hello, my name is erin. this is my first chat, so bear with me please.
i am trying to decide on paint colors for our new, old house. it’s tiny, only 850 sq’, but with 9.5′ ceilings. we will paint the trim white to give some continuity, but want the walls brightly colored. we like bold colors–not at all traditional. like the green wall on page 32 of april’s INSPIRED HOUSE. any way to find out what it might be? also, are there any rules to painting bathrooms? so as not to make yourself look jaundiced in the mirror each morning?
thank you for your help, erin
Edited 6/14/2004 7:27 pm ET by erin
Replies
Hi Erin,
We ususally don't include specific paint colors in our articles because so much can effect the color: how the sun was lighting the room the day the photo was shot, how our color center process the photos, how the photos change when they are printed on a 4-color press, the light you have on while reading the magazine.
My suggestion is that you take the magazine to your local paint store and either find a chip that matches or have them scan the color into their computer to match it. A lot of paint stores and most home improvement centers have color scanners now.
Finally, I'd use the color paint a poster board and hang it up, or paint a part of one wall. Then look at the color in natural and artificial light, and at different times of day and night, before you commit to painting the whole room.
Good luck! Anne
thank you for your help, anne. i like the poster idea, but will it give me a true color? maybe i will prime the poster first, just like the walls. figuring the layout of the rooms is much easier than picking paint colors. erin
Hi Erin,
Just another suggestion re: colours - live with the sample colour for several days - a week or more, if you can. this will give you an idea of how the colour reacts to many different light conditions, from full sun to overcast. Some colours that are wonderful in bright light turn toxic when the clouds roll in, and, of course, vice versa. I used to be asolutely in love with the wonderful sage green that Restoration Hardware uses in all its stores - until I lived with a patch of it in my living room, only to discover that in my living conditions that gorgeous sagey silver/green shade turned into a dismal mushroom grey.
And another tip - select several chips from the same family of colour, and line them up on the wall first. (Do this before going to the bother of painting a patch of wall or a posterboard.) You should find that your eye will be drawn to the shade you prefer. And finally, once you've selected the colour, get a shade less than you think you want - colour intensifies as it dries.
Have fun. And remember, it's only paint! If you don't like it, you can always change it. “We would like to live in the past, but history prevents usâ€.
John F. Kennedy
Also, if you don't want to look deathly in the bathroom mirror each morning, don't use fluorescent lamps, even screw in fluorescents, in the bathroom.
Because bathrooms often have small windows, a white ceiling in a semi-gloss helps spread the natural light. I particularly like Zinsser mildew resistant bathroom paint. It holds up really well to the humidity, and it can be tinted. If you tint it, don't ignore the instructions on the can to tint to only 75 to 80% of the normal tint. First time the paint store put it all in and the peach I wanted became pumpkin.
Like the previous poster said, skin tone colors are better than the opposite. I would lean to milder colors too. Bold colors are too jarring first thing in the morning and last thing at night.
Be aware that some very bold colors don't cover well. Red is particularly bad at covering another color, often needing three or even four coats. You can mitigate the problem by having the paint store tint the primer somewhat red, or even red with black so it will be covered better.
Huh? I love the blue wall in my bathroom. And almost every bathroom where I've said "I like that" had some sort of water (blue/green) on the walls.
When I moved in my house seven years ago, the bathroom was tiled and painted a medium to light periwinkle, that is, soft violet-blue and the ceiling is white. As time went by, while thinking of what color to use to replace the tile (I was leaning toward natural, earthy colors), I found the existing color started growing on me. Now I really love the color! It is cool and reminds me of a garden. I have a lavender theme and using white cotton eyelet shower and window curtains and have added a green rug with yellowish tones, further accenting the garden look. There is a huge mirror across the very wide double light counter with good recessed lighting from above and a small window to the side. The room is very crisp, fresh, and cool looking. I am having a real heck of a time now figuring out what color to use in there because all who visit comment on how I should keep it the way it is! Also, there is no facial color distortion that I have noticed. But, although yellow is pretty, I think yellow or orange is uncomplimentary to the complexion and certainly green would not enhance a person's reflection. All of this is a matter of opinion, of course. Each room is unique as is each person's taste. I have heard that pink tones enhance skin tones, too. . .
>> I am having a real heck of a time now figuring out what color to use in there ...
If it is not necessary to change, it is necessary not to change.
-- Disraeli
I like that, Uncle! You are good.
