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sushraya

Help with wall paint color, please?

sushraya
9 days ago

Family room. Has cathedral ceilings. Wood paneling on lower part of the walls. Wood flooring (different shade of wood). Brick fireplace on one end. Need help figuring out what color works for the room. Room gets plenty of light during the day (has two skylights)



Comments (14)

  • PRO
    Patricia Colwell Consulting
    9 days ago

    I would look at reorganizing the TV and furniture Use the wall the sofa is on for a nice TV console some nice storage and a bit of display the FP wall looks over crowded and not attractivwe let the FP and the TV both be focal points and not add to the clutter So sofa faces TV on that wall other sofa faces FP easy peasey/

  • sushraya
    Original Author
    9 days ago

    Patricia - thanks for the comments. In the process of rearranging the room, so this is helpful. What color would you suggest for the walls? The wood paneling is staying as-is (not being painted).

  • Kendrah
    9 days ago

    I think you need to figure out furniture layout first. With your current layout I'd paint the entire room white because the fireplace area is a riot of wood, brick, and black TV with zero room for the eye to rest. However, if there were more of a balance between paneling, brick, shelves, and black, I might think differently about the color.


    Is this the only location in your home for that bookself? It looks overwhelming next to the fireplace.

  • sushraya
    Original Author
    9 days ago

    The bookshelves have been there forever and it will take some work to convince my husband we need to move them elsewhere. Assuming I can do that, what would you suggest for color? Would BM Revere Pewter work? The other color I was looking at SW Upward I think? Leans a bit more gray-blue.

  • PRO
    Beth H. :
    9 days ago
    last modified: 9 days ago

    any chance of moving that huge tv (it's way to big for that corner spot) to the one wall and moving the sofa to the other wall?

    at a minimum get a smaller tv and mount it over the mantel, which needs to be lowerd a tad. the current modern looking console doesn't work in the room, and you have all those exposed cords.

    something like this would be a lot better.


    I'll give you ideas on how to do the sides of the fireplace further below

    The paneling and the wood floor is fine, but the wood bookcase and the red brick are overkill w/all of it.

    Also, the window treatments should really be changed to some type of inset blinds. at least on the one side wall.

    for the back wall, if you did long panels all the way on either end, and then did an inset woven wood on the window, it would make that window wall appear larger. right now w/your shorty curtains, they chop it in half.


    See? better. raise the rod, lower the panels to floor. I'd actually go wider and take the panels out another 1-2 feet. will make the window appear larger


    I know this is a triple window, but just imagine the panel drapes down to the floor that cover both sides:


    right now, raise your rods to just below ceiling, get floor length panels, spaced out like you see here


    this is the look you want.


    or this for the other one. it should clear the floor heater


    some numbers for you when choosing:



    You're asking for a wall color, but honestly you really need to address the other elements in the room first. merely painting the wall another color isn't going to do much.

    Here's my suggestions.

    paint the brick. I like a matte charcoal/black,


    looks so much better. (remove the bookcase currently there.




    but a white would also work
    also put in a few wall colors to try.


    do proper bookcases on either side, relocate the TV (or put that in another room and do a smaller tv on the bookcase. like this:






    or, above the fireplace (these are Ikea bookcases)


    Here's a before and after. they used Revere pewter on the bookcases




  • PRO
    BeverlyFLADeziner
    9 days ago
    last modified: 9 days ago

    I would flip the sofas to the other side of the room

    Place the TV on the wall as shown below & add a reading chair, floor lamp & table in the corner


    Not a chai & ottomanr in gray, but this is all I had to illustrate the concept

    Geezus, NO to the white bookcases. Not with that wood wainscoting!!!!


    As for your walls......I would not paint them. I don't think you embraced the olive green property, so I would begin by replacing the area rug & then replace the drapery panels. Select a print that works with the rug selected.



    Here are other rugs that work with your paint.





    Yes to wood shades with drapery panels if you need to control privacy.


