Paint can pretty much be chalked up to a learning experience around Casa Petersik. From painting all of our home’s trim with flat paint right after we moved in (baaad idea, use semi-gloss!) to picking a different color of the rainbow for each room (not the way to make a small house flow!) we’ve pretty much made every mistake in the book. And over the last almost-four years our walls have definitely “evolved” as we learned what we liked (and a whole lot of what we didn’t).
We decided to use a handy little floor plan (created thanks to Floorplanner) to demonstrate three “stages” of our home’s ever changing color scheme to show that homes don’t usually “magically come together” overnight. Sometimes it takes some experimentation and a bit of repainting (and repainting again) to get ‘er done. But with every little change that you make you’ll be inching towards the home of your dreams- and just like the right dress can theoretically make you look slimmer and bring out your eyes, the right wall color really can turn any house into a dream home (all for about $30 a room and an afternoon of your time).
Here’s what we meant when we mentioned that we picked nearly every color in the rainbow for our house’s original color scheme right after we moved in…
Color Scheme: THEN
From an orangy-yellow in the den to an easter-egg-ish pastel green for the living room, our choices really ran the gamut. And we even went with a bright robin’s egg blue for the third bedroom (which was formerly the dining room) and the half bath. Of course looking back those were odd choices for two of the smallest rooms in our house. In short: when this color scheme was in effect, it felt like you were entering a different house every time you stepped into a different room instead of feeling like there was an overall cohesion and flow to our modestly sized ranch home.
The funny thing is that the only color that we chose to use twice was the bold turquoise color in the 3rd bedroom 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- so we routinely repeat colors or slide a shade or two darker or lighter to keep things feeling related throughout our entire home’s floor plan. Then we chose to repeat the soft blue-gray bedroom color in the kitchen while keeping the rest of the house subdued and neutral, and stood back and admired how the creams, sandy tans, and soft gray-blues worked together to create spaces that felt varied and interesting without evoking that chaotic and unrelated vibe.
Color Scheme: MIDPOINT
Only our bedroom and the sunroom escaped the repainting spree that took us from the “then” paint color breakdown to this “midpoint” diagram above. And while it may not look exciting on screen – it totally made the house feel bigger, more connected and a lot more grown up. What we had done was accomplish a more toned down and agreeable whole house palette, but we still ached for something a bit more interesting and textural (nothing too high contrast, but just a few unexpected paint color applications to keep things feeling fresh) so we did a few things to take our house from serene and soft to serene and soft… with a bit of a twist.
Color Scheme: NOW
It wasn’t anything too major, but we definitely made a few noteworthy and fun little tweaks none the less (and the few changes that we’re about to list earn us BY FAR the most paint color compliments, so it really does pay to go that extra mile):
1. We painted the ceiling of our blue-gray bedroom a softer more subtle blue-green tone to create a dreamy ambiance that far surpasses the magic of a white ceiling. Read more about this project here.
2. We added playful tone on tone horizontal stripes to the half bathroom in a few hours one evening (for under five dollars). Best time and money we ever spent. Read more about this project here.
3. We took the full bathroom from the same color as the living room and guest bedroom to a soft khaki green color (since they were all in such close proximity this added a nice varied feeling to a layout that was feeling a bit tan on tan on tan before). And we even carried the same wall color right up onto the ceiling for a seamless effect. Read more about this project here.
4. We chose a cheerful pear color for the walls of the newly created nursery and added a splash of soft aqua on the ceiling (the blue ceiling tied into our bedroom and the kitchen while the green walls related to the nearby khaki green bathroom and a slew of green accessories throughout the house). Read more about this project here (and see additional photos here and here).
And we’re not done yet. Homeownership is an ever evolving process, I tell ya. Next on the agenda: nixing our white ceilings. We know they’ll feel higher and a lot less stark and jarring when they’re better integrated into our home’s palette. In fact, we’re planning to paint almost every single one in either a lighter tone of the wall color (they’ll still feel lifted but not quite as stark), the same exact hue as the walls (if the walls are light enough this really blurs the bounds of the room and makes it feel a lot more expansive), or even a contrasting or complementary color (we’ve always wanted to paint our tan sunroom’s ceiling sky blue).
