I prefer light colored walls. I love to see the light
and sun shinging through the windows and reflecting on the
walls. Having never had dark walls, I'm not sure if dark
walls give the same effect.
It's all a matter of personal choice. I think of light
colored walls as a canvas -- to show off furniture,
woodworking, upholstery, art, collections etc...
I guess dark walls would do the same, and perhaps be
'richer' however, I don't want to have to live in a room
that needs the light turned on in the daytime to lighten
things up.
Joann

uh oh, I don't think that my planned aubergine-eggplant-dark purple master bedroom will be getting a "reveal". (sidenote--the room does get a huge amount of light from a giant atrium window)

I'll leave the business card of a painter in the middle of the floor after we move out, just in case.

For me it isn't the color, it's everything else in the room.

Here is a link that might be useful: Billy Baldwin pioneered the use of aubergine walls

Well, I'm sorry...but that Billy Baldwin guy is just tacky.

I want to say that room is way too G@Y, but the PC police will be all over me. LOL

I think lighter colors are more forgiving when it comes to decorating. They don't make a statement as much in the overall scheme so if you make mistakes in what you bring in to the room in accessories/furniture it probably will still work (unless it is my house). However with a dark color I think you need to have more of an eye for decorating to be able to pull it off.

I know there are several here that pull off darker colors beautifully and they generally are some of my favorite rooms. The same goes for lighter colors too as there are so many here that can pull those off and it looks awesome.

Then there are those that like me need something more forgiving so my inadequacies in finishing stuff or adding those final touches that can really make a room isn't so noticable. I've found it is easier for me with a less bold and lighter color to "fake" that finished look. At least it looks better to my eye than when I've tried a darker color.

I also tend to like lighter colors, but tried bolder/darker in our new house and am looking to re-paint the great room as the color is too strong there for me to feel comfortable. I'm just not able to pull it off with the color and it feeling like me. In bright light I like it, on gloomy days or at night I don't. Maybe with the right accessories/furniture it could work, but I'm sticking with what we have for now and keep searching for a lighter color so I can feel like it fits better at least.

Re: Billy Baldwin -- GASP! -- he's an icon!

Here is a link that might be useful: Billy Baldwin

I don't know who he is, but I agree with nearly everything he has to say about decorating.

Billy Baldwin
...I've always believed that architecture is more important than decoration. Scale and proportion give everlasting satisfaction that cannot be achieved by only icing the cake.
Billy Baldwin

Everything in a bedroom should contribute to an atmosphere of peace.
Billy Baldwin

The most luxurious bedrooms have as little dressing equipment as possible.
Billy Baldwin

Decorators should never insist on throwing out everything the client has. Even when they are far from perfect, loved possessions add personality.
Billy Baldwin

There is magic...in the deep-jewel-colored room, warm and mysterious, where you discover its many beauties as you sit, seduced slowly.
Billy Baldwin

If you spend most of your decorating money on a Chippendale table or a Chinese lacquer screen, don't fill in the gaps with mediocrity. Forget the gaps for a while; just have simple slipcover in one pretty color. Then, as you can, acquire other good pieces that are compatible in one pretty color. Let the room grow slowly to maturity.
Billy Baldwin

When you want to transform a room into a entirely different animal, change the color.
Billy Baldwin

A person with a real flair is a gambler at heart.
Billy Baldwin

If you have marvelous taste and know exactly what you want, you don't need a decorator.
Billy Baldwin

[on American decorating] We can recognize and give credit where credit is due to the debt of taste we owe to Europe, but we have taste, too - in fact, we're a whole empire to taste. That is my flag, and I love to wear it.
Billy Baldwin

Nothing is in good taste unless it suits the way you live. What's practical is beautiful...and suitability always overrules fashion.
Billy Baldwin

Great blends of pattern, like great dishes, must be carefully tasted. And constant tasting is what teaches a cook how to taste.
Billy Baldwin

