Just a general question about painting and color selection
The living room has two chairs which are beige color
The area rug is beige
The curtains are beige
The ceiling is flat white.
What are some color options for the walls?
Thanks for any input.
.
+++
Spring Break = Summer Broke
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Replies
How do you choose paint color?
Thanks for any input.
.
+++
Spring Break = Summer Broke
mrfixitusa.
Here's where a professional can really help you. Hopefully you've seen pictures of my place and I was thinking along basic parchment colors for the sheetrock between oak timbers..
My sister who is a interior designer (differant from a decorator in that she is college trained and has passed the ASID requirements) spent about 30 minutes with her color strips and determined that I needed Honey Butter yellow and radish red.
Untill I saw them in place I hated them! I was going to paint them her color just to show her she was wrong!
OOps the well trained eye wins!
That's what I have never done (hired a professional) and it has hurt meI like the idea on the butter yellow color but I'm not sure about the redI'd like to see the pictures of your house.What thread are they in?Thanks!.+++Spring Break = Summer Broke
mrfixitusa
85891.1& 94941.1 those were all taken during the construction phase. I should take some more of the color on the walls etc..
We need more info than what colors are there now, especially since it basic beige with white ceiling.
What sort of mood do you want to create?
Is this a family home, with wife and kids, or is this your party crib?
Is there a lot of trim or only baseboards?
How large are the windows and how much light do they let into the room?
Is it the first room you walk into when you enter the home?
All these and more are determining factors. Without more information, I'd have to say just pick a color, any color but beige or white.
How about blue? Blue is a good color. I say paint the walls blue. :D
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The living room measures 13 X 16 and you walk directly into the room through the front door - entry door.It's the house I live in and I will be putting it back on the market (it didn't sell so I'm doing some fine tuning and will try again)I just bought two of these chairs from Target to place in the room.http://www.target.com/Jamison-Club-Chair-Tan/dp/B000TR4BGI/qid=1210594327/ref=br_1_4/602-5035453-1027042?ie=UTF8&node=334755011&frombrowse=1&rh=&page=1The walls are currently white and I want to go with something differentI'll look at some blue colors I hadn't thought of blueThanks for the suggestion.+++Spring Break = Summer Broke
Sounds like you have a thing for beige so why not more of the same.
But seriously, I would probably use anything EXCEPT beige. I'm not big on monochromatic rooms.
Take a look at each of the major beige pieces and see if you see any other color IN them. Most colors are not really pure. For example, you may notice that your curtains are actually a greenish beige or a reddish beige. That "background" color might be a good choice.
You could also try buying some color samples (Benjamin Moore sells small jars for about $5), paint a piece of cardboard and hold it up to each element in the room and see how you like it.
Exellent adviceI just bought the two chairs and they came in large boxes and I can cut it up and so I have plenty of carboard to experiment withThanks again for the info.+++Spring Break = Summer Broke
I went to home depot and got a behr paint brochure with various colorsThe samples colors are smallIt really doesn't work very well to hold the brochure up to the wall or next to the carpet to try to guess what the finished room would like like..+++Spring Break = Summer Broke
"I went to home depot and got a behr paint brochure with various colors"Do yourself a favor; go elsewhere and buy some good paint. Behr formulates low cost low quality paints for HD. Same with the Glidden products at HD; similar names but not the same quality as at a Glidden store. HD donates Behr paint to my Habitat for Humanity chapter and I've found that it takes 3 coats of white enamel to hide the light greenish gray factory primer on our doors.Pay more for Sherwin Williams or whatever the good regional brand is in your area that the better painting contractors use.BruceT
you ask the women of the house
LOL+++Spring Break = Summer Broke
Lotta beige going on in there...but actually that's not a bad thing. If you walked into my living room you could probably say the same thing, except that my "beige" is actually a fairly deep taupe. The color in there comes from accents and artwork.
How would you pick your color...
Check out existing pieces that will remain; in your case the chairs, rug and curtains? Your scheme sounds fairly neutral, but all colors have an undertone which is why there are a bajillion colors of beige and white. The tones of your existing colors are going to determine what others will look best with them. Don't forget wood stains are a color, too, so consider the hardwood and furniture.
Most people can't make a decision about color because they're afraid they'll make a mistake. Get over that right now - I sampled at least 5 colors and painted one wrong one in my living room before I got to the one I have had for 8 years. It's a trial and error process for everyone.
Light, not pigment, is what determines what a color looks like in your home. The same color at opposite ends of the house is going to look entirely different. So consider the light level in the room and the exposure. A southern exposure may overheat an already warm yellow, a northern exposure can turn a cool beige to mud. Also consider if you use the room all day, mainly at night, etc. You'll want your color to look it's best when you're in the room and in the most common lighting.
Consider the colors in adjacent rooms. Unless you want a stand-alone, statement room, you want all the spaces to work together and not be jarring. Don't get hung up yet on "yellow won't go with this green". All colors work together; it's a matter of finding the right shades or tints.
Go to the paint store and just browse for a few minutes. You can take an arm cover from the chair and the curtain with you for reference. Skip the strips at first, go for the individual color ships. Since you're working with neutral items, pick any colors that strike you and that you think look good with your samples. You're not going to buy paint yet, so have fun. Stay away from the saturated hues and steer for the tinted neutrals and subdued shades. Most paint mfr's now group all these "neutrals" together because they are the backbone of most color schemes. Pick up a few of the full strips that contain colors you've selected and some that don't. These strips are an easier way to tell what the base is, particularly in richer colors, and they will give you different shades and tints so you can determine which is best.
