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HELP Paint color scheme - Burnt Orange and blue accents

2 years ago

I am moving into fiance's house and we are trying to agree on paint colors. We like the same colors but he likes much more bright/bold colors on the walls. I also prefer more muted colors and adding via pillows, carpet, curtains, art, etc. We have agreed to accent walls. I have had many experiences where paint chip has not translated to what I expected on wall. Lesson there is to get sample. Got it. But I don't want to buy so many samples and not sure what colors to start with. Also how do I gauge samples with walls such strong colors already?

Here are pictures of the rooms and his current paint selections which he romantically refers to as the "sea" and the "sand." To me the teal is pretty but too beachy and pastel for my taste. The peach/tan color (Behr City Sunrise) is too much for all over. He also thinks the kitchen is gray and I think it is blue. I put Behr's Almond Biscuit in my house and I find it a bit too bright he thinks it is too white. I have a blue sofa and orange throw pillows.

We would like burnt orange and blue combo as the general color scheme. The TV room has windows on west, south and east and only lamps (for now?). We are replacing the sofa with the putty color sofa. The kitchen area is only west facing and we just installed recessed lights

He is thinking of an orange like Behr's Rumba Orange on the fireplace/TV wall and Valspar's Thundering Clouds on the wall with the mirrors (will be removed). The rest will be some kind of neutral/off white. I am not a huge fan of gray or cool colors.

So just looking for some possible colors names which may be a good option to help us navigate how much color goes on the wall. I am interested in finding a compromise scheme we both will like. We both wish to make sure the other is happy so only looking for positive suggestions to navigate our differences in style. I know we can find something that we both will like.

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Comments (8)

HU-187528210
2 years ago
I agree keeping the paint neutral would be best. I’d have a simple creamy color for the whole house. And then accent what you want.
Less is more.
I noticed your kitchen cabinets, love them btw!
I think black works very well with that style!!
Good luck!!
sotodog
Original Author
2 years ago
Thanks but as I said neutral on all walls is not an option.
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cat_ky
2 years ago
I love the teal (actually more aqua, than teal). I dont like the golden color. I see no orange in that paint.
Carolae
2 years ago
I wonder how good your fiancé’s color acuity is. The kitchen walls do appear blue, not gray, as cool grays usually do.

Painting two walls in the same room two different bold colors like Behr Rumba Orange and Valspar Thundering Clouds, with a neutral third color on the other walls, is not a good look at all. If this is what he likes, finding a compromise will be difficult. Can you convince him to do only one accent wall and pile on the color with rugs, pillows, upholstery, and artwork? I think Thundering Clouds would be OK as an accent wall, perhaps behind your blue sofa (I like layering blues- they don’t have to match). Also, perhaps you could convince him to go bold in your bedroom instead, with a dark, moody blue on all the walls (and maybe even the trim, doors, and ceiling!) and contrasting, colorful bedding. That way, you won’t have to live with such boldness in the main living space.

You might need a third party in person, a color consultant or a friend whose taste you admire, to convince him to tone it down.
sotodog
Original Author
2 years ago
Carolae - to clarify each room would be 3 neutral and 1 bold color. My blue sofa is not going (looks nice but honestly not that comfortable and his back needs a recliner) so the putty leather sofa in pictures will be sofa. In the end, paint is easy enough to change if we don't like it but I really would rather not and we might never actually fully agree on a color. He wants accent on FP wall so he can see it at all times. The idea of color is very important to him and honestly he bends over backwards for me so I want to find a way to give him what he wants. So again any ideas for how to pick the 'right' colors for both of us or suggestions for actual colors by name including a good neutral.
cawaps
2 years ago
last modified: 2 years ago
It seems like you can negotiate on how bright or muted the color is, how light or dark it is, and how much wall area gets the color.

How do you feel about dark colors? I think sometimes it's easier to go for a dark bold color than a mid-tone or light color. You can generally go more muted with the color and still have it look like COLOR. With orange, though, if you go too muted it reads as brown, which probably wouldn't fly with your fiance.

I didn't find much in Behr's lineup for darker oranges, but Valspar has some promising ones.

Valspar Jasper Stone

Valspar Fiesta

Valspar Orange Glaze

Valspar Autumn Russet

For comparison, your fiance's choice of Behr Rumba Orange
cawaps
2 years ago
I'm not sure where to go with blue recommendations as you say you're not a fan of cool colors or gray. These are mostly darker and/or less saturated than Thundering Clouds. All Valspar.
cawaps
2 years ago
I think doing some computer imaging would be super helpful for you if that's something you have the tech skills and interest to take on. Some of the paint manufacturers have apps that let you "paint" an image of your own room to try out colors (not a substitute for testing colors in your own space since the app can only guess about light conditions, but it can help point you in the right direction). Some rug vendors (RugsUsa and eSale rugs, among others) let you visualize a rug in your space (they do a great job of sussing out what is furniture and what is floor and getting the perspective right). And I get a lot of mileage out of Microsoft Word in terms of creating collages of images, like layering the putty sofa over the top of the existing sofa, or layering in curtains or artwork. It's helpful to figure out how to remove backgrounds from images, make an image float over text so you can stack them, and how to reorder images so the curtains are on top of the wall and not under it.

I did this with Benjamin Moore's personal color viewer. Colors are BM Tandoori and Elmira White.

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