skip to main content

Paint Home Decorating Design Dilemma

Paint all or some?

last year

last modified: last year

Paint question

I am just starting to decorate and not sure where to start. walls are currently a mix of brown, mustard yellow and beige.

the lightest and best of which is ”Vespar Accessible Beige” according to the left over paint tin. i cant tell if paired with some whites it will be a good accent color or if it just is better right now than the others.

my taste is light and bright- lots of white and an airy feel. at the moment this house is dull and gloomy :( the light isnt great but these paint colors definitely dont help!

so my qurstion is a) thoughts on accessible beige? is this a good color for a light bright aesthetic? b) if yes what colors would you match with it (would want Accessible Beige to be the darkest color used), if no (because you dont think AB is a good color) what colors do you recommend instead?

conscious of cost so not sure if i shoukd just paint everything white but also scared that that could look cold and boring? Help :) have no clue

PS floors are dark wood. also need to paint ceilings and trim so suggestions for best bright whites also needed

Featured Answer

Jennifer Hogan

last year

I never start with what neutral to use. I think it is important to love the colors in your home, so you have to start with the colors that you love.

Once I know what colors someone loves I pick a neutral that works with the colors.

I'm with Patricia for not liking beige. If you look in my closet there isn't any beige. There is a section of bright summer colors - lime green and yellow and peach and aqua . . . then there is the rest of the clothing, mainly blue greens, green blues, purples and wine reds.

The neutrals are mostly white and taupe with a splattering of gray and black. Who wears teal or purple with tan?

My two sisters both wear a lot more tans than I do. Susie loves fall colors and the more subdued greens that look beautiful with beige and tan. Betty wears a lot of navy and soft blues that again, look good with beige and tan.

Since I like purples and teal and reds, not only do I own a lot of clothing with these colors, but the art and décor items I purchase tend to also have a lot of purples and teals.

I'm not going to pair the things I own with Accessible beige.

What colors make your heart sing. What are you drawn to when you go shopping?

Once you know the colors that will accent your home you can pick neutrals that will be the perfect backdrop for the colors you love.

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (9)

HU-642932523
Original Author
last year

these are the walls. I had to turn the light on for the first one which is the Accessible Beige - it looks dark but it is the lightest color of all four used
HU-642932523
Original Author
last year

This is the paint
Related Discussions
some pupils on some PCs All using the same settings
Q
Comments (1)
EIEIO
...See More
Calling All Color Gurus - Need some Paint Color Advice
Q
Comments (14)
Hi Chefwong, I want to reiterate a previous posters comments about white paint in dark space; white won't make your room look brighter lighter. White needs alot of light to come alive. If you look at white rooms in magazines you'll notice they have a tone of daylight and they light the room professionaly. In dark rooms it's really better to go mid tone colors. What colors do you respond to? Blue, green, yellow? You might get a paint deck from Sherwin Williams or Benjamin Moore and browse the deck and see what you respond to. Also, the site below might be useful to help visualize colors in room. But note too that most of these rooms have alot of light when they are photographed. Here is a link that might be useful: Favorite paint colors blog
...See More
painted ceilings? all, none or some??
Q
Comments (4)
Many yrs ago I started w/ just painting the ceiling in my central entry hall a sky blue. It leads to the back of the house & kitchen and is now painted black w/ the plan of also painting my kitchen ceiling black (that hasn't happened yet). From there I eventually painted my DR ceiling SW Universal Khaki and have spent app. 1 1/2yrs deciding on a ceiling color for my LR. I think that in our homes layout white ceilings in all of the other downstairs rooms would look fine w/ the hall ceiling painted black because our layout is so symmetrical. I do not think that it would look good if they all had different colors. Ultimately I think I'm going w/ a pale grey for the LR and facing office.
...See More
OK, need some advice from all the paint/glazing guru's out here!
Q
Comments (9)
Sorry to say this, but there is a difference in looking timeworn, rustic and beat up, and well, a slap dash quality paint job. You needed to prime the cabinet before doing a top coat. Then sand that. Maybe even a second coat of primer. Then a top coat with Floetrol in it to help it settle out better. Then a second top coat. All using a better quality brush. Don't go back over an area after you've painted it once if it's starting to dry a bit. That's when you get those brush marks that drag up a little orange peel with them. Sand this coat of paint smooth and assess how well it's sticking to the wood base. Without primer, it may not have very good adhesion. If it's coming off fairly easily in "chunks" when you sand, then you'll need to strip the whole thing and start over. If it lets you sand it to a fairly smooth level without having any peel off, then you can do a second coat of paint. If you prefer the whole thing to be a different shade of blue, then it'll be easier to just get a different paint that is more the shade you want it to be. The Floetrol will help it to go on smoothly. Wait for that layer to cure, and then you can glaze, if that's a look you like with a grey/blue glaze. At this point, if you want the aged and distressed look, you can then carefully sand through some of the layers on wear points and/or knock it about a bit with a small chain. Then you can clear coat the whole thing with polycrylic to protect it.
...See More
jlouise54
last year
I wasn't sure what I was looking at in your pictures, but I have used Sherwin Williams Accessible Beige twice. Since Valspar is a subsidiary of SW, do you know if the Accessible Beige you are talking about is the same as SW? I really like the SW accessible beige. My aunt used it in her whole condo, It has some grey undertones, so it works with greys or browns. She has painted white woodwork, and the AB is a pretty light color, yet dark enough that the white woodwork really pops. Based on my aunt's experience with it, I used it to paint our entire Arizona condo. Most of the rooms are have decor that are warm, desert type colors, but one bedroom has gray bedding. The AB walls works well in all the rooms.
HU-642932523 thanked jlouise54
HU-642932523
Original Author
last year
The code on the tin says SW2487 so is that Sherwin Williams? thats good to know that it works nicely to make a white pop. thats what i was thinking is if i paint all the brown and yellow a nice white then maybe this Accessible beige would be a nice contrast but still be bright.