When you get home, pull all of your elements (chair, curtains, rug, wood tone) together in a grouping. Now look at each individual chip with those items. Put those you really like in one pile and look at those you don't one more time. Maybe you hoped a green would work, but nothing you brought home looked good. It could be the green is too yellow for your existing colors. Check the other strips and see if there's one that looks a bit better. If there is, the lightest color on the strip will tell you the underlying tone so you can steer toward that when you try again.
For the best "flow" I like to keep colors in the same general intensity throughout a space. If you go from the medium taupe I have to a very pale color in the next room, it's a lot of contrast and the eye stops. So my other colors have some body to them; they aren't a lot lighter or darker than my living room. Check any colors you're considering with what's nearby and also check out how the sample looks in your lighting. Most color frustration comes from not understanding what lighting does and that 4 walls of a color is a lot more intense than you realize.
You may have to repeat the sample process a couple of times, but you learn every time you do it. Once you decide on a color or two, get the smallest amount you can and paint it on a large piece of cardboard or poster board. Now you can tack it up in various areas of the room and see how it looks throughout the day. Once you have the "color", your remaining adjustments should be in intensity and base color.
I always start with a quart of the final selection. If it's wrong, it can still be a primer, and it beats 3 gallons of "almost the right color". Paint 2 adjacent walls as far as you can and evaluate the results.
Also a few tips:
Oak with yellow/gold undertones generally doesn't look good at all with a muted red-based beige or taupe wall. Aim for something warmer or greener if you're going that direction.
Cherry or mahogany wood tones go with just about everything, but look particularly nice against blues, aquas, and greens.
A monochromatic scheme of neutrals is great to live with but hard to accomplish because it requires such variety in texture and pattern to make it interesting. If you want that look, aim for a deeper beige wall color and add a primary and secondary accent in accessories. I think beiges are particularly nice with red, plum or navy. I use red in my taupe living room; the green I'd like has been hard to find.
All rooms need some soft elements, some sparkle and a metal accent. To spice up mostly beige, add a heavily textured throw, a mirror with a beveled edge and maybe some iron curtain rods or lamps. Don't forget that lampshades can have color.
I never paint a ceiling "ceiling" white; it's too cold. I always choose either the same color as the white trim or a white with the same undertone as the wall color.
You can paint the ceiling a color, too!!
Get out there and paint!
Wow, thank you for taking the time to write such a detailed response.I copied your post to a word processing document and have printed it out
and will keep it to referenceThat's what I like about this website - the knowledgeable people here are incredibleThank you!.+++Spring Break = Summer Broke
Is there anything else in this room besides the furniture? Like a fireplace? You would probably be able to get away w/painting one wall a darker colour. What is the trim colour?Sooooo, if we've got 3 beige walls, I'd paint one wall (the one w/the outstanding detail, arched doorway, fireplace, whatever) a nice cocoa brown. There are different types of cocoa brown, so bring along a paintstick w/that beige colour on it (label it w/the colour & maker) and hold it up to the other cocoas. It's amazing to see how one colour will change the look of another when they are together. You can also paint the ceiling that same beige colour. I've found that the room looks more together/bigger but that may just be my house.Can you post some photos?Acquired from 2 plant sales this weekend: 6 shagbark hickory, 3 buttonbush, 2 spicebush, 1 eastern redbud, false Soloman's Seal, woodland phlox & another type of waterleaf. Bad Plantlust, bad. Have I mentioned that there are 3 more plant sales NEXT weekend?
Glad to do it!
Just a clarification - when I say "base" color, don't confuse that with the mixing base. An entirely different thing!
Good luck and let's see some pics when you're done!
Thank you and I will be posting some before pics sometime later today and was wondering if you would look at them and make a recommendationThanks again,+++Spring Break = Summer Broke
you know as a re salesman that as soon as you step off into something a little bold you start looking at offending someone,it's hard to make it please everyone but you want people even if they don't care for it to not be offended by it.
a couple of colors that we use from sw are the color transforware[?] it's a funny color some light it will look a beige some will be a beige /green another one is china doll,just a plain ole beige color.
we like to hit a wall or two with some sort of faux type to break up the color.
my wife likes to go a little bold in a bath and kitchen,sometimes to much for me,but then i notice the women walk in and go "ooh" so it must be ok.
people hate wallpaper anymore,i still like it,but i'm way in the minority thats for sure,so if i was selling i'd get rid of all the paper.
i had a guy ask about a finding a house in your area,told him about yours,do you still have a sign out?thats how i told him to find it.it was about 10 days ago. what are you going to ask for it ?larryif a man speaks in the forest,and there's not a woman to hear him,is he still wrong?
Larry I listed the house in Sept for six months and it expired at the end of March and I have not relisted it in the MLS system yetSo right now my house is not listed in MLSI still have my sign in the yard though.I'll put it back on the market in the next couple of daysI'm going to list it for $104,900 which is the price I had lowered it to the last couple of months it was on the market.I'll try it and see what happens.There is a house identical to this one that came on the market in Feb or March and then went under contract in April and it's pending right now.It's only 2-3 blocks from here.They priced it at $107,000 and I will see what it sold for when it closes here in the next week or two.I had a woman friend come look at this house today and I asked for a "womans opinion"I told her I almost painted it Burgundy and she said "that would have been a mistake because other people's furniture won't go with Burgundy"So I guess you have to find a happy medium.I just don't like painting these houses white or off whiteI want it to stand out a little..+++Spring Break = Summer Broke
Here's the chair in burgundy color http://www.bizchair.com/bt-350-jp166-gg.html+++Spring Break = Summer Broke
What about this chair? A little more elegant, looks more comfortable. Better choice of fabric, although maybe not the color you necessarily want.
http://www.bizchair.com/deco-sose.html
Here are some of the colors I'm looking at.+++Spring Break = Summer Broke
First pic - that plummy burgundy on the left looks really good. Get rid of that pink board NOW!!
