Joanne's Townhome Colors

Hi Christine,

I love reading your blog, and noticed you asked for questions so here goes:

We have just moved into a townhouse - attached are two photos of my living/dining area . All the walls are SW wool skein with trim in the next lighter shade called panda.  I dislike the red paper in the dining alcove, but wonder if I paint the alcove the same wool skein if it would be too boring?  I also dislike the valances, and would like drapes (but ceiling to floor or just below the transom window to floor??).  I like greens, browns, soft blues, but am stuck on how to proceed!!

PLEASE suggest a color palette to work with the wool skein. 

Very gratefully,

Joanne

Hi Joanne,

So...  you are asking me to help you come up with a color palette that goes with wool skien and panda?  Those are Sherwin Williams names for off white and white.  So...  you are asking me what colors go well with off white and white?  To which I will answer- all of them. 

 

Will painting the dining room wool skien be boring?  No.  The color off white is not what makes a room boring.  A lack of focal point, a lack of texture, uninteresting furnishings and uninteresting wall decor will make it boring, but off white walls don't make it boring.  That is like asking if an off white mat on a painting is boring.  It's just the mat.  The wall color is just the background.  You should really watch my recording of the color webinar. 

You say you like greens, browns and blues?  Great- start with finding a terrific unifier-  perhaps a painting.. or your drapes. 

or- maybe you'll find a rug that you love...

Add some accessories

some pillows-

It will all come together beautifully. 

I see some relationship issues, and some commitment issues!

Hi Christine,

I've been following your blog for a few months now and love it.  Your new layout looks great!!   I am so excited for your help!!  For years I've been using a brown/green color scheme with red highlights.  I'm ready for a change.  I would like to add in a dusty blue and switch the red for a coral color.

 

I am a DIY-er on a strict budget.  I am willing to paint frames, the mirror metal, recover, and whatever else I can do myself.  I just inherited the orange chair and I like it, but am not attached.  However, it is probably last on my re-do list.  I want to recover the green chair and wondered what you thought about my fabric selection (taped onto the bottom of the painting).  I love my painting and wanted the chair to match.  I am also having a hard time picking a fabric for curtains, and can't decide how to hang them with the double windows.  Should they go from the top of the top window all the way to the bottom?

I know you've said all the curtains visible should be the same fabric and my stair windows are fully visible from the rooms on each story.  The color palettes do flow, but do I have to have the same curtains on both stories, so the stairs will match?  Although the current paint colors go fairly well with my current color palette, they came with the house, and I'm ready for a change.  While I know paint is last, I've been thinking about a light dusty blue from the painting.  And lastly, with a step right in the middle of the room, what do I do with my furniture arrangement, and if I were to get them, rugs?

Thank-you so so so much,

Lyndsey

Lyndsey, Lyndsey, Lyndsey,

Where to begin?  First of all, Your floating wall decor is so distracting, I can't even focus on anything else.  Pull it down.  Like today. 

Look at this post.

And this post.

And for sure look at this post.  they will teach you what to do.

You say you want to add in a dusty blue and switch the red for coral.  Your fabric and art has no coral.

When I read that, I think of this Tobi Fairley look:

If you want blue and coral, do blue and coral, but when you try to do blue and coral and yellow and brown and beige and green, you are simply too all over the place.  Decide what you want and show some commitment to your pallet.  Is blue and coral what you want- or is your pallet in your painting what you want?  Don't try to do both. 

And on your curtains, yes- go from the top all the way down.  Have them end exactly on the floor, not half an inch above, and not puddled.

Why is my font two different colors and why can't I figure out how to fix it?  You would think, that now that I'm 40, I could figure this out....

Have a great day Lyndsey, I hope I wasn't too hard on you.  I really am trying to help!

Consitency, Commitment, and Considering

Hello Christine,

I found your blog while looking for window treatment ideas. I am sending you a picture of my windows to see if you have any ideas. I love dupioni silk - all I know:) Seriously - I need help with how many panels to hang on the 3 windows. Any ideas appreciated!

