Neurotic about New Home & Wall Colors?

[chris1gill]

Okay, I'm quite certain that I've turned myself into a neurotic mess I'm only half kidding LOL....

Wasn't bad enough I pretty much designed our new to be built house (waiting on the final plans to come back, yes!!) & then had more inspiration to design the courtyard, but now.... Now, I need serious help LOL.... Wall Colors!!!

We painted our current house 2 years ago... It took me weeks to decide on colors & I actually had to go out & buy various amounts of paints (just to "test" them on my walls)... eventually, I figured out the colors I liked & went with it... I swear it took me a month!

You see where I'm going with this? The new house is larger, and very different looking than the colonial we have now... I'm sort of stuck... I swear I had a thousand color swatches on my floor.... I picked them up & put them away!! I just couldn't figure out what to do.... Here comes the neurotic part LOL.... Do I go with darker colors? lighter colors? I don't know... with our current house I was afraid to go too dark, so some walls I did one or two dark walls, mixed with a more pastel/lighter color on the opposite walls... it did turn out nice... BUT, I think I just need to mix it up a bit more.... Oh, our furniture is of no consequence... it's all getting replaced, the stuff not replaced is just plain oak....

I watch shows like Trading Spaces & they come up with these excellent designs I'm terrified of trying!!!

Someone tell me I won't make myself crazy over this!! I just can't figure how I'm going to pick paints in a house that's not even up yet!! By the time it is up, we'll need to move into it!! Ugh.... Anyone else got any suggestions for websites or reference material that might help me get over this color obsession???

PS. Please don't tell me to paint it white!!

 

[holycow]

Good luck...we've had white walls for 3 years now and my DH is painting them this weekend! (Yes, it took us that long!)

HC

 

[chris1gill]

Originally posted by holycow
Good luck...we've had white walls for 3 years now and my DH is painting them this weekend! (Yes, it took us that long!)

HC

If it makes you feel any better, we lived with our ivory walls for EIGHT long years!!! That's probably why I'm on it now... I never want my walls to look that bad again!!! I'm also more serious in general about my decorating as I age Another hobby, just what I needed LOL....

 

[bsnyder]

I'm afraid I'd be no help in this situation.

I currently have 4 or 5 huge test swatches up in my living room/dining room/hall. I think I've finally picked out the right one, but I could change my mind again tomorrow. I've been at this for about 3 weeks, and the painters are already (today!) starting on the inside of the house. They've assured me they can just start on the trim first while I continue to mull over the final color, LOL!

The sad thing is, I'm only changing the color in that one area. The other rooms I'm repainting the same colors (because I still like them and also because I'm afraid to change them).

On the outside of the house I also stuck with the same color. I really do like it, but I wish I could have been more adventurous.

Good luck and enjoy your new home!

 

[jamsmom]

Pick a WDW Color from Home Depot. Does that help at all?

 

[Obi-Wan Pinobi]

Glidden has a computer program where you can take a picture of your room and then change the colors of your walls so you can see what the room would look like in different colors. It only cost around $6 and has been so worth it for us.

We got ours at the Home Depot

 

[CJMickeyMouse]

Guess I won't be much help here because our newly built home has all off white walls.

And I wouldn't have it any other way!

Mickey looks best with the white background, I think.

Good luck with your decisions, though!!

 

[CourtasanSatine]

wish I could help but this sounds like Trading Spaces

 

[cassie]

I've had my condo for 4 years now with white walls in every room. I am now trying to decide what colors to paint.

My kitchen is first with countertops, sink & faucet. I have already wallpapered and I need a match to that. It is mindbogling to choose a sink, faucet & countertop. I'm lucky my cabinets are fine.

Good luck.

 

[Jeafl]

I know exactly what you are talking about--I agonize over every color decision. I decided to get out of my comfort zone and add some color to my house. I absolutely LOVE everything I've done so far. For years I was stuck in the "Let's keep everything off white because it's better for resale" rut. I have no excuse either because I have a degree in interior design and we don't plan on moving for a very long time!

In any case, my current favorite painting technique that adds a lot of interest, but isn't too bizarre, is to do tone on tone stripes. It is time consuming but very easy. Paint your walls all one color using flat paint. Then use painter's tape to tape off either vertical or horizontal stripes in any width you desire. (I did 6-in. wide), then paint every other stripe with a clear polyurethane. It looks very rich and elegant, yet gives the illusion of a solid color. The polyurethane gives just a subtle sheen, not a harsh shine. If you need more detailed instructions or any other ideas, please PM or email me--I'd be happy to help

 

[disykat]

I seriously considered the tone on tone stripes, but decided they just wouldn't work in the rooms I was painting. My walls are all white or beige. They were all off-white, but since I'm repainting now I'm adding some warmer tones. Although I'm staying safe for resale purposes (maybe soon), I actually prefer neutral tones. Even with only beige tones I had swatches all over the living room wall trying to choose the perfect color.