Second pic - brown looks spectacular, but are you ready for such a dramatic look?? The neutrals look off in color; the blue is, well, boring. What about a deeper color in that blue, or maybe a slightly greener blue?
Something that will be important if you use a deeper color is the color of the trim. I can't exactly tell what yours is, but plain bright white against a rich color like burgundy looks cheap in the end. You can usually get away with it using deep beiges or taupes. Once you pick your wall color check you trim color very carefully and adjust to an off-white in the tone of your walls.
Think about this, too...what about something like the brown, but a couple of tints lighter. That color, accented with that plum/burgundy and a blue/green would look great.
I think that chair looks great.,+++Spring Break = Summer Broke
These are some pictures.I have a combo living room and dining room.The liv room measures 13 X 16 and the dining room is about 10 X 10Thanks to you and everyone for their input.I'm leaning toward Piffin's suggestion (burgundy).+++Spring Break = Summer Broke
View Image
Leave the chair rail and the trim at the floor, white.
Paint everything between them, this color...
"Polly green" (114-1y24 at lowes).
You only think I'm kidding.
That's the color I am going to paint my front door. With white trim.
Then paint the trim only, of that rectangle of trim on the wall above the chair rail... and the sconce lights, the same color.
If you sneak just a tiny bit of yellow, in several small places...
Maybe a torchiere type floor lamp on one side of the chairs. Yellow shade, stem brown, or even green.
And a small side table on the other side, that is the same color as the chairs, with a yellow cloth on top. Or white cloth with yellow flowers. Or even white doily, with glass vase, and yellow silk flowers..
It'll be spring in that room, forever !
You could leave the trim rectangle on the wall, as-is, and simply put a bright spring type pic in there.
Politics: the blind insulting the blind.
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Thanks for your input about the colors, lighting, trim, etc.I found this site where you find your color and see how it looks beside other colorshttp://www.colorschemer.com/schemes/.+++Spring Break = Summer Broke
couple more including the dining room.+++Spring Break = Summer Broke
Get a designer. There are designers for different budgets.
LOL, I'm wondering what the guard dog will look like in a burgandy tone!the room does seem like burgandy would do it good, but for the wainscot. Usually, you use the heavier colours down low and then lighter as you are higher up the wall. That suggests burgandy on the wainscot only.Reds do take more coats to cover as a general rule so the hint about a SW or BM is good advice to get better pigmentation. Some guys use a dark grey primer under reds to shadow the white and keep it from shining through.
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Thanks everyone for the excellent suggestions.Just for a little history and background on this house - it was built in 1955 or 1956.It's 1250 sq ft, 3 bed, 1 bath, 1 car, no basement.Back in 1955 this was a "low end starter home". I guess it was kind of like today's 850 sq ft starter home with two car garage and unfunished basement.This house has some design flaws.Many people do not like walking right into a living room. People prefer walking into an foyer - entry way.There is no family room or basement in this house so it is too small for most people.It's okay for one person or a couple.Looking back I wish I had not bought this house.I should have bought a house with a two car garage, a house with a basement, and a house which has a master bathroom.These are things you need for "resale" when you're ready to get out and move on.I'm screwed trying to sell this house. When I get the walls painted then I'm going to have to come up with some additional furniture and accessories (like you see in the picture from Forest)I don't have anything so I guess I will try to fill empty spaces with some plants or flowers. I had some decent stuff at one time but I've gotten rid of it as I got tired of moving it.Thanks again everyone..+++Spring Break = Summer Broke
I don't have anything so I guess I will try to fill empty spaces with some plants or flowers.
With a house this small, don't think "fill empty spaces". It needs empty spaces, and the current trend is toward pared down interiors anyway.
Get just the basics and some lamps and add a few, larger decorative pieces. I don't know what stores you have up there, but Marshall's, TJ Maxx, Linens n' Things and Target, especially online, have some really cool stuff. Get nice and simple, plus a plant or 2 and you'll be done.
OK, a couple of things:
Nice rooms and very good chairs. The pic makes them look a bit on the peachy side - are these a sandy beige, pink beige??...ditto the rug.
Also, the wood floor looks almost entirely white in the pics. Does much of the grain or any of the wood color show through?
Parsons chair looks great, but I can tell you that the burgundy fabric on the chair you sent is el cheapo and looks it. Saw it a lot when I did commercial design. Going to be too "office" and feel awful to the touch. Can I suggest another fabric or resource?
That's a pretty small space for burgundy, though I like the idea of a red color. Keep in mind how much contrast there's going to be between that sea of white flooring and the burgundy on the wall, plus the trim. Going to get really choppy if you're not careful.
BTW, is this your personal house you're going to live in awhile, or are you going on to bigger things soon?
The chairs and carpet are kind of a camel tanThe floor is almost white. You have to look pretty close to even see any oak grain below.I put on numerous coats of stain until I got an "even" appearance and it really didn't turn out the way I thought it would.I saw the white oak stain floor in a magazine and thought I could copy it but it didn't work out.The parsons chairs are about $120 apiece at Sams Club. I may do thatWould it look cheap or inappropriate if I just bought two?Thanks for all your help.I'll enclose a picture of some color samples.+++Spring Break = Summer Broke
The floor is white oak stain and water based polyurethane for a finish coat..+++Spring Break = Summer Broke
I want to buy some Parsons Chairs for the dining room.They are an upholstered chair with no armrestHere's one from Sams Clubhttp://us.st11.yimg.com/us.st.yimg.com/I/bizchair1_1997_4891200238+++Spring Break = Summer Broke
Go to Restoration Hardware. They pay someone a boatload of money to have the perfect 26 colours. The thing with certain colours (like blue, for instance) is that if you choose the right shade, it looks fantastic. If you choose the wrong shade, it looks like hell.
