i've just moved into a basement and i wanted to paint the living room to get some color into it. theres dark chesnut flooring and the room right now is a off white color, and i don't know what color to paint it. i have a red leather accent chair and its giving me a hard time to pick colors... i'm hoping somebody could give me a suggestion or point in the right direction.... it would really help.
here's two pictures... i don't have my chair there yet because i'm still in process of moving... there's this big fireplace as well... i don't know what to do with it... i guess i could paint it... but then again what would i paint it? i can't seem to get the picture working with this site... so heres a like to where the 2 are
The first thing that comes to my mind is the fireplace. If you paint your walls a darker colour then the fireplace is going to stand out more and more. You may or may not want this, it's a individual preference. Do you get much sunlight in the room?
I feel that a warmer wall color (including the fireplace) would enhance the richness of the floor color. My first impression is that I'd like to see a sandy-ochre or sienna color. Perhaps something like this Ralph Lauren color called "Collegiate yellow" I think that would also compliment the red leather chair you mentioned, as well as the brickwork around the firebox . . . :?: are those exposed bricks scattered up the fireplace wall? Or is that a faux effect?
there's not a lot of sunlight in the room... and since i work nights i'm normally asleep durring the daytime anyway... they are faux bricks out of the fireplace... what would you suggest for the fireplace... i don't really like the way it looks... and personally i'd like to remove it and replace it but i don't have the time nor the money to do that right now... so i just need a simple fix for it... i was also thinking going with different tones on the walls instead of just painting one color the same all around the place... would that be suggested or am i better off sticking to one thing and keeping it simple? thanks
a very cheap an easy solution if you want to add more than one color would be a chair rail. thats a thin strip of wood (maybe the color of your floor to keep the symetry the same) an pick 2 colors for one above the rail an one below,, if you choose the red like i think you refered to in your chair, then look up a color wheel an go 2 colors one way or 2 the opposite way of the red. there should be a whole bunch of colors inbetween to pick from. but i agree with zuzu, you should really go with warm colors because of the wood. the darker of the colors should go on the bottom of the rail for balance an the light above it,, but its just an idea...an possiably a 3rd color on the fireplace in an even lighter hue of what you choose.
Is the fireplace functional or artificial? If it's never used, you could make some superficial changes. What if you changed the odd shape of the fireplace wall? Maybe just squaring off the lines would bring it's appearance more up-to-date. Perhaps add a chunky floating mantle above the firebox? In my opinion, there is nothing wrong with using more than one color of paint in a room, but it can be tricky. You can make a space look like it has totally different proportions depending on the colors you use and how you place them. If you like contemporary design, this sort of subtle horizontal stripe seems to be "hot" at the moment, often done on one accent wall. Actually, those could be nice colors for your room, unless you don't like yellow, of course. :-?
I personally like bright rooms that look spacious. Using a dark color on the walls along with the dark flooring will give the room a very gloomy effect. I'd suggest going for white or light creme walls. One accent wall (the one with the fireplace) can be colored a dark shade. Or maybe you could keep all the walls white and repaint the fireplace a dark color.
You definitely have a good palate to work with. The fireplace is an excellent focal point. How large is the room and do you have an open floor plan, or are there separate rooms? I would use some type of area rug on the dark floor to lighten and brighten it up and a color that would work will with the color of the walls that you chose. I for one always have an accent wall. I just think it gives it some pizazz. Also think about what you want to use for window coverings. You don't say where you are from, so I am wondering if you are able to receive HGTV. They are always redoing rooms and you can get some wonderful ideas from them. Good luck to you, and do post some pics of the finished product.
With basements, what it ultimately comes down to is light. Consider that aspect and you should know what color to pick in no time.