Let's be honest about it. That big room isn't the living room at all. Unless you have a great many rooms, that is a ghastly waste of space. The living room should be lived in.
Billy Baldwin

When you arrange your living room furniture, think less of symmetry and more of comfort.
Billy Baldwin

Great blends of pattern, like great dishes, must be carefully tasted. And constant tasting is what teaches a cook how to taste.
Billy Baldwin

Comfort is perhaps the ultimate luxury.
Billy Baldwin

When you ignore the logic of the eye, the result may be a room that is disastrously uncomfortable even though it is undeniably beautiful.
Billy Baldwin

The best decoration in the world is a roomful of books.
Billy Baldwin

When you ignore the logic of the eye, the result may be a room that is disastrously uncomfortable even though it is undeniably beautiful.
Billy Baldwin

Suitability is the quality that makes things durable.
Billy Baldwin

What's practical is beautiful... and suitability always overrules fashion.
Billy Baldwin

Stick to the things you really love. An honest room is always up to date.
Billy Baldwin

Lately I have been thinking how comfort is perhaps the ultimate luxury.
Billy Baldwin

I have far too much respect for art to reduce it to decoration. A picture should never be bought to be a part of decoration....if a picture isn't loved for itself and by the person who buys it, it shouldn't be bought at all.
Billy Baldwin

I believe...that we should always leave room for a picture or pictures. Then, when the perfect ones come along - those you simply cannot live without - the room suddenly seems to have been waiting for them, and welcomes them.
Billy Baldwin

Quality is always essential whatever the price.
Billy Baldwin

If I find that something I am doing is becoming a trend, I run from it like the plague.
Billy Baldwin

The first rule of decoration is that you can break almost all the other rules.
Billy Baldwin

You should never be so aware of a room that it comes between you and the person you are with. That's not decoration, it's interference.
Billy Baldwin

Nothing is worse than a hallway where only the ceiling is lit- you feel as if you're groping your way through a tunnel.
Billy Baldwin

Be faithful to your own taste because nothing you really like is ever out of style.
Billy Baldwin

The wilder the idea, the newer, the farther out, the more it demands that you know why you want it.
Billy Baldwin

Never adopt a particular style and peddle it as your own. Always be personal, always be flexible. Many decorators fall into a trap, and when they finally want to do something a little different, they find they cannot because their clients have stereotyped them.
Billy Baldwin, Ruby Ross Wood

There is one fundamental fact about lighting: Where there is no light, there is no beauty.
Billy Baldwin, Ruby Ross Wood

The final judge in decorating, as any wise decorator knows, is not the "logic of the mind, but the logic of the eye."
Billy Baldwin, Ruby Ross Wood

Decorating is the art of arranging beautiful things comfortably.
Billy Baldwin, Ruby Ross Wood

[on early days of 20th century interior design] We were the upstarts and between our younger ideas and the fabulous and growing array of fabrics, papers and colors everywhere, decorating in America was just about as emotional an art as it had ever been.
Billy Baldwin, House & Garden

Minor changes can always be made later, but the point of view is there.
Billy Baldwin, Decorating

.....and he has the greatest quotes too!

You should never be so aware of a room that it comes between you and the person you are with. That's not decoration, it's interference.

Billy Baldwin

Here is a link that might be useful: BB quotes

sorry bumble, posted at the same time!

An amazingly revealing thread, in some ways, about societal perceptions and sensitivities (somewhat surprisingly to me at least) about "class" versus "classy". And the latter has many meanings...including elegant and sophisticated, but keep in mind that some dictionary definitions are quite contrary to this. If we assume that "classy" refers to an elegant sophisticated style, certainly there are many popular styles that are not elegant per se but they are not de facto demeaning, declasse or undesirable in suitable contexts.

I love his advice/quotes. I agree with 99% of them.

I want to say that room is way too G@Y, but the PC police will be all over me. LOL

I believe you did say it, so don't expect it to go unchecked. For those of us who have gay loved ones, saying that something is "gay" when you obviously don't care for it is a bit hurtful. Perhaps choose your words with a bit more sensitivity next time.