I have color swatches on the exterior right now too. Choosing paint is hard!

 

[denisem]

Do as I SAY, not as I DO

In the long run, walls can be easily repainted. (This from someone who has "Ostrich Feather" beige everywhere, 'cos this home is decidedly temporary).

I found when DH & I toured our local Homerama, we were both drawn to darker, more dramatic walls. Go with what pleases you, IF you plan on living there for any length of time. You can always repaint "neutral" if you decide to sell.

Or, at the very least, you can modify. My boss had 8 paint swatches in her bedroom and was STILL not pleased with the final result. Gave her my tip of of "toning down" the color via sponging and it worked.

Denise < --- still has nightmares about her terra-cotta walls that turned out ORANGE

 

[Terry Sheehan]

I have mostly white walls because I have sort of a cherry-ish/medium brownish colored woodwork and I like the contrast. I also like the fact that white goes with anything.

I do have a powder blue in my bedroom, which will soon be yellow and turned into a den, and I have lilac in my new bathroom. My new bedroom(courtesy of anout 2 months of home renovations)will be white with a medium gray carpeting and natural cherry furniture.

I have friends who have a more formal style house than mine, and they have beautiful deep cherry cabinets in their kitchen and they painted the walls a soft peach color which looks very pretty. They have a very formal type dining room and they painted it a very deep burgundy color with white trim, which looked awesome, but again, very formal.

 

[TimeforMe]

We recently added a dining room and master bedroom to our home, painted both kids room and new carpeting and are now in the process of gutting our kitchen. Talk about overwhelmed with decisions! We ended up painting our bedroom patriot blue (sort of navy) with Ralph Lauren paint and I put white plantation blinds, white trim, and dark blue scarf valances around the 4 windows. It really looks gorgeous. DD picked out a very nice yellow for her room and DS picked out a sky blue (only a little deeper) for his room. The dining room we painted very dark green with beige trim. I was so hesitant about using the darker colors, but really wanted drama. Our bedroom has 4 windows and the dining room has seven, so there's still plenty of light.

My advice to you is pick a color itself and then just do it. The more you look, the more confused you will get. I absolutely love our dark blue room as it's very comforting and welcoming. Good luck!

 

[laceemouse]

Biege/white walls are BORING!!!!!http://disboards.com/newreply.php?s=&action=newreply&threadid=370445#
Don't be a wus! Pick a pretty color and go for it!!! I know you can do it!!!

 

[chris1gill]

Thanks everyone, at least I'm not the only one that needs a dozen swatches of paint up on my wall before I can decide what color I like!!! Looks like several of us are in the same boat....

TimeforMe, do you happen to have pictures of your bedroom with the dark blue paint? That's one color I've been mulling over.... Our bedroom is HUGE with patio doors & several windows, so I could go dark I think... entirely dark though with white trip though?

That Glidden preview tool sounds really nice, except we don't have pictures of the rooms!! Otherwise, that would be a great idea....

Well, I'll take comfort in knowing I'm not the only one that obsesses about their colors!!! Oh, Jeafl, you have a degree in interior design? I need to borrow you for about a month!!! Either that, or contact the Trading Spaces people, I just love what they do!

 

[FleurdeLise]

Does your city have a "Parade of Homes" where many builders are showcasing new neighborhoods or homes? Go visit as many new homes as possible-often they are decorated.


Paint stores often have brochures grouping colors together....I used a Sherwin Wiliams grouping when painting my home .

Consider a decorator,just for the colors .

There are many decorator mags now that center JUST on walls-painting & wallpaper. Lowe's and Home Depot carry a lot of them.

 

[bsnyder]

I also have a dark blue room - my family room/breakfast room/kitchen. It's one of the rooms that I'm repainting the same color, because I really do like it. The color is called "Ink Spot" and it's sort of a dark slate/navy blue. This part of the house has lots of windows, and two sets of french doors with transoms, so there is plenty of light. All the trim, as well as the kitchen cabinets and counter tops, are white. I love blue and white, and in the 9 years since we built this house, I haven't gotten tired of the look!

I say go for the darker colors....I bet you'll like them!

 

[Jenzebelle]

I love dark colors, but I have a tiny cape with small rooms and I can't have them Except for my bedroom.
We bought the house in Sept, and still have the paint the previous owners used. I can't decide what to do yet - I hate not having a variety other than pastels and neutrals

 

[chris1gill]

Bsnyder, do you happen to have an online picture of your dark blue room? I'd love to see a few pictures of what a darker room would look like in a real house!!!

Jenzebelle, even though your house is small, can't you do one wall or maybe two in a darker color & the rest in a matching lighter color? We did this in our living room.... We did a dark red and a light gray, it looks really great... I've just been so afraid of doing an entire room in a darker color... I don't know what to do...

Oh, our town doesn't have any sort of home walk through, but that's a great idea for towns that do!!

Thanks for all the support guys!!! I'll pick these colors, I really will!!