Residential Color Schemes

steve-in-kville

Over on the painttalk.com forum, I asked a question about the tradion of painting ceilings white, while the walls would be painted another color. Some painters claim that a white ceiling and darker walls make a room appear higher, even larger than it actually is. I have always painted everything one color when I could help it. And most times stuck with an off-white color (SW "dover white" for example).

I have a house where I want to experiment with a different color scheme. Its a rental so I can afford to play a little. I'm no interior decorator expert, so if someone can comment on color schemes beyond the "off-white" tactic we see on apartments and tract homes, I would appreciate the input. Or maybe I should ask, how would you paint *your* bedroom, bath and dining room??

I'm thinking of trying a white ceiling, a medium blue wall and darker blue trim. Something beyond the all-white strategy we see all the time.

Thought? Comment? Ideas??

steve

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Richard

Just bought our first home. I can give you all the colors, but it would take me forever. The bedroom will have stark white ceilings and trim. The walls will be "universal khaki" by SW. Stark white trim and ceilings will really make it pop.

We are going with a "midwestern" color scheme. Basically desert colors.

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Rich

steve-in-kville

So walls and trim the same color is a fad right now, or just a preference? What SW color code is the khaki?? Never seen that one. I've been so used to shooting everthing the same color. But I want to try something different for a change.

steve

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DeanV

The standard for me is that usually the ceiling is the same color as the trim (if the trim is painted). Trim colors are usually an off white, such as BM Linen white.

plazaman

Flat White on Ceiling
Semi Gloss white on trims
Eggshell on walls

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Hartsdale Remodeling Contractor
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Richard

it's preference...there are no standards with paint colors

I can easily do an off white trim, but everyone up here does that. I want bright white to make a very strong contrast. I'm a painter, I want it different for my own place

the khaki is #6150

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Rich

Workaholic

The standard here is main color ceilings 1/4 of main for all colors. For this area painting ceilings the same color as trim does not work out to well, because of all the layers of crown. Not enough to pop the trim out at you.
So 1/4 does the trick

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Sean

lornmastro

I guess i don't get it if it is a rental wouldn't you want to stay with neutral colors? If it were my rental I would go with white/off white trim and ceiling and go with a benjamin moore shaker beige HC45 on the walls. When ever someone wants a neutral color i always suggest HC-45. YOu don't someone walking in and saying "blue...that won't match my furniture...can't rent it!!".

Workaholic

A lot of speck houses i do go hc-45 for the main.

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Sean

steve-in-kville

Some really good points to ponder. Thanks for the replies.

steve

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DelW

If they don't want white ceilings, I usually suggest 25% of the wall color.

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Teetorbilt

I'll ask a few of my ID's about your original question.

I am noticing a trend away from the stark white/bold color palettes of a few years ago. Most of the homes that I'm now doing are going to off-white/creamy trims/ceilings and the (mostly) orange based (Tuscan) colored walls. Not my style at all.

I'm thinking of softening the trim in my house because I like the look. They are bright white gloss. Now I'm thinking of a transition color from the floor to the wall. Old wide plank oak (yellows and browns) floors to 'Seashell' walls with undertones of pink. Time to call in an ID. Fortunately, I have a few that owe me a favor.

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ModernStyle

Install 30 bunkbeds, paint the ceiling to look like the Mexican flag and rent it to some hard working illegals. You could buy houses all over the country and do this, the illegals are here to save us fat lazy americans and they will need places to live. You could even paint a mural of the Aztec guy with the dead chick on the garage door.
Im gonna have to franchise this idea, maybe get me an infomercial deal.

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Teetorbilt

Hunh? And out of Ft. Wayne?

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You can't solve you're problems with the same level of thinking that created the problems.

Albert Einstein

DeanV

They are everywhere, even up in MI, teetor

Tom Rohland

Steve,

I'm no color expert either, but I'm making an effort to improve.

