Painting questions

[mac78]

I am new here and I have a lot of questions.

I have a 1968 brick ranch. Not too exciting.

When painting...is it better to keep adjacent rooms the same color, or are different colors ok. What about a kitchen and a dining room. Same or different? Unfortunately the flooring is different in each room. Wood laminate in kitchen, carpet in dining room.

My problem is....I am trying to make my family room coastal cottage. So far I have an oval blue/cream braided rug down...5 x 8, some various shells set around, a couple wall plaques that are coastal. It is a work in progress. How do I make the rooms flow from one to another. Do I treat kitchen/dining room as 1 area, and family room as a different area, even though there is a 6' doorway from dining room to family room?

I so need help with this. Being a dc provider and being home all day, I knock myself silly trying to decide what to do.
Thanks ladies.

Another question.....what is the rule for mixing pieces of furniture that are painted with natural wood pieces. Since I am going for coastal cottage in family room, traditional/cottage in rest of house, we have a lot of antiques...that I can't paint, but some pieces that I could paint white. Is it ok to mix?

[annielinz]

Hey Mac, I think mixing your antiques and painted furniture will work fine, it makes a room more interesting.Would love to see pics.
Regarding painting, I prefer for rooms to flow so I have painted mine different shades of tan and beige. The color is very forgiving and goes well with my decor, it makes a nice neutral background I can build off of. I also have a small home and the rooms are all in very close proximity to each other.
Look around your house do you have a color scheme going on?
For me I have red, green, black and some gold. I try to spread a little of each of these colors in the surrounding rooms but in different amounts, that helps for it to flow. Rooms like bedrooms and the bathrooms are sort of free for all.
It sounds like you are on your way to creating a coastal room. Go for the feel of the coast instead of the obvious.Add the natural elements and don't forget texture like nubby rugs, throws, pillows and baskets.
Use your braided rug as your starting point. Blues creams and tans are very coastal. Spread those colors thru out the house adding them in different tones.

[mac78]

Thanks for all the sugggestions. I do have some pictures in my other thread "Paint Color Suggestions". You are right, a neutral is much better,

[annielinz]

I'll go check your other thread :)

[Lynzee]

I think there are several of us here who live in "rantages". My home is definitely a ranch that wants to be a cottage. :)

I don't think there are any "rules" regarding using painted furniture and natural wood pieces. And even if there are, who cares? It's your home! Go with what you love and what makes the room a place where you and your family will be comfortable.

I think simplicity is a key in coastal decorating. Shells are always perfect! Baskets, too. I agree with Annie...go for the feel of the beach. Use your colors--the blues, creams and tans you have already chosen are perfect--as your starting point and work from there. It will come together!

[adelaide11]

I think you should go for light green in your living room and light wood colour in your kitchen. These are not based on the choice of my favourite colour but this one as per the colour therapy as well.

If you have selected the colour and finished the pain than please show us your work as well. As I would love to see that one.

[ChapterTwo]

I totally agree with Lynzee...the beauty of decorating nowadays is that whatever preconceived notions you have of what is "right" or "wrong" (a.k.a. "rules") can be thrown out the window. It's all about what appeals to you. Doesn't that make things easier?

Do your research, think about it, and then relax and trust your instincts. Especially when you're dealing with paint, nothing is forever; you can always change it.

[shabbychick]

If you're going to do all the rooms in neutral, you might consider choosing one wall to do in an accent color, like blue or a soft green. Sometimes you need something like that to spice up the look and keep it from being too blah. Plus it will help draw the eye to that part of the room where you can display something really special.

[yarborough house]

I am a person torn in two directions. I am sure there are others also. I Love color but then again I love the simplicity of very monochromatic rooms.

I am dying to have an all white house but that will wait till kids go to college :)
Anyway, on your dilema- you don't have to have the rooms all one color but if they are visable from other rooms they should coordinate in order to flow and not be choppy. One way to do this is to repeat colors.
For example, when you walk into my house the first room you enter is a golden color. The room that is off to the left is red. Red and Gold work together..but as you leave the front room and travel back I continued the red to repeat and blend it and then the back hallway and computer room are gold again repeating the color. The colors change but they are repeated so the flow is not broken.

For coastal cottage you could do the same. Stand in your main room and any room you can see from there make it coordinate. If you paint your family room sea green, then you can see the dining room - maybe do it a sand or sky blue then you see the kitchen and repeat the first color - the sea green.

I am sure it will look amazing as all the coastal colors are so beautfiul and calming.

And painted furniture with wood toned furniture is lovely together they each help the other one to pop.

tammy

[drdrip]

Hello Adelaide

Saw few of your post and I think you have some strong command over colour and effect of colour as well.

I want to renovate my bed room and confuse about the wall and ceiling colour, will you please guide me about some colour as well.

I think you should go for light green in your living room and light wood colour in your kitchen. These are not based on the choice of my favourite colour but this one as per the colour therapy as well.

If you have selected the colour and finished the pain than please show us your work as well. As I would love to see that one.

[cerenageorge2]

I just believe in one thing and that is colour combination should be in such manner that you will get enough light and room should looker more bright.

I do not like dark colour as this one is showing dull feelings.

[Lisa S]

I think it depends on the house and the feeling that is trying to be evoked. I just picked all the colors for the lake house. It was tricky, because I gravitate toward warm colors. I noticed that every picture in my idea folder showed cool colors. I think when trying to create a warm, cabin in the woods type of feeling, cool, darker colors on the walls might be a better choice. I plan to go with warm creams, greens, browns and reds for the furniture.

Color, in and of itself, doesn't mean much. It's what you put with it.

[cheapdiva]

I'm moving away from my traditional yellow, greens and reds to a more bright palette of pinks, apple greens and even (shock!) blue. Every few years I decide to change one thing and the next thing you know - everything is getting done! ;)