In Times of Trouble, Paint!
November 25, 2008 § 24 Comments
If you’re hunkering down to wait until economic conditions improve before making changes to your home, just remember that a gallon of paint costs only about $23 (Valspar from Lowe’s). I’ve moved to Valspar from Benjamin Moore (they don’t pay me so I can do that) because the paint is a better value. I hav
e been very impressed so far with the quality of the paint, how it goes on the wall, and the ease with which Lowe’s will color-match. If you are trying to save money, and who isn’t, I highly recommend Valspar.
As we spend more time watching the news these days and less time at the shopping mall, a small painting project may be just what the doctor ordered. A gallon of paint can brighten your mood and make you feel like you have control over something in your life, even if it’s just an accent wall behind your sofa. Or try painting the wall behind your bed — you may feel more inclined to MAKE the bed in the morning and that activity alone will give your mood a boost.
A quart of paint will cover your kitchen backsplash. Choose a satin or semi-gloss finish for easy cleaning. With a roll of blue painter’s tape (another inexpensive purchase), you can make stripes or “tiles” on your backsplash and perk up a drab kitchen.
Kids love redecorating their rooms. Changing the paint color and moving the bed can inspire your child to take pride in keeping the room neat. And while you’re moving things around, why not go through the toy chest and decide which toys can move on to other kids.
If the economy has you down, do something fun. Paint!
Your Home & Color Coach 
Hi Ms. Meglis.
I have a color question. I have an enclosed front porch which I want to paint inside. Currently one wall of the inside is whiteish/cream colored asbestos shingles like the entire exterior of the house. I plan to paint the house purple in the spring. The other three inside walls of the porch are not painted yet. I want to paint the inside of the porch some color to make it feel more homey. I want it to feel like a room. Do I paint all 4 walls the same color? Does the shingle wall have to be consistent with the outside exterior color? You can see inside the porch from the outside, so it would have to look right with the purple when I do paint the outside.
Also, I want to paint the inside of the front door (facing inside the porch) red. The trim and window ledges inside the porch are currently white. The floor will be refinished wood. The ceiling is currently painted white but that can change too. Any help would be much appreciated.
Elle
Hi Elle,
As long as you plan on painting the house purple in the spring, I would start with the house wall on the porch and paint that purple. That way, the street view of the house will show all one color. The door can certainly be red and the white trim is perfect to separate the two bold colors.
For the rest of the porch, I suggest a nature color that you see in your yard when you’re sitting on the porch. Something like a soft sage green or a fresh yellow-green. Then use the furnishings and accessories on the porch to pull all those colors together.
As for the ceiling, I think white will be best. Or if you really love color, and you seem to, then you could try a really light purpley blue that will simulate sky and soften the edges between the walls and ceiling. But white will reflect the most light into the porch.
Hope that helps.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
I want to know what color paint to use in my living room because i have lipstick red sofas
Hi Elsie,
It all depends, really, on what else you have in the room and what colors you have in adjoining rooms. But for our purposes, if you have lipstick red sofas, they are really the focus of the room. Adding a lot of color to the walls will create more of a carnival look that you may not want. So, I would choose a nice creamy neutral, something like Ben Moore’s bone white or maybe a yellower, richer Powell Buff. You could also go on the light gray side for a very sophisticated look — something like Silver Satin 856.
I would keep the walls light to really focus attention on the fabulous red sofas. You can also paint an accent wall if you want more color in the room, but I would keep the other three neutral.
Hope that helps.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Help!! I just moved into a new home built in 1886. The trim throughout the entire house is the original mahogany. What colour can I paint! How can I make my home a mix of modern and old? I am a t a loss. Everyone says go with a cream palette but isnt that a cop out?
Hi Sue,
If your home has original mahogany trim and the house was built in 1886, I would definitely not paint it. I would oil it or refinish it to take it back to its original glory. I know it’s dark, but a house that old has wonderful workmanship and you can lighten your rooms with paint color on the walls and really good lighting.
