Reading Room/Home Library - Paint Color Help!
My husband and I just bought a house. I have converted the formal living room to our dining room because it's larger and we wouldn't use the formal living room because we have a large family room. The small dining room, I am converting to a Home Library/Reading Room. I have come up with nearly everything for the room, but I can not decide on paint.
Here are my design ideas:
Here are a couple pictures of the existing room in some horrific colors! I'm torn on whether to light on top or dark on top. I am thinking, Speakeasy, cigar bar, Hemingway, Steinbeck... wish I could do big leather furniture, but I have cats. :D So, what colors would you recommend? (I would like to keep the chair rail and moldings but the window treatments and light fixture will go.)
Comments (53)
ttodd
14 years agoazwildcats70
14 years agoRelated Discussions
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Comments (6)Start by centering the table under the fan (chandelier) and taking exact measurements of both rooms and all openings. Draw a scale floor plan on grid paper, writing the measurements clearly so we can see them. Do you have any other furniture pieces you plan to use here? If so, bring them in and place them somewhere, removing any pieces you do not want to use. Take new pix, upload a shot of the proposed chandelier, and we'll get started....See Morejolynna
14 years agoI love your Hemingway theme. It looks like your room is going to be a writing room as well a reading room. I am jealous of all of your shelves. Nothing is more beautiful, in my opinion, than shelves of beloved books.
One of the rooms in my new house was designated as a media room, but, I'm making it into a Library, writing room & painting studio. I am VERY exciting about having this space.
Hemingways house in Key West has natural wood floors, white or soft blue walls and lots of paintings.
azwildcats70
14 years ago
justgotabme
14 years agojolynna
14 years agoHemingways writing room and study.
The rooms in Restoration Hardware gallery have the same look as the pictures you posted. There are a lot of maps used on walls in the gallery rooms too.
I've gotten a lot of ideas from looking at Restoration Hardware catalogs, including dragging out and cleaning up an old drafting table to use in my library.
sweeby
14 years agopowermuffin
14 years agoazwildcats70
14 years agoazwildcats70
14 years agosweeby
14 years agotomorrowisanotherday
14 years agoSince you like the chair rail, what about adding more trim? Perhaps something like this photo, only paint the walls a bit darker:
You could do the leather treatment inside the "boxes" if you like.
Another idea would be to use some rich, moody paper above a paneling treatment that is just under the existing chair rail:
azwildcats70
14 years agoazwildcats70
14 years agoazwildcats70
14 years agoazwildcats70
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amykath
14 years agoazwildcats70
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14 years agoazwildcats70
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Kathleen McGuire
14 years agoyborgal
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14 years agobronwynsmom
14 years agoAnother library aficionado checking in...
If you want to line the walls with bookshelves, do take off the chair rail. The deep shadows behind bookcases that are standing away from the walls are less noticeable with dark walls, but they can loom in a sort of creepy way.I've done two different reading rooms in my houses...the first had built-ins covering two walls. I painted the cabinetry a creamy white (matching the trim in the whole house), the walls a warm grey-brown, and the ceiling the palest shade of pink.
The one we have now is in a room with 11 foot ceilings and very heavy high baseboards. I bought stock unfinished bookcases, painted them to match the terra-cotta of the walls, and had my carpenter build me two box bases a half-inch taller than the baseboards, which I painted to match the trim. The bookcases sit on top of the boxes so that they could be pushed back flush against the wall. He also made me three shelves from good plywood with a 1X1/2" fascia on the front for dimension and stability. They are mounted between the two cases, one at the table level and two across the top. Instant built-ins on the cheap. I love the urban sophistication of the matching wall and cases in this room.
mahatmacat1
14 years agoscanmike
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14 years agoloribee
14 years agoazwildcats70
14 years agoOk, here's the room painted. Please keep in mind that it's a work in progress. Loads to do yet.
Benjamin Moore Fairview Taupe
ttodd
14 years agoamykath
14 years agoazwildcats70
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angiedfw
14 years agocatkin
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14 years agoKathleen McGuire
14 years agopps7
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redbazel
14 years agoazwildcats70
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patty_cakes