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. 

A Paint Color for Gail

I am stumped with paint color for our new home. The living areas are very open. I like a grey/blue with a little green. Maybe Sea Salt? 

Or do I need something a darker? You can see the trim color in pictures and the granite I picked is a bit lighter than that in the pictures, same dark floors. These pics are from model home. While I am at it what should I do with the wall beside fireplace? The tv will be above fireplace. Any and all advice is very much appreciated!
 
 
Thank you!

- Gail

Hi Gail,

I run into this a lot, where your builder or painter wants a paint color from you, but I will tell you that you are not ready to give it to him.  If you were, you would have drapery samples and rugs to show me.  When your home is in the state it is, you can go with any grayish, greenish bluish color you want to.  However, that is such a ridiculous thing to do.  Then what?  Try to find a rug that matches your paint?  Try to find drapery fabric to go with your paint? Make furniture decisions around your paint color?  You are setting yourself up for a difficult time decorating.  It is SO MUCH EASIER to make the textile selections first.  Even if you just so much as started with a rug selection. 

Let's say you selected this rug from Williams Sonoma Home:

Then, when you have paint chips, set them right next to the rug. You can make some good selections, then you try a couple of sample quarts in larger sections on your wall, then you are happy. 

But, you might find that you like this rug from Dash and Albert:

Do you see how that could lead you to a very different paint color, even though they both fit your description?

Painting is expensive, or it is a lot of work.  (depending on how you roll)  One color does not cost any more or less than another color.  Don't trap your future decisions by making this one too early.  Do it right the first time. 

I find that when selected in the right order, paint colors practically select themselves. 

The Not- Pink Bathroom

(Favorite Places and Spaces)

Christine,

I have installed Crossville Palais Versailles in a bathroom, floor and tub/shower surround.

The bathroom does not have a window. This tile appeared to be very neutral but it looks too pink up on the shower wall. Maybe part of this is the walls are Benjamin Moore Sherwood Tan. What color can I paint to take the pink out of the tile?

- Smallmaria

Hi Smallmaria,

Sometimes I get a question and think, I have answered that one before- which I have, in your case- in this post. 

 What should you stay away from?  Any paint with a green or blue undertone.  Your tile has a salmon feel to it.  A blue paint will bring out the orange, a green paint will bring out the pink. You want to bring out neither. 

Personally, I would take a piece of your tile and set it on my large 8 1/2 x 11 paint samples, and go through them, looking at samples until one really made the tile look as neutral to you as it did in the showroom. 

I would paint your walls the right shade of white.  (A question I cannot answer without a sample of the tile.)  But honestly, if you want help bad enough that you are willing to mail me a sample of your tile, I will give you specific paint colors.

The paint below is Sherwin Williams China Doll.  It looks good here, but it is too hard to do this over the computer and expect success.  Get sample quarts.  Find a pint that disappears.

Like any other room, have a focal point in your bathroom.  Not the tile, in your case,  but wall decor or accessories.  The right wall decor colors, on a neutral painted wall, will make everything look better.  The wall decor below, with its total absence of pastels, will help your tile to feel neutral, like the neutral colors in it.

(Uttermost- Repose and Field of Dreams) 

Try to make your bathroom not about the tile, and not about the paint color.  Make it about something else- because anyone who looks at that tile for too long, just might see pink...

I love the brown glass in the photo above.  Use browns and accent with black. (not in your paint, in your accessories- when there is a little distance- it can make it look like there is a brown tone to your tile, whenit is right next it in large quantities, like paint color- it shows the pink off)  Make, or find a cool arrangement, with twigs.  Create some movement in the room.  Look at the photo on the top of the post.  If you feel more adventurous than traditional wall decor, consider a collage across your un-mirrored walls- frame a sand dollar that you found at the beach, a wooden initial, add a silhouette drawing of your favorite child.   Neutral colors, sepia tones.   No one will look in your room and think pink.