If you can't afford Restoration Hardware paint, you can get the formula mixed in Benjamin Moore paint; they have it in their system (although, RH paint is very good quality).
-Jamie
Burgandy
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Wow I think that would be an awesome colorWere you thinking kind of a redish color?http://dutchboy.swatchbox.com/sears/main.asp+++Spring Break = Summer Broke
Yes, I always think of biege as a spectrum of a couple dozen neutral light tomes that all seem to have some degree of pink in them. A darker burgandy would be complimentary of that spectrum, but contrasting in depth because of the red. It does depend on the kind of room.It is the kind of tone that I see in Home libraries more than any other
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
Darn it didn't bring up the link I wanted But it showed a soft redish color with a linen color sofa that looked great!Thanks.+++Spring Break = Summer Broke
I'm no expert, but let me tell you how this looks to me .... I see, right now, a sterile room that's all beige and white.
What's beige? Think of it as a 'pastel brown.' You need some color in there.
I wouldn't overreact, though. Stay with pastels. Pink, salmon, peach, sunshine yellow, lavender, aqua, sea foam, mint. I'm thinking along the lines of "Southwestern" motif. Maybe a 'splash' of two or three, using sponges. With any of them, trim gets to be white.
When you look at something, you see three different things. You see the color itself (hue), how glossy it is, and what texture it has. A perfectly plain white wall can become quite dramatic with the right texture.
Another approach is adding something to the wall. For example, a 'chair rail,' with lattice over a plain white wall for the lower part. A very dark, glossy brown would work here.
salmon is a pleasant colour too!
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Just don't listen to anyone recommending using a sponge, or coming up with a theme for the room. Yikes. 1991 called, and they want their acid washed high-rise jeans and lattice wainscoting back.
Edited 5/12/2008 7:25 pm ET by jamiep
I think this is really a challenge trying to take a beat up old house like mine and make it look like a picture in a magazine which is what I'm hoping to do..+++Spring Break = Summer Broke
Thank you, Jamie ... I always am a bit 'behind the times' :D
Paint everything battleship grey.
Then you'll be able to spackle with duct tape.
Politics: the blind insulting the blind.
Click here for access to the Woodshed Tavern
LOL+++Spring Break = Summer Broke
I'd go with a light green-grey color. Don't jack around with HD and Behr - go to a Sherwin-Williams store (or their website) and check out their color selections. They have some awesome greens that would go well with your carpet/furniture. One in particular is #6452 - Inland Green.
If you're looking at greens, something I'd try to avoid are tones that have yellowish undertones - too much of an olive color with beige tends to be reminiscent of camouflage to my eye.
But that's just me. Your mileage may vary.
Jason
We always thought this was kinda' subtle - Steak sauce brown over Thousand Island pink, then cherry pie filling glaze, then mushroom and more steak sauce for the top.
View ImageForrest
Edited 5/13/2008 6:33 am ET by McDesign
When I do a house I dont care what furniture is going in the room. This may sound stupid, but the house will tell me what color to put in.
Lately i've been going with earthy tones but I had one house that is in a darker part of the street (alot of trees). I went with light floors and a bright wall color. Conversely, I have another house that I went with a dark hardwood and a little darker walls.
I dont know why, but sometimes when I first view a house, I know exactly what it will look like when i'm done. Other houses dont inspire me at all.
Edited 5/14/2008 2:22 pm ET by MSA1
This may sound stupid, but the house will tell me what color to put in.
They do me, also, but I figured if I said that it would sound too "airhead designer"!
Thanks!
Glad to hear i'm not the only one.
Me 3. Sometimes I can "see" what colour the room should be right away. In my house, it took a couple of years to get over the offwhite everything (except the kitchen) look.Acquired from 2 plant sales this weekend: 6 shagbark hickory, 3 buttonbush, 2 spicebush, 1 eastern redbud, false Soloman's Seal, woodland phlox & another type of waterleaf. Bad Plantlust, bad. Have I mentioned that there are 3 more plant sales NEXT weekend?
OK, I'm not trying to be sarcastic here, but what do you "listen" for.
I do a lot of painting and my customers are always asking for my suggestions. I think in terms of there being no bad colors, just bad combinations. So I look at the more permanent elements in the room like curtains, couches, rugs large pieces of furniture, etc. Sometimes adjacent rooms need to be considered.
Lately, I'm very down on white. Maybe because I use so much of it. I even keep it on hand. It just seems too cold/clinical. I like it in kitchens, but not eat-in kitchens. I just used ivory white for some trim in my own house. It's very close to white, but softer.
Well, I guess it's a matter of listening to what your instincts tell you about the space. I'm an intuitive designer; sometimes I can't tell you exactly why something is right for a space, I just know that it is. What I hear from a room generally has nothing to do with design rules or current trends; each space has its own voice.
But I also listen with my subconscious, I guess, to the surrounding spaces and the architecture itself. You can't divorce a room from its surroundings or the basic style of the home its in, so you're going to have to listen to them, too.
In the case of fix-it's house, I have to confess I don't hear burgundy, although he seems to like the idea. And, if he does, then it's my job to work with it unless I just can't find a way to use it. In my mind, tho, the burgundy should be an accent.
What I hear is a small, mid-century house that wants to be up-to-date in its own way. I can hear one of several shades of green, neutrals, certain shades of blue/green, and maybe a terra-cotta red. No pastels, no overly-bright colors, and ditch the "common" chair rail in favor of an accent wall in a great color. Lord, I wish we'd get over chair rail in this type of house! Whatever colors used will have to work with the chairs, because I think the rug and curtains can be easily changed, and probably will need to be. The rug is certainly not adding any character.