Thanks Laura

Hi Laura,

I love window treatment questions- thanks for writing in. I want you to keep a few things in mind with yours.

1. Consistency of Formality.

That sounds like such an official term- consistency of formality. That is my way of saying that white wood blinds are too informal for Duioni Silk. I would combine silk with a nice woven shade, Roman shades, or perhaps shutters- something more formal- but there is such a low level of formality to a two inch wood blind- I would not pair it with silk. Keep the wood blinds and use a less formal fabric, or pair the silk with a more formal shade.

2. Tell me Laura- if someone asked you what color your room is- how would you answer? It can be shades of neutral- you don't have to have rainbow colors- but I am only seeing one shade- dark brown- and I spied a little red on a pillow. You need more of a commitment to a color pallet. Adding drapes is a good place to solidify this. Consider a pattern that will bring in the different colors you want to use. Even if these colors are shades of neutral that vary from the light in your walls to the dark in your furniture- great- but let's pull them together. It looks to me like you are afraid of commitment. Not entirely- I do see a husband in there on the sofa- but afraid of color commitment.

3. You will notice that the photos I included in this post have rows of windows close together. The question becomes- "Do I add panels between each window- or just on the sides? How many? How high?" To which I answer- there is more than one good way to dress the windows. If you have a horrible view- an ugly neighbor's RV- a swamp- something you don't really want to see- add panels between each window. Make it more about the window treatments and less about the view. Most of the time- that is more panels than I would do when the windows are so very close together- add eight more inches between windows- and my advice changes- but I would use either two or four panels. Four panels would be hung like you see below. Nice and high- on the ends of the collections of windows.

Two panels would be hung more like you see in the photo below. More of a tie back - framing the windows one on the far left and another on the far right.

So there you go- remember

1. Consistency of formality
2. Commit to a color pallet
3. Consider two or four panels-

(hang them high. When they are hung lower- they are really more for just the window they are next to- we want these treatments to say- "I am framing all of the windows.")

Paint Colors for Rob

My sister's friend wants me to select his exterior paint scheme for him. Or maybe my sister wants me to select it for him... I'm really unsure. Anyway- he has an orangish brick home- with white trim. He has a large barn next to it, as well as an addition on the back. (It is actually far too lovely to be a barn- but that's what they call it.) He wanted to do the barn and addition in red- to which I say- heck no. Charming in the photo above- but obnoxious on a large scale. Even if the red were not so bright- I can't imagine it going well with orangish brick.

If I get to choose- it is going to be a shade of green. I love green on the exterior. Especially soft muted olive greens like the bungalow above.

I also like the grayer greens...

And celedon greens...

Green looks great with brick.

And I also am quite fond of the black and off white pallet mixed with brick.

The black is so pretty.

So- Rob- this is what I say-

Sherwin Williams 6138 Artifact for the body of the addition and barn.

Sherwin Williams 6154 Nacre for the painted trim.

Sherwin Williams 6160 Best Bronze for the door.

Anyone have an orangish brick home? What paint colors are used with it? Anyone prefer a pallet from the above photos? Are there any that you don't like?

Color for Amira

This is a continuation of Thursday's post. In it, Amira had questions on how to choose a color pallet- working with the existing materials above. To begin with- you can check out this post and also this post on selecting colors. Also- look at this post and ask yourself if you really want more color- or simply more interest, and more beauty.

Where do you start? The colors above are very neutral. You can go in many different directions with color. I selected five different looks for you below- four of them have a good look that would go great with your materials- one of them- I don't think would go as well. So- what do you think? Anyone have a guess? Which look do you think would be the best for her materials- which would be the worst?

1. Reds, blues and greens.

2. Greens, neutrals, and a pop of orange.

3. Salmon, crisp white and fresh green.

4. Grayish greens with neutrals and subtle red.

5. The all neutral pallet

There you go- what do you think? Anyone venture to take a guess? My opinion- four would work great- one would not.