Out of Order

Christine,
I just stumbled upon your blog tonight and thought you might be able to help!  We are moving halfway across the US, and, as these things sometimes go, the new house will need to be painted before we move in.  Because of the situation, we will be hiring the work done.  Unfortunately, I will only have about an hour to "visit" the new home & finalize paint colors next time I visit the new city.  Though I'm a newbie to your blog, I already know that you say paint doesn't come first...but I simply CAN'T live in a house with a bright orange living room.  So, in short, what are your best, go-to, neutrals (though I'm not afraid of color...as long as it's not bright orange) for a fairly traditional interior with white painted woodwork in a 6 year old home?  I'm not attaching pictures as I've not been in the new home long enough to take any of decent quality AND I know there will be furniture purchases AND I have no idea what said furniture will look like AND the lighting is also atrocious, which will also have to be changed, but that's another email completely!  (P.S.  Not that I'm feeling any pressure, but I know I have to make good choices, as hubby will DIE if we pay someone to paint...then I want to re-paint upon moving in!)

Thanks SO much!!

Jill


Hi Jill,

Well- it sounds like you have nothing to go on - and this is absolutely not the order to do things.  So- here goes nothing:

I love Urban Putty by Sherwin Williams. 

XOXO

Christine

Christine's Exterior Paint

Hi Christine,

I just found your website & love it, not only because we share the same name but because it is so helpful!

I am getting my house painted this weekend (5/14) and I am horrible at picking a color.  It has a salmony colored brick and is currently a darker shade of green and I want to stick with green, I just vision a lighter green but still with a warm tone, I describe it as ‘country green’.   

The pictures I have are not the best.  I can’t send the one as a jpg. as Sherwin Williams website will not let me copy/paste or save it and the truck is in the way.  The other ones are my dilemma and one is from Mother’s Day and I’m really trying to show you the side and the garage doors.  If you get to this today I could try to email you a good picture this evening.

 

I read a post that you said you like green as exterior but should I stick with green or any other suggestions?

I’m also getting Crown Moulding in my den & chair railing in my hallway and I’m usually one to stick with safe & small but I think I’m going to be brave and choose larger than normal!

Thanks,

Christine



Hi Christine,

Usually I try to answer questions in the order they were received, which takes a while, but I glanced at your e-mail and could tell that you are on the verge of making a horrible mistake that your neighbors will hate you for!  ;)  Yeah- that's my way of saying that all of your paint colors are bad.  (plus you looked like such a nice girl and had such a good name...)

What's the problem?  I did say that I find green to be a great exterior color-(check out these posts) but it looks to me like you are selecting your green from the green section!  Yeah- don't do that. 

Otherwise your house will look all bright and obnoxious...  You can really only get away with that in the Bahamas.

 

In Sherwin Williams the section you want to be looking at is called "fundamentally neutral".   Also look at the exterior paint color pallets at your paint store.   From there- you can go to the "green portion" and have much more pleasing colors to choose from.  I would get a paint swatch that closely resembles your brick color, and then look for a couple of other colors that look good with your brick.  It looks very different in different photos, leaving me wondering what color it really is.  The idea of purchasing sample quarts is perfect- but paint a much larger sample.  Paints get more intense, and if they are light, look lighter in larger areas. 

If you want to lighten it up- consider SW6137 Burlap or 6136 Harmonic Tan.  If you want to go a little darker- look at Artifact or Sawdust.  I would keep it in the warmer tones, for fear that a cooler green (closer to teal shades) will pull out the cool color in your brick and make it look pink. (I, personally, would lighten.)

I really prefer the more subtle greens.  (as do your neighbors.  :)

It is hard for me to see the areas of your home where you need a trim color- but I would add a contrasting trim.  If your windows are white- I like to do white on your trim.  A nice soft white like Nicre or Muslin.  While you area at it- perhaps you can increase the size of your trim and add contrasting brown shutters...  (it is just that kind of thinking that ticks my husband off- "Why do you have to turn one project into 3?")

To go a little grayer- like the green above- look at paint colors like SW6171 Chatroom or SW6150 Universal Khaki.

When I say "green" that is really what I mean.  Good luck and send us some after photos!

Oh, and BTW- small chair rail is not safe.  It actually shouldn't even be in production.   :)  Way to go on the big chair rail!