Reading Room/Home Library - Paint Color Help!

15 years ago

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.)

Featured Answer

patty_cakes

15 years ago

I love the look you're going for~~I think I might like masculine undertones. Since the room isn't large, something in a not-too-dark color might be better..i'm thinking a rich taupe or even an eggplant, just not too purple-y. Plaid or buffalo check draperies might be nice, and the same for pillows. I know you said no leather, but how about a leather ottoman, nothing too big? Another idea would be to add a small 'game table' and a couple of smallish wood or cane chairs in a corner, set up w/a chess set, or any board game. Add a couple of old pipes in picture frames to your the collection of pictures for something a little different. Can't wait to see your finished room! ;o)

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Comments (53)

ttodd
15 years ago
I think that a rich nave would look amazing! My only concern w/ a dark brown color was the book cases and dark furniture getting 'lost'.

For that reason I was leaning towards a deep gray w brown in it - like MS Thunderhead that was available at SW and now in her HD line.

I also like the thought of a rich cream as Jan had suggested but my 2 faves would be her suggestion of the navy (oh how luscious!) or a color like Thunderhead.
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azwildcats70
Original Author
15 years ago
I originally was going to go with BM Texas Leather and Crisp Khaki - but the Texas Leather looked too much like my facial mud mask. Then I was looking at BM Kona or Classic Brown. But it's not "singing" to me.

I am definitely thinking dark up top and lighter on bottom. I think the dark color will really set off the 8" crown molding.
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jolynna
15 years ago
I 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.
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azwildcats70
Original Author
15 years ago
I tried searching Gentleman's Club - like the kind they have in England but got a bunch of "dirty" pictures. I like this but can't tell what color the all is:

{{!gwi}}
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User
15 years ago
Well I can't help you with color names. In fact I normally steer clear of paint threads. Color to me if more personal than anything else when it comes to clothing and home decor. However, avid reader than I am, I had to give my two cents worth.
You may not be able to have leather furniture, but you can have leather look walls. It can be done with paint only or some like to use torn wrinkled brown craft paper. Either way I'd use the "leather look on the lower half of the walls and use a rich earthy green or slightly lighter brown, than the "leather", above the chair rail. I'd also faux grain all the trim if you don't want to take the time to refinish it. IF you want stained trim. Personally the white just doesn't work for me, but in looking at photos of Hemmingway's home he had white trim. So what do I know, huh? :P
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jolynna
15 years ago
Hemingways 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.
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sweeby
15 years ago
You're absolutely on the right track already, and I agree with all of the suggestions of the posters above --

Dark and clubby, masculine, leather (we have a cat, only a very few scratches and they add to the appeal of good leather) --
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powermuffin
15 years ago
I love the Restoration Hardware picture!! It has that travel, adventure vibe but with still enough light to read by. And the lighter wall color supports the furniture and accessories very well.
Diane
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azwildcats70
Original Author
15 years ago
I'm downloading the Benjamin Moore Color Capture application for iphone. :D
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azwildcats70
Original Author
15 years ago
I like the way this looks - any thoughts on a comparable BM color that's on the background?

{{!gwi}}
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sweeby
15 years ago
Ouch!
You'd think something pretending to be a dictionary entry would pay more attention to verb tense!
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tomorrowisanotherday
15 years ago
Since 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:
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azwildcats70
Original Author
15 years ago
I had no issue picking paint colors for my dining room, foyer, hearth room and kitchen... but this room is becoming the bane of my existence!

I love the idea of adding more molding below, but I don't think the DH would let me. :(
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azwildcats70
Original Author
15 years ago
My foyer is painted BM Coastal Fog - so you will be able to see it from the reading room - I've been trying to keep that in mind as well so I don't pick clashing colors.
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azwildcats70
Original Author
15 years ago
I think I picked my colors!

Benjamin Moore HC-69 on top and HC-70 on bottom.

{{!gwi}}
{{!gwi}}
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azwildcats70
Original Author
15 years ago
HC-69 is Whitall
HC-70 is Van Buren
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susanilz5
15 years ago
A few posters have loved and used BM's Greenfield Pumpkin which is suppose to be a rich coppery brown color. It's a BM historical color. It does look awful on the chip!
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peaches12345
15 years ago
This is the PERFECT room in which to use Ralph Lauren Antiqued Leather or Suede paints and technique. He has some gorgeous colors and glazes and the Antiqued Leather treatment would be stunning in a library. The blurb on his paint website even mentions 'libraries and old books' when talking about his Antiqued Leather colors.

I've had the Suede in a small den for 13 years abd still get compliments. Either paint treatment would be great.
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amykath
15 years ago
I would go with a straight up pure matte gray on the bottom and a very warm amber tan on top. I would also paint your ceiling in the same color as the bottom gray or the tan top color.... probably the gray. Another great idea would be to paint (including the chair rail) the walls the warm amber tan you love in all of the photos and then paint the ceiling that gray you see in the old black and whites. The aged black.