To modernize your home, I would use a light wall palette (creams are still wonderful with dark wood). Then choose modern furniture pieces without a lot of pattern, just solid color. Use modern art on the walls and minimize all clutter. That will make the home feel more modern and maintain the original architecture of the house.
Hope that helps.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Hi Barbara,
After looking through your blog for color inspiration, I wonder what you can recommend for a 12-year-old girl who would like a green bedroom. We have picked up color samples from Banjamin Moore based on last season’s kids Pottery Barn colors but no decision yet. I’m concerned that the room may be too green and she’ll be tired of it within the year.
Thank you,
Lisa
PS – I am a fellow MHC 80 alum and must have found you through the class notes. Great work!
Hi Lisa,
Wow, that’s great! Every now and then I bump into an alum on the blog, and it’s always a thrill. Takes me WAY back…
I’m glad to hear that you have a 12-year-old (I have an 11-year-old), but most of my friends from high school and college are grandparents by now! I guess that’s not unusual, but I’m not there yet.
As for your daughter, there are two great greens that I would recommend. Both are very easy on the eyes and wear well into the teenage years and beyond. One is Prescott green (a soft blue-green HC-140) that pairs well with white, black, dark purple, hot pink, navy blue. Just about everything your daughter might want to use for bedding, lamps and accessories. The other color is Guilford green (a yellower green) that is also easy on the eyes and looks great with red. Both are historical colors so they are very tasteful (and parents like that). If she likes orange as an accent color, she might also take a look at Kittery point green (HC-119). It’s a little more GREEN than the other two, but it’s very pretty and also looks terrific with lots of white.
I hope that helps. I do think it’s a good idea to put a reasonably neutral color on the walls and save the really wild colors for pillows, lamps, rugs, and other items you can switch out when she’s tired of them. Much easier than repainting the walls every couple of years.
Good luck and I hope she likes some of the ideas. Thanks for visiting my blog!!
-Barbara (Withington, class of 80)
Your Home & Color Coach
Hi Barbara,
I just painted my kitchen Prescott green. It’s a wonderful color, first time ever I put paint on the walls and was truely completely happy. Now I want to paint the prominant radiator and trim around the passthrough a darker green. Could you please recommend a color? I’m also planning on painting the widow sill and baseboard around the eating area white dove. Sound like a good plan?
Thanks
Hi Phil,
Sorry for the delay. I suggest you paint the radiator the same Prescott green to make it go away completely. It’s okay to go darker for the trim around the passthrough although the white dove will work too. For a darker green, I would go with Salisbury Green HC-139.
Hope that helps.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
I live in a rehabbed old schoolhouse loft. My living room is a large open space, high ceilings, wood flooring, dark wood tables, and one of the longer walls is of exposed brick. We have also just received these deep red micro fiber “suede” couches that dominate the room, so I’m basing my paint choice on that.
I’d like ideas for what colors you think might work if I’ve decided to paint simply the long wall opposing the brick, leaving all other sides neutral. I know that lighter shades of brown would work, but I’m curious if there are other options you might suggest to make the room pop without being garish. Thanks!
Hi Mya,
Here are a few ideas for your other walls: Ben Moore’s papaya 957 (it’s a wonderful neutral you might want to paint everywhere as it will really make your exposed brick and red couches look fantastic). Another way to go is Camouflage (2143-40), also great with brick and reds. Otherwise, just choose a rich neutral beige that will let your feature wall and vibrant furniture take center stage. Sounds like a great space!
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
I have a cream colored brick house and want to change the color of trim right now when we originally bought the house it has like a torquoise color trim…want something different…was never too fond of the torquoise color . what colors should i consider for the trim if the brick is cream colored????
Hi Aimee,
I suggest keeping a natural color for your trim, something like a taupe or gray/tan color. Then you can have a shocking front door for some real punch. Whatever you have in the garden or your favorite color. Your cream colored house gives you lots of options for the front door, but I would not put any color other than neutral on the trim.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
hi Barbara,
Love your site! thanks for all the great info.