Billy Baldwin may not be to everyone's taste, but he is *never tacky. (Well, Diana Vreeland's room is a bit much, but she is the one who wanted it). His rooms still hold up 40, 50, 60 years later.

I hope you were joking and forgot the :)

Bravo Jen. One learns a lot about a person by what they think is funny. My gay uncle and lesbian aunt caught those "funnies" all their life. Hurtful isn't funny. No smiley can fix that.

Of course, I'm joking, Pal. BB is my all-time favorite, idol-status home boy. I had the reissue of Decorates on pre-order for more than two years as Rizzolli postponed and postponed publication for what I felt was an inordinate amount of time. Finally gave in and payed up for an original edition. I was just wondering who might still be paying attention amidst all the chastising and condemnation of this color and that color and this word and that word.

HIWTHI, you'd better duck and cover. (What century are you living in?)

Who is Billy Baldwin?

Other than the obvious, a decorator and a new-gen Oscar Wilde of Interior Design...

Hi, I'm just seeing light and dark categories here. What if one has mid tone warm colors, colors that are neither light nor dark? I guess the same rules apply in that it all depends on architecture and decor. I always read these sorts of posts with interest as I never seem to fall in any categories.

Who is Billy Baldwin?

Google is your friend.

Google is your friend.

:-)

If you do google Billy Baldwin, be sure to add "decorator" to your search, or you'll wind up with lots of hits for the actor.

I really think his brother Alec is so funny on 30 Rock....

......kidding.....I just couldn't resist

And I was just thinking about this topic again, mostly because I am searching endlessly for photos of bedrooms, with a dark bed and dark walls. Because I dream of painting my bedroom in that dark purple color. While I am going through all the photos on Houzz, I find myself attracted to lots of creamy rooms, but also the dark ones too. But yet, there are some creamy rooms that are just not pulled together enough, in my opinion for me to say--"cream will make the room look good no matter what", and the same can be said about the dark colored walls.

The overall look of the room is what you do with whatever color you choose. I think the creams remind me of champagne and I love that, but then I think about the cathedral ceiling in my bedroom and I recall my spa-like green we used 11 years ago--it was so cold in there. I have always loved the warmer darker colors in that room. As usual, I'm stumped about what to do in my space, but I really think that regarding "classy" colors, I think it is all a result of what you do with the color.

Anybody ever watch Real Housewives of NY? Remember the Countess's song? Well, how could one ever forget it, once you heard it.....it keeps running through my head, but with different words...."Color can't buy you class..."

Here is a link that might be useful: Countess Luann....

Jeez Louise!

How in the world can people be so sensitive? I do not know JockEwing from Adam - but there was no offense meant. This place is getting ridiculous!

No apology needed - and yes, I personally think lighter colors are classier! We are all free to have our own opinions!

Good Day!

Beekeeper...hahaha you are killing me reminding me of that horrible song! I have a friend who calls me and sings that song for a joke because she knows it grates on my nerve.

auntjen and Igloo, queens of the forum, or so you think. You two think you own this forum, but you don't.

I said what I said because it's a very popular term and most people know it is not meant as an insult to anyone and anyone gay would even laugh at it because they know exactly what it means. You see I have 4 nephews who are gay so they taught me the lingo. So sweeties back off and take your hostility out on your husbands.

LMAO at you because you are so ridiculous.

I stand by my words and will continue to "call out" homophobic statements wherever and whenever they are made.

Lighter colors are classier than darker ones.

And

Darker colors are classier than lighter ones.

Both statements are correct. Depends on who ya ask.

I find this hilarious because coaching someone up to the point they are able to make definitive statements about color is actually a huge success.

When you get to the point you are able to identify your own personal tolerance of color and classify one option as "classier" than the other, you should be really, really happy. And others should be happy for you because it is a huge self-discovery achievement.

There's nothing to criticize about how the word classier was used by OP. That's so not the important part of the issue.