I'd suggest considering the following questions:


1. What color is the floor?

2. What color are your window treatments?

3. How big are the rooms?

4. What kind of lighting do you have?


Once you narrow your choices down purchase a quart of each color and paint some samples. I like to use "posterboard" so I can move these samples around the room. See how the color works on all the walls in the room during different times of the day.

Hope this helps.

Have FUN!


Tom Rohland, Jr.
Ranger Painting & Pressure Cleaning, Inc.
Lake Mary, Florida

Workaholic

Yep even deep into Idaho

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Sean

daArch

Lot of questions there Steve, or I should say a lot of possible answers. First, light walls will open an area up. So you gotta consider the size of the room. Next, how much available light? Large well-lit areas can carry darker walls. Blue is a "cold" color. Not many people appreciate it. Yellow is supposedly "soothing". I am sure you can easily find info on the "psychology" of colors.

Ceilings, because of lighting, "appear" darker than they are. To make them "appear" the same as the walls, only "throw" the paint toward the wall color (nor sure if 1/4 of the wall is the correct amount, but it's a good starting point) Personally I like my ceilings with less than a "throw" just so the blue of the titanium white does not look cold against something like Linen White.

Contrasting (light and dark) walls and woodwork make the woodwork stand out. This can work either FOR you or AGAINST you. If the woodwork is old and crappy, paint it the same as the walls and make sure it's FLAT. When I redid my main living area, I made the woodwork and the walls the same "value" (light reflecting) but different tones (color). The walls are an off white toward purple/mauve/brown (mixed it myself - looks different under different lighting) while the woodwork is a high gloss cream color. Ceiling has a HINT of the wall color. I like it. it's light, airy, opens the room up, but still shows contrast between trim, walls and ceiling.

I just hinted about light. A room will appear differently under different lighting, be it blue from the snow in winter, to a green cast from trees and grass in the summer, to yellow from incandescent lighting, or blue from florescent, to white from the new lighting options.

I've always said "color is perception" you can change the perception of color by what surrounds it or by what illuminates it. I can make some yellows appear either yellow, green, or orange by surrounding them with an appropriate color.

Sorry for the length, but I've always been fascinated by colors and very aware of manipulating them. That's why I always mix my own.

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Flikka

My most favorite dining room that I did for a client had BM's Rapture (red) on the walls (flat) and French Toast (yellow) on the ceiling. The kids love it and prefer to eat there now, than in the kitchen. I don't have a dining room but my living room is red, the ceiling is cream.

My bedroom is currently a heavy cream, ceiling the same (more for lazyiness than any other reason) lighter trim but cream. Before that is was a dark mortar colour, before that a blue so dark it was almost black. The ceilings were never white I don't like that type of contrast and try to steer my clients away from pure white ceilings.

My bathroom is currently white as I gave up trying to fight with a very bad design choice in countertops and glassed in shower stall. Is this your main bathroom? People generally like to keep it light so you can see better while applying make-up or shaving. Not white...just light. If it's a powder room and since your wanting to experiment, I've recently taken a liking to black and am itching to have a client agree to it. I would do it here in a heart beat but I don't have a powder room. We are currently under construction with a basement bathroom and it's painted BM's Raphael CC-2. This bathroom will be used mostly by my son and visitors using the pool. Other dark powder rooms I have painted: dark blue, red, gold, and chocolate brown. Para makes the most edible brown called Black Creek...yummy.

Sounds like you've been living in a world of white, don't be afraid of colour it's easily changed if you don't like it. I would suggest though that as you're not used to using colour that you get some good advice from whom ever you buy paint from as to which colours look good together and what will look best with your current furnishings/flooring ect.

Cheers
Mary

Tom Rohland

daArch,

Great Post!

Thanks for picking up my SLACK.

I knew I could count on you.

lol


Tom Rohland, Jr.
Ranger Painting & Pressure Cleaning, Inc.
Lake Mary, Florida