Design Dilemma: Choosing a Paint Color

Here’s the question I received from a very frustrated couple who are trying to choose a paint color for their hallway. Joan says, “We have put picture frame molding and a chair rail on our stairway. We are about to paint and plan to keep the lower half white. It is the upper half that is a problem. It would be the stairway and upstairs hall which is a bit dark so we don’t want too dark of a color but we want a bit of contrast with the white. We have put samples on the wall and are not happy with any of them. They are Stone House (too dark). Asian Jute (also very dark and maybe too goldish). Bradstreet Beige (looks like flesh).

My husband thought he would like green but we have a lot of green in the house and that seems like it would be too much. I think we are looking for a neutral color that would work. Any suggestions?”

This sounds like a case of “Deer in the Headlights Syndrome.” What do you do when there are so many colors to choose from and you don’t really know what you want? Here are some tips:

Don’t be afraid of going too dark due to lack of light. No matter what color you paint the walls, if there isn’t enough light, it will still look dark. Color and lighting are two separate issues. As long as you’re painting the ceiling, why not add some downlighting? As for the paint, a mid-tone or more saturated color can make a big impact in the hallway, since there usually isn’t a lot of other things going on. Don’t be afraid of color. The color in the photo you sent is very safe, but boring. Find a color you love and go for it.

But which color? The first thing I would do is analyze where you’ve used other colors in the house. And what colors you like, in general. What color are the adjacent rooms? Where is the green that you like? Match your favorite green and the adjacent colors with paint swatches. You can use these to create a palette. If you really like green, you could go with a lighter or darker shade than the one you already have. As long as it isn’t all the same value, I wouldn’t worry about too much green if that’s a color you love.

From the description of the paint colors you’ve tried and don’t like, I’m thinking that you’re trying to choose a color that won’t look like a color. There’s nothing wrong with a neutral, but choose one you like. Try going more gray than gold or beige. A grayer taupe looks great with green. Just be sure you’re matching warm greens to warm taupe, cool greens with cooler grays.

The images, above are from Valspar and Benjamin Moore’s sites. Almost all paint manufacturers have a personal color viewer, wherein you choose a room and virtually paint it. Try it. This way, you can go wild with color risk-free. You may just find that the hue you love the most is red.

One final thought. The entrance to your home is the first thing you see when you come home. It’s the first thing your guests see. First impressions count. Cast your color fears aside. This is the place to really make a statement.

• Posted by Jennifer at 8:58 am
• Tagged: Design Dilemma, Color, Paint