So that’s where we are at the present time when it comes to our home’s state of paint affairs. And since we know you guys love all the dirty details, here’s a quick rundown of our casa’s current colors:
- Our Bedroom: Glidden’s Gentle Tide (walls) and Glidden’s Cool Cucumber (ceiling)
- Second Bedroom: Glidden’s Sand White
- Full Bathroom: Benjamin Moore’s Dune Grass (color matched to Olympic’s Premium No-VOC paint)
- Nursery: Mythic’s Autumn Bloom (walls) and Mythic’s Adanna Aire (ceiling)
- Living Room: Glidden’s Sand White
- Kitchen: Glidden’s Gentle Tide
- Den: Glidden’s Water Chestnut (fireplace accent wall) and Glidden’s Wishes (other three walls)
- Laundry Nook: Glidden’s Wishes
- Half Bathroom: Glidden’s Wishes (walls) and Valspar’s Honeymilk (stripes and ceiling)
- Sunroom: Glidden’s Water Chestnut
- All Trim & Interior Doors: Freshaire’s No-VOC stock white semi-gloss paint
Note: Some of the Glidden colors listed above are no longer available, but they can supposedly look up the formulas on the computer and whip them up for you. If not, Glidden’s Wishes is now called Eloquent Ivory (it’s the same exact formula), Benjamin Moore’s Quiet Moments is very similar to Glidden’s Gentle Tide and Benjamin Moore’s Ashen Tan is very close to Glidden’s Sand White.
And why stop now when there are more things we can add bullets to? Here are few of the major paint discoveries that we made along the way. Here’s hoping they help you sleuth out the perfect color palette for your casa:
- Never select a color without checking it out in morning light, afternoon light and evening light- just to be sure it doesn’t mutate from serene to scary when the sun sets.
- Paint colors look completely different in different spaces, so don’t blindly paint your room a color that you liked on the walls of Restoration Hardware since their lighting sitch is nothing like yours. Instead bring home the paint chip, tape it up on your wall and check it out in your lighting at all times of the day.
- Always look at a paint swatch on the plane that it’ll be on (don’t put it on a table and look at it horizontally if it’ll be on the wall- actually tape it up on the wall and evaluate it there- the same goes for ceilings).
- Taping up a few paint chips at a time can help you select the perfect shade (since you can compare them to one another, you can much more easily weed out anything that’s “too yellow” or “too peachy” thanks to the other swatches beside it).
- We usually gravitate to the bottom two swatches of every paint chip (since our house is modestly sized we like how lighter tones and shades of each color make our house feel more airy and expansive).
- Neutrals can be written off as boring, but with crisp white trim and a range of furnishings, accessories, and textiles layered into the space they can be anything but.
- Repeating a color across the house isn’t weird- it’s smart. Making your bedroom the same color as your entryway is a great way to take your house “full circle” so things feel like they’re part of a bigger picture. We use 80% of our home’s colors in at least two spaces (sometimes three) and the result is a nice layered and serene feeling.
- When you don’t want to repeat the same exact color, sliding one tone lighter or darker on the paint swatch is a great way to guarantee that rooms will feel related and airy (ex: go a shade lighter in your attached bathroom than you did in the bedroom for varied interest that still feels cohesive).
- There have to be colors that you always gravitate towards (in our case, green and blue) so using muddy and subtle variations of those tones along with a nice liberal dose of neutrals is a pretty foolproof formula.
- Keeping the flooring (ex: mocha hardwoods) or the trim (ex: crisp white) consistent in as much of your home as possible will really help to unify any home’s color scheme.
- Even smaller items- like a leafy green plant in each room- or similarly colored wall frames- ours are all white- can really tie disparate rooms together for a nice easy flow.
- Don’t forget that tan and beige aren’t the only neutrals! Cream is a gorgeous alternative for a hallway (especially if you have a bunch of rooms branching off of that space and want something unifying and not too bold) and there are many light platinum gray tones that are luxe and chic without being too dark and brooding.
- In general (although definitely not in all circumstances) we like accent walls that are subtle as opposed to jarring and high-contrast (since the later can break up a space and define the boundaries of it, thereby making it feel fractionalized and disturbing the easy flow).
So that does it for our yeah-we-make-mistakes-too-and-learn-as-we-go-and-repaint-rooms-a-few-times-to-get-things-right post. It definitely helps to remember that paint is the cheapest mistake you can make! So stop being paralyzed by indecision and just dive in. If you pick the right color you’ll be over the moon, and even if it’s wrong you’ll learn what you don’t like so you’re closer to scooping up the perfect shade… and you’ll only be out around $20-30 bucks. Happy painting to you and yours!
Update – Wanna know where we got something in our house or what paint colors we used? Just click on this button:
Beth says
Yep, that helps. Thanks for the input!
Carole says
What a great post!
For all those folks with textured ceilings, they can use a special roller with a really thick nap. It can be a drippy job, so don’t overload the roller (and cover your floors/heads! :). Maybe a paintsprayer would work too?
Natalie says
If you paint a bunch of color blocks on the wall to make your decision, what is the next step? Do you primer over each of the blocks, let the primer dry, and then begin painting again?
