As I type this the walls are drying in the 2nd bedroom after what I can only pray is the final paint project in unifying our house with a consistent color scheme. A couple of months ago we noted how the warm, neutral wall colors in many model homes inspired us to tone down the rainbow theme we had going on. Especially since we had read that repeating colors in a small house can really help make it seem larger.
So, as of just about right now, our house painting is officially done…for a while at least.
We decided to use that fancy floorplan we created using Floorplanner to demonstrate the change. Oh and these colors are taken from Glidden’s digital swatchbook so the color on your computer screen is only as accurate as your monitor.
Color Scheme: THEN
I know, I know. It looks fun and cheery – but it was a little schizophrenic. In fact, the only color we repeated at all was the bold turquoise color in the 3rd bedroom (which was the dining room at the time) and the 1/2 bath. Now we understand that in a small house you want continuity and rooms that feel like they flow- and not like they’re chopped up with different color schemes.
Color Scheme: NOW
Only the master bedroom and the sunroom escaped the repainting massacre, and while it may not look exciting on screen – it totally made the house feel bigger, more connected and a lot more grown up. Here’s the final report on the paint colors, in case you’re looking for some inspiration yourself:
Ok, now I’ve gotta go wash some Sand White off my hands. It feels good to be done. Although a homeowner’s work is never really done…
Amy says
I love your paint colors…did you use Glidden brand?
YoungHouseLove says
Yup, in all cases we used Glidden from Home Depot. We’ve had really good experiences with it and are super happy with the results. Happy painting!
xo,
Sherry
Gina says
very cool way of showing what colors are in each room!! I loved the idea of using floor plan.
thank for directing that to me, it answered my question:o)
Happy weekend, yall!!!
Painting Contractor says
What a great way to show colors by room. I think we may have to incorporate this in our proposals. Did you come up with this yourself, or did an interior decorator do this for you? Mind if I borrow the idea.
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Painting Contractor,
We’re blushing…
So nice to know that you like our little room by room color scheme visual. I must admit it was my husband’s brain child and we’re thrilled that you think it’s effective. We were just starting out when we wrote this post, so it’s nice to know that something from the archives has come in handy for ya. Of course you can borrow the idea!
xo,
Sherry (& John)
Kristin says
What color is your trim inside the house? What sheen? Thanks! Love your work!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Kristin,
All the trim in our house is Glidden’s Ready-Mix White in semi-gloss. Hope it helps! Happy painting…
xo,
Sherry (& John)
Yvonne Tran says
I just discovered yesterday your website..and I gotta say..I can not get enough of it! and I should be since im at work!! ;0)
We just bought our townhouse not too long ago in Virginia Beach and been painting and decorating our home like crazy. You guys have such a cute house and I wish my fiance would be into design and decorating like how you guys are!
Thanks for sharing your paint colors! We prob have to make a stop at Home Depot sometime this week then! Oh btw..where did you get the chandelier for your master bedroom. i like!
take care,
Yvonne Tran
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Yvonne,
It’s an old chandy from West Elm but they no longer sell it. You can try googling “capiz chandelier” or checking ebay for something similar though. Happy hunting!
xo,
Sherry
Yvonne Tran says
Thanks! i found it on craiglist!
YoungHouseLove says
THAT IS AWESOME! Love me some Craigslist. Happy hanging…
xo,
s
Julie says
I just found your site earlier this week, and I think it’s safe to say that perusing everything you’ve put up here has taken over my full-time job. I love you house and everything you’ve done with it – amazing transformation!
I do have a paint color question for you. Are the pictures of your den that are in the “House Tour” the yellow-ish color you first painted it, or the new “Wishes” color? I love the way your den looks in the photos, and I’d like to paint my home office (formerly a den) the same color. I just want to make sure it’s the color that’s in the photos.
Thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Julie,
That paint is actually “Wishes” in the after pictures, which is creamy and subdued in comparison to the super bright yellow tone we originally went with, but still has the warm butterscotch undertones along with some soothing ivory hues. Hope it helps!
xoxo,
Sherry
Connie says
Someone on makeup alley suggested your website. I am so glad I decided to stop by. Looking through your blog has inspired me to tackle all my unfinished rooms; however I want to be smart about my plan. I like the color scheme floor plan and currently have a color in the livingroom that inspires me to find coordinating colors. Okay so finally my question…….How did you come up with your color scheme?
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Connie,
So glad you found our site! As for how we picked our color scheme, it all started with an inspiration room… er, store. In a Restoration Hardware near our house we fell in love with the blue-gray wall color, but of course knew that we could duplicate the look on a budget with some Home Depot paint. We selected a similar moody blue-gray tone (Gentle Tide by Glidden) and the color scheme developed from there. We knew we wanted some light tones for the hallways and the laundry room and the half bath, so we found Wishes. And we also gravitated towards a nice sandy tan because we love a beachy look and since we already had the blue in a few of our rooms, adding tan (San White) felt balanced and natural. The lesson? Pick a starting point and find the color that you love love love. Then branch out from there and discover which tones work to complement your first pick. Hope it helps! Happy painting…
xoxo,
Sherry
Christa says
Love your house and this website! Quick questions about your paint colors…what did you use for the fireplace in the living room?
Thanks, Christa
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Christa,
Good eye! Our fireplace wall in the den is a shade darker than the other three cream colored walls (which are Wishes by Glidden). We went with Water Chestnut (also by Glidden) for the fireplace, which is also the color of our third bedroom and our sunroom (we love keeping a tight palette throughout the house for an open and seamless feeling). Hope it helps!
xo,
Sherry
Christa says
Forgot to ask…what sheen for the fireplace and all your other rooms?
Thanks, Christa
Christa says
Hi Sherry,
Sorry, I meant the fireplace in your living room.
Thanks, Christa
YoungHouseLove says
So sorry! The living room fireplace is painted Ruffled Feathers by Glidden. It’s a slightly gray-white so the white mantel pops a little bit by comparison. As for the sheen, we went with flat latex paint for both fireplaces (flat paint blends with the other walls in each room so we don’t have shiny brick next to flat walls- plus flat paint hides imperfections better than semi-gloss which can magnify cracks and divots). Hope it helps!
xoxo,
Sherry
Christa says
Thanks so much Sherry! This will truly help with my cottage reno! When I have pics I will keep you posted as you and John and your house have been an inspiration!
Cheers,
Christa
carol summers says
I found this website totally by accident. “Thank God I did” I must say Sherry you have inspired me. I used to hire painters to do the work for me. I have decided to take the DIY challenge and paint my outdated fireplace. The fireplace was the same color as your original one in the den. I painted it black….yes black and it looks totally AWESOME. I will post some before and after pictures so you can tell me what you think.
Keep up the GREAT work…I L O V E your blog!!
Thanks
Carol
Emily says
Sorry this comment isn’t paint related but I enjoyed looking at the floor plan of your house. I noticed on your floor plan that you don’t appear to have a coat or hall closet. I’m moving into a new house in a couple weeks (and getting lots of inspiration from your blog! will send pics of course!)that doesn’t have a coat closet. But one thing that has been stressing me out is where to store coats, scarves, hats, etc. so that they are out of the way but accessible. My goal is to save the precious bedroom closet space and I would love to get rid of the overcrowded coat rack I’ve been using in my Fan apt. I’d also like something that guests could use. I’m thinking a storage bench/hooks combo by the front or back door…. but I’d love to hear your ideas on how to avoid having 10 (ok maybe more…) coats on display!
Many thanks for sharing your ideas!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Emily,
We have this mini mud room in the corner of our den which really helps (the storage ottoman can hold even more stuff than we hang out in the open) and we actually do have a hall closet back by the bedroom (it shares space with the bathroom and is accessible from the hall) so of course that comes in handy too. Hope it helps!
xoxo,
Sherry
Beatrice says
Hi Sherry,
Absolutely LOVE and am completely inspired by your site! Quick question – now that Glidden doesn’t offer Sand White, do you have another recommendation that’s similar to it?
Thanks so much!
