The nester has me all worked up this morning and I think it is time I make a confession... I am afraid of color. There, I said it, this will delight my husband to finally hear me admit this. It has been a problem during this house remodeling phase of our life and I think it is time to deal with it...actually I am planning on trying to make you deal with it. Since I have been having so much fun over the last few days playing around with things that in the big picture really do not matter (like decorating), I had an idea. Here is our family room. Please notice the tan sofas, the tan carpet, the cream walls, the brownish floors, the neutral trim, and the occasional black accent. Isn't the dictionary definition of the color black something like the absence of all color? Oh and yes, that is a dirty diaper sitting on my coffee table, but I am refusing to take this picture again. Anyways, even our kitchen cabinets I painted cream and the walls in there are creamy tones as well. Things are getting boring around here.
So here is where you come in (I realize like four people read this blog...but you four better get thinking)! What color should I paint this room? Keep in mind, these hardwood floors are cherry (VERY red)...this has proven to be difficult to work around. I painted this family room the first time in an afternoon with my kids running all around under my feet; I am not afraid to do it again, just clueless what to choose! If you have a blog link that you think I might could use, please share that too!
Now even though David Letterman is teaching us right now that bribery is illegal, maybe I can do it and somehow avoid arrest. I promise to make a lovely candle to whomever is the most helpful in this madness I am venturing into. I will try to whip up something seasonal and fun and post it if I actually get any interest. I suppose only my friends or family would be willing to do this, since the recipient would have to supply their address for mailing...but so be it. Okay friends and family, please get thinking! This nesting series is moving quickly!
Posts
18 comments:
Hi Amy!
I tried to send you some photos of inspiration, but I got it returned to me. I used playingsublimely@gmail.com. Would love to share with you, so let me know if there's a better way to contact you!
if you're afraid of color maybe the walls aren't the best place to start. how about some new colorful throw pillows? maybe a new rug? some window treatments with colors you love. i've never been able to just start with a wall color. i always have to pull the color from one of those other areas and then begin.
oh and i'm a new reader so now you have 5!
ok, so as i said on the phone...find some fabric. i think you can find a willing seamstress somewhere to help you with the treatments. then we'll work on your paint color. oh, and you don't even have to paint me a candle...unless you find another brown one in your stash. however, i would like two painted piggy banks...hint, hint! :)
Oh dear my sassy seamstress friend...the piggy banks...i forgot!!!
That's exactly what you need to do, get your sassy seamstress to put together some neat window treatments and pillows to match. That girl is very talented, use that talent but PAY HER BACK!!!! I'm not the one for asking about color, you get the neutral thing from me, sorry!
You do have great taste in material so you will be fine, Good Luck!
Just came across your blog and I think it seems great. I am also a little frightened of color! (comes from 10 years of renting as a military family!) A good place to start would be some great colorful pillows, and maybe some color in a rug. If you can find a rug you love, you can match out a color of paint for the walls. You can even do a very light color on the walls and have one wall just a shade darker. (friend of mine has that and it looks lovely).
Best of luck!
Amy,
Oh so nice to meet you my new blog friend! I love your bloggy design, isn't Darcy just a jewel?! Ok, I'm gonna have to agree with my sweet friend Melissa. I'm not sure I'd start with wall color. If you look on my tumblr site (there's a link to it on my sidebar) back to July I think, there's a great LR with cream walls, but little pops of color in the pillows and on the bookshelves. I think I'd start with a different rug, like a jute or seagrass---to add some texture and subtle color to the room. Then plaigarize Nester's robin egg blue color as an accent. Maybe something with red in it on the mantle. Or maybe paint a small accent piece of furniture. Also, look around at thrift stores or Goodwill and try to find a coffee table that has legs and then paint that cheap piece a color or black. I think a piece or two more 'airy' (you know that doesn't go all the way to the ground) would add a lot of visual interest.
Have fun with it and show us the 'after'.
Hugs,
edie
Hi Amy--
I'd start with a rug. Your furniture is great--a wonderful neutral backdrop. If you had a rug with some color, you could easily pull a wall color from that.
Of course, window treatments and throw pillows are great pops of color, but I'm thinking that you may be ready for a bigger statement than that. If your budget permits it, I'd strongly recommend a rug from the Karastan Original Collection (if this link works, see them at http://www.karastan.com/RugsList.aspx?id=108&source=search&searchTerms=Original%20Karastan%20Collection). If your floors are very red, you might like something like the Empress Kirman. (By the way, Karastan puts these rugs on sale 50% off retail twice a year; I think one of the times is in November.) If these rugs are too spendy, I still recommend the Karastan website as a place to look and dream. (Rugs Direct is a great online rug shop, by the way.)