YoungHouseLove says
Good question! Usually (unless they’re very dark swatches) there’s no primer necessary. It usually takes two coats of paint to get a good even finish on your walls, so two coats over those swatches should completely “erase” them. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
sarah says
Aren’t you afraid that
a) painting your ceiling a color is a fad or
b) having different ceiling and wall colors now throughout your house won’t be a bit more confusing than before?
(not trying to be a debbie downer, i do love your house!)
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Sarah,
Things like paint colors (on the ceilings or otherwise) are totally subjective, but personally we like the look (both when we’ve seen it in magazines and when we’ve done it in our own house). I guess we don’t care if something is a fad because we don’t change things because they’re “out.” So as long as we love our painted ceilings we’ll keep them around. We’re also not afraid of repainting at this point (obviously) so if we ever tire of them we’ll just spend an afternoon redoing them with some other color or treatment that makes us happy. We actually love to paint (we’re crazy, we know). And we don’t think they make our house confusing at all. They’re extremely integrated within out palette so if anything they feel more cohesive and subtle and layered than the stark white ceilings used to feel. For example our bathroom is less complicated with the same color on the ceiling as the wall, and our bedroom feels softer and more enveloping with a slightly lighter tone than the walls on the ceiling. We just think they add a bit of interest and fun without straying too far from our palette and feeling chaotic and “over the top.” But again, it’s totally personal- so by all means do whatever you love with your own home and enjoy every minute of it!
xo,
s
Alison Moreno says
I love the colors you have all over your house, they are so calming. We have repainted our entire house except the ceilings which will most likely be all white since we cant afford any different colors. I love the molding you have round the top of each room, did you guys do that yourself or did it come with the house. I think it really adds something to look of the rooms. Would it look bad if we painted our ceilings white and had white molding?
YoungHouseLove says
I actually got the molding installed by a handyman as a gift to my hardworking hubby. Here’s the post all about it: https://www.younghouselove.com/2008/02/royal-bread/
As for your house’s ceilings, it’s totally personal preference, so if you like the look of white ceilings with white molding then go for it. I’m sure you can easily google around to find tons of rooms with that look so it’ll be easy to see if it appeals to you. It’s a nice clean look so we say go for it if it floats your boat!
xo,
s
Leah says
thanks so much for sharing your paint colors & the evolution of the paint colors for your home. i was feeling guilty b/c my tastes have changed & i am going to repaint the living/kitchen area of my house. i’m glad i’m not the only one who didn’t get it right on the first try!
Katie says
This is such a great, thorough post! I am contemplating painting some of our ceilings (10′ downstairs, 9′ up), but we have recessed lighting, fans, and our vents on our ceiling that might make things tricky. Do you think that having white “gaps” where the can lights and vents are will be too distracting? The rooms that I’m considering painting are BM Palladian Blue and BM Wisteria if it helps (haven’t nailed down possible ceiling color, though.) Thanks!!
YoungHouseLove says
Well, one way to go would be to paint those vents to help them blend in. As long as you apply thin and even coats, things like metal registers take paint super well and look a lot more cohesive and integrated once they’re the same color as the plane that they’re on. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Jennifer F says
how many colors do you think is a good “scheme” to go with so that everything can flow but also not be all the same? My house is about 2800 sq ft (living/dining/office/kitchen/half bath downstairs and living room/master bed and bath/ 2 extra bedrooms and a full bath upstairs). I have red and tan going on downstairs with all nuetral tan couches and carpet and dark wood furniture. I would like another color or 2 to bring in through accessories downstairs that maybe I can carry on upstairs into my master bed/bath. But again…nothing too jarring or bright. Thanks…you guys rock!
YoungHouseLove says
There’s really no right answer since we’ve seen amazing homes with just two or three paint colors throughout and others with varying tones and shades in almost every room (so there’s more like 8 colors in use but they all relate to each other and feel super cohesive). Just bring home swatches and put them all on one blank piece of white paper and play around until you like the amount and the tones that you have working together- most likely that will be your answer. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Erica says
i’m loving the painted ceilings! i was always told that i should keep my ceilings white to make the room look bigger…especially in our little condo. but i think it looks so cute! now if we could just settle on wall colors!!! we’ve narrowed it down to Silver Marlin & Quiet Moments…any ideas how to pick between 2 when you’re stuck between 2 colors?
YoungHouseLove says
Just grab those little tester paint pots for a few bucks each and paint nice big squares of each on the wall. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Erica says
hahaha. we’ve done that. we just stand there and stare at the squares shaking our heads cause we can’t decide. hahahaha. i think we need to flip a coin or throw a dart!
YoungHouseLove says
Then I bet you can’t go wrong either way. There’s definitely more than one color that can work in a space so I bet they both will look awesome. It’s win/win!
xo,
s
jennifer f says
last question :-) any suggestions for a master bed/bath combo? My master bedroom is very large with very high/ sloped ceiling and my master bath is a decent size too. We get lots of sunlight in these rooms so it’s certainly bright. My furniture is all dark wood. What are some of your fav neutral/calming master bed/bath combos?
