This weekend John and I began selecting paint colors and stains for the house. So. Many. Choices.
Since we have a semi-open concept, we’ve decided to select one color for the living room, dining room, kitchen, butler’s pantry, hallway, laundry room, etc. This means that the color needs to go with a lot of different colors (and oriental rugs).
Colors 1 and 2 are the contenders for this large space. The last photo also shows a cabinet door we like from an antique piece of furniture we own. John wasn’t super pleased to see that antique Lilihan rug laid out in the dust, but trust me, it’s fine…
For the great room and bar bathroom, we wanted to do warmer and richer tones to compliment the stone we’ve selected for the fireplace and the slate-looking tile for the bathroom. Also, I typically like warmer (red and orange-based) accents in a bar rather than cool shades.
Another room we’d like painted differently is the library. There won’t be that much wall space showing with all the bookcases, but for the drywall that does show, we’d like a rich tobacco color that really makes the room feel rich and cozy. There are 4 windows in the small library, so I think the room can take such a saturated color.
And finally, we are trying to select a color for our master bedroom and bathroom. I was thinking of going for a spa-like feel, but to be honest, we are headed back to the drawing board because neither John nor I were terribly excited by these options.
Other than the wood stain consideration, we are trying to think through what colors will look nice with these stained glass windows that will go in our bedroom and bathroom (photos taken from our previous home).
Speaking of stained glass, we have a set of these 4 beauties for our great room windows too.
Cousins Linda and Melanie stopped by on Sunday (with the men-folk) and gave me their votes, but I would love to hear what you think as well! Or if you have any color suggestions for our master bedroom and bathroom that will compliment those 3 windows above…
By the way, while I was writing this blog post on the porch at the ranch, John was treasure hunting (aka, looking at rocks), and found this near where dozens of workers have been working. Crazy! Thanks for stopping by!
Hugs, Libby
Hi Elizabeth, just wanted to add my two cents worth. We chose in the neutral tones for interior and I haven’t gotten tired of it and we have lived in our house almost 10 years. I think the #2 you showed is a good tone that goes with most anything. The darker you go the darker the room feels. My sister gave me good advice about, choosing a shade lighter for your ceilings than what you put on the walls. It draws your eye upward and makes the ceilings seem higher. Although, it looks like your ceilings are pretty high, especially in the great room with the vaulted ceiling. I would recommend a gray for your master. There are warmer grays you can choose from if you want a cozier feel. Too dark and it’ll seem like a cave. My sister use to be an interior designer in California and she really knows her paint colors. You can always take a shade you like and warm it up or cool it down, if you can’t seem to find the perfect shade you want. You are smart to do the paint samples on a plain board or sheetrock to get a true impression of the colors. Kristi and her oldest son, Luke are coming up this weekend. Maybe we can come give you our input. Terry and youngest son Daniel, are going fishing at the coast. Both avid fishermen. We’ll give you a shout and see when is a good time for you. Your home is going to be amazing. Susan
Thanks Susan – that’s good advice. Yes, our ceilings are 10 feet across the house except for the great room and master bedroom where they are even higher, so I’m not really worried about the ceilings looking taller. 🙂 John has vetoed any gray or greige colors in the house. Not sure if it is from staging and selling a house up north (and painting everything a shade of “Agreeable Gray” to appeal to the mass market), but he does not like gray so we’re going a different route. We would love to see Kristi and Luke this weekend. Send me a text and we’ll find a time!