. . . I really wish I could . . but, unfortunately, it may be too late for not changing it:
To go back a year ago, some of the tiles in the tub area (old glue no longer adhering), had begun falling off. Quite a few broke after hitting the tub. One weekend, trying to be helpful (or most likely, in fear of keeping the existing color?), Mr. ER tore down all of the gorgeous tile in the tub area. Blasted! He even hauled the tiles away--I can't even make one of those artistic tile chard birdbaths or stepping stones! I would much rather have that tile back and try to rework them using some creative contrast (substituting other colors for the broken ones). Of course, I could use green or white only in the tub area as I still have the rest of the walls in tact as described above. But I just can not convince him the that periwinkle is gorgeous.
Don't tell the Breaktime folks, but periwinkle is my favorite color. Like Uncle Dunc said, if it's not necessary to change, why change. If you like those colors and they don't adversely affect the color of your complexion, leave it as is.
I won't tell them over there, but do you mind if I tell Mr. ER? Also, I need to think of some more ways to convince him of the advantages of keeping the existing tiles (and redoing what now has to be done). I have already introduced the ideas relating to: saving $$$, less work, bathroom being put back together sooner. Any ideas?
I don't mind if you tell the Mr. --I'm trying (not?) to anticipate his reaction, and whatever I say wouldn't be PC, so I'll let it drop. Your points about saving money and so on sound valid to me. I usually do what my wife wants anyway, even when I disagree (which is often). If you're careful, you can remove selected undamged tiles in the rest of the bathroom and replace all the "holes" with a new color. That would help unify the composition. There's a technique I've heard about to do it--something like using a glass cutter to make an 'x' on the tile and then prying it loose. Maybe someone at Breaktime can advise you.
Thanks for the tile removal tip. Right now, we have to remove tile in three different rooms (before they fall off and break). But first, I'll try again one more time-he usually wants to do what I want. But he feels so strongly against this particular color! Now that I think about it, perhaps he feels so strongly about the periwinkle because it does not flatter his complexion ;-). Seriously though, he strongly dislikes any shade of blue in our home decor. I will probably have to come up with an alternative that we are both please about (even with extra money to be spent, and the extra time and effort that will have to be expended).
I believe what is difficult about choosing color is that we all know that it isn't really that easy to change paint color, and tile work can be such a major job.
I can understand how your husband feels, I can't stand most shades of pink. As far as changing a color, painting isn't too bad, but tiling isn't something you want to redo once a year! (especially if you have to remove what's there). :-)
Pink is the latest color for men, I read recently. Pictures were shown of past and present Presidential candidates and macho celebrities proudly wearing pink ties or shirts. OK, I realize clothing is only temporary--paint is quite a different thing.
Choosing a paint color is very difficult! I have been in this house for seven years and still deciding. I plan to actually plunge into the painting process this fall! So, I have to move on this. EEEEK!
Luckily, there is always the safe color: off-white.
One thing I've heard of that may make painting less traumatic is to paint fairly large sheets of poster board with the colors you are considering and put them up on the walls. Gives you more of an idea what it will really look like than guessing from those little paint chips.
Thanks, Danno,
That is a great tip! I will do that. Poster board sure beats the actual wall. It will take three coats to cover cranberry if I don't like it. My favorite paint store carries small packages of paint just for trying out color (it is not free). The paint may not be the brand I would want to use in the room, but in this case it will give me an idea of how it will look.Â
(I had to fix that typo!)
Edited 8/7/2004 6:27 pm ET by eroomgardener
There is a Benjamin Moore website that will sell you sample sizes of the color in case you aren't yet ready to commit to even a quart. There are some B&M colors that you can't even get in a quart size because the recipes dont scale down that much. I haven't ordered from them, but will soon.
http://harrisonpaints.com/index.jsp?menuAction=BenjaminMoore.jsp
Thanks, Mer.
It is best to have a sample of the color and use the brand you like. I didn't know I could do both. Thanks.
Danno,
Some folks have 'blue' skin tones, others have more 'yellow' skin tones. The colors that make them look good are on the same side of the color wheel. So while my mother looks smashing in an orange red (or earth tones), she looks rotten in a blue red. My best friend is the opposite - earth tones make her look tired and washed out while blue makes her look vibrant and glowing. People who look bad with earth tones will never like how they look in the mirror of an earth-toned bath and vice versa. Your insistence on earth tones makes me think you are an earth-toned skin tone rather than blue.