YoungHouseLove says
We love blue-grays like the one we went with (slide one shade lighter or darker for the bathroom than the bedroom) and also like medium mocha tones for a rich and enveloping look. It’s really all about what you like though, because warm amber-wheat tones are gorgeous as well, and of course you can’t go wrong with subtle sea-like tones of green. It’s just all about bringing home swatches and seeing what you love!
xo,
s
Jackie says
I don’t mean to sound weird, but I have always been surprised that you publicly share the floor plan of your house. I realize that technically know one knows your address, but I don’t think it would be that hard to figure out. I personally think sharing the floor plan of your home can make a break in or something similar for someone out there.
Just my .02!
YoungHouseLove says
We’ve definitely heard this comment before and of course we love our house so we’d never do anything to compromise its security. First of all we have an alarm. Second of all we live in a neighborhood with extremely close knit friends and a neighborhood watch. Third of all we have a very loud dog. Fourth of all we have motion sensor lights. Fifth of all we have one of the most observant next door neighbors in the world (who has even called us to confirm that we knew John’s sister was stopping by while we were out). Seriously, she’s on it. Fifth of all our address is unlisted and we even have a service that keeps it from being shared online and in other ways. Sixth of all we have a safety deposit box with all items of value in it (off the premises at the bank). So we always joke that if someone somehow figured out where we live and got past the alarm, the neighborhood watch, the loud dog, the motion sensor lights, and our eagle-eyed neighbor they’d probably just get some nice throw pillows out of the deal. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
hsp says
I agree that looking at the colors for a house as a group and choosing colors that work well with each other make for a great space that flows. I have to really disagree that the palette can’t be drastically different colors even if the house is small. Our previous apartment (which was about 1000 sq ft) went from deep deep coral to chamois, to mocha to a rich blue red with the unifying element being the vanilla ceilings and trim (and walls in the common areas). Even though the rooms completely contrasted each other they played off of each other really well and created a very warm and welcoming environment. You guys have created that warmth in a different way, through a complimentary palette, but I swear it’s possible to do it with a contrasting one too. :)
We actually went back to the apt last night and the new tenant has mucked it all up with some of the most awful color choices I have ever seen (puce, I swear, she painted all the walls puce with light puce trim)- A once beautiful, and lovingly restored my me/hubby, space now looks like a horrid 60s/70s nightmare. It was heartbreaking. *headdesk* Never go back. LOL
YoungHouseLove says
You’re absolutely right! There’s definitely not one “right way” to approach paint so we’re just sharing what we learned and what worked for us along the way. We’ve definitely seen gorgeous homes with rich and saturated color choices, and we’ve fallen in love with that warm and enveloping vibe as well! It’s actually super encouraging that so many different approaches to color combos and whole-house schemes can be implemented so beautifully with a little thought and patience- from soft and subtle to bold and beautiful!
xo,
s
Anna says
I just used Floorplanner.com to do my own floorplan, so I recognized yours immediately. What a fabulous program that is! And thanks for sharing your favorite paint colors – it’s a great resource.
emily at thirtyeight20 says
While I think it’s nice to have a “theme” going in your house so that it flows, I don’t think it’s a mistake per se to have a varied painting scheme. It would just depend on your house’s layout and your personal taste.
I would definitely say it’s chaotic to have a mid-century themed room flowing into a country themed room… But if you have a general style with accessories that can be easily swapped between rooms, I think it’s OK to have paint colors that vary dramatically. For example, maybe you want your den to be dark and brooding, but your bedrooms to be light and airy… That’s okay! Some people might think it makes sense, while others might be distracted by it. Go with your gut and what you like!
I do agree that regretting a paint color choice (or being paralyzed with indecision) is not the end of the world. Paint is one of the least expensive upgrades you can make. If you don’t get it quite right — which I haven’t, many times! — you can always paint over it. No harm done, and very little money lost in the long run.
YoungHouseLove says
Amen sista. There’s definitely more than one way to skin a cat- or pick a palette for your home. We’ve seen many a bold & beautiful scheme (that’s both varied and lovely) but we’re just sharing our own home’s personal evolution (which happens to be more on the soft & subtle side). Hope it helps!
xo,
s
pennyrounds says
Your house is so incredibly homey, which in my opinion, is the best compliment you can get for your home. If I went to a friends house like yours, I would never want to leave!
Ashley M. [at] (never home)maker says
Ugh. I can’t imagine painting as much as you two have. You’re CRAZY! Well, I mean. It looks fantastic, but we want to change all the colors in our house and simply can’t find the time or motivation.