~Beatrice
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Beatrice,
Good news! All the Glidden formulas are actually still available at every Home Depot (they’re kept in their computers forevermore) so you can actually still get them to mix you up a gallon if you’d like. If you’re looking for something similar from someone who still offers up paint chips (since that’s the one thing you can’t get of the Sand White anymore) Benjamin Moore’s Baja Dunes is an amazing tan tone with lots or lightness and richness at the same time. Hope it helps! Happy painting…
xo,
Sherry
Cathy says
I would love to know what paint you chose for your front porch floor… I was tempting the thought of painting ours as well, but was concerned with the weather wear on it. Did you use a paint specifically for outside and wood? How long has it been on? Many touch ups yet?
just curious :)
Thanks!
Cathy
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Cathy,
Here’s a post all about the porch painting project:
https://www.younghouselove.com/how-to-paint-a-wood-deck-or-front-porch/
Hope it helps!
xo,
Sherry
Cathy says
Thanks so much! That helped, now if only I can convince my hubby! :) lol!
Chris Rose says
Love the paint colors. What color did you paint the ceiling ? We are about to paint our house and are wondering if you should have the trim be lighter than the ceiling or the other way around?
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Chris Rose,
We actually went with crisp white semi-gloss paint on the baseboards, trim and crown molding in every room and then kept the ceilings white (flat paint instead of semi-gloss) to keep that airy and lofty feel. That being said we actually have big plans to add some soft color to the ceilings in a few of our rooms for a bit more ambiance so stay tuned…
xo,
Sherry
Shelley says
Thanks so much for the recent post “Picking the perfect paint color” and for linking back to this gem! My boyfriend and I are moving in together (renting an apartment) and are only allowed to paint an accent wall in each room (choosing the colors from their paint chip library of seven colors). Originally I was thinking gray for the living area, brown in the 2nd bedroom, and turquoise in the master. Now I’m rethinking because I don’t want it to look too spastic. Thanks for the great advice. I found your blog through The Nest about a month ago and have been recommending it to everyone ever since!
Jess says
Thanks so much for the helpful painting tips! My husband & I are settling on our new DC rowhouse next weekend. What are your thoughts on accent walls to provide a pop of color in bathrooms? I’m a fan of bright, vivid colors but worry an eggplant or even a soft blue would overwhelm a small space. We’ve also been thinking about a single red accent wall in the basement den, where the floors are large tan tiles.
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Jess,
Accent walls can be tricky since you want a room to feel seamless and open and not disjointed and divided. Although it’s totally a subjective thing, the way we like to use them are in rooms that have a similar tone on the other three walls so it’s less jarring. For example in Blayne’s bedroom we suggested a deeper brown tone to work with the tan color she already had on the other walls (just sliding up the paint chip will do it). And in our den we did the same thing– the fireplace wall is a slightly deeper tan than the cream colored walls so the eye is subtly drawn to that part of the room. Hope it helps!
xo,
Sherry
Julie says
Are these the colors shown in your home tour?
YoungHouseLove says
Yup, all of the paint colors are the very same in our house tour. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Jennifer G says
What a great website! I am inspired. I have a 94 year old house with a ton of gorgeous dark woodwork. Do you have any recommendations for paint colors that work well with that? I’ve tried a few light ones but feel like they get really washed out next to the dark wood. I don’t want the house to feel too dark (except for my bedroom – Valspar’s Magnet Dapple – TOTALLY LOVE IT – it’s balanced by a king-size white duvet and white drapes) so I am stuck in limbo! Any tips are appreciated. (I tend to like cooler colors but I’m up for anything – after all, it’s only paint!)
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Jennifer G,
Good question! You’ll want semi-saturated colors to balance that woodwork so we suggest picking up paint swatches from somewhere like Benjamin Moore and looking at the paint colors in the middle of the swatch card (they won’t be too light or too dark, but they can be too bright so use caution). A nice warm wheaty gold would look lovely with your trim (Benjamin Moore’s Bridgewater Tan) so that’s a nice place to start. Happy hunting…
xo,
Sherry
Ashley says
I was trying to find the Gentle Tide color by Glidden. I am having the hardest time locating it. Could you possibly guide me in the right direction?
