apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Yeah those primary colors do smack of large, study toddler-proof plastic toys.

Kitchen: eggplant! It will go great with the light cabinets and sexy range

Dining room: hard to say without seeing furniture and amount/type of lighting. But, I am leaning toward either a light-olive green or spingy green depending if you want muted or vibrant. Both will coordinate well with the eggplant in the kitchen.

I'm thinking deep steely gray with bluish overtones.

That red is too orange? Geeez. Maybe color ain't your thing.

I like the red, not the yellow and hate, hate, hate those orange oak posts.

I'd paint that brick and the posts white and then the kitchen and living room a light gray (or a blue-ish gray as previously suggested).

Jeez -- y'all beat me to it! I was also going to suggest the grey and blue thing. In the living room, do a pale, pale dove grey, and in the kitchen I'd go for a cross between prussian blue and grey slate -- something with a very slight amount of green in it. Because the counters are so light, the room won't feel claustrophobic.

But, I'm a big fan of greys and blues. If you're not such a fan yourself, I like the white post idea, and the other walls painted a gallery white would be a nice counterpoint to the brick. And, though people suggest painting brick all the time, I really like it in this setting. I'd leave it and try redoing the rest of the paint job before attacking the brick.

Good luck!

what about cocoa (chocolate brown with a cool grey undertone) color with robin's egg blue accent walls?

I'd keep the brick natural but paint the posts cocoa or the light shade of the cabinetry.

Something I learned when I was going to have a chair recovered. Take the paint chips, fabric swatches and compare them to each other to make sure that all of the colors work together.

I took the fabric swatches and picked my favorites. Then I held them against the wall and carpet and eliminated any that didn't look great. After that, I was left with one that was perfect.

Hold up your new color ideas to the red (if you keep it) and the oak.

I hate the look of that oak against the yellow, the hutch and the floor. Choose your colors and compare them to each other.

I have a couple of questions: I don't see anything in the pictures that looks 'modern' except the kitchen. Are the country dining table and hutch going to be replaced?

And what are those expanses of dusty black in the kitchen? Slate? Blackboard paint?

If you're getting some sleek new modern pieces for the dining area (say, metal and glass) I would go with a warm taupe on that wall and a warm pearl grey in the kitchen.

If you're keeping the more traditional furnishings shown, I'd do a flax colour (close to the colour of the island and countertops) in both spaces.

In either case, the dead white ceiling and trim are distracting. A warmer white (like the shade of the kitchen cabinets) will help unify the space.

I'm really liking kelly green right now. I ralize that might seem counter to what you're asking for, but friends of ours have one wall in their bedroom painted that color and the effect is amazing -- very modern and fresh. Tough to pull off, but if you can do it, GREAT effect.

I'd say replace the yellow with a white. Also, the narrow bits or red in the background on the lower right picture seem distracting. Make them white as the ceiling is. In the first picture the red looks okay, but I suppose the lower right pic has the more important view.

The posts are ugly, but that could be a contrast with the yellow.

To summarize: you've got wooden flooring, wooden posts, and a brick wall. That is quite some warm tones already. White out most of the yellow and red, and perhaps replace the red of the kitchen island with something contrasting to the wood: a steel blue or a pale gray/green.

White on all walls except the brick ones. And I mean white, not cream. Then move in your furniture. Then see if you want any other colours at all.

You have a GREAT space. It deserves an investment of your time. So that you will be completely satisfied with the results. Like that old saying "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure", spending some time browsing NOW will keep you from having to repaint several times LATER (because you picked the wrong color, or because you saw something later on that you liked MUCH better).

Remember that the colors you see in the stores and online are NOT what the colors will look like in your home. NEVER pick out a paint color based on an image you see online or in a store, because you don't know what color adjustments were made to that photo and you don't live in a paint store with overhead fluorescent lighting.

So, with no further ado, I'm sending you over to look at ALL (yes, ALL) of the "Decorating with (insert name of color here)" slide shows:
http://www.bhg.com/decorating/color/colors/

When I say that I want you to look at all the slide shows, I mean it. Your space is SO open that choosing the right colors is very important. You also want to read up about colors and brick and colors and wood:
http://www.bhg.com/decorating/color/choosing/

After browsing and reading, you might find a color in the range of this would work:
http://www.bhg.com/decorating/color/colors/green-home-decorating-ideas/?page=4
http://www.bhg.com/decorating/color/colors/green-home-decorating-ideas/?page=11
http://www.bhg.com/decorating/color/colors/green-home-decorating-ideas/?page=12

I'm thinking use the green instead of the yellow. Leave the red. Use art to blend the colors with each other, and make it seem less like chunks of primary colors and more like a carefully thought-out plan of design.

http://www.artselect.com/perl/frChooseMatFrameSize?genericType=skuProduct&genericID=15084&artID=268183&matID=1&frameID=634

That image would work with the red and yellow right now too. Using any blues in that space will make the floor look VERY YELLOW/ORANGE.

The way to overcome that is to make it look like you planned it that way. LOL! With art.
http://www.artselect.com/perl/frChooseMatFrameSize?artID=230415&matID=1&frameID=1&openct11074=19052,19043&t=b-c19043-cmfs&tab1=canvas&tab2=canvasChoices

Notice the tones in the sky, that pick up some of the wood tones in the floor (remember, this is what colors *I* am seeing on MY monitor). Then use that teal blue shade of the sea for your walls.

Also realize that it will take a lot to cover red. And whomever did that red and the yellow, did a splendid job. Reds, oranges, yellows, are very hard to get right.

Hopefully this link will work:
http://tinyurl.com/5ogqg9

And this:
http://reviews.ebay.com/HOUSE-PAINT-Identifying-Problems-amp-Finding-Solutions_W0QQugidZ10000000004641581

"Yellow, red and orange pigments are generally man-made and now that paint is becoming more commonly lead-free, these colors and all shades associated with them are becoming a challenge for good hiding. Some colors will "bleed" through others, no matter how many coats of paint you apply. Stain blocking primers are designed to seal back the offending color or pattern. Keep in mind that this type of primer may still allow you to see the original surface when it's dry; that's not a problem. The job of the primer is to seal, not to hide."

I really like the red walls. If you really hate them, you will probably have to double prime and expect to use 4-5 coats of whatever new color you choose to hide the red. Not kidding.

On red:
http://ask.metafilter.com/48283/Red-walls-to-white-in-one-coat-of-paint
"It took us 2 coats of Killz and three coats of latex paint (good stuff) to make it respectably white-white."

On yellow:
http://www.contractortalk.com/showthread.php?t=1886
"Kilz is fantastic. You can use it just as easlity to cover up crap in forums. Although for some people it will take two coats. maybe even three!"

In that same thread, someone discusses the problems with getting a good red (so you can understand how incredibly difficult and successful it was to do your currently red area):
"I built a home for my brother over this past year and He and his girlfriend wanted dark red paint in couple different areas of the home. I had no experience in dark colors prior to this! 1st mistake thing it should'nt be that tuff to use another color. After all the paint is one coat coverage? Not!! Could'nt have been futher from the truth. The pigments broke down all the cover ablity of the paint. 2nd mistake is dark semi-gloss paint shows every little flaw in the walls. The walls need far more attention proir to dark shades. Besides the finish of the walls the paint pro at the store suggested a mouse gray primer? Although the first room I painted I started with a white primer base. Thought the dark color would cover a lite base easily, could'nt have been more wrong. The paint had the same characteristics as a semi-transparant stain! Two coats may have been enough if Iwould have sprayed rather than cut-in and rolled. Due to the paint being so transparent you could see lap marks easily. I liked the look of it having depth. But even after four coats I still was'nt satisfied with the coverage."

You are looking at a lot of time and expense in the form of primer (very smelly stuff) and paint to cover the red and the yellow.

If those are blackboard surfaces in the kitchen, keep and use them to display artful, ever-changing menus-of-the-day, shopping lists, snippets of poetry, etc. Replace the red walls with a neutral griege.

Replace the yellow with flat charcoal black, which recedes and creates a great backdrop for art and warm woods. All my walls are that dark, and my trim is black. You don't see it as color, just a rich surround that lets everything pop.

Paint the island and raw looking columns a mid-tone that harmonizes with the brick or your furnishings ... maybe a muted purply-red or slate blue. It's an accent so you can go in almost any direction.

TrueBlue - Great advice!

I'd never paint those columns, and Red is the perfect color for a Kitchen.

I'd also repaint the Yellow walls: either Green or a Milk-Chocolate Brown...

paint everything white , then move in and think about it.

I love the red! The yellow isn't that great though, i would replace it with white or cream, and add chocolate brown accents by painting the poles.

I have some more links for you to look at, if you have time. These are from Armstrong, and they show mostly flooring, but I wanted you to see the rooms with yellow and/or red in the background. For ideas on decorating, that you may not have thought about yet.

Yellow living room, note the color of the TRIM!:
http://www.armstrong.com/resam/na/home/en/us/sbr_detail.asp?sceneId=272.0&searchUrl=sbr_browse.asp&sceneTypeId=8

Cream living room, with yellow fabric accents and greige furniture, great color combination:
http://www.armstrong.com/resam/na/home/en/us/sbr_detail.asp?sceneId=28.0&searchUrl=sbr_browse.asp&sceneTypeId=8

Red, white, brown, gray, yummy living/dining area (and everyone knows where that table comes from, right? Ha!):
http://www.armstrong.com/resam/na/home/en/us/sbr_detail.asp?sceneId=187.0&searchUrl=sbr_browse.asp&sceneTypeId=8

One of my all-time favorites, gray, yellow, reddish maroon:
http://www.armstrong.com/resam/na/home/en/us/sbr_detail.asp?sceneId=72.0&searchUrl=sbr_browse.asp&sceneTypeId=8

A lot of times we have a foggy, misty idea of what we want. But we don't know exactly what it is. It's like a Goldilocks syndrome. Something just isn't "right".

You want "modern" and "mature". The furniture may be mature, but it is not modern. It looks more traditional. And the colors on the walls are not that traditional. So it doesn't "work" right. That's the problem we're seeing.

The furniture would go great with wood and brick and neutrals and it would be very traditional and mature. It would blend together better in all neutral tones. Without big splashes of color anywhere. Like these colors, with the lighter wood floors, darker wood furniture with white walls and some white accent furniture:
http://www.armstrong.com/resam/na/home/en/us/sbr_detail.asp?sceneId=14.0&searchUrl=sbr_browse.asp&sceneTypeId=3

With a big space like yours, you could go sort of "gallery":
http://www.armstrong.com/resam/na/home/en/us/sbr_detail.asp?sceneId=212.0&searchUrl=sbr_browse.asp&sceneTypeId=5

Featuring "VIO" (Very Important Objects). Like in the image. I'm getting the giggles now. Because I'm seeing that huge artwork on the right side as being a VIO brown squiggle feature. And then there is the giant man-sized pot way in the background. And the "I-think-it's-a-drum-but-I-bet-I'd-get-in-trouble-for-banging-on-it" object.

Anyway, drum banging aside, that would be a good look for your big space.

Looking at the images will help to clarify that misty, dreamy, foggy, corner-of-the-eye thought you have of an ideal space into a concrete series of absolutes.

So that you know that you will have a gallery-like appearance that could be cold and unsettling with a hands-off attitude. It could be taken far too seriously in all white.

And we know you don't like the Crayola look. But those huge chunks of color will look like huge chunks of color, no matter WHAT color you have on the walls.

So incorporate art and let it help set the tone. Whether it's an all-white and wood room or a color filled room.

It could be very serene and cool with the teal blue and the pair of sea images with your wood and brick.

It could be very vibrant with the chrysanthemum image, leaving up the red and yellow and adding in some green. Green in plants. Toss pillows.

But you would have changed the image of the room from being Crayola to Nature/floral/greenery. I'm kind of doing a quick look around, to give you some more ideas. I have to walk to the store, I need more CLEANER! Ahhh!

This green, for a rug, with maybe the floral picture and the yellow and red walls:
http://www.rugsusa.com/rugsusa/control/outlet-prod/~pid=CO158KST2646-508/~color=8233

That figures. There's only one left. Ha! I have to go. Maybe something here helped. Hope so.

white

First, paint the bricks and the posts white. That will be a huge improvement right there.

I'd suggest (along with most everyone) that you cover the yellow with white also and leave the red. Then think about it for awhile. To me, the red kitchen is the most attractive part of this space.

Have fun with it!

Don't paint the bricks! Get rid of the yellow asap!

benjamin moore aura paint can now cover well with one coat, and you don't have to move out--the odour dissipates in about an hour. the colour line for the formulation is restrained. some nice greys, browns, greens. to remind, aura comes in all benj. moore colours, but there are new 'just aura' colours, too.

if you paint everything the same colour, rather than 'zoning,' those columns, painted, would recede, and the brick and floors stand out. they do not marry well presently, to me, but brick is so warm and textural, and an expanse of floor wonderful. how about a more brick-complementary floor.

if you decided to paint the brick, and i hope you don't, how about a colourwash instead.

you have a great space. zazzu is right--have fun. and pay no attention to snarky comments.

my favorite colors right now are rich white, inky plum, and gray (everything from taupy to silvery) - all of which would serve to balance the warmth of the brick and the wood in the space. i would wait to paint anything but the walls until you live with it for a while and see how much those columns bother you. of course, no painting brick!

best of luck!

first off -- is that your furniture or the current owner's? it matters because the colour advice would be different... I am going with the assumption that it is not your furniture, since you said you like modern with ecclectic... it would help though, to have a sense of what sort of furniture (what colour, texture, etc.) will be going into the space.

as everyone says, red is a great colour in a kitchen, and I agree... however, red is a really difficult colour to get right -- it can be too pinky, too orange, too blue... my favourite red is an oxblood red -- it is Donald Kaufman's DKC-17

http://coxpaint.com/store/cart.php?target=product&product_id=16424&category_id=255

Don't be guided by this paint chip -- not only is it a question of monitors, but also, this is a full-spectrum paint that must be viewed in situ through the different lighting conditions to get a sense of how it would work in your space, so I urge you to order a sample pot.

I am a huge fan of Dutch and Belgian interiors, both of which frequently have exposed brick interior walls. I personally find the brick walls to be very powdery in colour, and don't find them to be an asset -- part of the problem in the space is that the bricks are such soft earthy colours that they clash with the primary colours of the painted walls. In Holland and Belgian, such walls are usually painted -- most often white -- and the effect is very modern and quite stunning. You much wish to explore images of such interiors so see what you think... Personally, I would paint everything but the kitchen in a gorgeous DKC white, brick included -- DKC-51 is my favourite white of all time:

http://coxpaint.com/store/cart.php?target=category&category_id=255