The Neutral Color Pallet

Hi Chris,

My husband and I were struggling with the colors for the house. I think I have the solution. We don't need color! I love neutral colors but thought that it would look boring until I saw this picture on your blog. I showed it to my husband and we both love it. The green (which is still one of my favorite colors) will be represented by the plants (I also like that green table they have for an extra splash of color). The walls look amazing as does the light fixture (although we would need something that gave off more light). The darker woods for the kitchen we suggested would go well with this too. I actually have several sets of dishes; all of which would work with a neutral background.

Is this look doable in our home?

Thanks Chris,

Brenda

Dear Brenda,

A neutral pallet would be perfect in your home. The thing I like most about neutral color pallets is that they are so amazingly timeless. I want to share with you a few things to consider when going neutral.

1. Take a look at the picture you are referring to-(top of the post). The architecture is AMAZING and the walls are stone... When our architecture is more "nice" or "normal"- we need to work a little harder to make the neutral look really be gorgeous.
2. Check out the second picture in my post. Look at the dark doors. Even though we are going neutral- make sure you still have contrast.
3. Also- in this same picture-see the wallpaper in the adjoining room- different rooms and architectural niche areas provide layers and planes in our visual sight. Have variety in these layers- even if it is just different shades of neutral paint. See how it's OK that the walls in the desk area are plain- because there is interest beyond the doors? We need interest somewhere.
4. Also note that neutral rooms may still have generous amounts of pattern- like in the photo above. The rugs, the pillows, the draperies. Sometimes people tend to combine a neutral color pallet with a patternless pallet. Even though the rug in the photo above has color in it- look at the room- it is neutral.
5. Different textures also help a neutral pallet to pop. Texture is important in every room- but with the all neutral color pallet- it is definitely time to PUMP UP the texture! Take the room above for example- if the dining set was all smooth wood instead of the cane and upholstery chairs- and the architecture was more ordinary (like most of ours) this room would not work nearly as well. In fact- take away those two aspects and this room would be downright dull. Can you picture that? This room is another good example of beautiful architecture (not always in our control) and great contrast.
6. I know this room has some purple in it- but ignore that- there are a couple of items here that really help a neutral pallet. First- the screen. The walls are a plain white- but showing as little of them as possible- with highly textured items like this screen- works great. I also love the wallpaper in the architectural niche.
7. Neutral walls are never boring when they are painted wood paneling. Floor to ceiling in this case- with a beautiful wood beam on the ceiling. This is the type of thing you could add everywhere.

What to beware of:

When people take a picture they love- like the photo at the top of the page- and try to duplicate it- they can purchase the same furniture, get the same plants- similar window treatments and area rug- but know this- the architecture and the stone walls are what really make that room amazing. Add the other items to beige drywall and tract home architecture- and you might still feel a little under-amazed when you are done. To give your home the feel- remember: contrast, layers, pattern, and texture.

PS.- I know your husband thinks he doesn't want wallpaper- but a light neutral grasscloth would be the perfect addition for your neutral pallet :).

BTW- I also love the light- it reminds me of one that was in my Sundance catalog that came yesterday- check it out. I LOVE it!

Photos from Veranda

Carol's Bar

What's your take on paper that looks like tile? I found a metallic that I'm thinking about putting in our wet bar area. Would it look like we just didn't want to spend the money on tile? If we end up staying here, I would probably put a pantry-style cabinet in that space so real tile would be a waste. I've seen other condos with faux- painted tiles or mirrors there. Better options? Here's a photo. The metallic finish is carried thru the living areas in some lamps, frames, and furniture. As for a new cabinet in the space, it matches the kitchen cabinets now, but is more a part of the DR/living area. Ideas for cabinet door choice? Love to hear your thoughts.

Carol

Dear Carol,

I like the metallic paper a lot- however- from the small view I have- I don't know that I like the gold with the yellow walls...I am sure it ties in with other things in the room- but I would want it to tie in with the walls also. I also question if it is not too modern- but then I don't see much of the room- but the style is too modern for the cabinet. I would take a sample of your paint to the wallpaper store and find a piece that matches- or blends in nicely. I pulled a few for you- but of course- it is impossible to tell color from the computer. I would not disregard or limit myself to "tile" style papers- any pattern would look cool in there. Which is your favorite readers?

#1 #2

#3

#4

The papers in today's post are from York.

Becky's Question

Hi Christine,

As you can tell by my pictures, I really need your help with this niche wall in my home. It is in the family room/kitchen/dining room. I have never really known what to do with it. The niches seem huge to me, and everything I have ever tried to put in there is swallowed up by them as they are very deep and dark.