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Ashley,
Glidden recently cut a whole bunch of colors (including Gentle Tide) but it’s still in their computer so they can whip up a gallon or quart for you. They won’t have a swatch around for you to take home, but if you really like the color they can still make it for you since they still have the formula on hand. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Natalie says
Is the Gentle Tide more of a light blue or gray?
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Natalie,
It’s a moody light gray-blue with a hint of green in it. Sort of similar to Silver Sage by Restoration Hardware. You can see it in our kitchen and master bedroom in the House Tour tab under our header. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Megan says
I am enjoying all of your design advice so much! I am wondering if you have any recommendations for paint colors to go with natural white oak trim? We have the traditional midwestern ranch with the oak trim and oak floors and every picture in every magazine has white trim! I don’t believe we are up for replacing all of the trim in our house and I am worried that painting it will be uber time consuming and perhaps look very DIY.
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Megan,
If it helps quell your fears of painting, our whole house had natural wood trim and systematically freshening each room at a time with this awesome brush really wasn’t that bad (and felt eons lighter and newer). But if you’d rather work with whatcha got instead of covering it up, anything buttery tan, golden or squash toned will bring out the best in your trim (like Benjamin Moore’s Boardwalk for example). Rich medium golden tan tones will really work with the trim instead of clashing or competing. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Megan says
Sherry,
Thanks for your response on the oak trim question. Did you replace your interior doors rather than paint them?
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Megan,
Nope we just painted ours. We’re all about saving money and using what we have. They look seamless and no one’s the wiser that that’re old oak colored doors. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Kait says
I stumbled across your website last week and I love it! That night that I found your page (8:30 pm) my fiance and I rushed out to Home Depot to pick up samples of the colors you provided(I was really motivated and anxious to find the perfect paint) We just bought our first place a few weeks ago and can’t seem to figure out what colors to use. Thanks to you – we already put up Gentle Tide in our Kitchen and we love it! We plan on using Sand White in our living room and maybe Water Chestnut in the bedroom. Thanks so much for the inspiration- you have a beautiful home. I hope ours comes along just as well as yours did!
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks Kait! We’re happy to help. Good luck with your first place and have fun!
xoxo,
s (& j)
Kristi says
I must say I am in absolute love with your blog and all your work. My husband and I actually moved to the Richmond area in the past year and bought our first home. You have given us a lot of inspiration and I can’t get enough of all your projects! I have a question for you…where did you happen to get your light fixture above your sink in your kitchen? I love it! Also, do you all happen to decorate houses in the area?
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Kristi,
Thanks so much for the sweet note! The pendant above the sink is actually from West Elm but I don’t believe they sell it anymore- maybe try ebay? As for decorating local homes, if only there were more hours in the day! We’re totally swamped with our weekly Design Dilemmas, but if we ever have time to take on some local before & afters (which we would LOVE) we’ll be sure to announce it on the blog! Stay tuned…
xo,
s
Amy says
Hey Youngsters,
You all inspired me with this post to try to make the color scheme in our house a bit more cohesive. I just finished repainting our family room and would like to move on to either the hallway or the kitchen next, both of which are adjacent to the family room. The hallway and the kitchen have a chair rail while the family room doesn’t, and the hallway leads to the stairs and upstairs hallway, which doesn’t have a chair rail. Hope that’s not too confusing.
Anyway, I think the hall and kitchen should probably be painted the same colors since they’re connected with no door frame, but should I pick the family room color for either the top or bottom and then a different shade for the other side? And then continue the upper color up the stairs?
Thanks for any help!
