Comments on: help! how do i make my living space brighter? http://www.shelterrific.com/2008/07/08/help-how-do-i-make-my-living-space-brighter/ where people who love their homes click Thu, 08 Jan 2009 03:34:48 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Chris F. http://www.shelterrific.com/2008/07/08/help-how-do-i-make-my-living-space-brighter/#comment-287109 Chris F. Tue, 19 Aug 2008 14:44:17 +0000 http://www.shelterrific.com/?p=4595#comment-287109 I don't know if you have already painted and this is too late, but I thought I might share a couple of ideas. If you have already painted, I would love to see what you decided to do. I think that you should do some accent walls. What I would do is move that big red picture with a face in it and move it to the right. Then take the two pictures that are currently on the right and move to the left of that picture and stack on top of each other. Then, I would take the yellow that is in that big picture and paint the two walls with windows in your dining with that color yellow. Then, I would take the red that's in that picture and paint the wall with the fireplace and the wall to the left with the window in it the same color red. Then, I would pick a corrdinating neutral color to paint the rest of your walls. It also seems like the light wood hutch by the door is way out of place for the contemporary pieces found in the rest of the spaces. I would take that out of the room and possibly move the black cabinet that is to the right of the fireplace and put it next to the door and then put the TV to the right of the fireplace. I would also consider finding a black TV stand that matches your other furniture. You also could use more color in the pillows on your couch. I don’t know if you have already painted and this is too late, but I thought I might share a couple of ideas. If you have already painted, I would love to see what you decided to do. I think that you should do some accent walls. What I would do is move that big red picture with a face in it and move it to the right. Then take the two pictures that are currently on the right and move to the left of that picture and stack on top of each other.

Then, I would take the yellow that is in that big picture and paint the two walls with windows in your dining with that color yellow. Then, I would take the red that’s in that picture and paint the wall with the fireplace and the wall to the left with the window in it the same color red. Then, I would pick a corrdinating neutral color to paint the rest of your walls.

It also seems like the light wood hutch by the door is way out of place for the contemporary pieces found in the rest of the spaces. I would take that out of the room and possibly move the black cabinet that is to the right of the fireplace and put it next to the door and then put the TV to the right of the fireplace. I would also consider finding a black TV stand that matches your other furniture. You also could use more color in the pillows on your couch.

]]> By: Ann McGuire http://www.shelterrific.com/2008/07/08/help-how-do-i-make-my-living-space-brighter/#comment-286899 Ann McGuire Wed, 13 Aug 2008 15:23:28 +0000 http://www.shelterrific.com/?p=4595#comment-286899 Shelteriffic: How about Valspar's Churchill Hotel Wheat for the Dining Room. It will give the room a warm anchored feeling without bringing it down. This color will also make those orange chairs pop. It's a great warm neutral that will be a great backdrop for your amazing artwork - which I love! For the living room you could try Lunar Tide which is a soft warm neutral green. Again, the warm colors in your artwork will look great against this. Having the two spaces painted in slightly different colors will also create expansion while still holding the two rooms together. Good luck! Shelteriffic:
How about Valspar’s Churchill Hotel Wheat for the Dining Room. It will give the room a warm anchored feeling without bringing it down. This color will also make those orange chairs pop. It’s a great warm neutral that will be a great backdrop for your amazing artwork - which I love!

For the living room you could try Lunar Tide which is a soft warm neutral green. Again, the warm colors in your artwork will look great against this. Having the two spaces painted in slightly different colors will also create expansion while still holding the two rooms together. Good luck!

]]> By: shelterrific » Blog Archive » help! i need a site to help me choose paint colors http://www.shelterrific.com/2008/07/08/help-how-do-i-make-my-living-space-brighter/#comment-286541 shelterrific » Blog Archive » help! i need a site to help me choose paint colors Thu, 24 Jul 2008 15:16:35 +0000 http://www.shelterrific.com/?p=4595#comment-286541 [...] Cassie! I’ve been having issues finding the right paint colors myself. A quick online search turned up the same dilemma you had [...] [...] Cassie! I’ve been having issues finding the right paint colors myself. A quick online search turned up the same dilemma you had [...]

