Show us the space!

Yes, post pics!

We had a deep blue open concept living room, which I loved. Decided to paint white recently; it doesn't make room look larger, just more airy.

It‘s only the cost of a can of paint and just buy a quart and you’ll know after one wall. You could also try using the color visualizer below.

https://www.sherwin-williams.com/homeowners/color/color-tools/color-snap-studio-for-ipad?pp=1

South facing- If you have correct overhang sizing that means you'll have abundant across the room sunlight right now and through the winter months. Light but no sunlight in summer. But all year your south wall will be naturally dark when compared to the other walls. This gives you different options for different walls.

Frankly, I'm embarrassed to post pics because they're a disaster IMO. Well, the kitchen/eating area anyway -- still have big holes in the walls from the electrical work (drywaller coming this week - yay!) and that butt-ugly stairwell. But here's some pics that aren't too embarassing:

Before new kitchen counter, looking into the great room. Recessed lighting going in (so long boob light!), and blue tile will eventually be replaced with matching hardwood.

View from kitchen into great room. Only this wall is dark, others are a yellow-y cream (don't mind the lightness but don't like the yellow tinge). This wall will be repainted a color that better ties in with the fireplace, but wondering if I should do the whole room dark. Wall-to-wall windows three sides of the room, tons of light.

So I'm looking to paint the entire eating area (south-facing) and great room, and decide on light vs dark backsplash. I was set on light backsplash but then pulled out dark green tile samples again and now have flip-flopped. Any thoughts on light vs dark backsplash while we're at it?

Here's the work in progress kitchen with the new Costa Esmeralda countertops (new recessed and under-cabinet lighting going in in about a month, and drywall repair this week - finally!; this mess is before the giant holes in the wall for electrical repair LOL!)

Can't see the area well in this pic, but eating area behind stairwell:

This stairwell issue is a whole 'nother project, but in the meantime paint and new wood ledges will go a long, long way...

(BTW: this is the paint from when I moved in -- I haven't had anything painted except the bathrooms. That baby blue wall has to GO!)

First, my general decision-making advice: I have rarely picked a paint color without one "re-do," in other words, buying and applying at least one gallon of the wrong paint. Sometimes the 1-pint samples were enough to figure out what I wanted, but not always. I use Ben Moore "Ben," so a wrong gallon is just $40. For my next paint decision I plan to:

• spend very little time looking at paint colors online
• proceed very soon to get 3-6 sample pints
• from there get 1 and only 1 gallon of my chosen color and start painting before I buy more.

I have also learned to cut edges and do all my painting myself. I think it's a great move if you are even little bit handy.

For my dark-room specific advice: I LOVE DARK COLORS! Like you, I'm always drawn to them online and sometimes hesitate to pull the trigger. In my experience the relevant considerations are:

• size of room (you can go darker in a smaller room)
• glazing ratio of room (you can go darker in a room with higher glazing ratio)
• amount of light from the windows (you can go darker in a room with lots of natural light)

So, even if the room doesn't get great light, if it has a high glazing ratio and lots of doors, you can go darker since there's simply less wall and it can be a nice accent.

Here are the dark rooms I have painted so far:

• two small south-facing bedrooms with high glazing ratios in Ben Moore Black Satin. Verdict: gorgeous!!
• 1 large sitting room with a low glazing ratio and zero southern exposure in Juniper Green. Verdict: a little too dark, but still very nice. People looked great on camera there. (Also this room was previously mustard, so it was a MASSIVE improvement).
• 1 small living room with a high glazing ratio and minimal southern exposure in Medici Malachite. Verdict: I love it. It could maybe be a shade lighter? But then it would be too minty.
• All the hallways and stairways in a 3-story walkup in Magenta. Verdict: beautiful. Very dark but pleasing. Magenta requires 1 million coats of paint.

Good luck in your color selection! It can be an emotional process since color evokes strong emotion--that's one of the things that makes it great.

It is PAINT. .....................................roll it and decide.

Just remember one thing: It is not deep /rich colors that make a room dark. It is the absence of electricity, and forgetting "decoration" . The what- comes- before- after- the paint . : ) the elements are inseparable. Hardly drab...............

EXACT SAME SPACE BELOW/BEFORE/AFTER...............

@mxk3 z5b_MI

You were brave to post your beautiful home now be brave again and paint your favorite color. Try it out. You have good instincts. You can do it.

@Bean Haricot nailed it. color evokes strong emotion

Pick some colors and get large peel and stick watches at samplize.com to try on and move around in different light, different rooms, different weather.

Buy some of the darker color paint in the color you are thinking of using, and put two coats on one wall. You will know then, if you absolutely love it or hate it. Pick what you like, not what is the current trend, and you will always be happy with what you pick.

Yes, that is definitely the way to test it out -- slap it on a wall. Dark paint is infinitely easier to pick compared to light/off whites, in my experience -- the color is pretty much the color, usually no wonky color shifts or light situation affecting to any great degree. My first step is narrowing it down to light vs dark, that's where I'm struggling. What I didn't mention is this is a hire it out job, so labor is going to cost $$ -- there is no get it wrong and re-do it next month; next decade maybe...

If I went the light direction, it would something along these lines, re-doing the woodwork to a darker stain and pulling in some dark blue-green decorating accents (love BM Silver Pine, for reference of what I'm envisioning):

I did get a Samplize of SW Medici Ivory, and it looks good in my space, not pulling yellow (at least not in the places I've tried it out already). I've got some leftover Silver Pine from when DH painted the vanity, I can throw that up on the walls just to give me an idea even if it's not quite the right color for the walls.

Sigh...

U can have it dark under cabinets and cupboards and stove

Is this house going against your style? It looks country/rustic, and your mention of eggplant does not make me think of either of those.

^^ That is a different house with the eggplant. Completely different house than here and not what I wanted, but it's what I had at the time, so...

Think mountain cabin or ski lodge for my preferred style. I can make that work with this house; actually, it's what the house calls for.

I love that particular off white with the dark trim and wood in the above pic I posted, but this is better pic to capture the vibe I'd be going for using lighter walls:

Jan gorgeous pics as usual

from a little photo, I like the green, not too light, or dark, or yellowish. white ceilings seem too cold though.