I'm thinking of knocking out the horizontal divider in the middle of the large niche in the middle and putting in an armoire (picture attached) that I have that I really like. I am also thinking of turning the three large niches on each side into bookshelves somehow, but I don't want to make such drastic changes without knowing whether the end result would like good or not.

The large niche (minus the horizontal divider) is 7' 10" H x 4' 11" W x 28" D, and the armoire is 6' 11" H x 4' 1-1/2" W x 24" D. The three niches on each side are very deep at 28". They are 33" W x 23" H. Would the armoire/bookshelf arrangement look all right, or am I missing a much better alternative?

If you have any ideas that would help me give this wall a wow factor, I would greatly appreciate it. As you can see, I am really at a total loss, as I didn't build/design the home I live in and I'm not normally a niche person. Any suggestions would be great. I don't mind making major changes if I know they will improve the space.

Sincerely,

Becky

Dear Becky,

Sometimes I think architects- (or the builder- or whoever designed this) think they are being clever, but really should consult an interior designer. :)

1. I would not put the armoire in it. Built-ins should not have furniture pieces in them- they never look quite right.
2. I would "trim out" the whole area. I can tell from the armoire that you have that your style is not "modern" or "contemporary"- so go find a good wood trim guy.
3. I would not have a drywall finish on any of it. Give the entire wall more of a "furniture quality" feel. Have your wood painted white, the same color as your baseboards. Consider a beadboard feel in the back of the niches. Have the niches cased.
4. Add a shelf in the TV section for the TV to sit on. (Make it blend in with the rest of the wall.)
5. Add doors under this section as well as on the other two bottom niches. You may want the doors under the TV to be glass for remote control use.
6. Add can halogen accent lights to the other niches. This will keep them from feeling dark and deep.
7. Add crown moulding around the whole area, continuing it around the room.
8. Find display items that are the right scale for the niches. Keep it simple. Include some nice quality faux greenery. Don't use too many different items, but rather find singular items that fill the areas nicely. The picture of the bottles and tray above, for instance, are 21 inches wide by 18 inches high. This is perfect for an area that is 33 x 23- giving 6 inches on either side, and 4 inches of space on the top. Not too big and not too small. (Potela Bottles and Tray by Uttermost). The clock collection above is 54 x 21. (Spare parts clock by Uttermost.) You could hang that, suspended by heavy clear nylon thread in the top section. Your area is 59 x 25. Something this size would be perfect. The trick here is finding items that are the right size, that are your style, that you like. It will no doubt take some shopping. Using collections of smaller items could get very cluttery very fast. If you have a number of larger books, (coffee table size books)- you could use them in one area with a couple of cool bookends. So- I guess what I am saying is you can use multiple items, if they work as one item.
9. Get a TV that fills the TV area as close as possible.

OK- so that's it. It is not a "cheap fix"- it will cost some money- but look really fabulous when you are done. I hope my little picture gives you an idea of my vision.

Good luck Becky, and If you actually do this- you must send me a picture :)

Thanks,

Christine

P Dub needs me again :)

Dear Pioneer Woman,

Just in case you actually view my blog- know that I have helped you in the past: here and here.

PW is working on another little project that she needs my help with. Currently she has 1010 comments from amateurs. I thought I would add my 2 cents.

PW: When my mother-in-law and I were sketching out this area, she said, “How ’bout if we put a niche right here?” And she pointed to the corner area of the wall.
“YEAH!” I said. “AWESOME! Let’s put a niche right here!”
Then said, “What’s a niche?”
My mother in law laughed, thinking I was kidding.
I wasn’t kidding.
This is a niche, I would later find out:

A niche, technically, is a recess in a wall for a statue or urn. Right now, our niche is holding a pop can.
(Important Note: “Pop” means “Soda“, for those of you who live in California and the Northeastern states; “Coke” for those of you who live in the deep south. Thus endeth this lesson on geographical jargon.)
I like our niche. We installed a light at the top to shine down on whatever statue, urn, or jumbo-sized Precious Moments figurine we decide to put there, and it’s sort of a nice feature for the front entryway.

I’m looking for a few good ideas for the niche, though.

Should we put a big chunk of stone surface at the base of it, and some kind of bronze sculpture on top? Or would a chunky piece of wood be better? Or should we keep it subtle and have a thin, simple surface in there? Should we paint the inside of the niche a contrasting color to the surrounding wall? Should there be shelves in the niche, or should we keep it open as it is? I love your ideas.
And most importantly, how do you pronounced “niche?”
Do you say “nitch“?
Or “neesh“?
I feel the need to settle this important matter before we move onto the next phase.

MY ADVICE:

Dear PW,

I know that you will never read my blog- but I still think we would be good friends, and you should just ask me when you have questions like this :) Did I mention that we both have two girls and two boys? See- we have things in common. We could be friends! I could help you with things like your niche.

