Design Question
Please, I need your professional advice. I have been living in my house for over 8 years and never had the opportunity to paint it. My husband and I went to the store to choose a paint color. We bought “Sand Motif” (Behr) for our living room but when we painted the walls, it was very dark. We chose white for the “trim”.
We did not expect the color to be that dark but we could not change it. We went back to the store and bought the “Russian White” for our family room and chose the “Antique White RM” (CIL) for our kitchen. We have not chosen our stairwell color yet.
I do not like the “Sand Motif” due to the color. Could you please help me to choose a good color for our furniture; a color that will brighten the family room? Thanks
Design Answer
I’m sorry to hear that the color ended up to be not to your liking. I’m assuming that the white that you have chosen as the color for the trim isn’t brightening up the room enough for you. Other than repainting the entire area, there are some things you can try.
Since you have not yet chosen the paint for the stairwell, why not select a lighter shade that will complement the sand motif color? Then paint two of the living room walls the color that you will be using for the stairwell. The other two sand motif walls will be your accent color.
Do you have enough of the Russian White or the white paint you used for the trim in the living room leftover? If yes, and either one of the whites matches the sand motif, then you might consider repainting two of the walls in the lighter shade and leaving the darker one as an accent color.
As for living room furniture, especially the sofa or the coffee table, again choose a color that is complementary to the sand motif. A complementary color is the color that is directly opposite on the color wheel. For example the complementary color for red is green. Since the living room wall color has green tones, you will want to look for living room furniture that has a light cherry or oak finish. Pine furniture with hints of rose would also be a good choice. The same applies to any window treatments, an area rug or accent pillows you add to the room; select fabric and accessories that complement the sand motif. You can also make the furniture “lighter” by choosing less solid pieces such tables with glass tops or bookcases with open shelves.
Hope this is helpful in giving you a workable solution. Thanks for writing in. Come back next Monday when we tackle another interior design question. Keep sending me those emails and don’t forget to include pictures if you can.