]]> By: shelterrific » Blog Archive » five things we learned last week http://www.shelterrific.com/2008/07/08/help-how-do-i-make-my-living-space-brighter/#comment-286371 shelterrific » Blog Archive » five things we learned last week Mon, 14 Jul 2008 13:06:44 +0000 http://www.shelterrific.com/?p=4595#comment-286371 [...] 1. When exploring new colors for your walls, always try out a test swatch first. As DJ wrote: “… Get several colors that you think might work, paint large squares of them on various walls, and see how they look over a period of several days at different times. It’s a lot of work, and I’m essentially lazy, but I REALLY wish I’d done that with our living room, which is a lovely buff color in daylight, but turns olive green at night under artificial lights.” Click here to color advice on see more in How Do I Make My Living Space Brighter. [...] [...] 1. When exploring new colors for your walls, always try out a test swatch first. As DJ wrote: “… Get several colors that you think might work, paint large squares of them on various walls, and see how they look over a period of several days at different times. It’s a lot of work, and I’m essentially lazy, but I REALLY wish I’d done that with our living room, which is a lovely buff color in daylight, but turns olive green at night under artificial lights.” Click here to color advice on see more in How Do I Make My Living Space Brighter. [...]

]]> By: K T G http://www.shelterrific.com/2008/07/08/help-how-do-i-make-my-living-space-brighter/#comment-286361 K T G Sun, 13 Jul 2008 17:54:31 +0000 http://www.shelterrific.com/?p=4595#comment-286361 My first idea is that I am reading all these people say green and I say no to green. I think you like the blue/gray, but you don't have the furnishings for it. A lighter blue in aqua would be cheery. I agree with everyone who says you've got to sample first. It's a pain but it's easier than painting the whole wall again and finding out it looks a little too much like circus peanuts or chalk, etc. Take down some of your art so you can paint adjacent to it, rehang and see how you like the direct contrast. Right now, I think your walls are just the wrong color for your art, and really, all of your furniture. Too cool and dreary. If you like blue, a warmer blue, some kind of aqua; if you like gray, a warmer gray, a very light warm dove gray. If you want to make a drastic reactive change, I liked the suggestion for the brown. I don't know what hue of brown was suggested, but I think a warmer cream in coffee color would look nice with the hot reds and golds of your art. Other suggestions: I liked the idea for pink but I think it's also kind of out there - always sample these things. Prepare to phase out any of your black furniture. Take some books about lighting re: decor out of the library. I'm not sure how the blue you have now is "too dark." It's keeping all your light, but I think any darker paint color will. I'm not sure you have adequate lighting. Can you do sconces at all? More table lamps, etc. Depending on the direction to your windows, it may take extreme lighting to overcome the lack of sun, even with white walls. I would also take some time and rearrange a lot of stuff, furniture and art. You have nice things, but I don't think they're exposed where they look like they should be. You don't need new furniture, for the most part, but rearranging is a free fix-up. My first idea is that I am reading all these people say green and I say no to green. I think you like the blue/gray, but you don’t have the furnishings for it. A lighter blue in aqua would be cheery. I agree with everyone who says you’ve got to sample first. It’s a pain but it’s easier than painting the whole wall again and finding out it looks a little too much like circus peanuts or chalk, etc. Take down some of your art so you can paint adjacent to it, rehang and see how you like the direct contrast.

Right now, I think your walls are just the wrong color for your art, and really, all of your furniture. Too cool and dreary. If you like blue, a warmer blue, some kind of aqua; if you like gray, a warmer gray, a very light warm dove gray. If you want to make a drastic reactive change, I liked the suggestion for the brown. I don’t know what hue of brown was suggested, but I think a warmer cream in coffee color would look nice with the hot reds and golds of your art.

Other suggestions: I liked the idea for pink but I think it’s also kind of out there - always sample these things. Prepare to phase out any of your black furniture. Take some books about lighting re: decor out of the library. I’m not sure how the blue you have now is “too dark.” It’s keeping all your light, but I think any darker paint color will. I’m not sure you have adequate lighting. Can you do sconces at all? More table lamps, etc. Depending on the direction to your windows, it may take extreme lighting to overcome the lack of sun, even with white walls. I would also take some time and rearrange a lot of stuff, furniture and art. You have nice things, but I don’t think they’re exposed where they look like they should be. You don’t need new furniture, for the most part, but rearranging is a free fix-up.