Amy
YoungHouseLove says
You really can’t go wrong as long as you paint one space at a time and follow your gut as you go. One possibility is that you can paint the top and bottom of the chair rail the same color, but you can also slide up or down a paint chip to get two tones of the same color that complement each other and the other rooms so everything feels cohesive. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Krista says
Beautiful renovation on your place. My boyfriend and I bought a condo a year ago and have been taking a year to renovate it. I painted it 2 colours and now im not liking it at all, my question is should I paint the dining room and kitchen the same colour they are only separated by a wall or should I do two separate colors? Also our kitchen has no window so its not very bright, we put black granite in stainless appliances and darker wood cupboards, I was thinking of painting both rooms a sand colour, what do you think might work well? I’m not the best decorator lol were both younge as well and are on a tight budget but I’m not loving the cream colour that is already there.
Thank You!
K
YoungHouseLove says
Definitely go for a soft tan color in both rooms. It will make them feel more cohesive and expansive and you won’t have to worry about finding two colors that “match.” Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Krista says
Hi to you you both, I took your advice on the paint colour and got right to it yesturday, needless to say since i’m not the best painter, It took me a while but I already love it and your right, it feels more expansive. I’m feeling more confident about this renovation after finding your site. Some great tips you have and thank you so much, I’m so happy we stumbled upon your site one day when looking up renovation pictures, we live in Canada and have become of your ideas on homes.
Thanks again,
Krista
Holly says
My husband and I recently moved into a gorgeous old Spanish bungalow that surprisingly needed very little TLC (!). However, the paint (a gorgeous warm, light cream w/some texture, which is consistent throughout the entire house) is chipping in some areas and definitely needs some touching up.
Problem is, we have absolutely NO idea what the color is, and we don’t have a good relationship with the prior owners – it was a contentious sale – so we can’t go that route. I planned to redo the living room with Glidden’s Toasted White, which I thought was probably pretty close to the original color. I’m worried, however, that by just doing the living room — which is attached to the dining room and kitchen by barreled doorways without actual doors — the difference in color will be just perceptible enough to be off-putting. (It’s late, so I’m rambling — I’m sorry! :)) Would you recommend redoing all of the rooms in Toasted White?
Thanks in advance! I’m such a devotee of your amazing website :)
Holly
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Holly,
You actually have two choices. You can go with the Toasted White and see how it looks (worst case scenario is that you’d slowly repaint all the rooms to match if they look drastically different, which we wouldn’t imagine would be the case). OR you can remove something with paint on it and have Lowe’s or Home Depot color match it for you for a definite match (got any painted baseboards or molding you could pop off? you can even cut a tiny square of drywall out and plaster it up afterwards for the perfect matching paint sample). Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Dawn says
I read your blog at least twice a DAY!
My husband and I just bought our first home, we close in 3 weeks and next week is deemed “project color scheme.” I love Wishes, actually used it in our current place that we remolded for our landlord. But, we want to use the same color in the hallways, dinning room/living room combo and I am afraid that wishes may just be too light. We live in Florida and the living room/dining room combo has three sliders to the backyard. My naturally tendency is toward bright colors since I am from Key West. So would you recommend just going with wishes and accenting or would you uses a little darker color, we have cookie crumb in our house now, which I think is a little do caramely! By the way we are going to use the ready mix white for all the trim.
Thanks
Dawn
YoungHouseLove says
Hmm, I would try Glidden’s Water Chestnut and see how you feel. It’s a little darker than Wishes and the perfect tan backdrop for lots of pops of color. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Mary says
i’ve been loving reading through your blog… and would love some advice.
We recently bought a new house and i’m anxious to start painting it, but i’m unsure of what colors to go with. i’m quite indecisive(it’s possible that i might have every single paint chip from lowe’s and home depot in my house and/or purse right now) and with a little baby around i don’t have time to paint and repaint like i have always done in the past.
The first floor is very open… when you walk in the house the entrance/hallway opens up into the living room and kitchen (not separated at all. the dining room has two entrances (from the living room and hallway) and the entrances are 5 foot wide arches. Also, the 2 stairwells going upstairs are also open – so i’d like to continue the hallway paint on the stairs. I was thinking of painting the LR and Kitchen the same color, a different color for the dining room, and a neutral (tan/cream for the hallway/stairs)? or will this look too crazy? but if i do the same color for the 3 rooms will it be too boring? as for colors, I’d love to have a warm yellow in the dining room, and i’d also like to have a blue/green color in the kitchen dining room, but i’m think that again it might be too much together? any ideas you could pass on would be great.