Your kids:
My Kids:

You see- they could be friends too- clearly they all like candy (as yours are eating it, and mine are ready to go beg for it.) My kids wish they were cowboys (girls)- your kids are the real deal. They have so much in common- They would get along great!

OK- my advice for your niche:

I like the idea of changing the surface of the niche. Consider bead board, or a mosaic slate. Your area is small- so go for the stuff you wanted in your shower- but cost too much. I told Coleen, in a previous post to use something like this in her niche:

Perhaps a smaller scale in your niche:

That feel would work great in your place as well.

Another idea? You could have stained concrete covering the surface of the niche- with a thick piece of concrete on the base- I don't have a picture of that one for you- but it would look fabuloso!- (and could be any color)

Do not keep the niche the same color as the rest of the walls. If you don't change the surface (which I recommend that you do)- at least change the paint.

Whenever you have a lit area- I would not do shelves unless they were glass, so the light could permeate. On a corner, I would not do glass. It doesn't seem practical with kids and cowboys :)- so I am saying- no shelves.

I like your idea of the jumbo sized precious moments figure (Isn't she funny?)- but if you can't find one big enough...

Finding the right sized item is the most important thing to consider- like a vase from Mattews and Company- their look would be great in your lodge. You mentioned before that you wanted a "zen- like" feel- or maybe that was only for the bathroom- anyway- how about a yoga statue? Oh, you are right- we need more of a vertical feel in your niche. :)These Copper Birch vases from Gumps of SF would be perfect in your place- cut some cool branches, and have them poking out.

I would keep it just like they have it with the glass leaves sitting there- how cool are those? (Gumps again)

Choose both the background of your niche, and your dispay item prior to starting, as you want to make sure you have contrast in the two. If your display item is gray, you might want to go with a gold color in the mosaic- a gray vase, and a gray slate would be far less dramatic.

You could also go with just the right plant- like this Whisper Lady's Slipper Orchid:

OK- there you have it, ignore the gazillion comments from amateurs and just ask me :)

Coleen's Living Room

Dear Christine,

I saw you at the gym today and it reminded me that I hadn't sent you photos of my living room. Right now all the walls are white and have a rough stucco texture. The living room is the 1st room one walks by upon entering our home. Many people say they like it, but I would like to add some color - I'm just not sure what color to add. Any suggestions would be terrific!

Thanks,

Coleen

Dear Coleen,

I have some ideas for you- in the pictures, (as far as color goes, I see red, chocolate brown, beige and cream. Adding color is a great idea- let me give you some different things to think about.

#1 You want to have good contrast. Contrast with the sofa material- (do not select a nice light beige or cream that will be too similar to your sofa, or clash with your shades). You also want a color that will compliment your red that I see a lot of on the wall.

#2 Rarely, in my opinion, should your wall color be the dominant feature in a room. (This is not the case in a very modern design) I feel like the wall color should accent and draw attention to, not away from your art work, and wall decor.

#3 Complimentary color schemes are color combinations that are opposite each other on a color wheel- examples would be red and green, yellow and purple, orange and blue.

Complimentary color schemes help the colors to "pop"- which is not always the objective- but can really work to your advantage. With the red chargers and art work on your walls, I think it would be great to have a "complimentary" color on the wall- to make them "pop" and show off even better.

So- my suggestion- green on the walls. But not like that might sound. I would suggest a khaki green. This will keep the walls understated, but create a more intimate environment, and good contrast with your wall decor.

I would add some throw pillows that have a combination of red, khaki, and dark brown (approximately your leather color). These are key to help everything pull together. It might be a good idea to find the pillows or pillow fabric first, and then select your actual paint color, as there are many different options of paint, and finding the perfect fabric or pillow might be more limiting.- But if you would like to paint this weekend, and want specifics, I can tell you that I like Sherman Williams Universal Khaki 6150, and Hardware 6172, and Chatroom 6171. I ordered your some 8 1/2 x 11 samples of these colors, and 6 others. I ordered 3 coppies of each color, so you can put them next to your floor, next to your sofa, different places, different lighting, so we make a really smart decision.

#4 It is ALWAYS a good idea to get a sample quart before painting. Even with a ton of experience, I still do this every time. A paint that looked great on one job, might not work at all in a different home. Flooring, lighting, everything makes such a difference.

Thanks for your question, feel free to follow up with more questions, and we would love to see "after" pictures when you paint!

One more idea for you. Your architectural niches are the perfect place to change the surface of your walls- the above picture is from Walker Zanger's Shibui slate collection- picture something like this in the niches, instead of paint. You can hang your wall decor right over it.

- Christine