Feature wall in bedroom. What colour should I go with?

[makka619]

It's a very small bedroom in a granny flat. The floor tiles are dark grey. Walls are acrylic Antique White USA.

The arrow is pointing to the wall I want to paint a different colour. I was just going to paint the single wall another colour. But I don't know what colour to choose.

The fireplace in the main room (can be seen through the door on the right of first pic) is a dark grey suede. Should I use the same here or do something different? 3 or 4 long shelves will be placed along the wall.
Please help I am useless when it come to choosing paint colours.

[tameriska]

Looking at the colours that I can see there, I probably go a very light slate grey to match in with your doorframes and tiles. Depending on the width of your shelves, maybe just paint the side walls the same width of your shelves, or for a cozy alcove feeling, paint up to the doorframe, and the other side wall.

Hope it looks good whatever you choose

The best way I found to choose colours, is to go to the paint shop, and get a heap of different sample paint cards, and put them up on the wall, and see how they look in different lights, If you have an idea of what furniture, colours are going to go in the room, (bedspread/ curtains), hold the paintchip up with those as well, and see if you like the combination. When I painted my loungeroom, I had the paintchips up on the wall for at least a week, and ended up choosing one that I would have never chosen in the shop.
( a dusky pinkish colour) only because it went so well with the existing furniture, and it seemes to make the room look bigger, and that colour seemed to have a nice warm glow about it in the late evening, one of two shades different, and it probably would have looked like cr#*. (in my opinion, I definately am not a pink person by the way.)

[masoth]

What are the shelves to hold?
* Ornaments? If you already have a collection then the 'background' colour should be chosen to show them best, and this may even be black.
* Books? The spine colours will be the highlight so the surrounding colour will be adequate.
* Will the shelves be painted, or stained, or glass?
* Is there direct lighting to the area? A single downlight may be a good fitting if the shelving is intended to be a standout feature, or a spotlight away from the shelves if, say, a photo collection is to be there.

soth

[makka619]

I forgot that the wall on the right when looking at the photo actually extends to a whole wall, so painting the two smaller walls might look a bit funny.

The shelves I have are dark brown stained, but perhaps I could paint them. I was thinking dark black high gloss on top of the dark grey suede. We should have some of the suede paint left over to do it.

As for whats going on the shelve, probably books and other odds and ends.

I will post a pic of the wall the fireplace sits on, there will be shelving there, maybe you can help me pick a colour to paint the shelves. lol I was thinking black, but the walls are antique white. I don't know if it will be too much black. Mainly as the colour theme of the house is black white grey so far. The only bit of colour will be the curtains in the living space which are a soft green.

[makka619]

I have drawn the shelves in:


The fireplace: The pink lines are the shelves. What colour should I paint them? Is black too much? Should the mantle be the same colour as the shelves? Also what colour should I paint the inside of the fireplace? (Won't be used for a fire)


And an idea of the rest of the room, going anti-clockwise from the fireplace:








Soft green curtains that drop to the floor on the main window here:


That's it. lol

I appreciate all your help.

[masoth]

The entire wall, including the alcove with the shelving, as shown in the second pic, in your first post could look good in a light/mid olive colour All the shelving could match the grey of the tiles, and I would paint the inside of the fire place white - that way you could use it as a sort of display box.

soth

[Ashore]

I try to keep to the minium no of colours in the house , its less tins of left-over paint you keep to go dry and less chance of using the wrong paint as a touch up , had a place in sydney that had 4 diffrent shades of white and if you used the wrong one didn't it show up

Rgds

[celeste]

Hi makka619

I wouldn't put suede behind books etc - it shedds.
one colour that would look good there is Dulux Buff it its a beigy grey - both warm (yellow base) and cool (blue base) at the same time, so you can put any other colour you like with it, as it will pick up the tones of whats around it. It's a white base if you want more colour double strength it.

As for the fire place - you have white and grey everywhere, so I would go with a bit of color, like a red - dulux red terra or a plum - dulux artiste or dulcet violet. Any of these would look great. oh for shelves and mantel.

use buff it also inside the fire, it is less stark than white and will give a good back drop for a basket of flowers etc.

Celeste

[makka619]

I know so much black/grey/white. The creativity just springs out of me.

Thanks for the ideas...

