbstx, Alabaster looks like a strong contender. I also need to see the trim color again. It was in good shape and mostly just needed touch-ups rather than total repainting, so I'll probably work around it.

    Yes, that wallpaper above is more green now that I look at it again. I may need to focus more on greens and blues. I like the idea of sage green, because it transitions among the seasons more, especially during the holidays.

    Thanks for all the good wishes. I know this year has been so difficult for so many, and I'm fortunate to have this diversion.

  • 5 years ago

    My house is exactly like bbstx describes, it is sw/ne facing and surrounded by trees. My entire living area lacks any real direct sun. 90% of my walls are painted Raffia Cream (Behr). I would say it’s comparable to the Alabaster, maybe less white and more cream toned though. I also have a couple of walls painted a golden yellow in the living room. Even though the yellow was an accident originally, I do love the way the little bit of sun we get is reflected from these two colors together, especially in the morning.