I’m still not sure how I feel about painting ceilings. I know you two seem to be fans. How does it change the feel of the room? I guess I’d like to experiment.
“Honey, get the paint can . . . I’ll get the brushes” Here we go!
YoungHouseLove says
Our best description of how a painted ceiling feels is softer and less stark. Instead of noticing that the fifth plane of the room is bright white, it suddenly blends in more- so sometimes you actually notice it less than a white one (which definitely surprised us). The room also seems to feel more polished and well rounded to us if that makes sense- because we’re paying some attention to that fifth wall instead of keeping the white, but going for a nice and soft hue so it’s not too overwhelming or chaotic. Definitely follow the link above to see our bedroom ceiling before and after we painted it. It really shows how it can fit in more and feel less interruptive and more soothing than a white ceiling can- but of course it’s a personal thing so whatever you decide just be sure you follow your gut and do what you love. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Sarah says
I love that you share your foibles with us as well as your successes. I too have made many painting errors in the two houses that I have painted (we seem to have a knack for picking houses with outrageous paint that we have to tone down). It’s nice to know that I’m not the only one that has repainted several rooms.
Thanks.
Flush puppy says
I’m liking your bedroom/kitchen color, which looks like it definitely has some blue/green in it from your photos. When I look up that color (and Quiet Moments) online, it seems just gray. Is it really more bluish/greenish in real life? Thanks…
YoungHouseLove says
Nope, it’s definitely not just gray (although it does have nice gray undertones to keep it from being to pastel-y like a little boy’s room). Just check out the swatches in person to see the true blue-green hue with a dash of gray in there too.
xo,
s
Ainhoa Vega says
I love the tone on tone stripes in your bathroom! I’d been thinking about doing this in our entry and your photos and tutorial have made me want to do it right away. I do have a problem though – I measured the ceiling (about 87.5”) and decided I wanted either 5 or 6 stripes, (probably 5) but whatever worked best. My problem is that doing both 5 or 6 stripes the stripes cut the doors’ tops. I mean, the colors change just where the frames start and I feel it would be kind of weird. Do you have any suggestiones as to how to avoid this? Also, we have crown moulding that’s a bit separate (about 2”) from the walls, (the ceiling shows) so we painted that bit of the ceiling the same color of the wall. Should we take that into account and make the last stripe shorter? Thanks for any advice you can give me!
YoungHouseLove says
Hmm, I guess you just have two options:
1. You can just paint the stripes and live with where they meet the door (ours weren’t planned with the door frame in mind at all, but since they’re subtle it looks totally fine)
2. You can change the number of stripes so they hit the door frame in a different place (going to 7 for example, which wouldn’t be that big of a difference from 6).
As for the crown molding, you can choose to include that in your measurement of the last stripe or not, so if that helps you shift the stripes down or up a bit so they meet the door frame in a more pleasing way then go for it! Hope it helps and happy striping…
xo,
s
Kim says
Thank you so much for posting these tips. I was just telling my husband that I want to paint based on the feeling I want to evoke in each particular room, BUT I don’t want each room to be a TOTALLY different color. I’ll share this with him — I’m sure it will be helpful. Thanks for letting us learn form your “mistakes” (they really weren’t all that bad.) :)
jennifer says
I’m using floorplanner now just to see how my rooms all look laid on on paper (or in this case on screen) to show my contrasting colors currently. How do you get the background of each room to be your paint colors?
YoungHouseLove says
We actually took screen shots of our white floorplanner images and added the colors in Photoshop. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Lauren M. says
You guys posted this just in time! I am in the process of picking out paint colors, and since we have an open floorplan I wasn’t sure how to paint so that each room is different without having to have a completely different color on the walls. Choosing different shaded of the same base color is the perfect solution! Thank you so much! I am fairly new to your blog and i just love it!
Julia Perry says
Did you guys know about all of the traditions that surround a blue ceiling on your porch? When we moved into our house, the ceiling on the porch was bead board and painted blue. We painted pretty much everything else but we left that as-is because we just love it. Here’s an NPR article with the full scoop: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5645263
I like the idea that it casts away evil spirits the best. Keep up the good work!
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yeah we’ve heard that! Isn’t it funny? A friend of ours told us it “was a southern tradition” so of course we had to google around to find out why.
xo,
s
Amber says
This is a great post. It is so nice to see how your home has evolved and it’s nice to be reminded that it doesn’t alway end up perfect after the first try. I am unfortunately still in the first stage of paint schemes, but I’m starting to try to unify it more. I agree a cohesive color palette makes the house flow so much better.
Gail says
Your house and paint colors are beautiful and I love your blog.
