Paint color for Foyer/Hall/Stairs

15 years ago

in the next couple of months (due to other projects we have going on and me picking out a color) i'd like to tackle doing some painting. my entire house is bleck, shell white.

here's some pics of the foyer/hallway/down basement steps. I figured I should probably paint the whole thing the same and not separate the foyer so it doesn't look choppy? considered doing possibly a chair rail in the foyer but don't want it to look like too much. (accessories will be added later, art, etc.)

This carpet color is also in my LR. I thought it seemed pretty neutral but every time I pair a gold color with it the carpet looks dirty. LR is probably going to be something green so I'd rather not do green in this area.

Here's some photos.

This chair has a taupey background color going on.

{{!gwi}}

Close up of carpet....

{{!gwi}}

close up of foyer floor... light brown/tan with white

{{!gwi}}

Should i pick something neutral? I don't think i can handle screaming bright colors. Suggestions please.

Comments (7)

jerseygirl_1
15 years ago
I have a question. Are you ready to pick out a rug for the foyer?
User
Original Author
15 years ago
should i pick out a rug first?

i know everyone keeps suggesting i figure out where i'm going with paint. I thought it may be easier to pick out a rug later. ha no?
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That dark color may be the reason one wall turned cream & the other one turned gray, & it might bleed through if you just paint over it, so apply a good coat of Kilz first. Then you really do have a clean slate, & you can more easily envision a new color. The black banister with the white dowels looks really good, sort of a Colonial effect. You could put up black & white striped wallpaper & accessorize with mahogany or dark walnut furniture, & it would be gorgeous, but if the walls are textured, it's hard to get them smooth. so...what were we talking about? oh yeah, paint lol. Your carpet & tile are warm tones, & warm goes with warm, so greens, golds, peachy/apricot colors, bronzes, & brass are all good. maybe a light apricot, with bronze metallic accents (picture frames, clocks, vases & bowls on your hall table), etc. or maybe a gold/green color with brushed antique gold or antique brass somethings. Black banister may or may not work with the softer colors; it might add an exclamation point, it might look like it doesn't belong there. You can cross that bridge when you get to it. Beneath the stairs, the white wood next to the burgundy paint is too much contrast & calls attention to the area. Who wants to focus on the area under the stair treads? I'd paint that whole area the same as the walls or maybe an unobtrusive warm white. It's a nice foyer-have fun!
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Thank you, thank you!! I will post some more photos later. Yes, exactly I'm trying to do some of the smaller items. We're replacing the kitchen faucet this weekend and some light fixtures. For the upstairs hallway, I already bought fixtures but again I'm not sure if they're the best - they are the drum kind (I got flush and semi flush to compare). We are also absolutely replacing outlets/covers - we did one in the kitchen so far when we installed the light fixture and it's amazing how much better it looks. And when I say 'we', I mean our friend because we are useless at this! For the kitchen, I'd love hardwood (we had it in our last house) - I just really always liked how it felt. However, of course again cost + we have a dog who was not kind on the last one so we'll see. I have to balance my anxiety over spending money with what's really important - I won't do this as quickly as I first envisioned. We were considering replacing all the doors upstairs (they previous owners recently redid one bathroom there and so it has a different door already). As far as paint color, I've typically always had 'color' but I'm open. If I'm doing the kitchen shoji white, I would probably prefer something a little more colorful elsewhere so the house doesn't look like one big off white place. I'm not skilled enough to make things pop with furnishings and etc...(plus don't want to have to buy more). At some point I will repaint all the bedrooms too, but down the line. One bedroom is currently named the Pepto Bismol room for its shade of paint. I try not to go in there :)
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mpmg46
15 years ago
I'm brand new and definitely an amateur, but I would probably stay with a more neutral color, as you suggested.

My entrance is somewhat similar in style and floor coloring. We used a Lowes color (back before we knew that there was a SW nearby us) It's called Cream in my Coffee and looks like it says. So I would say stay with a lighter more neutral color. But you don't *have* to I don't think. Other people here could give you much better guidance than mine though, I'm sure!

You could try Sherwin Williams coloring guide on their website to see what you like or to get an approximate idea anyway. Good luck!
parma42
15 years ago
I would suggest trying to decide on your living room color first. Funny thing about those "neutral" carpet and tile colors, when you go to match them with most golds, they turn out to be anything but neutral. Mine used to turn pink, lol.

The cooler colors seem to work best. Pick out some samples of greens you like for your living room (be sure they look OK against your carpet) and then look for a paint chip that coordinates with both the green and your foyer tile.

Sometimes a cooler gold will also be able to be used. One with more black in the formula.
lindybarts
15 years ago
I agree with Parma. I think I remember trying out some colors for you. Was that your living room or family room? And where is that room in relation to this foyer? I have to dig up the old post, but weren't we looking at some light golds?? I forget?
User
Original Author
15 years ago
lindy - gold and greens were the colors. I only have this LR. There's no other formal room. When you walk in the foyer, the entrance to the right leads to the LR.
lindybarts
15 years ago
Okay, gotcha! I pulled up that old thread. I remember now how the golds made the carpet look. So, did you ever get samples for the LR? I think if you're sure you're going to do green in there, a nice neutral would be great in the foyer but it's hard to pick until you settle on that Living Room.

There were quite a few threads lately with neutral paint colors that had some pretty photos posted.

Paint color for Foyer/Hall/Stairs

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jerseygirl_1

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Paint color for Foyer/Hall/Stairs

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