How To Make Any Paint Colour Combination Work
No matter how many times I meet with homeowners, I always get anxious and nervous suggesting that they do any painting. I cringe when I see the glazed look come over their face when I talk about the “P” word. I know it’s a big undertaking for them when there is so much else to do, but fresh paint makes the biggest difference in their investment. This is when I have to “pick my battles” and choose which rooms are priority, and then ultimatley, it’s their decision what they will do. Obviously the timeline is also a huge factor of what is realistic to get done.
What Colours Stay and What Colours Go:
This particular house had many bold paint colours. The bright red kitchen with the gray backsplash was my source of inspiration. I knew I could use red accessories in the other rooms.
The whole main level and two stair cases were in a tan colour and it would be too much to paint the entire house in the short time frame. However, in my professional opinion, the living room needed to be toned down. I suggested they paint it the same colour as the rest of the house since that would be the easiest and fastest solution.
Rearranging the furniture and removing all the extra pieces really opened-up the room and it looked so much brighter and larger. Notice how my artwork tied all the colours together. I wanted to add as much gray as possible since it’s a more current colour and that is what young buyers are looking for. Since I couldn’t paint the walls gray, incorporating gray accessories was the next best thing.
Before, buyers would have focussed on all the interesting décor, but now the beautiful picture window with lots of greenery and privacy is what they will notice right away. You can see the little bit of the red kitchen in the background.
The colour carries through to the rest of the main floor so your eye isn’t stopped by a colour change. This expands the space and makes it feel larger.
Sightlines:
This house has many angles and levels but the new artwork and accessories flowed, so it feels like one large space. The little pops of red in each room also keeps things consistent.
Since the wall colour was so similar to furniture, I added hits of black, gray , white and red for more contrast. Notice the new chandelier. It was actually in the foyer so they just switched them around. I love ‘free’ improvements!! A hanging light instantly makes it feel more like a dining room. With less furniutre in the room, you notice the lovely wood floors that are laid on an angle.
It’s amazing how different a room can look by simply rearranging the furniture.
Homeowner’s Reaction:
I was extremely grateful how much the homeowner’s did. They were real troopers. It was cute when they told me that they really didn’t understand why I was asking them to remove so much of their beloved personal items, paint the living room (which they loved) and rearrange all the furniture. I’m sure they weren’t liking me too much as they went through the very long report.
I can explain the reasons ‘why’ I am making certain suggestions over and over, but most people need to actually ‘see’ it, to believe it.
They told me it wasn’t until I started to hang the new artwork and place the accessories that they really ‘got it’. I appreciated their blind trust in me. It was a lot of work for them, but they were thrilled with the final product!!!
Every single day I have clients say “why didn’t I do this years ago?”