I’ve always been intrigued with the idea of different ceiling colors, but I have a question. I notice that all your rooms have crown molding. Would this same concept work without the crown molding?
I’ve toyed with the idea of adding it to some of our rooms. Does crown molding “bring the ceiling down”? We have oak woodwork, so our molding would be more contrast-y. We only have 8 ft ceilings.
YoungHouseLove says
First of all, it definitely would work without crown molding! In fact it sometimes looks less interrupted and more tone-on-tone & seamless without them. Of course you can add some crown for that crisp line of definition (it doesn’t usually bring down the ceiling- in our case we think it just defines the room a bit more and adds some architecture if you will). Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Lindsay Dryver says
Hi Guys!
I really appreciate you posting about your trials with paint colors! I’ve lived in my ranch for less than two years and am slowly realizing my color choices were a bit off the mark. If anyone in my family thinks I’m crazy for repainting them so soon I’ll direct them to your blog! :)
I love color, but I’ve realized that I love color in art and other wallhangings and choosing bright colors for the walls has really limited what I can accent my rooms with!
Thanks guys!
~Lindsay
Alison says
Just a heads up for all you who love Gentle Tide on your computer screen and might want a color sample before purchasing paint.. you can order samples from this site:
https://www.gliddenprofessional.com/color/colorSamples.do
I ordered and got it within a few days, all for free. That way you can hang it up on your wall to check the color at different times of day before you commit!
YoungHouseLove says
Great tip! Thanks so much for sharing.
xo,
s
Natalie says
Thanks for answering my “painting over color blocks” question! You guys are so helpful :)
Erin G says
I love knowing about and learning from other’s mistakes…it makes feel better because I have made plenty of paint mistakes! I buy my paint from Walmart, and even once it’s mixed you can return it if you change your mind. Just keep the receipt!
Katherine says
Love your blog! My husband and I are in the process of purchasing our first home and have LOTS of painting to do before we move in. I’m intrigued about the idea of painting the ceilings, but I’m sure it’s quite a task. What tools do you suggest using to do this well? Thanks!!
YoungHouseLove says
Painting the ceiling is just like painting a wall except you’ll need a step stool or ladder to get better access. Oh and you’ll want to keep drops from occurring by either putting down a plastic drop cloth or a fabric one or even pieces of cardboard (we actually don’t cover our wood floors at all and instead scream “drip” when one of us drips and then we just wipe it up right away- odd but it works). You also might want to pick up a roller rod extender (it’s just a pole that you screw onto your roller to make it easier to paint ceilings) and other than that just grab a normal roller for smooth surfaces, some paint and an angled brush for cutting in you’re good to go. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
heather s. says
I did the same thing. I moved to my first home from an apartment with all white walls and went color crazy! Now all of the living spaces are neutrals with the bedrooms being various shades of blue. I did recently redo the basement and painted one space a cheery yellow just to break out of my mold. I do love it but I wonder how long it will take me before I repaint it a neutral.
Saturnine says
Okay, first of all I must tell you that I really, really, really enjoy your blog. It’s all kinds of fabulous. And all kinds of helpful.
My question is about the brand of paint you chose for much of your house. I’ve never painted with Glidden but I’ve always wondered about it. I’ve used Valspar (inconsistent – when it’s on it’s very good but when it’s off it’s more like glue and will drive you insane), Behr (I liked it I think), and my personal fave Benjamin Moore (but dang that stuff isn’t cheap). So have you tried any other brands and liked Glidden the most? What’s the deal because now I am seriously tempted to give ole Glidden a try.
Thanks guys.
YoungHouseLove says
Good question! We love Glidden’s color palette so much, but we love Behr’s coverage (sometimes we even get our Glidden swatch color matched to Behr paint). Of course Benjamin Moore’s coverage (and colors) are awesome, but we rarely splurge since we have learned that $23 paint can get ‘er done. And as for Glidden, they recently reformulated it to have less odor and more coverage so it’s definitely worth a spin (although we think Behr is our favorite economical choice). Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Dan says
I’m taking your advice and will attempt to paint my bathroom’s ceiling. What’s your suggestion regarding what color to paint the ceiling if it’s a great room where there is an accent wall of a different color? I like the open space, however, it doesn’t necessarily seem to lend itself to one cohesive color for the ceiling. Most walls are Nantucket Gray (gray/green) and the accent is Greenbrier Beige.
YoungHouseLove says
There’s definitely not one “right answer” in your case, but since you currently have three colors going on there (white ceilings, accent wall and main wall color), painting the ceiling either the main wall color or a shade lighter than that color will feel nice and cohesive. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
chrystie says
Hi, I just found your site and love it. My boyfriend and I just bought our first place and just went through full repaint, carpet and decorate mode. Now we’re just adding little odds and ends to make the place feel like we’ve fully moved in…but, it seems like the projects will never end! And now I know from looking through your site that they never really do end! Oh well, at least it’s fun.
