Replies

1. 
   Lword | Sep 05, 2004 01:45pm | #1

   Gosh I'm on the fence between you and your husband. If the furnishings accommodate it, I'd go with different colors, at least on one or two accent walls. The trick is in the transition, seating and view. I just thought of one other situation, and that is that so many men are colorblind, and that may contribute to the problem of deciding on colors.

   Once I have complete control, I will try for an overall color just because it's easier, and let the decor add the accent colors. This is one reason for a neutral wall color - you can put almost anything on it.

   L.
2. 
   UncleDunc | Sep 05, 2004 06:31pm | #2

   You might consider putting pilasters on the walls at the room boundaries. These would serve as visual dividers between the paint colors, and as symbolic doorways, marking the dividing lines between the rooms without disrupting the clear views.

3. 
   aimless | Sep 08, 2004 06:38pm | #3

   I'm with your husband on this one. If you like different colors, use them - just make sure that they don't visually clash with each other. In the color issue of this magazine, they talked about having complementary colors in one room, and then switching which one was dominant in another room. The rooms are tied together by having the same or similar color schemes, but they are still differentiated by having different dominant colors. Dunc's suggestion of using an architectural element to visually define the separations without putting in walls and doors is a good one that I second.

4. 
   Janone | Sep 18, 2004 09:02am | #4

   I think it depends on the style of your home, and the light, and the mood you want and the colors you like, and the arrangement of the walls and ceilings, etc.  If the architecture functions as a pleasing space, you may not want to emphasize one wall space over another because it could change the visual proportions.  On the other hand, if you feel it needs to be balanced, or attention focused in one area, color is a good way to achieve that.

   We have an open style (Craftsman/contemporary lodge) with lots of beautiful windows with Douglas Fir trim and natural cherry cabinets and built-ins, plus cherry wood floors.  We used a warm light fawn brown color on all of the walls and ceilings.  Due to the different light conditions in each area, the color that we perceive changes from room to room and varies throughout the day and night.  It is not boring at all - very cozy, warm and inviting.  This has been a good color for us because it functions as a neutral, allowing us to use color in our upholstery pieces, rugs and art.  Perhaps you could compromise by picking out a soft, muted color that you both like and paint all of the walls that color.  Later, if you decide you need more color you can always paint over a wall or two.  I also like to buy a quart of paint and try it on the wall so I can judge the color in the lighting conditions of the room.

1. 
   pdxgreengrrl | Sep 26, 2004 07:28pm | #5

   We have an open ranch and in our living/dining room, the ceiling is paneled with red cedar. The whole house was white when I bought it. I wanted something that would complement the red of the cedar ceiling, bring color into the room but not detract from the beautiful views outside our picture windows. I struggled for 2 years to figure out what colors would work. We finally painted the walls in the LR/DR "Cypress" (from Miller Paint's Devine line), a muted sage green; the trim in Garnet, which is perfect with the ceiling; and to lighten the room and reduce the overwhelming redness of the room, we painted the brick fireplace "Whip," a creamy white (also from the Devine line). In the hallway and our one bath, we used the same creamy white on the walls and garnet for trim...tying the public rooms of our house together with similar, but flexible colors. For example, the garnet has enough blue in it that plum towels in the bathroom work perfectly. Also, the LR/DR has only cherry and walnut wood furniture/shelving and antique brass lamps, drawer pulls, etc., while the bathroom is natural birch--very yellow--and brushed nickels fixtures.

   The transition from living room wall to hallway wall was tricky and required a bit of painting finesse and masking tape, but the end result works. I was also afraid the the green and red together would appear "Christmas-y," but that is not the case at all. It's more reminiscent of the colors in a redwood forest (particularly appropriate here in the Pacific Northwest). The colors do change from wall to wall and from morning to night...the garnet is especially interesting in how different it looks against the Cypress green vs. the Whip white.

   Happy Painting,Chris