We just purchased a home with all beige walls. We’d like to add our own color to some of the rooms. The family room has honey-oak hardwood floors and an oversized red-brick fireplace. We also have a slate microfiber sectional that’ll go into that room (kind of a bluish grey color with texture). I really love the Valspar London Coach, Bleached Shadow, or the darker more purple Dusty Lead. Do you think any of these colors would work in this room? I’m worried the purplish greys would be too warm for our big slate couch.
Also, what color would you suggest we paint the fireplace brick? The red brick definitely doesn’t do it for us. The FP overpowers the room and I want to paint it a more neutral color so it doesn’t stick out quite so much.
Thanks!!
Sarah
Hi Sarah,
If you want to hide the fireplace, you might consider painting it a lighter shade of the honey oak on the floor. That way your wall color, trim and furniture will take over the room and leave the fireplace to kind of blend into the wall. The other option is to paint it a shade of the wall color. Any other color on the fireplace will highlight it instead of hide it.
Your color choices for the walls are very sophisticated. Any will work as long as you follow through with your furniture and accessories to finish the room. Be sure to add cream or white for contrast (or light gray) and some silver metal accessories for light. Keeping a monochromatic color scheme for the room will make it modern.
Hope that helps.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Barbara,
Just wanted to know that we ended up painting the room in Dusty Lead and it looks great! I added silver metal accessories, and cream and rich purple as accent colors. We love how it turned out. Thanks again for your advice!
Sarah
Hi Sarah,
Glad you went for it. Sounds great!
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Hello! I’ve really enjoyed reading your comments. I recently bought a house where the living room and dining room are in one open space. I also have a red couch (that leans slightly toward cranberry) and dark chocolate furniture in the living room…but my dining room furniture is painted white and more on the shabby chic side. There’s a lot of white trim in the house that I want to keep…including a white mantle that surrounds a red brick fireplace.
I’m looking for a paint color that will be neutral enough to unite both rooms and that will still have a cottagey feel and not be too boring. I have literally sampled dozens of BM paint colors! Started with the creamy yellows at first but ended up getting that carnival feel you mentioned above. I just recently discovered Papaya and noticed that you had also used it. What kind of feel does it have? Do you think it would work in my space? I’ve also looked at Rich Cream (a little to peachy), Barely Beige (nice but can’t tell if it will be too blah) and Standish White (might lean a little toward the yellowy-green side for my taste). I’d love your feedback and any other suggestions you might have.
Thank you!!
~ Karen
Hi Karen,
I do like Papaya and the slightly richer Ocean Beach 958 as they’re not too yellow and seem to go with everything. I also like Powell Buff, which is a wonderful neutral that provides a terrific backdrop for browns and reds. And it doesn’t “gray out” like a taupey beige does. See what you think.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Hi Ms. Meglis.
I have a color question. If I have two sofas in my family room – one is a hunter green and the other is a butter yellow…any suggestions on wall color? The only other piece in the room is a large antique wall unit that houses the television, books, etc. In our old house we had terracotta walls (there is some orange paisley in the green sofa) but the yellow sofa wasn’t in that room.
Any suggestions are much appreciated as I’d like to paint it soon!!
Thanks again, Nicole
Hi Nicole,
Have a look at either Bone White or Papaya (both Ben Moore) for the backdrop behind your colorful furniture. Then if you need an accent wall (behind the TV) or the focal point wall (what you see when you walk into the room), then you can pick up the terracotta from the sofa. Using a neutral in the room will allow you to add the punches of color both in the furniture and on the accent wall as well as pillows/art/accessories without turning the whole room into a circus tent (you know what I mean…). Sounds like a wonderful palette for your family room!
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
It’s been a while but thanks for the response. We did paint the radiator Prescot Green and it is the best choice. Thanks
You’re welcome Phil. Glad you like it!
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach