What's Wrong with White Walls?

Dear Melissa:
Why do decorators resent us for having white walls? Maybe we like white walls. R.G., Indiana 

Dear R.:

We have nothing against white walls per se. They can be very effective when chosen deliberately. Sadly, many people ignore this wonderfully colorful world of ours, thinking they are making the “safe” choice. In most of these cases, white walls actually work against them.

Try this experiment: Look closely at a wooden piece of furniture against a white wall. Now slide a piece of colored paper or fabric between the wall and this piece of furniture. Compare the look of the wood. Can you see how the color makes the wood look richer, while the white wall actually strips color from the wood?

I’ll also let you in on a pet peeve of mine. Look at the pictures in your family photo album taken against a white wall. Don’t they look like the background is missing? Wouldn’t your family look better against a richly textured, colorful backdrop?

If you are really timid, just paint your walls a tint of color. Think of your poor furniture and family! M.A.K.

Boring Boyfriend

Dear Melissa:

My boyfriend’s apartment is blue, blue, blue. You’d think there weren’t any other colors out there. I’d like to make it look better. A.S., TN

Dear A.:

Are you sure you want to do this? More importantly, are you sure HE wants you to do this? If he’s amenable to suggestions, tell him that peach/terracotta/pumpkin accents will warm up his color scheme; bright yellow will give it a French Country look; and greens/violets will continue the restful theme. A monochromatic color scheme doesn’t have to be boring, however; just suggest that he vary the shades of blue and add lots of texture.

I wish you both luck with this. M.A.K.

Disagreeement on Color

Dear Melissa:

My wife and I just bought a new contemporary house that we love. However, I love an antique white color on the walls but my wife wants more color. My question is, designer to the rescue, with really tall walls, how would you use color in a really big room??? How do you pick the colors?? How do you separate the rooms?? My wife and I are in conflict. F.G., NH

Dear F. and Mrs. F.:

I don’t do counseling, but what I think I hear you saying (do I sound like Oprah?) is that you’re worried that while a neutral color can be boring, a strong color will overpower a large room. Fear not. As long as the wall color has something to do with the colors of the furnishings, you should be all right. May I suggest a compromise? Try a neutral nonwhite: a gray-green or yellow (which go with everything), or one of the many unidentifiable grays that are so fresh now.

Don’t worry too much about rooms that have doors that close. Those colors are self-contained. Concentrate instead on the rooms open to one another.

The easiest way to find a color scheme you can both agree on is to pull one from a patterned fabric or wallpaper you already have in the room. The textile designer already came up with colors that go well together. Assign a different color from the mix to each room as the predominant color, and then use the other colors for accents. M.A.K.

How to Make Florida Work in Boston

Dear Melissa: 

I just relocated from Florida where my chrome and beige contemporary leather furniture looked good with white walls and big windows overlooking the bay. But it all seems sterile up here. I don’t want to change my furniture because I may move again in 18 months and anyway I like it. What economical things can I do? J.E.R., Boston

Dear J:

I have three words for you: color, texture and plants. As you’ve noticed, white walls don’t work well in our northern light. Use either warm colors like chocolate or a “funky” color like purple or turquoise. Counterbalance the sleekness of the chrome and leather furniture with lots of nubby fabrics, Flokati rugs, woven blinds, and textured wallcoverings. Living things also warm up a room. Throw lots of parties, invest in some plants, or hire your unemployed brother-in-law to hang out on your couch. M.A.K.

Dear Melissa:

I recently inherited a beautiful 1823 American Empire loveseat. Unfortunately, it clashes with our carpeting. The piece is a gold-camel color, but the carpet is a lovely kind of mauve…What do we do? Reupholster or re-carpet? What would you do in an established room? C.D., UT

Dear C.:

First of all, is the fabric on the loveseat original upholstery? If so, I’d get it appraised before you inadvertently destroy the value. If not, consider which is in worse condition. If they are equal, work the numbers to see which cost is the lesser of two evils. You’re in the same ballpark with an inexpensive carpet and an excellent upholsterer.

Must you reupholster? Does the loveseat clash with all of the furniture in the room? Get out your crayon box. Could you incorporate the loveseat into a color scheme like mauve/burgundy/gold,  or mauve/slate blue/yellow, or mauve/periwinkle/turquoise/yellow? If you can’t work it in, I should caution you that while gold is still popular and  historic, mauve --while outdated --  refuses to die. A similar shade of pink is comning in. M.A.K.

Picking Colors Can Be Fun

Dear Melissa,

I have a contemporary home not large (almost a cape size) painted white and no real divider except one small wall near the kitchen. I am afraid to paint with a color because of the flow from one room to another. I have cathedral ceilings. I do need some spark added to the rooms. Please advise me. Thank you. Rose

Dear Rose:

This is the most common question I get; a lot of people are stumped by this one. I’m assuming that since you have rooms open to one another, the color schemes are already somehow related to one another. There is probably at least one color common to all the areas. The simplest option is to paint the walls a shade of this common color. If you’re timid, start with a light color – in time you’ll get bolder. Now for something with slightly more impact: try a texture on your walls in this common color. Use either a painted faux finish or a textured wallpaper – the fainthearted can try a strie pattern, a grasscloth or rag finish.

For those of you who are even more adventurous, find a contrasting or complementary color for your walls. A lot of shelter magazines publish issues on color in the spring; or look at patterned fabrics for inspiration. Here are some examples: if your color scheme is blues/greens or pinks/blues, color your walls yellow; if your color scheme is cream/tan/white, color your walls dark brown; if your color scheme is a range of pastels, try aqua or gray walls, etc. Get the idea? Picking colors can be a lot of fun. M.A.K.

What Works with Red and Purple?

Dear Melissa:

The colors in my living room are red and deep violet. I know it sounds gross, but it’s really nice. I want to recover a chair in my living room, but I can’t find the right shades of either the red or the violet, so I’m stuck. I don’t want to do a neutral and have it stick out like a sore thumb. I have looked everywhere. W.S. 

Dear W.:

I think your color scheme sounds great. Unfortunately colors come in trends, with certain shades going out of favor for a while. You don’t have to match colors for them to blend well in a room, however. Have you considered using an intermediate color to bridge the two colors – say, amethyst or wine, for instance? A bridge color wouldn’t be as obvious as a neutral. Another option would be to experiment with an analogous color like ginger or tangerine. M.A.K.

Color in an Open Floor Plan

Dear Melissa:
I have a problem with my open floor plan in my contemporary cape that I think is pretty common with a lot of houses built in the '90's.  The family room is about 12 x 15 and it opens into the kitchen, which is about 12 x 18. The entire space has hardwood floors and there is a sunroom off the family room.  You can see the front door from the family room and the sunroom.  My problem is the lack of coziness- it's painted all one color, a light pink, right now to go with the colors I have now.  When redecorating, should I go for two different colors in the kitchen and family room/sun room?  What color(s) would be warm and inviting? Should I use two complementary colors to assist with the delineation of space?  What other recommendations do you have for helping out with the openness?  I'm not too crazy about using screens or plants.  Should we build a small wall to help with the foyer openness?  Thanks.
Diane, Guilford, CT

Dear Diane:

First of all, congrats on the pink – which is one of the up-and-coming premier colors.

That being said, if I’m reading this right, the sunroom is an extension of the family room. I think keeping a similar color scheme in the two spaces would work well (including different shades of the same color). The warmest colors are the reds, oranges and yellows, but I would be careful not to heat up a sunroom with a color that is too warm. For example, think lemon yellow, not chromium yellow; think coral not pumpkin; etc. You could extend the color into the kitchen as well for continuity, but why not use a contrasting color here for interest.

As for dividing up too much openness, a half wall bookcase would be great, so would a lowered ceiling, and obvious seating groups, anchored by area rugs. You can divide a large space with color changes only if there are wall breaks in the right places. Take a look at books on loft design for some inspiration.

M.A.K.