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Mary,
Here’s a post all about our favorite paint colors that should definitely help you narrow down all those possibilities: https://www.younghouselove.com/email-answer-picking-the-perfect-paint-color/
It’s basically a collection of our favorite paint chips in every color (so you can easily find something that really speaks to you). Hope it helps!
xo,
s
emily says
I absolutely love your blog! I wandered upon it about a month ago while searching for diy info on painting concrete floors. Thanks so much for all the helpful information. I have a dilemma on which I was hoping you might be able/willing to advise. I just bought my first house – yay! I’m almost ready to paint, but all of corners are rounded (we live in Arizona and it is quite common out here). It becomes a problem to paint rooms/halls different colors, because everything just flows. I have seen people try to mark off the rounded edge and paint two different colors and it looks a bit silly. Our indented corners are 90 degree angles, so I could always just use those to guide where I use different colors, but I was hoping you might have other ideas…please? I don’t want a house that is one color throughout!
Thanks,
Emily
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Emily,
Good question! We know you don’t want a house that’s all one color but we agree that taping things off to make false boundaries does look silly to us as well. Our idea would be to paint the more private rooms with right angles different tones (bathrooms, bedrooms, etc) and then keep the common area all one color so things look cohesive and intentional. If you have an accent wall that isn’t curved you can also bring in another color there (so that might spice things up while the shared walls stay the same color). Hope it helps!
xo,
s
erin says
Hi guys! I just got a sample of Sand White, but before I take the plunge I wanted to see if you could describe how Water Chestnut compares… it’s a little tough to tell from pics since (as we know) each room’s light can affect how it looks. :) Is one lighter than the other? Do you like each one for different reasons? Love your home and your blog… :) …and Burger.
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Erin,
Sand White is a cooler tan with more gray undertones in it while Water Chestnut is warmer and more chestnuty as the name suggests. Neither one is really lighter than the other, we just like that one is crisp and cool (Sand White) while the other is a bit warmer and more creamy (Water Chestnut). Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Harmony says
Hi guys!
Love the site :-) My husband and I are buying our first house (closing tomorrow!), so your site has been a god-send for figuring out how we want to decorate our new place!
One question: Our house is tiny (850 sq ft)and the downstairs is all communal living spaces–living room, dining room, kitchen. There are no walls between the living and dining rooms. We had been planning on having one cohesive color scheme (blues, tans, creams) throughout the level and vary it up by painting the living room tan and the dining room blue, but I see you guys talking about painting a small house the same color can make it seem bigger/airier. What do you think of our plan? Should we switch and paint both rooms the same color?
Thanks!
~Harmony
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Harmony,
How about keeping all the walls that open up to each other the same color (ex: tan) but creating an accent wall to differentiate one area and add interest (ex: the back wall of the dining room). That might be a nice little compromise so there’s still tons of flow and openness but a bit of interest and definition as well. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Harmony says
That’s a great idea–Thanks! I’ll let you guys know how it turns out!
~Harmony
Tiffany says
I love your paint colors! I once wanted to paint every room a different color (red, blue, tan, orange even!) but you’ve inspired me to choose a cohesive and more neutral palette. It looks so open and airy! Thanks for all the ideas!
Sara says
Hey there! I just got a 8 oz sample of Gentle Tide at Home Depot, and it looks greenish gray. I was expecting more of a blue gray, since that’s what it seems to look like in your pictures. Just wanted to ask if that sounds right? Maybe the colors got mixed wrong in my sample or something? I just wasn’t expecting it to be green and wanted to ask.
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Sara,
It’s definitely a blue-gray with a hint of green- a lot like Restoration Hardware’s Silver Sage actually (which is what inspired our choice). In some lighting situations it does look subtly green and in others it looks straight blue-gray, but we’re sure once it’s on the wall and dry with two coats it’ll look pretty much like it does in our bedroom and kitchen photos. You can always do a little test spot and see what you think (with the option of returning it if it’s not the color you expected). Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Jaynie says
Hey there!
