How To Go Bold With Your Wall Color

Looking for a bold wall color for your living room, dining room, or bedroom, but not sure where to start?  Wondering which wall color you really want?  Afraid of making a huge mistake?  Don’t worry.  It’s easy to make the look you want, as long as you remember some of the basics.

Basic #1:  Let Your “Statement” Piece of Furniture Be Your Guide

Your “statement” piece might be a family heirloom, something you found at an antique store, the newest release from your favorite furniture store, or a creation of your own!  Whatever it is, think about why you like that piece of furniture most.  Ask yourself what really makes it stand out. 

If it’s the shape, than you can pretty much pick any wall color you like.  But if it’s a bright color (like the red color on this dresser), don’t paint your wall the same color!  Paint it something complementary, like brown or a light gold.  You can also (as shown here) pick out the accent color of your piece.  The accent color on this piece is gold, and blue is its complement!  See how this wall color makes this dresser look rich and inviting?

Basic #2:  Bold Doesn’t Have to Mean Bright

If you pick a softer color, like this aquamarine blue, your wall color can still stand out beautifully.  Even the simplest wall color can look amazing if you choose the right accessories and furniture to go with it. 

For this look, choose lustrous, bright accessories and peaceful, neutral colors for your furniture and bedding.  Metallic and neutral colors bring out the brightness of the softer aquamarine without overshadowing it.  Talk about a great supporting cast!

Basic #3:  Less is Always More

Keep your color palette nice and clean!  Pick just one or two accent colors and keep to them!  As you can see here, a bright wall color is best paired with neutral accent colors that help show off its beauty.  The accessories are spare, but well chosen, and there’s no clutter on the floor. 

This look works best for someone who wants to transform their living room or dining room into a tranquil space where they can escape from the stresses of daily life and re-energize themselves.

And, of course, always remember to pick colors that you really like!  You’ll be looking at them all day, so pick colors that make you feel like you.  

A Little Trim Paint can make a Huge Difference

Houston boasts countless older, beautiful homes, town homes, and apartments that may present buyers with unique problems when it comes to trim painting. While many people shy away from attempting this arduous task, it can actually be quite fun and rewarding. Well applied trim paint can completely transform the atmosphere and energy of any room.

Many older apartment have large baseboards, wainscoting that has been neglected for years, and crown molding that has definitely seen better days. Carefully applied trim paint can brighten a room, especially if paired with a soft and subtle wall paint like the blue in the photo below. Notice how this home owner has taken advantage of the gorgeous dark wooden floors by painting all the trim a clean white. The retro chandelier truly makes the colors glow. Who wouldn't want to soak in that tub?

Many dining room areas are quite small in Houston homes, if they are even present at all. Below, a single door has been entirely painted black and paired with white trim paint and wainscoting, and modern curtains with bold black and white stripes. The room presents a visual feast for both diner and guest. Choosing to paint an entire door black can be risky, but this home owner has pulled it off by accessorizing the little dining room with a chandelier, a unique circular floor rug, and curtains that all complement the door.

A less common approach to trim painting, as demonstrated by the photo below, is to solely paint the window trim in a single room a dark, uniform color. This strategy works particularly well in home with very high ceilings. The elongated window, now trimmed in black, makes the walls and ceiling appear even larger than they are. If you are trimming a very small window in black, you run the risk of creating a "porthole" effect. You also run the risk of spoiling your cat's window time with paint that absorbs too much heat.

In our final trim paint example, we've found a home owner that goes above and beyond when it comes to capitalizing on the special characteristics of a particular room. The curvy and wide entrance way below has had its underbelly painted white to remain aesthetically consistent when the ceiling gazer decides to take a closer look. The teal toned walls pop and look fresh jutting up next to the thick, white-trimmed door frame, baseboards, and patterned ceiling. If you have any stories to share with us regarding your own trim painting project, feel free to leave a comment. We would love to hear back from you.

Grey:  The Elegant Neutral

If you’re looking for wall color that’s new, but easy to incorporate with any season’s décor, try grey.  Unlike beige or cream, grey is a rich neutral that provides balance and elegance to any room.  Use it as your interior color palette for a dining room or guest bathroom and you’ll find that it looks good in any season.

Let’s go from light grey to dark grey.  Light grey can brighten up with a room and goes well with modern furniture. 

If you hire a HoustonCommercial Painting company, it will be easier to vary your interior color palette.  You can have the Houston Painting Company use two or three shades of grey to provide depth for your living space.  Going with a slightly darker shade of grey can make spaces that are small seem larger and more inviting. 

For added elegance, go for a grey that’s almost black, but paint only one wall.  Choose the shade closely—tell your HoustonPainting Contractor if you think it might be too dark.  Use light, airy colors and metal accents for the rest of the room so that your interior color palette will be calm and well-balanced.