I can imagine something like Benjamin Moore's Olive Branch (Color #2143-30) on the walls--a very creamy, warm olive--on the walls. This green is so soft as be still very much in the neutral zone, but it would be a COLOR!
Happy looking!
Hey Amy,
Thanks for stopping by my Graphics site... That site is new, but I've been blogging for a few years now. My regular site, if you want to visit that, is www.ordinaryinspirations.blogspot.com
So nice to meet you Amy!
Hi Amy,
I'm sorry I don't have any great pictures to share for inspiration -- decorating really isn't my thing -- but I do agree with Richella above who suggested perhaps a warm olive for the walls. I think red and green are complimentary colors -- but it wouldn't look Christmasy because Olive is so not Evergreen, if you know what I mean. My living room walls are sort of golden-pea green, which sounds really revolting, but actually looks nice. And we have one red accent wall -- which is the whole green/red thing.
Anyway, I'm rambling. Thanks for visiting my blog today...I'll be back to visit yours again!
P.S. I love the dirty diaper on the coffee table - - that's real life!
You've got a lot of great ideas here and I'm seconding the rug and throw pillows. Start there and figure out what colors you like best. Then go for color on the walls that will blend in with the colors you are already loving and committed to. Try recovering the footstool to compliment the pillows and floor treatment.
Oh, if it's too spendy for a new rug and the one you have is cushy for your baby to fall on, just get a large area rug for under the coffee table, extending out to furniture. Layering rugs looks great and it could be a temporary fix as you get used to color.
Hugs, Marla
I found a color I am *in love* with - It's by Olympus and it's called "Secret Passage." It is a light gray/blue-ish color. It's gotten many compliments on the color. So far we've painted our dining room and formal living room that color and plan to paint several other rooms that color too :)
Can you paint your fireplace? It's hard to see in the picture, but it looks like it's the same color as the trim? It might pop more as a different color.
And YAY for the diaper on the coffee table. I can't tell you how "normal" that makes me feel :)
My first thought when I enlarged the picture was, olive green would warm the room up so much! I saw in the comments other people thought the same thing. I know I go against all the decorating advice above, but I always start with the wall color. It's cheap to change if you don't like it. Also, I think the rug you have will be fine with the olive color. I can't see spending a lot on a rug with little ones around. Some new throw pillows with a pattern to them will do the trick!
One more comment. . . I feel like I should explain why I recommend that you look at the Karastan rugs. I shied away from rugs for years, mostly because I couldn't afford much on my floors, and then because of my kids. Then I discovered Karastan rugs. I bought my first one back in 1998 and have added a few others over the years. You would not even believe what has been spilled on my rugs. With three boys and two dogs, our rugs take a beating. I mean a BEATING. But these rugs hold up beautifully and clean so well. . . and they include so many different colors that nothing really shows on them. I now regret that I ever bought other rugs, all of which ended up pretty much ruined and are no longer part of my home.
One note about the price: full retail on these rugs is a lot, but Karastan discounts the rugs by 50% two months out of the year (I think May and November). Then many retailers may offer an additional discount over the 50% off given by Karastan. I've paid about 40-45% of the retail price for each of my rugs, which makes them much more affordable. Still a bit pricy, but not too bad.
So. . . lest you think I'm crazy for suggesting that someone with little kids look at these rugs, those are my reasons. And even if you don't end up purchasing one, I think you'll love looking at the beautiful colors and patterns!
Blessings,
Richella
I say put paint on the walls! Jump into color head first! If you hate it, you just re-paint :)
Choose something safe - not something crazy. Looks like you like Neutrals, I'd choose a brown. I'm loving mocha shades right now.
You have GREAT molding and big, beautiful windows, so you can definitely choose a bold color without it being overpowering or scary.
I'm a total freak and I used photoshop to put a color on your wall...I'll email it to you.
I really like what you have and would just bring in color wih drapes, pillows or accessories that can be moved around, in or out and aren't really causing you to make a true commitment. (I'm kinda a non-commital kinda gal.)
Oops! Guess I should have read the more recent post first!
I can't wait to see what you decide on. :)
Post a Comment