I think whites are great colors, but most people want more "color" on the wall. Used to be all you saw in model homes was "navajo white". Now you see deep beiges, taupes, greens and even reds. Still not much blue, though. I have about 3 shades of off-white I use over and over for trim. All 3 are very compatible with lots of colors and avoid the out-of-the-can "wet-look white" that used to be the rage. Get the right white, and you can leave it for years and paint the walls anything you want and change every 6 months.
You're absolutely right in that their are no "bad" colors, just bad combinations. Most people don't see that, so I think your listening skills are pretty good!
I added some more picture frame molding and painted the walls a taupe colorI chickened out on the burgundy - I guess I think this house is just too plain for something like thatHere's some pictures (but I don't think you can see the colors clearly)The taupe is about the color of a chocolate malt.+++Spring Break = Summer Broke
Edited 5/15/2008 11:40 am by mrfixitusa
Much better already - I was kind of queasy about the burgundy, too. I could see it making the room look as though it was trying too hard. I like my colors a bit darker, but that's me. What you have looks good in the room.
Like the additional moulding above the chair rail; helps to tie things together. Wish the sconces were a bit lower, but they'll be fine.
You've got a nice basic background now, so here are some suggestions for moving on in the design process:
Those parsons chairs with the red fabric that we had as an alternate would look nice in the dining room, assuming they're a good tone with the beige chairs. Looks like it would be.
You need some pattern and definitely some texture in there. Let's assume the rug and curtains are non-replaceable at this point, tho I'd love to see a rug with some pattern in it, just not an oriental.
I'd opt for a dark stain on your wood pieces or even a black, preferably one on a wood that shows the texture beneath. You need some contrast in there, so I'd avoid lighter wood tones that don't live well with chocolate malt. Don't use a big range of wood tones, but don't make it all identical, either.
To help the beige curtains have some life, I'd add something behind them. Say a wood blind with a stain finish, or a really textured natural material in a roman shade. You can go with a medium to dark color on either. The big boxes and most home decor stores have good selections in cut-to-fit blinds/shades.
The room looks pretty tailored, so I'd go with a couple of rectangular pillows on the chairs. Maybe a small geometric that has the red and a green or blue that can be an additional accent color. Red is your primary accent if you use those dining chairs, so be sure to incorporate some other touches of it in the space.
I'd get a good-looking round mirror for the dining room wall with a darker frame and a large vase for the dining room table to hold flowers or branches or sticks...Get the most "important" piece you can find - clear glass is OK.
If you see a container or vase that has colors you think will work, you can wire it for a lamp very easily. Good way to have art and function at the same time.
OK...so, get going!
Thanks for all your suggestions.I think your recommendations come from creative aptitudes and your experience which I just don't have.I'll close by including a picture of our guard dog saying good byeThanks to all
.+++Spring Break = Summer Broke
The project is pretty much completed.I ended up painting the trim the same color as the walls.Here are some final picsThanks to everyone for their help and suggestions+++Spring Break = Summer Broke
Looks pretty good - let us know what the progress is on the sale!
The house is not yet on the marketThe dining room is completed.Here are some pictures.I would appreciate any suggestions from you or anyone I'm wondering what people will think or say when their realtor is walking them around the house.What will they say?"This looks cheap"or"This looks like one of those flip houses"or"This doesn't feel right"or "This home is really dated"or "This house feels like a plain vanilla"or ???????????????????????????
Looking at the pics, here are my thoughts:
Do you have anyone in your area who stages houses? You have a decent backdrop, but what you're furnishing with does, indeed, make the house look dreary and boring. Someone who does staging usually has rental resources you can use while the house is on the market and has an eye for how to make spaces look smart.
Liked the original chairs better - looked less dated, but unless you're willing to swap again, then I'd work with these. Right now, tho, what you see is furniture, not "rooms" because there's no personality. I'd actually opt for a small sofa or loveseat and a single chair to make the room look like it functions. Place the sofa under the natural focal point, that rectangle between the sconces. Put a table and lamp on one side with the chair beside them. Get something for a coffee table and put a large plant or a couple of substantial candles on it. Get a picture for over the sofa and some pillows.
Dining room chairs are OK. Lose at least the table base - it screams 80's and does look cheap. Find another whole table or a new base for the glass top. You need some art or a mirror on the wall adjacent to the built-in.
Get rid of all the small plants. Get one big something for the middle of the dining room table in a nice container in a color or pattern.
Austrian blinds went out decades ago. Get those off the living room window and use the blinds like the dining room. Look for a scarf you can drape over the rods on both windows to add some color and pattern. Since you have the more traditional chairs, use a more tailored pattern or a stripe and try to pick up the brown in the chairs. Target and JC Penney are my picks for good selections. No antique satin, however.
One rug goes under the seating in the living room. I don't care what the psuedo-decs say on HGTV, rugs go under the seating, don't let the chairs straddle them. If the other rug won't go in the dining area, return it, You don't need 2 in the living area. You could use a nice subtle pattern in the dining area in lieu of the beige.
The dining area needs a chandelier, not a semi-flush. Not too big, not too ornate, in the same satin nickel with alabaster-looking globes. Lowe's has lots that will work. Get one with at least 3 arms so it will have some weight, and it should be no less than 18" in diameter.
You want the rooms to look like they have a purpose besides storing odd pieces of furniture. You want the place to look like a home, and right now it looks a bit like a rental. Same thing for the other rooms, too. The kitchen especially should look appealing.
Another option, in case you want to do this sort of thing again, is a design concept that I think is called "Designer in a Can". This clever person puts whole color schemes, including flooring, paint colors, countertop colors, in a paint can. They are already coordinated so you know everything selected will work together. From what I've seen it looks like a good product, and it can sure make your life easier. I think they retail for about $75 to $100, but well worth it for the choices.