i just wasn’t sure though as some colors look dull/dirty no matter what color you put next to them (in my totally non expert option :) ) so i figured it was worth asking just in case it was best to start from scratch and do all new colors
HU-642932523
Original Author
last year
also the first picture with the windows is accessible beige. i have the lights on in that pic. to me it looks dull and dirty. not fresh and bright
kandrewspa
last year
The SW number for their Accessible Beige is 7036. That doesn't mean Valspar's Accessible Beige isn't the same color. Since the other colors are darker, I suggest you start by painting those rooms first with something lighter. When you're finished, either the AB will have started to look better to you, or the new lighter color will look so good you'll want to paint the AB room. AB is a popular color, but maybe it's just not the right color for you, or not the right color in that room.

If you like SW, look at their top 50 colors. There are many good choices there. For lighter, warmer whites, look at Aesthetic White (supposed to work with AB), Greek Villa, Shoji White and Alabaster. Sample and look at the samples against your furniture, the floors and the existing trim color if you don't want to paint all the trim.
PRO
Patricia Colwell Consulting
last year
IMO first go prime all the walls so they are all white then start thinking of a color. I hate beige so that woudl not be my go to but I have no clue as to your furniture or style and for sure I would not be guessing what is actully in the jars , Start fresh with colors you like and I always suggest making sure all the lighting is the same I like LEd 4000K but you might like LEDs 3500K I would never go lower than that.
HU-642932523
Original Author
last year
Thanks everyone. This is great advice. when i look at rooms on instagram or pinterest they are always white or cream (maybe some greys, taupes,beige accent walls) with the wooden furniture providing warmth. it seems so simple but you can tell so much work went into making it look just right. i think starting hy paining the dark wallad and they seeinn whrrre i land wi to accessible beige is a great strategy to figure it o it

Related Stories

COLORS OF THE YEAR They’re All Here: Paint Colors of the Year for 2017

By Jennifer Ott Design

There’s a bit of a consensus, plus a couple of interesting outliers, among paint companies' top color picks

BOLD COLOR Instant Fix: Refresh Your Furniture With Some Punchy Paint

By Natalie Myers

Give old furniture new life with a bold color, pattern or idyllic scene

PAINTING What to Know About Milk Paint and Chalk Paint — and How to Use Them

By Karen Egly-Thompson

Learn the pros, cons, cost and more for these two easy-to-use paints that are great for giving furniture a vintage look

MODERN HOMES My Houzz: All Right With All-White in a Modern New Jersey Home

By Rikki Snyder

A bold monochrome palette with black accents, modern art and treehouse-like views of NYC are stars in this couple’s dramatic home

UNIVERSAL DESIGN Design for All: Smart Interiors for All Members of the Home

By Kerrie Kelly Design Lab

COLOR Paint Your Bookcases to Transform Your Room

By Laura Gaskill

Give your shelves some color for a whole new look. Here are 10 examples, from subtle to bold, and some styling tips to try

PAINTING Bulletproof Decorating: How to Pick the Right Kind of Paint

Choose a paint with some heft and a little sheen for walls and ceilings with long-lasting good looks. Here are some getting-started tips

DECORATING GUIDES Flights of Fancy: Painted Stair Runners

Instead of carpeting, lay down some paint and give your steps a lift

CEILINGS Great Ideas for Painted Ceilings

By Kelly Porter

Look up: Your ceiling may be crying out for some color

DECORATING GUIDES Give Your House Some Natural Curiosities

By Becky Harris

Botanical prints and paintings bring the wonder of nature to your walls

Sponsored

Foremost Siding & Exterior Design Solutions in Columbus

More Discussions

Please help us pick the color(s) for our house

4

Open floor plan painting?

13

What is a Benjamin Moore color that is close to Dove White but not as?

5

How can I freshen the finish without sanding/painting? Stain or wax?

2

Dining Room Paint Color

0