FOr lighting I would do the swing arm sort on the walls by the chairs or couch. Overhead I would look at old photos and see what was used then. I love the idea! Keep us posted!
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azwildcats70
Original Author
15 years ago
Now I am nervous about doing two colors. Ugh. Maybe I will just do Fairview Taupe and call it a day.
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patty_cakes
15 years ago
I love the two colors together~~gray slacks and medium beige top. However, on walls I think it might come off as looking too choppy, unless you do the chair rail in the same color as the bottom. You can never go wrong w/taupe, but that's JMHO! ;o)
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azwildcats70
Original Author
15 years ago
Ok... I'm going Fairview Taupe top and bottom and leaving the chair rail and crown molding white. Not very adventurous, I know.
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sis3
15 years ago
I also love the idea of this room, azwildcats! It is going to be stunning! Can't wait to see the photos! It's great to see the map of the county where I was born and raised by the way :)

Slightly OT - is anyone else offended by the current fad, as in the RH photo above, of ripping the backs from books as a decorative statement?
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greenthumbfish
15 years ago
Oh yeah, sis, it's blasphemy IMO!

az, if it were me, and I'm going to assume you're going to add an area rug in here, I'd choose the rug first then the paint.
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buyorsell888
15 years ago
Ripping the backs off books horrifies me. I didn't realize that was what was in that picture. I thought they were some sort of manuscripts.
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patty_cakes
15 years ago
...and you *definitely* can't go wrong with taupe walls/white trim! ;o) It's classic, luxe, elegant, sophisticated, and did I say sexy? Can't wait to see it finished!! ;o)
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Kathleen McGuire
15 years ago
Check out the new paint collections from RH, 'flint' and 'slate'. Love the dark gray/charcoal! Pair that with the sepia colors in old maps, books and pics and you will have a look similar to your inspiration pics!If you paint top and bottom the same dark color, then paint the chair rail the same color. A white stripe running around the room will take away from the look. The alternative is to paint the top and leave the bottom white and add some frame moulding around the bottom half like wainscoting.
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yborgal
15 years ago
I think Taupe top and bottom with the white trim will be perfect for your room...very elegant, mannish and welcoming.
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patty_cakes
15 years ago
That ripped-off-cover look seems to be the latest in home dec trends. Include me in not being able to 'rape' old books in such a destructive way, only to be used as decorating objects. Are decorators so out of fresh ideas they need to destroy a bit of history? ;o)
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bronwynsmom
15 years ago
Another 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.
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mahatmacat1
15 years ago
bronwyn'smom, just want to say that is the coolest application of pink I've ever seen :). Really memorable choice! How did you come to choose it?
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scanmike
15 years ago
brownysmom, love your rooms. What was the color you painted the first room in...the brown/grey? I agree, cool use of pink.
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scanmike
15 years ago
azwildcats.
I just helped a friend paint her staircase. She did coastal fog on top, Texas Leather on btm and loves it. She would love to do her living room accent wall in TL but said Texas Leather is a great color but needs a larger room with more light than she has.
Have you looked at RH colors Flax and Cappuccino?
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patty_cakes
15 years ago
Bronwynsmom, love both your rooms! I have a question re:depth of shelves in the first picture~are they about 8"? I have a wall I was thinking of using the same application on(unpainted shelving)but definitely need narrow~they would have to be all the way to the floor as this is a pass thru space. I would be reversing the concept, having the 'box' at the top. TIA
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loribee
15 years ago
Azwildcats...can't wait to see the finished room. The project sounds exciting!
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azwildcats70
Original Author
15 years ago
Ok, here's the room painted. Please keep in mind that it's a work in progress. Loads to do yet.

Benjamin Moore Fairview Taupe
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ttodd
15 years ago
I think that is a beautiful color! One I've often considered for the backs of my kitchen cabinets. Oh - I'm still waiting to make those. It's good to dream.
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amykath
15 years ago
What a stunning color! I love it!!! Great job. I like the light fixture too!!
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azwildcats70
Original Author
15 years ago
Thanks! I was pretty please with my taping job. I had no paint bleed under my tape and had no touch-ups!

Now, I have to buy the rest of the decor. :D
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patty_cakes
15 years ago
Gorgeous, sophisticated, and classic! Like I said, you can *never* go wrong w/taupe! ;o)
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scanmike
15 years ago
Looks amazing and agree that you can never go wrong with Taupe!
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angiedfw
15 years ago
Love the room! I admire your courage in going dark (I love the look, but am into a 'neutral walls' phase right now. Might be laziness, really.)

BTW: re: RH pic of the books with the covers ripped off. Do you suppose they do that because of liability issues? I mean, couldn't the publishers of books featured in ads go after the advertiser for using their books without permission? So, it's easier for ad directors to simply remove the covers rather than have to get permission from all those publishers to use the image?
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catkin
15 years ago
For decorating ideas Google *home library* and choose the *images* options--lots of cool rooms!
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loribee
15 years ago
Love the color!
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Kathleen McGuire
15 years ago
Your vision was right on...keep going, looks great!
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pps7
15 years ago
It's a gorgeous color! I'm trying to decide between fairview taupe and kingsport gray(1 lighter on the same strip) for my master. I prefer the fairview in sample size, but not sure if it will feel like a dungeon when all the walls are painted.
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bronwynsmom
15 years ago
Whoops...got busy and failed to check back in...Sorry!

The pink is Peach Tulle from Fuller O'Brien.

In the first room, I designed 24" deep cabinets below to hold all sorts of things, including games, file drawers and a wine rack next to the DR door.
The upper shelves were 12" deep to have enough room for books of all sizes.
The red room shelves are 11" deep inside, and the cases are 12" deep overall.
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redbazel
15 years ago
The Fairview Taupe is really rich and deep, and a wonderful color for a reading room Library. With good lighting, it should look cozy and inviting.

Red
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azwildcats70
Original Author
15 years ago
I'm thinking a trip to Home Goods is in order for this weekend!
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