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Home Decorating Design Dilemma Paint

Navy blue paint throughout interior house...How much is too much?

4 years ago

Fell in love with SW's Salty Dog paint color which is a gorgeous navy blue color. I am currently repainting my entire interior and have already done my kitchen and dining room in the Salty Dog color. I have also bought SW's paint in Pure White and Gray Screen. Where and how should I use those colors in the other rooms? I have a chair rail and crown molding throughout most of the rest of the house that will be a bright white trim color. Should I use two colors for the upper and lower walls? White on bottom, Gray on top? Or vice versa?

Also, I was planning on painting the back family room in the navy color (as seen in pic included, it's currently maroon). The issue is that the ceiling in that room currently has dark wood panels and cross beams with skylights. Would the dark ceiling get lost amidst the dark walls? Should I keep the beams dark brown or change the color to make them pop?

Any and all suggestions are appreciated. Thanks so much!!

Also, please forgive the mess in the pics I've included. Obviously I'm in the midst of a redecorating tornado, lol. I'm also in the process of installing picture frame molding on either side of the fireplace- the left side is already done, but the right side has a gnarly vent that's causing me some problems with measuring for the molding.

Any ideas or Thoughts on updating my current furnishings and style (or lack thereof) to go with the new color scheme would be awesome as well!!

Featured Answer

apple_pie_order

4 years ago

If you already started painting the wainscoting white in one room, continue doing that throughout the house. Use your navy sparingly where you want emphasis and contrast impact. A mostly navy house can look overdone easily, just like a mostly red house back in the 1990's and a mostly avocado house in the 1970's.

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Comments (13)

littlebug zone 5 Missouri
4 years ago
I agree with apple pie. You have enough already.
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I’ll be the naysayer! I think TWO colors are generally one two many, and everyone putting in these two tones kitchens is going to dreadfully regret them in 3 ish years. They’re overdone, and rarely done well. The best ones on houzz are lovely, but the lay person photos typically look like two (or three!) separate kitchens mashed together. If you aren’t hiring a true interior designer plus architect plus kitchen designer, and spending at least $100k, then I wouldn’t do this!! And honestly, I’m typically someone who doesn’t think you need any of those experts to design a kitchen..... Perhaps more importantly, this is a trend that will date your kitchen and be exceptionally expensive to change. Much more than if you have a single color or wood tone, or door style. In five to ten years, you can easily change your lights, hardware, and as time goes by your backsplash, appliances, and even your countertops. But as people on this site advise all the time, if you plan to repaint cabinets, it’s almost as expensive as new cabinets - so most don’t bother unless they’re doing a full Reno. So if you tire of these cabinets in five years — as I predict most people will - you are stuck with them! Sorry, rant over!!!!
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latifolia
4 years ago
Agree, navy is not the new neutral: use it sparingly. It looks really nice in your dining room. I would paint your corner cupboards white to match your trim.

The current trend is probably to paint the chair rail, upper and lower walls the same color. Of course it’s your house. I would paint the entry white and decorate with art.
njmomma
4 years ago
Not a Pro.

Love the Blue on the walls in the dining room. Use that color on accent pieces in the other rooms. In pillows, vases, lamps. Trickle it throughout the other rooms. The house will look great!
njmomma
4 years ago
Some inspiration:

Nevis Trail - Charleston, SC · More Info

Woodcraft Furniture · More Info
njmomma
4 years ago

Navy and White Living Space · More Info
Johnny Moore
Original Author
4 years ago
Thanks everyone For the suggestions. Are there any suggestions for the back room color that is currently maroon and has dark beams?
PRO
Fairway Style Living
4 years ago
Hi, Johnny--

For your currently maroon room, I'd split it up in a few ways:

Base, window and door trim to new white in updated palette (semigloss)

Walls to your new grey in updated palette

Keep overhead beams in current tone, but paint out the v-groove between beams in your new white (flat)

Should add light to the space, highlight the roof architecture, and set off your updated flooring in there.

One thing I noticed from your fireplace photo is that your wainscot paneling dies into one side of the fireplace and doesn't run that whole wall. That seems an odd place to end the run, so I'd consider having it run at least into the next corner or wrap that room, as well.

Let us know how it all turns out - and keep on!
Geneviève
4 years ago
Well I have a suggestion if you like you could use this colour to break things up a bit , navy is a beautiful colour but it needs to be used with the right colour of floor and furniture and then it will take on another perspective , but for now take a look at this ...
Client Home - Gull Lake, MI · More Info
lynartist
4 years ago
The dining room looks nice and you did a good job painting. My only suggestion would be when using a dark color on not so perfect walls would be to use a matt or flat sheen paint. This will hide those not so perfect walls and deaden that glare some. Don’t go to overboard with the navy unless you plan on tempering it with lots of white!
lynartist
4 years ago
As Fairway style suggests you should continue the wainscoting under the window. It looks like the corner cabinets are built in. I would remove them as they are dated looking but if not possible then paint them white. A ceiling fan over the dining table:(!!! You need a proper light fixture; preferably one that doesn’t blow dust on your food.
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Nandina Home & Design
4 years ago
Navy done in the dining room looks great. However you can use blues around the house, we just don't recommend painting the rest of the house navy as well. Perhaps sharing some of our recent designs will aid you with this dilemma?
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Oak & Broad
4 years ago
Johnny Moore , I love your wood floors! Are they Hickory?

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