My friend wanted me to paint the fireplace a burgendy/red, and now I really want to do it. lol. Would add just that right touch of life into the place. It always makes sense after I have bought the wrong paint.

I looked up the buff colour and it looks like a light browny colour?
http://www.heritagepaints.co.uk/data_files/data5_96.jpg


Masoth I really like the mid-olivy colour you suggested, I have a greeny colour in mind for my trip to the paint store to get some colour swatches.

oooh I just found this colour - it's the green on the wall in the pic bottom/left corner:
http://www.dulux.com.au/html/inspiration/index.aspx
Looks really nice. Wish they named the paint colour used but, I know it's always different then it appears in photos.

The green here also looks nice (in the pic again):
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...lightgreen.jpg


Should I go for the lighter or darker, what makes the room appear bigger? Or doesn't it so much matter on a small wall?

[masoth]

oooh I just found this colour - it's the green on the wall in the pic bottom/left corner:
http://www.dulux.com.au/html/inspiration/index.aspx
Looks really nice. Wish they named the paint colour used but, I know it's always different then it appears in photos. This looks like a Dulux colour sheet it may be available at the paint shop - I like both of the featured colours but your suggestion is a bit "grassy" for your decor.

The green here also looks nice (in the pic again):
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...lightgreen.jpg
My choice here would be either 'Bamboo White', or "Garden Pond'.

Should I go for the lighter or darker, what makes the room appear bigger? Or doesn't it so much matter on a small wall?

My preference is a subdued colour - the brighness of the 'grassy' green is not, I think, restfull. This, of course, is just an opinion.

soth

[journeyman Mick]

...................had a place in sydney that had 4 diffrent shades of white and if you used the wrong one didn't it show up

Rgds

Only four? I worked on the construction of a resort where they had seventeen different shades of white. It was a constant cause of bitchin and moaning from the painters.

Mick

[celeste]

I know so much black/grey/white. The creativity just springs out of me.

Thanks for the ideas...

My friend wanted me to paint the fireplace a burgendy/red, and now I really want to do it. lol. Would add just that right touch of life into the place. It always makes sense after I have bought the wrong paint.

Sounds great - paint the inside of the fire place and the shelves burgany/red will look great - tho go blue based and not yellow based.

I looked up the buff colour and it looks like a light browny colour?
http://www.heritagepaints.co.uk/data_files/data5_96.jpg

Sorry it was "buff it - by dulux" I had a look but it is not on thier site, it is similiar to Minnow on this link but a little darker Its in thier perfect schemes book 2004-5
http://dulux.com.au/html/inspiration/colours_directions.aspx

Masoth I really like the mid-olivy colour you suggested, I have a greeny colour in mind for my trip to the paint store to get some colour swatches.

oooh I just found this colour - it's the green on the wall in the pic bottom/left corner:
http://www.dulux.com.au/html/inspiration/index.aspx
Looks really nice. Wish they named the paint colour used but, I know it's always different then it appears in photos.

The green here also looks nice (in the pic again):
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...lightgreen.jpg


Should I go for the lighter or darker, what makes the room appear bigger? Or doesn't it so much matter on a small wall?

[makka619]

My preference is a subdued colour - the brighness of the 'grassy' green is not, I think, restfull. This, of course, is just an opinion.

soth

masoth thanks for the help. They are a bit bright grassy. I never saw it like that.

The olivy colours are very similar to the curtains that I have ready to hang for the main area. So maybe bringing that colour into the bedroom for the wall will help to tie things in a bit.

[makka619]

Sorry it was "buff it - by dulux" I had a look but it is not on thier site, it is similiar to Minnow on this link but a little darker Its in thier perfect schemes book 2004-5
http://dulux.com.au/html/inspiration/colours_directions.aspx

No Minnow on that link. I will ask tomorrow at the store if there is a Dulux Buff It.

The link you showed me is directions in white. The walls are already done with the Antique White from there. What do you think of something like Ecru, China White or Hog Bristle for the single wall? Or is that a bit cack?

[makka619]

Only four? I worked on the construction of a resort where they had seventeen different shades of white. It was a constant cause of bitchin and moaning from the painters.

Mick

lol
17 is a lot of shades of white..

My mate just says white is white, he doesn't care what fancy name you slap on it, it's still just white. lol