I love what you guys have done with your house! You are so creative and have some amazing ideas! My fiance and I are actually in the process of fixing up some things around our house. He is currently laying tile and I am trying to decide on some paint colors.
Right when you walk in the front door, we have a long room from left to right which used to be a porch, but the previous owners enclosed it. There are a total of seven windows and right now, it’s almost like a waste of space because we aren’t sure what to do with such an akward area. Not to mention it has light wood paneling on it which i want to paint but I am having a hard time deciding what color to choose.
To give you a better idea, our house flows from one room to the next. You can see the kitchen-which is at the opposite end of the house right when you walk in the front door.
When you walk in, from side to side you have the enclosed porch, then is the living room and there is nothing separting the living room from the dining room except for two ledge type walls. From the dining room, there is a little hallway (and i mean little) and on either end of the hallway is a bedroom with a bathroom inbetween the two.
The house is very small and all flows together and i have been having the hardest time with choosing the right paint colors and deciding how to decorate it so that it is very open feeling but also has some excitement!
Currently the living room is painted a color called Hanging Moss which is a pretty green color, and the dining room is painted Iced Mocha which is a light tan. My fiance absolutely loves the colors but like i said, the two rooms flow together and are only divided but a wall that comes out like a ledge on either side. I am not sure anymore that was a good way to paint them…and the paneling somewhat flows into the green so I am not sure what to paint that.
I am sorry this is so long! I am just having such a frustrating time with making this house an exciting and comfortable home. Any suggestions would be VERY much appreciated!
Jaynie
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Jaynie,
If it was us, we’d paint both spaces (including the paneling and those wall ledges on either side) all the same tone. And if you choose something warm and light, both spaces will have great flow and feel open instead of felling broken up and choppy. We looove Glidden’s Water Chestnut (it’s a soft sandy tan tone that looks amazing with crisp white trim) so that would be our recommendation. Or you could paint the other space Iced Mocha to match the other side for a similarly seamless effect. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Heather says
Hello,
I recently stumbled upon your blog, and now read it religiously! My husband and I bought a house in May and could not figure out why several walls in the house were not textured and had what looked like seams on the walls. Well we eventually figured out that the previous owners painted over the boarders and wallpaper. Since it would be a painstaking and time consuming task to try to remove the painted over wall paper and boarders, and that fact that I’m not even sure that it could be done, my question to you is do you have any tips, ideas, or recommendations for fixing this problem or retexturing the walls?
YoungHouseLove says
Good question! Painted over wallpaper and borders are the worst- and the true solution to them is to strip them entirely and start fresh. We do understand how that could seem like torture to you though, so instead you could try retexturizing the wall right over them or even skim coating things to get back to a smooth finish. Just visit your local hardware store and see what products they recommend for the job. You want to be sure that over time whatever you apply over those borders and wallpaper doesn’t just flake off (which would definitely be even worse than stripping things and starting fresh from the get-go). Hope it helps!
xo,
s
erin says
First, congrats on your little pink to-be-named!
Second, I just bought a home in Richmond (what can I say, the city sucked me back in) and need some paint help. The floorplan is fairly open and I’m taking your advice to not make it schizophrenic. The colors are gray-neutral, a shade or two darker than that highlighting the fireplace wall (fireplace is white), and a plum smoke for the dining room. The kitchen is not open to anything, but the family room is directly behind it and I would like to paint those two the same color – maybe, I dunno. I’m stumped! My kitchen is black, cream, purplish granite with light cherry cabinets and here’s my couch in the family room:
http://www.ashleyfurniturehomestore.com/catalog/product.aspx?group=&id=62700S1&ref=search-t
Thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Erin,
You color scheme sounds perfect! We love the idea of a neutral gray with a darker gray wall to highlight the fireplace and a plum smoke in the dining room. As for the kitchen and the family room, we definitely endorse the idea of keeping those the same color for maximum flow (perhaps a softer pewter color to tie in with the other grays- we love Benjamin Moore’s Light Pewter). Here’s a post full of all of our favorite paint color suggestions: https://www.younghouselove.com/email-answer-picking-the-perfect-paint-color/
Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Alisha says
Hello!