  • PRO
    lisedv
    9 days ago
    last modified: 9 days ago

    Since we don't have a picture of all the walls in the room nor dimensions, it's difficult to make out if there's room for the TV across from the sofa I've move to the opposite wall under the narrow window. I see there's an entrance next to your large bookcase but cannot not see how wide that is. Taking that under consideration, I show a corner TV stand that can take up to a 65 inch TV (yours looks large). A warm white would work well with all the wood and black furniture. I've also replaced your corner bookcase with a black one that isn't so big and doesn't take up the entire corner.

    If you can fit the TV unit on the entrance wall instead of in the corner, as shown in BeverlyFLADeziner's floorplan, that would be better.


    If you're painting the room, perhaps you'll also take the opportunity to jazz-up your decor...






  • Kendrah
    8 days ago

    Why do you not like the current color? I think it is pretty good. The fireplace and bookshelf are each wonderful items but are so terrible together, I don't think any amount of changing paint will remedy that situation.

  • sushraya
    Original Author
    8 days ago

    Thanks for all the different ideas. More to think about.


    - the couches and the rug can't be changed.

    - the TV can fit in the other corner next to the fireplace (was there earlier).

    - I can try, but I think it's hard to fit this tv on the wall opposite the couch. The width of the room is 14 ft and I think this tv is too big for that viewing distance. TV size is unfortunately non-negotiable :)

    - the drapes are definitely going. Getting blinds/new drapes.

    - have to think about the bookshelves. Get that it is overwhelming where they are now - maybe able to move them elsewhere or break them up perhaps.

    - green color paint has been there for a long time, think we want a change.

    -Not sold on painting the fireplace.


    I played around with a few other colors last night - SW Alabaster was one that seemed to work reasonably well (fairly neutral). Another choice was BM Revere Pewter. SW Homburg Gray and Upward were two others I looked at - both seem to lean more blue in this room.



  • PRO
    BeverlyFLADeziner
    8 days ago

    Not sure why you would think the TV wouldn't work on the wall. See table below.

    It's going to cost you less money to change the area rug than it will cost to paint the walls. Why would you hang onto an area rug that clearly doesn't work in this room?

    You can have a 70" TV and sit 9 ft. away from the TV.

  • Jennifer Hogan
    8 days ago

    Given that you are really just looking for advice on color and are not planning to change the paneling, fireplace or furniture and are tired of the current green, I would suggest going more neutral, but staying with the greige colors.


    You mention below that you looked at Revere Pewter. That is the first color that came to mind when I saw your room. Neutral with a green undertone.


    It was the top color for years and years, but has lost favor in the past few years as everyone is moving to white, but I am not sure that your home and furnishings with the large skylights won't be too white with white walls and Revere Pewter will appear lighter in a room with this much light.


    I may also try some lighter greige colors that still have the green undertone. It may take a few tries to get the right balance between lighter and darker shades.


    Try looking at colors near Paris Rain (1501), Morning Dew (1493), November Rain (2142).



  • sushraya
    Original Author
    8 days ago

    Beverly - not sure we can get the tv mounted on the wall at this time. But I do like your arrangment of the furniture and will see if we can get that to work.


    Jennifer - thank you for the color suggestions. Revere Pewter did look fairly bright in this room. I'll take a look at the other suggestions you had for colors with green undertones.



  • PRO
    BeverlyFLADeziner
    8 days ago

    The TV doesn't have to be mounted on the wall. You can simply place it on a minimal cabinet below.

    Just trying to keep costs down for you. A bracket on the wall is likely less than $99

  • Kendrah
    8 days ago

    Wow, your wall paneling really comes to life in the lighter wall color mock up you posted. I think you are on to something there.


    Rearranging furniture is free! I didn't realize the bookshelves were separate pieces. Take away the corner piece so you have only three pieces that are flat on the entry door wall and nothing next to the fireplace. I think it will make a world of difference. Try moving your TV to across from the sofa. It is fine on the stand. Leave it there for a few days and see if you adjust to the distance.


    I would not paint the fireplace. I think the brick, wood, and a light wall color will look great together. And, I think your rug may have new life to it with a lighter color in the room.