And btw, I thought I owned the forum. (evil grin)

"...anyone gay would even laugh..."

While I cannot claim four gay nephews, I am quite sure that all gay people do not share the same sense of humor any more than they share the same sense of taste. They are, after all, individuals.

This thread has been interesting. I prefer lighter colors myself, but I wouldn't call them classier or better looking. To me it all depends on how the room is pulled together. I think balance, proportion, an interesting mix of things creates a better looking room than the value of the colors or even the individual items themselves. I don't think it takes choosing the perfect items either as long as the balance and proportions are good I think you can make thrift store items just as attractive as anything you buy retail. I don't think by using the word classy you meant expensive, I just think you meant that it was more attractive. But I really think its your personal preference for light colors.

I'm making some choices as to what colors to use on the tiny little house I'm fixing up. I showed my son some of the colors I was thinking of and we both agreed that a mid gray would be very nice for the living room.
My current living room is white and it is nice and bright.
But paint is so wonderful. It does indeed evoke emotions, a bright red room is bold, a light pink shade maybe not so much.
An interesting thread, and for many who have been here for years, the varied responses show the rich tapestries of the personalities of each of us. There are some very thoughtful people here.

vsalz brings up a good point: it's the trending of the market. You won't see many dark rooms in the magazines these days. Also, most people like light & airy instead of dark & enveloping. They're afraid they'll feel overwhelmed or that the room will seem too different from the norm (The Taste Police will call them out).

Here are some lovely dark rooms. No need to overpower mediocre furnishings in those rooms!

jockewing is a long time poster here and a good contributor. We should be familiar enough with jock's even-handed personality to cut her some slack & not read too much in her choice of adjectives. We've all stated things awkwardly before, haven't we? Especially in this very informal forum? Only a gentle "beg to differ" was needed instead of a sharp "how DARE you use that word?"

I've been switching to dark-colored rooms in the last two years (yes, to overpower mediocre furnishings) and wasn't the least bit offended.

And now I see this thread is from last spring and died long ago.

I need to type 100 times:

Do not post when you're sleepy.
Do not post when you're sleepy.
Do not post when you're sleepy.

(wagging finger at myself)

Maybe when you wake up, you will realize that some of us who have been here for many years may only stop in for ideas and camaraderie a couple times a year, and partaking of a thread a few months old is not tangoing with the dinosaurs.

I do like the pictures you linked.

Nothing wrong with bringing up old threads, or tangoing with dinosaurs as you so cleverly put it.

I just feel bad because I stirred up some unpleasantness that had gone dormant and should remain that way.

Glad you liked the pictures.

I haven't read all the posts yet, so someone else might have said this...

I don't think it really comes down to classy or not classy. I think that lighter colors are simply "easier" for amateurs to use. Of course you could pick two light colors which don't really go with each other, but overall, even that might look okay. It's hard to make a major mistake. Darker colors are "real" colors and it is much harder for the average person to pick just the right shade. I've noticed this A LOT in local real estate photos, apartments in which I have lived, and even on the exteriors of a couple local houses. I'll think (of an exterior), "hmm, that blue trim could have looked great, bold, but interesting, but they simply picked the WRONG color, and it looks 'off' somehow." Likewise, I'll see an interior green, or blue, or purple, and I'll think that had the home owner chosen a better shade, it could have worked. Instead, it looks like they just bought paint from the discount bin. The color has to work with the space, the natural light (or lack thereof) and the furnishings. Sometimes, I think there simply might not be a "correct" dark color for a certain room - the furnishings are too mismatched, cheap, or worn, and bringing yet another color in - regardless of what it is - won't work. But I think a lot of times there is a "correct" dark color which could be brought in (if you like that look) but more often than not, the proper choice is not made.

Whoops, I didn't realize that this thread had only recently been revived, either.

Awm03, one of the pictures shows a background of a mossy green, I just love that and am thinking of using it for the small dining room right off the living room.

Ooooh, lucille, that sounds really nice! If you do the mossy green, I hope you'll post pictures.