Wow that's a lot to digestI'll print it out and read through itI really appreciate your suggestionsI new realize how little I know about this stuffThanks again!
A realtor showed my house yesterday eveningI talked to her this morning and asked how it wentShe said her Buyer walked into the house and proclaimed "this looks like a guy's house"And so she wasn't interestedSo I've got some more work to do to try to make it look more homey
Let me ask you this:Who are you trying to sell your house to? Who will be your "customer"?Is it a one bedroom/one bath place? That would be a starter or retiree type home. More bathrooms/bedrooms would appeal to a larger family.Do you have an entrance or does a person enter right into that livingroom?In my opinion that buyer was rather shortsighted as you can ALWAYS change the paint colour. The bones of the house are more difficult & expensive to change. That being said, it's currently a buyer's market. You will have to WOW the looker into thinking that they MUST HAVE your house. I've seen some model homes that have used a staging service. This company decorates the home as if someone lives in it (luggage in the closet, scarf & purse thrown on the bed etc) but not overcluttered. Just enough "stuff" that your subconscious extrapolates that someone lives there even tho noone does.A gallon of gasoline is more expensive than a pack of cigarettes. Hmmm, I wonder if I can convert my Volksy to run on coffin nails...
It's a three bed, one bath, one car, no basement, 1250 sq ft houseRealtors go wild over this house and love it.The reason is that is nicer than the other houses in this price rangeBut it doesn't have the staging that you see on TV And it doesn't have the staging that you would see in an expensive homeBUT THIS IS NOT AN EXPENSIVE HOMEThis house shows better than any other house in this price rangeYou asked about the house having an entry or foyer and no it doesn't have that You walk right into the liv roomThis house will be sold to a single person or a young coupleThis house is the nicest home in this area in this price rangeHow do I know that?Because I've looked at the other homesWhy isn't mine selling?I don't know.
you know i'm going to jump in on this because i 've seen your house and know your area. first i don't know what a staging cost, but your in a 100k price range so a guy can't spend 5k for staging to sell.i'm not sure staging is used that much around here,heck i look at houses and the beds aren't even made and the yard hasn't been mowed for 3 weeks.maybe thats hillbilly staging?????????
you can not guess who will be your buyer,maybe single m/f,young couple ,older downsizing and wanting in that area,maybe even a investor, i bought a house 5 blks from you and gave 84.5 and put a new kit and bath in for a rental,so thats not out of the question.. you just don't know.
here is your positives,you are in one of the best middle class westside neighbrhoods period,you have a good solid 3 bdr house,that is about the avg size for the area. your price is about as low as any in the area,maybe a few at 99k but alot more at 125k.good schools and churches near by. the house looks like it's ready to move into,has hardwood floors which turn people on.i'm not sure of kitchen and baths ,but they need to be as good as possible without spending big bucks.
one of your biggest negatives is [and there is nothing you can do about it] and that is you are selling your own house.this is tough,if you were selling my house and the buyer said "looks like a guy lives here" you go "yeah probably so,guys always paint stuff the wrong color,but can you imagine how great this room would look if you spent 20.00 on some lavander and threw away those beige curtains" [just a example] you get dialog started and find out the objections and work to point out what it would take to fix.on your own house the buyer won't state the real objections so you can't get a conversation going on what to do about it. lets face it,the realator that told you the customer said "looks like a guy lives here" thats not a real objection,who cares who lives there,maybe i love there taste or hate it ,but it doesn't matter who lives there i'm looking for a home not a roomate.
heres some of my thoughts,fix the house to please you,now don't go crazy and paint it purple,but make it pleasing to your eye not like a magazine picture.keep it picked up spotless,keep the yard mowed and weedeated,sit in front of your house for 15 minutes looking for things,is the downspout missing,is the mailbox rusty ,just look for those little things and touch them up.if the garage needs junk cleaned out and painted white,put a 300 watt bulb out there to make it bright. theres one thing ,light fixtures,if you have the 50's bedroom fixtures go to lowes the have some 20. for 2 that will really do alot for 20.00 .one thing i have found that turns people off and they can't get over is wallpaper,now i'm a wallpaper person.used to have it in all the rentals,but people would rather see a house with painted walls over wallpaper than paper.in your bath and kitchen are your fixtures white? lots around there weren't. if not i would look at what i could do with them.
well thats my sell your house rant,it's worth exactly what you paid. good luck it looks to me that the market is doing okay around here for now. larryif a man speaks in the forest,and there's not a woman to hear him,is he still wrong?
Thanks for your advice Larry.This house doesn't have any wallpaperEvery room is painted.You asked about light fixtures and I put new light fixtures in every room when I bought this place five years agoThe bedrooms have the $4.00 fixtures from home depotThe kitchen has three nice flourescent type light fixtures which put out a nice warm light especially in this kitchen which has three windows plus a back door with a windowI'll summarize what I did to this house: new paint inside and out and new flooring.A few other things but I've been thinking about this house and what I have done is tried to get a good price out of a house without redoing the kitchen and bathI did a little in each room but it's not the same When you walk into a kitchen with new cabinets it's much much much different than walking into my kitchen with cabinets I've painted.It's just not the sameI have a funky driveway in which the concrete is pretty rough and a realtor said her Buyers complained about the rough drivewayYou were here a year ago and since then I painted the red brick a linen white color which I think looks betterHere's a pic of the outside with the new paint jobAnyway thanks again for your input and I will go around the house and look at the little thingsOne more thing, I like the concept of hillbilly staging - That will be my excuse if anyone asks me why I did something like parking my motorcycle in the living room etc
when people first started painting brick houses ,i thought they were nuts. but i have grown to really like them especially ,as you are ,in a area with all brick homes. it makes a house stand out.yours looks good.
ya ,luagh at parking a bike in the lr,but if a harley guy walks in,you got him.
your right on the cabinets,but it's pretty hard to jump in on a 5k kitchen rehab just to sell.what about the countertops?it's pretty easy to just lay a new sheet of laminate down and usally doesn't cost more than 200. if you do it your self. larryif a man speaks in the forest,and there's not a woman to hear him,is he still wrong?