Just came across your site today, and I love it!
Quick opinion question…we live in Ohio and our currently in contract for first home. I love the house but…….(there is always a “but”) all of the trim in the house is oak wood. For many that may be a good thing but for me I really like the idea of white trim/molding. I would really like your opinion on whether not we should change it??? I know this is more of an opinion question but I really just need someone with your design eye to give me an opinion.
Thanks,
Alisha
Columbus, Ohio
YoungHouseLove says
So glad you found us! Our house had a lot of oak trim and we painted is as soon as we moved in. It’s totally personal preference, but for us it made the whole house feel decades newer and more current and crisp. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
jamie says
Do you have any similar colors you would recommend in the Behr line? I grabbed a bunch of chips but I don’t know if any of them look right–I’d like to take advantage of the rebate this weekend!
YoungHouseLove says
Just have them color matched to Behr paint! It’s free and you’ll get our recommended colors in Behr paint (plus that rebate!). Oh and you can check out a slew of other colors we love here:
https://www.younghouselove.com/email-answer-picking-the-perfect-paint-color/
Hope it helps!
xo,
s
jamie says
Oh, sorry, this is on the wrong post! I’m trying to copy your half bath stripes.
Jill says
Love everything you do, you guys really are an awesome team! I am struggling with a paint color for my bedroom. I have a seaspray, pintuck duvet from West Elm which I love and very large brown-cherry canopy bed, and absolutely no idea what color to paint the walls. I would love any help or direction you could give, thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
We would go with a soft blue-greeny color (Restoration Hardware’s Silver Sage would look amazing). It’ll both tie into the bedding and complement the brown-cherry canopy bed. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
MelissaG says
Hi again! Just love your site and your advice! Do you have any ideas for a tri-level house? It’s almost ALL off white right now and we REALLY need some color. I’m all for keeping things airy and open but am at a loss. The kitchen, living and dining room are basically connected and you can see the rooms all at one time…do I need to paint them the same color? Or can I switch it? Do you have any resources or websites that specifically address multi-level homes? I never knew this would be so hard. Thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
We would actually keep all the connected rooms the same color so the flow isn’t interrupted but that’s totally a personal preference thing so you should do what you love (after all it’s your house!). You can also slide up or down on a paint swatch to go darker or lighter in each room but keep everything within the same family so it still feels cohesive. Then for the other floors (since you’re dealing with a tri-level layout) you can choose colors that complement the tone (or similar tones) that you chose for the kitchen, living and dining room. For example, if you went with a soft neutral tan for those three spaces, the floor with the bedrooms could be full of richer mochas and cozy golden wheat tones and the third level could be airier with creams and a few soft greens and blues to tie into the other floors without feeling disconnected or random). Just bring home a bunch of swatches and see what tickles your fancy. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Megan says
Hi Young House Love!!
My sister recently sent me your website and I’ve been addicted ever since. My husband and I are buying a 1963 ranch style home in Charlotte, NC. It’s not in terrible shape but there are two rooms that I really want to work on: the den (which has complete paneling on all sides) and the mudroom/laundry room which is now painted orange and blue (I guess the previous owners were Gator fans). The den also has one window which I’m afraid doesn’t let much light in and has an antique honey stained molding/trip around the windows and ceilings. Any thoughts on paint colors to brighten it up in there. There is also a fireplace in the den which we want to possibly do stone veneering.
Any thoughts?
Thanks!
Megan
YoungHouseLove says
Ooh use the naturally light and airy colors that stone veneering will bring into your space as inspiration. In fact, why not bring a bunch of paint swatches to a stone veneer vendor and hold them up to find a nice restful and soft palette for those rooms? For example, the den could be a soft platinum gray color (like the bottom of a white fluffy cloud) while the laundry room could get a nice neutral sandy tan tone. It really will help to see what types and colors of stones you’re drawn to, and then you can pick your favorite paint swatches (which of course you should take home and hold up in your rooms to see how they do under that lighting situation). Hope it helps!
xo,
s