I have to say my dark rooms feel a little stuffy in late July/August. But I had light, summery wall colors before that felt off in the middle of winter, so maybe all-season rooms are difficult to pull off unless you spend a bundle on slip covers, rugs & accessories.

lucille-

Not sure how deep you want to go, but here are are a couple of pics of our LR, it's BM Pine Grove, mixed in Aura matte. They're both winter pics, one at night, one daytime.

Good luck-

sandyponder

I just read some of those I missed and just want to add that the picture that was referred to as "gay" should have been called flamboyant instead. We all knew what was meant, but the original wording was not ideal. Flamboyant is more accurate and I only wish there were a stronger word than even that, lol.

Based on that pic alone, the statement that Billy Baldwin's rooms are "never tacky" seems to be obviously wrong, IMHO. I love purple in its many forms but that mixture makes me shudder.

sandyponder - that's a beautiful color. It works so well with the wood, the stone, the leather, and the oriental rug. I think this is an example of a "classy" dark color.

"Classiness" doesn't have to enter into it... any shade can be classy, though of course people have personal preferences and may still not like a dark palette, or a light palette. But I suppose "classiness" (meaning lack of tackiness and a professional look) can enter in... as I wrote above, I think it can come down to a homeowner picking the WRONG shade... and I suppose "classiness" (or lack thereof) comes into it in that if they do pick the wrong shade it can look amateurish and tacky. Low-class. It's simply harder to make an egregious mistake with lighter colors... hence less of a chance to veer into the "tacky" and "unclassy" realm. (It's also much easier to paint with light colors - small errors in application do not show that much.) But I would never look at a well-done dark color and think it wasn't classy simply because it was dark, or even simply because it wasn't my particular cup of tea.

Also... I think it comes down to current styles. Light is 'in' right now. White kitchens, light neutrals in the living areas, etc.. And bucking the trend can be perceived as less-than-classy even if it isn't.

Sandyponder

A beautiful green and a gorgeous room, thank you for posting the pic

I generally select paint colors in the Mid LRV range between 35 and 55 points. I'm not a fan of pastels, and anything above 60 is way too light for my taste. By the same token, anything below an LRV of 30, IMHO, is nicest as an accent color.

Sherwin-Williams has made the task of coordinating colors so easy for my associates by offering palettes where any of the colors can be used together in any space. I especially love the palettes called, "Neutral Nuance", "Livable Luxe", and "Timeless Elegance". There are many more to suit individual tastes.

For those who prefer using Benjamin Moore or another source for your paint, you can generally bring any paint chip to any paint store and ask them to duplicate the color.

Ultimately, whatever colors are chosen for any home, I often find the end result aesthetically pleasing when all the furnishings, accessories, and general layout of the rooms flow nicely and everything complements each other.

OLD POST FROM 2011

It's amazing how 'evergreen' the posts are here on the GW. Seems like there is no expiration date. :)

It's been so dull for a long time ( I missed the R rated mirrors post) that some of these old posts are interesting!

R rated mirrors post? I must have missed it too.

I don't understand why people have to point out that a post is "OLD". So what? I guess the people that replied to an old post years ago might not have any interest in it but new people hit sites like this every day, probably by the 100s or 1000s. What is old information to one, might be exactly what someone TODAY is needing. I've been on GW since 2002 and search it's contents often. Just last night I did hours of reading and finding helpful information that dated back to 2006.

As to the question of light colors being more classy than dark, my vote is no, they're not. Personally, I LOVE darker, richer, dramatic colors and the furnishings/decorations that hold up to those darker richer colors/tones. Rich browns, deep golds, plums, pumpkin, dark sage, black (paint and decor) all framed with a nice (white-ish) substantial crown and base...LOVE it! However, I can also drool over (and compliment others) on their light, bright and airy rooms :)

To the person who said, " things such as flash do things to darker or non flat paint colors that are not flattering"....YOU CAN SAY THAT AGAIN :(