My question about paint is what finish do you suggest for interior walls? We chose flat paint by Behr and are finding that little smudges on the wall are really hard to get off without ruining the paint. We already had to spot paint our entryway after moving in. Someone said eggshell, but that seems too shiney. Is it just that we have poor quality paint, or should we not go with flat?
Thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
Try a Magic Eraser for those marks on your wall. It usually works like a charm for us. We actually use flat paint in all rooms except for the kitchen and bathrooms (which are semi-gloss) and the nursery (which is eggshell). We like that flat paint hides imperfections and is easier to touch up than glossy options, but in “messier” rooms like the kitchen, bathroom and nursery we like a bit more wipe-able protection. We actually have a post all about paint finishes in the pipeline so stay tuned…
xo,
s
Claire says
Hi Sherry,
I apologize in advance if you have answered this question before but, I am just so loving the yellow and white carpet that you have in your living room. Where did you get it? Any information on it would be much appreciated. Thanks so much.
Claire
YoungHouseLove says
It’s the Moorish Tile rug from Pottery Barn but it’s no longer for sale so you might want to check eBay. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Flush puppy says
A general painting question: do you have to prime EVERY time you paint? I want to repaint the kitchen,which we painted 3 years ago. Would LOVE to go straight to the new color! :) P.S. It’d be going from yellow to blueish.
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Flush Puppy,
You definitely don’t need to prime in your case. Generally unless you’re going from a very bright or dark color to a lighter one, two thin and even coats of paint do the trick without primer at all. Hope it helps.
xo,
s
flush puppy says
Thanks! I am of course all about instant gratification redecorating!
Ainhoa Vega says
Thanks for your quick response! I think we’ll end up doing 6 stripes and moving them up/down a bit so they hit the frames nicely.
Your blog is awesome by the way. I discovered it a couple of weeks ago and I’ve been hooked ever since. I wish I had discovered it a little sooner as I just bought a house with my boyfriend a few months ago and several projects we’ve done would’ve been easier with your tutorials!
Staci says
What a timely post! I just finished painting the playroom “quiet moments” (and this was BEFORE you posted this!) My husband was getting ready to paint the ceiling white when I read this and stopped him. B/c it is a playroom and quiet moments is a pretty subdued color, we’re using a fun green “castleton mist” to accent- painting a few shelves, picture frames, etc. this color. So….it’s too bright for the ceiling. What would you do..paint the ceiling a much lighter shade of castleton mist or a lighter shade of quiet moments??
YoungHouseLove says
We’d slide one shade lighter on the Quiet Moments swatch for a calm and cohesive look. Good luck!
xo,
s
Miranda says
I am in the process of painting my bedroom walls Sand White. My house is opposite of yours, all blue/green/greys and I am now painting the bedrooms neutrals. Your blog has inspired me! My question is, I would love to paint the ceiling (again, thank you for the inspiration). What color would you recommend? They are knock-down texture and cathedral, so they are somewhat of a focal point. Sand White is no longer on a swatch, so I can’t find the next color down. We also have no moulding, although one day I hope to add it. Thank you for any suggestions, your color choices have been so helpful. :)
YoungHouseLove says
I would ask them to mix up a gallon of flat paint using the Sand White formula, but to add 50% more white, that way you’ll get a lighter version that perfectly complements your walls. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
jessica says
This is SO helpful! I’ve always wondered how to create variety in the colors of your house without it looking too crazy. Love the stripes! Love all of your great photos! You inspire me to DIY more often.
Jennifer F says
OK I took the plunge this weekend and went to our neighborhood benjamin moore and found some awesome colors for my upstairs!!! I was thinking of paintint the master bedroom ashen tan (which you recommended and is just a gorgeous color). Our bedroom is huge and gets lots of sunlight during the day…do you think that would be a nice bedroom color? As for our master bath…I am debating between silver mist (a blue grey), quiet moments (which I think has a little more green to it) and yarmouth blue. Any suggestions on those for a bathroom? I want something neutral and calming (nothing too in your face kinda blue). Also, do you think those colors would blend well coming from an ashen tan in the bedroom? Really appreciate the advise…your color scheme is somthing to strive for :-)
YoungHouseLove says
You can’t go wrong! All the colors your mentioned are lovely so it’s all about personal preference (depending if you want something more blue-gray or green for example). And Ashen Tan would make a fantastic bedroom color, especially if the room gets lots of light. Happy painting!
xo,
s
Anna says
So when are we going to see the big “Ta-da!” moment for the nursery? Every time my blog reader shows a new item for YHL, I get so excited thinking it will finally be the finished baby’s room, but it never is!! I’m waiting…not so patiently. :)
YoungHouseLove says
Well, I’m due on May 19th so hopefully before then! Honestly we’re just like any other bloggers who share our ongoing home renovations and adventures as we go, so I can assure you we’re not sitting on a finished nursery and just making everyone wait for fun. We’re not nearly there yet (still have a dresser to take care of along with art, a changing area, DIY shelving, a homemade mobile etc) so the big reveal will probably be at least ten more projects away. We’re going just as fast as we can though!
xo,
s
Medea says
This post (and the Foolproof Paint post) are so helpful- like all the posts on your blog, really.
