Paint colour help for new small apartment, part 1

14 years ago

Do I need help. I'm moving from a large apartment with lots of light to a tiny one-bedroom retirement apartment where everything is painted white.

Living-room: Long and narrow (18 X 10). One narrow end is open to the tiny kitchen; the other has a large window and a glass balcony door, facing north. Floors are variegated parquet; ceilings are low (8 feet). I've got neutral furniture: a beige sofa, chair and ottoman (Ikea Ektorp) and a variety of pale to semi-pale wood furniture: TV credenza, computer desk, birch gateleg table. I'll need a couple of bookcases (they will hide the fridge from the living-room), which will most likely be IKEA Billy -- don't know what colour to choose. I'm being given a kilim area rug that has a white background with stylized flowers in pink, blue and green with a muted red border. Original art (framed pastels).

I'd like to paint the walls. Colour needs to be pale to keep the room from receding. I don't want beige or grey; I'd like something cheerful that will reflect light.

Any suggestions?

There are no privacy issues, so I won't need blinds on the window and door, but sheers or semi-sheers would help dress up that wall; what colour?

I've got to get rid of about half my furniture and pack; solving this colour dilemma would really ease my mind.

Ideas, suggestions -- help!

Marie

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calabash
Original Author

14 years ago

I just read my own message and several others; I don't get any pop-ups. Wonder if anyone else is.

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Comments (20)

hilltop_gw
14 years ago
No suggestions, but what's with the Nextag & Scottrade link pop-ups by various words in your post? Spam? something new? or did some setting get changed on my computer? Anyone else seeing them?
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User
14 years ago
Bumpin this up.

Hilltop - I think it's because of the new advertising here. It's in all the posts I open now.

Here is a link that might be useful: GW new advertising
My3dogs ME zone 5A
14 years ago
I am running Firefox on my PC and I get no pop-ups.
jjam
14 years ago
Ditto for firefox; no pop-ups, but I have trouble with copy and paste with firefox when I want to post photos.
calabash
Original Author
14 years ago
I don't know about the pop-ups -- I'm running IE8 and I'm not getting any -- but could this issue be moved to another thread? I really do need advice and I know that you guys can help.
patty_cakes
14 years ago
I hate white too, epecially that 'old nurses uniform' white! I suggested a warm tan in your second post, and would do the whole apartment in the same color, or a variation of it on an accent wall or kitchen~a couple of shades darker, light permitting.

I'm getting a pop-ups almost everytime I post and have firefox also. Need to talk to my SIL the computer techie. ;o)
calabash
Original Author
14 years ago
If I use a tan in the living-room, won't the room just wash out? I've got a light beige sofa, chair and ottoman.
gwbr54
14 years ago
Well, starting with your pink, blue, and green rug... blue or green in northern light would probably feel cool. So maybe the palest of pinks:

Here is a link that might be useful: rooms by color
calabash
Original Author
14 years ago
They're lovely, aren't they? The walls in the last two positively glow. I'm not a girly girl, but that kind of pink just makes me smile.
You know, everyone I know has said "no!" whenever I've mentioned pink as an option, and I do know that there's a fine line between elegant pink and that awful pepto bismol look -- but I'm still looking for that perfect pink that would work for my poorly-lit rooms.
Thanks for the photos!
gwbr54
14 years ago
I'm not girly girl either, but I think the palest of pinks can look great. The one below is almost white, with just a pretty pink cast to it. Which jogs my mind that you should look at off-white colors - some will have a pink cast to them.

In link below, at the drop-down arrow, change from 'classic colors' to 'off-white colors' and then choose the pink area of the spectrum - maybe something like pink damask or opal.

Here is a link that might be useful: off-whites with pink cast
dilly_dally
14 years ago
Calabash, a picture is worth a thousand words and a photo of the new space along with photos of the pieces of furniture and art will generate more responses. Especially since you mention the rug being used having stylized flowers and you already have some nice artwork to hang. Is your look Modern? Country?

First off I would say not to discount painting the walls a deep color. Since you say your furniture is a very light wood tone, it sounds like darker, deeper toned walls with the light wood could look very elegant. The juxtaposition will create depth and contrast, actually making the room seem bigger. Choose a paint with a huge light reflecting value since your windows face north.

It sounds like you have a lot of nice bones to work with; parquet floors, balcony. Are you allowed to make any permanent changes to the apartment?
calabash
Original Author
14 years ago
Thanks for suggesting photos -- I've got lots, and I'm sure it would help.
How do I upload photos? Can't find any useful instructions.
User
14 years ago
Here ya go Calabash! I copied this from a link in the kitchen forum.

Posting a picture from your photo hosting account (e.g., PhotoBucket)

First, where are your pictures? If on your computer only, you'll need to upload them somewhere on the web for the rest of us to see them. I upload pictures to PhotoBucket.