Does this have anything to do with being a "winter" or "summer", etc.? In any event, I am blond and blue with very pale skin, except for my "farmers tan" (more of a red than tan). And I like blue, but had seen the bad effects on complexion that cool colors can have. (Actually, you have a good point--with me, if I wear a red shirt, I look flushed and feverish; my stepdaughter looked bilious while wearing a green blouse.)As I said earlier, I think a lot of it has to do with warm light hitting your skin directly, rather than reflected, tinted light. (Lighting people talk about color temperature in degrees Kelvin. I'm thinking that the color temperature closest to sunlight would make a person's skin look the best, but that may not even be right.)
If what you say is true (and I'm not doubting you), then it wouldn't be possible to design a bath wall color that would be universally acceptable, right? I guess you just have to please yourself in this case. (Most people paint the inside of a house as soon as they move in anyway.) I guess it's pretty stupid to think that one color would compliment every skin color when there are so many skin colors. (Guess I'm still thinking from back in the days when the old crayon box had a yucky tan color called "flesh".)
Come to think of it, who cares how you look in the bathroom? Who sees you in there?
Well, if you're putting on makeup (not that I'm accusing you of putting on makeup), you might prefer an accurate color rendering, if not necessarily the most flattering.
We see ourselves in there. Our self image is dependent on what we see, so if we look crummy in our bathrooms we think we look crummy everywhere. I can't think of anyplace else where I DO see myself.
Actually I think white is pretty universally acceptable as it reflects the lighting with less distortion. But then you get into warm whites and cool whites...
With this awareness of wall color being flattering or not, color choice in any room is important, isn't it? It should be especially important in rooms where company gathers.
I was thinking of doing my large living room in cranberry with white trim. The medium dark color would help make the room feel more intimate, cozy, but I wonder if that color would be flattering to the complexions of most occupants? The living room has a group of very large windows that brings in lots of natural light during the day. There is no sunshine though because the room is located on the north side of the house. The living room is mostly used for evening gatherings or sometimes daytime entertaining.
If I wait long enough to decide, the style will go back to white walls, but that would be too easy!
I think cranberry is a wonderful color, very inviting. In your own home the color palette should be colors that YOU like. For entertaining, what your guests wear will have a lot more impact on how their complexions look than the wall color. Unlike a bathroom, people (generally) are wearing clothing in the living room, and the color nearest their face has the greatest impact.
I used a program that "paints" the walls whatever colors you want. I found it on the Benjamin Moore paint's web site. There is also one on the Lowes' site, too. I believe it costs about $10 to download. I used a photo with my Mom sitting in a chair with the main wall in the background. Cranberry was very flattering and the color looked very nice with my furnishings. The program is a lot better than painting a wall to see if it looks good (I will do that, too, as the next step, just to be sure).
So how did the cranberry turn out?
Hi, aimless,
Thank you for asking. No excuses, other than I have not had a chance, been busy, doing too much, and well, um. . . Oh, just kidding; the real reason: DH still is still making holes in the Living room wall for wiring. He is almost finished and will patch up the holes he made in the walls. He better finish that job soon. I can't be painting during the holidays.
Good news: I just got four beautiful prints that will look absolutely fabulous on the long wall in my new cranberry-to-be living room.
No excuses needed. I've had paint cans stacked in a corner of my family room for 2 years. Eventually it will be something other than white (I've almost forgetten what colors we picked), but not today, or tomorrow or the next day.
My DH is filling up holes today, but also making more. I just hope he doesn't take so long that I will change my mind. Once in a while I find myself getting a little bit nervous, thinking about "what if I don't like it?"
Don't be nervous. That's why they all say, "it's only paint."
You are right. I will calm down. True, it is only paint. Thanks.
It is only paint, but since you are painting such a dramatic red color, you will be painting that room more than once to get good coverage, so it is a time commitment! Remember to start out with a tinted primer to reduce the number of times you have to paint the room. Let each coat cure properly before you put on the next coat or it could bubble up later on down the road.
Good Luck, and POST PICTURES!!!
Wow! I can picture my MIL's face if she stops in while the dark primer is on the wall. For that matter, she will be shocked by the cranberry color. Good thing is, she always has a positive attitude and will say it looks great (even the primer, ugly or not!).
Thanks for the encouragement. It will be a big job. Looks like hubby is still making holes in the walls for wiring. The holes are opening up faster than the repairs for the old holes. By the looks of things, I bet the job doesn't get started until next spring. I will certainly let you know when I finally pick up the brush.
Yikes. Red, Orange and Yellow all stimulate the appetite. Granted, the kitchen is a place where food should be appealing, but we don't need to encourage it! But with everything, its all a matter of personal choice.