We’re building our first house in Japan, where cloth wallpaper is king. One of the things I am insisting on is paint, but since no one else around here has it, I have to order sight unseen (from Benjamin Moore in Tokyo, about 600 miles from where we live!). I am guessing that I will be doing it a couple times. ;) I don’t even have a house into which I can paste a sample or two yet. So looking at all these paint colours is a great hint, thank you!
What I really want is to make a cream and light blue theme throughout the house, like the Dunphy house in Modern Family. http://bit.ly/cVJIVN I was thinking maybe the robin’s egg blue in your first colour scheme might be similar. Do you remember what paint colour that was?
Actually I think that my ultimate colour for my walls would be the background blue from your beautiful nursery curtains, and a cream to match!
YoungHouseLove says
That color was called “Freshwater by Glidden”- not sure if they still make it but I hope it helps!
xo,
s
Stephanie says
I have never noticed this before but in the top picture it looks like the hinges on your door are white; did you paint them?
YoungHouseLove says
We never paint hinges so if you see those in our house they’re just there from the previous owners (and we haven’t gotten around to replacing them yet). The funny thing is that they function just as well as unpainted hinges (we would have thought that they’d get really gummed up and gross) but we prefer the look of unpainted hardware when it comes to hinges and door knobs, etc. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Anna says
You’re right Sherry. Sorry for the inconsiderate “Hurry up!” comment. Very hypocritical of me seeing as it took me FOREVER to finish my little girl’s room, and it is nowhere near as cute as yours is going to be! I guess I am just so excited to see the finished product because I love everything I’ve seen so far. But I will be patient and look forward to the completion of each project as they come. Can’t wait to see them!!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Anna,
Haha, no worries! We totally didn’t take it that way. We know there are tons of people chomping at the bit for nursery after pictures so sometimes we just have to remind everyone that we’re actually sharing details as we go and we still have quite a few projects left to tackle. Luckily we still have a few months until Baby P is here so it should work out perfectly in the end. Assuming she doesn’t come a month early or anything…
xo,
s
Kristie says
I have a tip for the discontinued Glidden paint colors. My husband works for Glidden Professional, which owns the Glidden paint at home depot, and you can get any discontinued colors there, including the Ralph Lauren paint that is being discontinued at home depot. They are in most cities. You may have to look up “ICI paints” since they just changed their name to “Glidden Professional.”
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks so much for the tip!
xo,
s
Natasha says
This was such a timely post for me. Its nice to see I’m not the only person who repaints rooms a few times! One questionf for you though: I’m drawn to contrasting styles, such as cool greys with cream/white and accents along with strong earthy colors like red and orange with Khaki. I want my new home to look cohesive, but those combos dont seem to jive! Any thoughts or reccomendations!
The chandelier in the half bath is awesome by the way! i love chandeliers in every kind of room.
YoungHouseLove says
First of all, we believe in doing what you love in your house, so even if every room doesn’t “coordinate” that’s definitely not a bad thing- it’s all about what appeals to you. And you can further attempt to bring things “full circle” in a few subtle ways- like adding a few pops of orange in one other room (besides the one that’s red and orange and khaki) and adding a few cool gray, cream, and white touches in a second space somewhere else around the house- just to keep things from feeling like “this is the red and orange and khaki room” and “this is the gray and white and cream room.” You definitely want things to feel collected as you go and effortless, so keeping the color boundaries a bit blurred and spreading out some accessories that relate to each other throughout your home will give it that great flow that you’re looking for. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
judy says
I have a living/dinnig and is right next to kitchen which has no separation in other words all together. I am trying to separate without feeling weird. should i use the same paint color or two different colors. I AM VERY PUZZLED.
YoungHouseLove says
That’s all about personal preference. If you want them to feel separate you can define them in many paint-free ways (with a nice pendant light over the dining table and a great area rug under the seating area for example). Or you can just use different wall colors to differentiate each space. We’d recommend perusing a bunch of decorating books and magazines (many of which have the same adjoined spaces that you describe) and seeing if any of the painting approaches that they showcase end up tickling your fancy (whether it’s all one tone or totally different hues in each space). Hope it helps!
xo,
s