Colors....

[jadegirl]

Many people are leery of using vivid colors in their homes as anything other than accents. I'm very much one of them, but now, thanks to the lovely firinel I have a chance to get over that, which I've been wanting to do for ages.

Right now the living room, dining room, and halls (all open-plan) and subtly varying shades of cream, ranging in undertones from peach to rose. The library is a deeper rose, but that room's no big deal, because you can't see the walls much, and won't at all when we get the proper bookcases in. The kitchen is a horrifying industrial grey (I had wanted something silvery, but botched it) the bathroom is a somewhat messily sponged carribean blue, and the bedroom is a veryvery pale blue.

I'm most confident about the bedroom - I'm thinking about a 'lapis' color, since Fin is excellent with faux finishes, it can really llok like the stone, deep blue with hints of gold. Or possible more of a fabric look, but in the same deep blue with the barest highlights of gold. Something rich, and sensual. It'll be dark, of course, but the room has two windows, and hell, it's a bedroom, how much light do we need?:)

It's a galley kitchen, tiny as hell. I think I just want to redo it in white, with accents of blue, like Delftware. Around the stove is tiled in a hideous yellow, but I've seen vinyl contact paper patterned like delft tiles, so I'd been thinking about slapping that up over it. *Anything* to make it brighter in there, it's like being aboard an aircraft carrier now.

The main areas are a conundrum, though. I had gone for very neutral colors because we have a lot of vividly colored art objects and accessories, and I change them around a lot, so didn't want to worry about clashing. However, I'm sure there's a way to get the best of both worlds here - a strong and soothing color that doesn't war too much with the fact that we have a lot of stuff.....I favor warm palettes, but there's also the change of seasons to look at, too. However, no matter what the season, many of my quests compliment me on the warm and welcoming feeling/look of my home, so that's something I want to keep in mind.

I'm usually the one people go to for advice on such things, but this is a tangle! The floor is open for suggestions!

Comments

[chorus.livejournal.com]

Have no fear! Your friendly neighborhood amateur interior decorator is here!

For your kitchen, definitely go with light or pale tones if it's low on light to begin with. You don't have to do white to do it but there's nothing wrong with white other than it's a pain to keep clean. Since you're the neat type, this may not be an issue, though. Also, though matte paint is the usual choice for interiors, maybe you could do the windowsill in glossy -- and in a different colour, something that'll draw the eye towards the light. Since you're talking about blues, I might suggest, say, a medium royal blue, or cornflower if that'll go better. Something in that range.

Warm colours that don't clash with your decor in the main area might be tougher. I have some idea about the types of colours D favors, not as sure about your favorites. Still... well, I'd rather look at the space to be sure, but I think what I'd try is either something in a pale peach -- close enough to beige to be mostly neutral, but a bit warmer -- or maybe even rose. Some of that depends on what sort of light you get in there, and what your view reflects in. The redder the light coming in, the more I'd lean towards peach -- if you've got brick in your view, say. But if you've got grass or streetlamps or mostly-sky, rose might work. I don't think y'all would have much that'd clash with that in the paler shades.

"Peach" and "rose" leave a lot of leeway for precise shades. Luckily, this is the interweb. this page (http://www.vitradeint.com/colors.htm) has a nice crafty colour swatch; the types of shades I'm thinking of in terms of peach-to-rose are, for instance, #s 79-80, or the range of 114-120, though you might want to go paler on some of those. But it's about the range I'd start considering.

[firinel.livejournal.com]

I'd say if its still something you fancy, go for that silvery-blue colour in the kitchen again. They make fantastically durable metallic paints, and a clear coat can be put ontop of anything.

About much square footage is the tile around the stove?

Also, taupe works with almost all artwork and you can easily go quite deep with it.

[salsuginous.livejournal.com]

I've been trying to remember exactly how your main room looks--it's been awhile. I *do* remember thinking how warm and inviting and cozy it is and not wanting to leave either the surroundings or the people who occupy said surroundings. :)

If I remember correctly, I don't think it's bad to have some type of warm-creamy walls in there (maybe a tan/peachy look to it--but not that blechy "little girl/living in a romance novel" peachy. Something more subtle that could bring out a warm tone when the sun comes in.). I remember that there were interesting things to look at on the walls and I can see how you wouldn't want the color to overpower that.

Which directions do the windows face?

The bedroom (if I remember correctly) would look delicious in a deep blue.

That really wasn't much help at all. :) If you've got the time and inclination--send photos to me please. :) I still have on my list to send my photos to you. Right now everything is such a chaotic mess everywhere that I'm trying to get it a bit straightened up before I send you my hideous lil living room pics.

In unrelated news--the two of you are ever on my mind.

[zhijue.livejournal.com]

I'm trying to decide what to do in my living room, and my sister sent me this link:

http://www.viginistudios.com/colors.html

[impgrrl.livejournal.com]

When I was living in CT, my roommates and I did our walls a deep plum, with a bright turquoise trim. Matte walls, glossy trim.

I never thought it would work. I loved it.

Then again, those were the years that I was living in an artists' haven, where everyone was either gay, pagan, or an artist (by "artist", I mean making at least partial living from their art) - or a combination of the three.

I don't know if I'd do it now. I'd use bright accents, or colors, but...probably not as boldly.

In other, unrelated news - I echo salsuginous's unrelated news.