]]> By: shelterrific » Blog Archive » blogwatch: where we’ve been clicking this week http://www.shelterrific.com/2008/07/08/help-how-do-i-make-my-living-space-brighter/#comment-286338 shelterrific » Blog Archive » blogwatch: where we’ve been clicking this week Fri, 11 Jul 2008 13:45:54 +0000 http://www.shelterrific.com/?p=4595#comment-286338 [...] } Emily: We haven't changed anything... but my partner and I have… Sara: I was just going to say the same thing! I'm… Megan B: My husband and I work at the same place, so… Tiffany S.: Beez kneez Honey Money [...] [...] } Emily: We haven’t changed anything… but my partner and I have… Sara: I was just going to say the same thing! I’m… Megan B: My husband and I work at the same place, so… Tiffany S.: Beez kneez Honey Money [...]

]]> By: Sara http://www.shelterrific.com/2008/07/08/help-how-do-i-make-my-living-space-brighter/#comment-286329 Sara Fri, 11 Jul 2008 03:17:06 +0000 http://www.shelterrific.com/?p=4595#comment-286329 I was just going to say the same thing! I'm considering getting one, and perhaps putting an etched glass filter in the mix, so my upholstery does not get bleached by the sun. I was just going to say the same thing! I’m considering getting one, and perhaps putting an etched glass filter in the mix, so my upholstery does not get bleached by the sun.

]]> By: April http://www.shelterrific.com/2008/07/08/help-how-do-i-make-my-living-space-brighter/#comment-286286 April Thu, 10 Jul 2008 23:46:55 +0000 http://www.shelterrific.com/?p=4595#comment-286286 I have a little house in Seattle too, and have a few weird dark spots. I don't know if this is a solution for you, but I've been considering a solatube. http://www.solatube.com/ They have them at the ecohaus, and at home depot I have a little house in Seattle too, and have a few weird dark spots. I don’t know if this is a solution for you, but I’ve been considering a solatube.

http://www.solatube.com/

They have them at the ecohaus, and at home depot

]]> By: Erin http://www.shelterrific.com/2008/07/08/help-how-do-i-make-my-living-space-brighter/#comment-286239 Erin Thu, 10 Jul 2008 18:49:08 +0000 http://www.shelterrific.com/?p=4595#comment-286239 I will probably regret this later, but what about pink? Oh, yay! I see I'm not the first to mention pink, so I stand a little taller on this. A nice soft pink -- another hard color to get right so I would swatch first -- in either the warm or cold family. You have the perfect furniture and art to pull it off. Pink in those rooms wouldn't come off as precious at all. More bright and neutral, without being too neutral. You know? I will probably regret this later, but what about pink?

Oh, yay! I see I’m not the first to mention pink, so I stand a little taller on this.

A nice soft pink — another hard color to get right so I would swatch first — in either the warm or cold family. You have the perfect furniture and art to pull it off. Pink in those rooms wouldn’t come off as precious at all. More bright and neutral, without being too neutral. You know?

]]> By: Tiffany S. http://www.shelterrific.com/2008/07/08/help-how-do-i-make-my-living-space-brighter/#comment-286229 Tiffany S. Thu, 10 Jul 2008 16:19:47 +0000 http://www.shelterrific.com/?p=4595#comment-286229 I agree with Dorian, and the more I think about it I think you should go with a neutral (in the tan family) and let the art and accents be the "color." You can scan a photo of your room and the photoshop in the neutrals so you can preview it. Neutral doesn't have to be white. Maybe pull a neutral color from your NEW PUPPY! I agree with Dorian, and the more I think about it I think you should go with a neutral (in the tan family) and let the art and accents be the “color.”

You can scan a photo of your room and the photoshop in the neutrals so you can preview it. Neutral doesn’t have to be white.

Maybe pull a neutral color from your NEW PUPPY!

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