More north facing bedrooms -- need paint suggestions

10 years ago

Next up on the list is painting our first floor master and the guest room above it. Both rooms have a medium-size casement window on the north wall but the rooms are set back from the rest of the house so an exterior wall blocks light coming from the east. The master also has a high awning window on the west wall (starts at shoulder height) above the bed so it's a little lighter than the guest room. Medium-stained wood trim that stays as is. Main living area, which also faces north but has lots of windows, and hallways are SW Ecru, which we like in those spaces. Could probably run the Ecru into the guest room but want something different for the master.

I know I need colors with some saturation but nothing so far is calling my name. Have sampled SW Samovar Silver, Comfort Gray, Modern Gray, Universal Khaki, Relaxed Khaki, Modern Tan, Favorite Tan, Netsuke, Sleepy Blue, and Languid Blue (haven't ruled this one out completely). Also Rainwashed, and a couple similar "spa" colors for the guest room only.

Master bedroom is now SW Popular Gray. Chosen by a former decorator, reads as seriously dingy. Bedding, which I plan to keep for now, has cream, gray, taupe, peach, and a medium blue; carpet is taupe; no window treatment. Bed is black iron. Was thinking of neutral walls (maybe with a blue ceiling) or blue walls but not limited to those choices. My husband says no green.

Guest room used to be the bedroom for my twin boys. Current color is SW Lively Yellow, which reads as a bright, apple green -- great for a kid's room, not so great for a guest room. Furniture is my grandmother's Depression era walnut. I have some vintage patchwork quilts I'll be using in this room so I need a color that will play nice with them.The former guest room was SW Hazel (another decorator pick, OK but nothing special).

What do you suggest?

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Comments (5)

User
10 years ago
Any pics?

How do you want to FEEL in your MBR and your guests to FEEL in the guest room? Warm and cozy? Cool and spa-y? Warm colors will do better in a room with little natural light.

Are you set on SW?

My bedroom is Languid Blue. I love it at night because of its depth and how it looks with the artificial light, but not thrilled with it during the day.

I'd go with SW Meditative or BM Van Courtland Blue over the Languid Blue

Rainwashed has a lot of green in it.

Grays are going to be very tough in a north facing room.
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frogtalk358
Original Author
10 years ago
I have untinted SW paint in my basement from the last 40% off sale because I hadn't chosen colors yet but I'm willing to consider having it tinted to a competitor's color(s).

How I want the rooms to feel is a hard question. I guess I'm too analytical. Comfortable and livable -- somewhere between jarring/pay-attention-to-me and boring/bland? Guest room is rarely used, just the occasional overnight by a traveling family member. It might get more use in a few years if my kids bring friends home from college but I doubt they'll care as long as you feed them. :)

Tibbrix, I'll definitely check out the other blues you suggested. I'm glad you responded because I remembered seeing that you weren't entirely happy with SW Languid Blue. Will take some photos after I get things better organized.
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tribbix, I did start a thread actually but after having tried some of the suggestions, the colors just haven't worked out for me. I think I was trying to go for the "coastal" look and I really need to stop forcing the room in that direction. I've bought a ton of paint samples and I'm just not happy with any of them. The blues are too blue, the grays are timid (but at the same time I'm afraid of going darker) and I just do not like any of the yellows and oranges or reds. I've gone through all the colors on the spectrum and nothing is 'clicking.' My current wall is yellow so I've been using posterboards and leaving a white trim to get a better read of the colors. I loved the idea of Wickham Gray and Gray Owl, but they read as very pale on my postercards. I wonder if it's because I'm just not very good at mentally imagining what the entire apartment will look like painted? Or do postercards whitewash colors and make them lighter than they actually would be when painted on the wall? I need to paint the walls before I move in and the painter is coming Saturday! I work so can't spend all day trying out paint colors and seeing it at different times of the day. I am now stressed to the point where I'm thinking of just throwing a dart, picking a color and hoping for the best. artikllery9, I loved your picture posted up above. Is that of a north facing room? That is the kind of color scheme that I want - gray walls, brown wood floors (carpet in the livingroom, wood in the dining area) and white sofa and couch with dark brown coffee tables. The room looks stunning! I tried Gray Owl but it read as very pale on my walls. Maybe I need a heavier coat of paint? Or maybe it will look different once the entire room is painted in that color? My room does actually get quite a bit of light and has one wall of mirrors on the far side of the room. Massagerocks: did Clay Beige work for you in a north facing room? I really wanted to like Horizon and Abalone but Horizon didn't show up as a color for me and Abalone was pure lavendar - has anyone else had this experience? Thanks in advance for all your help!
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Haven't read through the thread but will share this: I do like the black and white vibe you have going but wouldn't add much, if any, more black. Would definitely want to keep the walls really light in a north facing room so you can keep the furnishings you choose --even dark ones -- and yet not end up with a cave vibe. Would not use wall paper. Strategically placing a mirror can reflect outdoor light from the windows. Might invest in a stand for it ( or create one DIY) and try it in different places. .https://www.overstock.com/Home-Garden/Mirrors/2009/subcat.html?featuredproduct=23050300&featuredoption=38528315&kid=9553000357392&ci_src=17588969&ci_sku=28607771-000-000&cnc=US&cid=302184&type=&targetid=pla-295822288689&track=pspla&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIur-8p7mw7QIVw9SzCh10yw8cEAkYBiABEgLeJfD_BwE
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User
10 years ago
I do love the Languid Blue at night with the bedside lamps on. It has a bit too much of a radiance during the day for me.

I'd also look at SW Rain. Languid Blue toned down a bit with a bit more gray and softer. And one further down on the Rain strip, Interesting Aqua for a bit more depth.

Rain:
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frogtalk358
Original Author
10 years ago
Why is picking paint colors such a struggle? I'm focusing on the guest room first because finishing that room will allow the boys to settle into their new rooms. The more saturated colors with LRVs in the 40-60 range, such as the blues mentioned above, SW Festoon Aqua, and SW Hearts of Palm, are way too dark unless all the lights are on. The color I like best so far is SW Open Air, the light slightly aqua blue I just used on the office ceiling. I tried it on a whim just because the LRV is similar to the SW Lively Yellow the room is painted now. Anything else (LRV close to 70 and in the sweet spot between cartoonish and too grayed out to tell what color it is in a dim north-facing room) I should test before I roll a wall?
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mybeachhousenc
8 years ago
Also dealing with a North facing bedroom. I was set on SW Moody Blue but the LRV is 27. The room is a dark green rght now (Cypress) and goes black in some corners with just bedside table lamps. Did you decide on a color?
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More north facing bedrooms -- need paint suggestions

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More north facing bedrooms -- need paint suggestions

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