'Cuse me for sounding like a knowitall,
If I were walking up to the front door (not clear in this pic), would I be stepping over a horizontal drainpipe from the gutter? WTFIT?
The distance the front brick porch extends out from the main house (24" or so?) is the distance you install a decent landscape edging all around the perimeter. Dig out the grass inside, fill (leave two inches) back in with clay and tamp solid, and place landscape fabric on it. Then find a pretty colored crushed stone to cover the fabric. (Put enuff of a slope on the clay backfill to drain your water.)
Then chuck those gutters. Or redo the one with the drainpipe mentioned so the water drains on the other side of the garage.
Get a few small bushes (shrub roses? boxwoods?) in front.
Yer getting turned down because its a one car garage and the house sits too low on the lot. The painted brick tells me something is being covered up. And I see a water problem in heavy rains. Have you storm sewers?
Sorry, I'm being honest. And this is the first I've seen of the outside.
Did you post a pic of the kitchen cabs?
Heres a couple of more picturesI put the gutters on a month or so ago and I've got it set up so that you don't have to walk over any gutters or downspoutsI have the downspouts aimed so that the water from the roof will go into the yard (then I don't have to water the grass, lol)
What's that floor!!!?
It's 12" peel and stick vinyl tile I had an older woman in her 50's look at the floor and she loved it and
wants it in her house
My first take was it was travertine.
I think your buyer will ultimately be a single woman. Perhaps older. As long as the mechanicals will last.
But she'll be swayed by the kitchen. And those cabs won't do it. At least, not those cab doors.
IF you were to change the doors to some with more detail (say a molded panelized door), you could keep the same color background and simply rub in a burnt umber glaze that would match the tints in the floor. That'd add some girl eyecandy.
Them type of doors aren't very expensive.
Thats a great ideaI think it would really change this kitchenNow that you mention it, there is a business here in town that does what they call cabinet refacing and I think they've been doing it for quite a whileI've got 21 cabinet doors and if I could buy new doors at a decent pricethanks again I really appreciate it
I think so. But I'd prefer to get Susiekitchen's blessing before you go ahead with it.
I think something should be done with the cabinets, too. However, refacing can get pretty pricey. If you're handy, you could tackle an update yourself by just doing doors and buying them online. Opt for concealed hardware if you do.
Since the cabinets are painted you could also look into some decorative mouldings that could be applied to the existing doors. You'd need something with some nice detail and weight to it - not frou-frou. Also get a small moulding for the bottom of the cabinets to finish it off.
Hardware looks dated. Get something new there, too.
Floor looks fine. Same thing I have in my guest bath - been down for 8 years and still looks good.
Actually it's a very nice kitchen - just needs a little polish!
Wish you were closer, I'd love to get my hands on that house!
I made some changes in the living room todayI replaced the chairs and with two more modern looking barrel shaped chairs and added a glass shelving unit and two end tables (glass tops)It really changed the room and I'll have some pictures soonBut wanted to thank you for your suggestion about the kitchen cab doors and adding the trim to the doorsI will take a look at the trim at Home Depot and see how much it would cost and decide if I want to spend more money on this rat holeI have a power miter saw and nail gun so it should be easy to do the trimIn fact I might even want to add some trim to the plain slab doors I have painted throughout the houseThanks again!
I made some more changes Got rid of the two dark brown chairs and bought some chairs that sit real low to the floor and make the room seem biggerThe glass shelving really changed this rat hole and make it look almost inhabitable
two more pictures
Here is a website with a lot of modern, contemporary furniture, area rugs, lamps, etcThe following is what I was trying to do on a low end budgethttp://www.westelm.com/online/store/ProductDisplay?partNumber=WE-PRODf554&storeId=17001&langId=-1&catalogId=17002&viewSetCode=E&parentId=WE-SH1FRNSAC&retainNav=true&cmsrc=WE-SH1FRNSAC
At the risk of becoming your least-favorite designer, I've got to tell you that the chairs, table and glass shelves just scream 80's and "used hotel furniture". I think it's going to turn off a lot of people because it looks so dated.
Same thing for the West Elm picture. Nice concept, but most people are going to find it a bit too "fashion forward". And low furniture can easily make a space look out of proportion, not spacious.
I'd actually opt for your original living room chairs with a lamp on a round wood table in between. Swap out the dated metal shelf unit for a console table and maybe 2 ottomans below. And please do get rid of those droopy shades on the front window - they're not doing anything for the room. Still too many plants, too.
Where are you buying your furniture?
Yeah, it does look kinda "guy" right now.
Buyers have a lot to look at nowadays, and they all have probably toured model homes, so they are looking for a space that conveys how they could live in it. She may live in a house exactly like yours with the same kind of furnishings, but she doesn't want to be sold her current lifestyle, if you get my meaning.
You gotta merchandise a little. Find that stager!
heres the pics
I made some changes in the living roomRet'd the two chairs and found a couple of other ones The new ones are a dark brownRet'd the darker area rug and bought two lighter ones (which cover most of the floor)
Here are some more pictures+++Spring Break = Summer Broke
I hope there's a local vampire or mortician in the market for a new house...
Sorry dude, that's my impression.
=0)
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Politics: the blind insulting the blind.
