|
Picking proper paint particularly puzzling
It has been awhile since I've written about paint
colors, but that doesn't mean people are not wondering
about it. I do several paint color consultations each
month, and the same types of questions come up often.
"What colors are good for homes these days?" Wow--
what a question! There really is no one correct answer
to that question. The answer varies widely, based on
the style of the house, the furnishings already in
place, the taste of the homeowner, the amount of natural
and artificial lighting in the room, and more. If you
choose carefully, almost no color is entirely off limits.
What works for one client, may not work for another
client, and it is my job to help them achieve the look
they want. During one recent consultation, the client
showed me some very unique drawer pulls that she had
custom made for a dining room china cabinet. They were
all different, with abstract designs in bright colors
like cobalt blue, fuchsia and turquoise. They were
going to make a big statement in the room. The paint
color had to balance these intense colors but not take
away from the beauty of these tiny works of art. We
opted to paint the walls a shade of yellow, and go
bold on the ceiling with cobalt blue. This dramatic
hue would pull the colors from the drawer pulls, and
bring the eye up to the gorgeous modern crystal chandelier.
On my next visit, we will select different jewel tone
fabrics to reupholster the dining chairs.
"Do you ever recommend white for walls?" Sometimes,
yes! White for walls is fine as long as it done on
purpose, and not because you are afraid of color. For
one recent client, a teenage girl, I recommended we
paint the walls bright, glossy white. To contrast with
the white, I recommended modern black furniture, with
bedding and decorative pillows in the bright, vivid
colors she loves, such as lime green, magenta and teal.
The result would be a fun, contemporary room-- a good
fit for this energetic and dynamic girl.
"What is a color I won't get tired of?" Neutrals
like tan, gray and cream are great colors for people
who like to keep the same look for many years. A warm,
neutral color like Spanish Sand (by Kelly Moore) works
well in many types of homes, and provides a beautiful
backdrop for a variety of furnishings. I recently recommended
Spanish Sand to a client whose home decor is traditional
and elegant, with rich fabrics and ornate wood furniture.
Her bedroom color scheme is eggplant and dark green,
with floral print bedding, two dark green wing chairs,
and new drapes in green and gold, with a hint of purple.
We needed a color to tie everything together, and Spanish
Sand did the trick. It warmed up the stark white walls,
and coordinated beautifully with all of the fabrics.
With so many choices, the right paint color is out
there waiting for you.
This article first appeared in Alameda Newspaper
Group papers on Dec. 9, 2006.
Go
back to the list of decorating columns.
All articles copyright 2003-2008 Anna
Jacoby.
|