Open an account w/PhotoBucket or other photo hosting site.

Take a picture using a digital camera (or film camera but get them on disk when they're developed)

Resize your pics so they're approx 400x300 (resize keeping the same proportions so they don't get distorted...i.e., don't specify a specific size, use %-ages or similar)

Upload your pictures to your photo account

Find the label that contains the link to the picture

(In PhotoBucket, it's the box labeled "HTML Code")
Copy that link and paste it into the "Message" box of a post.

When you "Preview" your message, you'll see the picture.

Posting a picture from somewhere other than your Photo hosting account

Copy the following into the "Message" box where you want the picture to be:

{{gwi:1467847}}

Next, replace the http://www.XXX/image.jpg with the address of the image.

When you "preview" the message, you should see the picture
User
14 years ago
Shoot. This was also listed below that.
"Posting a picture from somewhere other than your Photo hosting account

Copy the following into the "Message" box where you want the picture to be:

{{gwi:1467847}}

Next, replace the http://www.XXX/image.jpg with the address of the image.

When you "preview" the message, you should see the picture"
gwbr54
14 years ago
dilly dally - I don't understand your comment about choosing a deep-toned paint with a huge light reflectance value. If the paint is deep-toned (i.e. darker), won't it NOT have a high LRV? I could see maybe a reflective finish making a difference. A bit off-topic, but if you could point me in the right direction, I'd appreciate it. Thanks.
calabash
Original Author
14 years ago
Thanks for the photo upload info. Here goes ...

Living room facing kitchen

Living room facing door/window

Painting

Another painting

Kalim area rug

Gateleg table; folds to 13" X 36"

Sofa; have matching chair and ottoman

Proposed living-room layout

Re first photo: there will be a floor to ceiling bookcase to hide the fride from the living room; another bookcase or wall shelves on the wall where the small table is (it's not mine).

Floating shelves on wall above TV for display (photos, small pewter collection).

More shelves to the top right of the computer desk.

Small cat tree in the corner after the door.

That's about it for the living room; still need wall colours ...
gwbr54
14 years ago
Wow, that was fast! Do you have a photo of your desk too? The desk has 'pride of place' - is that important to you, for work perhaps?

Your proposed layout seems logical - only thing I might reverse would be desk and lounge chair. I would enjoy sitting in lounge chair near balcony, where I would have good light for reading. Having the desk near bookcases could function as your study. If it suits your work habits, the desk and dining table could be the same piece of furniture. That would free up a little space, and help unify the room.

I could see a wide sliding panel across kitchen opening, since it appears there's another entrance to the kitchen. You could even put a room divider bookcase (Ikea Expedit, e.g.) there, which would allow light to pass through to kitchen. Combined with the other bookcases, it could look close to built-in, and be quite cozy.

The other thing that would really help, I think, is a huge mirror to 'open up' the 10-foot width of the room. Mirror-backed things, or reflective things in general would move light around the room. Panels that stack either side of window and door so that no wall space is visible would also widen room proportions. Nice parquet floors!
gwbr54
14 years ago
Just looked at your other 'part 2' post. LOVE the blue cloud artwork! And your view looks beautiful - IMO, that makes all the difference in the world.
calabash
Original Author
14 years ago
Desk -- hum. It's really a long wood table. Nice wood top, but no detailing. A small filing cabinet fits under it for storage. I'd take a photo, but you'd be horrified -- it's a holy mess right now. I translate part-time and do computer-based volunteer work, so I spend a lot of time at the desk. That's why I've placed it in front of the window. There will be shelves above the right side of it (against the wall).

The chair is the cheapest of the Ektorp line and not all that comfy; it's really a guest/cat chair. I read on the sofa with cat company (and in bed).

There is another entrance to the kitchen off the hallway. It's here to the right

But I'll have a pretty white storage bench there, with display shelves above it.

It's the only way I can fit in a place to sit on near the entrance door. That ugly square wall scone, by the way, is being replaced!

Your idea of blocking off the living-room entrance to the kitchen was the first thing I thought of when I saw the apartment, but I gave it up as being impractical for me and settled on a much-need bookcase that would at least hide the side of the fridge.
Mirrors -- yes, I've got an eye on those. I don't have any, but I realize that in that room anything that reflects will be a good thing; they're on the ever growing list of things to get.

I'm very happy with the view. The apartment is on the third floor; what you see in front of the windows is a very large school yard, with the school at the far end -- a whole street block away. And there's trees!
Paintings, including the blue clouds: my first husband was (and still is) and artist. The paintings are all his.

I didn't like the parquet floors when I first saw them. They've since been sanded and re-varnished. They're now several shades lighter and look much, much better.

So ... wall colours for this room?