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Hey I appreciate all inputI don't have a handle on it yet but in decorating the goal is to have people experience a warm feeling when they look at the interior or the exteriorI have made some changes and I will have some updated pics later todayThanks again for the input.+++Spring Break = Summer Broke
I'm betting you did achieve a warm feeling.And the combination of the draped windows, and the dark picture is what is giving me the mortician impression.
Politics: the blind insulting the blind.
Click here for access to the Woodshed Tavern
In all due respect, SusieKitchen is doing you something special here.
But the real answer to your original question is being ignored. Twice it's been brought up and you've brushed it off. Really, now. Listen.
GAGIV is right. We men ALWAYS give the woman of the house the color choices. This is a truism. It cannot be argued. Men have no place in the color selection process - unless you're ####.
Then Matt mentioned a designer. There is no single better answer. She'll walk in the house, say something like BM h-17 and will be gone. Problem solved. And you'll have never known that a BM h-17 even existed. And it'll be the perfect tint. Note: the interior designer chicks have talked the BM dealers to keep their special colors in a seperate spot that you won't notice unless you ask specially about the h-17 or other colors given by this cult.
Seriously, I will never, ever touch a color decision ever, ever again.
Now you write that on the blackboard 500 times. Every time you think you can pick a color, go back and write it again 500 times.
LOL I will never paint another room I will never paint another roomI will never paint another roomI will never paint another room I will never paint another roomI will never paint another room+++Spring Break = Summer Broke
No. That's different. YOU will always be painting another room.
It's the color. We lost our say on that when we gave them the right to vote.
"unless you're ####"What is Tuanton censoring now?
gai
I need some plants to add some color to get it ready to put the house on the market.+++Spring Break = Summer Broke
Some nicer curtains instead of those used bed sheets would be an easy way of adding some colour. The burgandy would have probably been too heavy for the small space and made it feel smaller.
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
Window coverings is a tough one for me.The cheapest way to go is mini blinds for $5On this house I paid for $35 blinds which have the wider slats - some people call them plantation shades but I don't think that's the correct name.But I don't think they really helped the appearance that muchThe secret in real estate is to try to do things that will appeal to women.Men don't care about this stuff - paint color, curtains, carpet, floor covering, window covering, "do these chairs go with this dining room table", etc.I'm beating my head against the wall trying to figure out things like *should I put on a nice roof or instead use the money to buy stainless steel appliances*should I replace the 40 year old furnace or should use the money to buy new furniture and accessories to make the house look like the one on HGTV*should I spend money putting in high quality faucets or should I instead replace the kitchen countertop with some kind of fake graniteThese are some of the things you have to think about.,
+++Spring Break = Summer Broke
i HAVE REDONE TWO HOUSES FOR ONE OF MY CUSTOMERS. hE ALWAYS CRYS ABOUT NOT HAVING ENOUGH MONEY TO DO IT ALL, BUT HIS WIFE USUALLY GETS THE EXPENSIVE FABRICS THE id CALLS OUT WHILE HE ASKS ME TO SEE WHAT WE CAN DO TO PATCH THE ROOF UP FOR ANOTHER COUPLE OF YEARS OR "CAN WE GET BY ON TEH FOUNDATION FOR A WHILE?oops - sorry about the caps. Must have hit the caps lock somehow
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
I reduced the pictures.+++Spring Break = Summer Broke
Everything goes with beige and white.
Without reading through the entire thread....
Typically you grab color from something small in the room. i.e. a throw pillow or two.....a painting..etc.
Beige is about as nuetral as it gets......maybe wine red to add some masculinity to the room. Grab some inexpensive accessories in that color and splash it on the walls to tie it together.
J. D. Reynolds
Home Improvements
anything but beige
LOL+++Spring Break = Summer Broke
I'd go with beige, it's a Wichita thing. :o)
lol
The only reason I say beige is because I live in Opie up there in Glitter Gulch in Johnson County. All of the commercial construction must be beige for the city to be happy. I remember when White Castle came to town and the city asked them if they could maybe turn those distinctive white tiles into a more mundane beige to fit in with everything else.
I don't know how bad it is in Wichita but 'round here seems like you gotta have a permit to dig a hole in the backyard.
When I built my new shed the inspector came by and wanted to know how come I don't have a permit for that. I said well the guideline say no permit required if its under 200 square feet. He says looks bigger than that. Well its 12 by 16 or 192 square feet. Looks too tall, no actually it is shorter than the roofline of the existing house. Looks too close to the property line, nope no closer than the guy at city hall said it could be.
On the way out says doesn't think that it's code to just fill in an inground pool with dirt. Still waiting to hear back about that.
J.
It's late in the evening, and I didn't go thru all the 104 reply's you have so far, so it might have been mentioned already.. but my first advice to anyone getting ready to paint any part of the house is to hire an interior decorator or designer.
I know a really good one that charges $50 to do a basic color consultation, and for the few customers that I have actually been able to convience to do this, they are always very pleased with the end result. Or, you can do like a lot of people I've seen do and re-paint the room a few times till untill they are satisfied with the color.
Excellent adviceI don't know anyone who is following it though and hiring an interior decoratoer to help them choose colorsI work as a Realtor and right now I am working with a woman in her 40's who is wanting to buy a houseIn the past 10 days I have shown her 21 housesShe really likes some of the houses but it never fails the house will have one or two rooms with horrible paint colorI think this happens as the result of people watching HGTV and it looks easy but most of us really don't know what we're doingWe've seen some houses with purple bedrooms that don't look goodOne house had a sky blue bedroom Another house had a barbie pink bedroomPEOPLE ARE TIRED OF WHITE I think you are making a mistake if you put your house on the market and every room is whiteI showed a house last week which had beautiful decorating and various shades of taupe in each room and it really looked goodThanks again for your advice