apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

While I have nothing intelligent to say about the hallway color -- if you picked up the LR wall blue in the pillows on the sofas and chairs, that'd go a surprisingly long way toward making the furniture snuggle into the room more effectively.

For the sofa specifically, I'd think about pillows with a pattern that includes the wall blue, the chair green, and maybe a punch of accent color.

Call me a traditionalist, but I've always thought white walls were classic. Cover them in art (photos, prints, whatever), a big colourful thing (throw, carpet), and it really pops. White is very stark, it's true, and if you don't work it your space looks like a gallery, but one or two really vivid things in a white space really stand out, and you don't have to worry about things clashing.

Some artwork above the sofa could add some excitement as well.

I would say that you have tooo many colors (yellow, green, greyblue) in your upstairs living space - and I'm not sure if they really work well together...

I think I disagree with Maxwell on his orange suggestion. (*gasp*!!!!)

Based on pics, can't quite figure out how the space fits together, but I'd choose just 2 colors for your whole space (to unify and calm...) and perhaps paint the entryway in a complementary (lighter / brighter) version of one of the colors in your living space.

Regarding living room, it would be nice if your two IKEA chairs matched each other (in finish/cushion color). Maybe sell one and buy a matching replacement for the one you choose to keep?

Maybe some small side tables with glowy ambient lamps would help warmify the space, too. No overhead lighting! Blech.

And, check out the post on calder-esque mobiles posted earlier today. It would be a great way to break up all that dead-air above the staircase in your entry. Would be neato.

All your answers are in your rug.

I don't like the orange color Maxwell picked, but I agree with the idea of painting just one side of the hallway - perhaps the right wall since it is not straight - it seems to veer right at the end or your photo. That would make the hallway seem less narrow. You could go for a yellow or other bright color . . .

re: Anti-starkness:

Get some art on your walls.
Hang a mirror near the entry.
Add a runner to the stairs.

P2 is very wise. You should listen to him.

Also, think about using color only partially up the wall (e.g., chair rail height) in the narrowest part of the hall.

i actually like the suggestion of using orange (and i love calypso orange) and was going to suggest it myself before i read the replies. personally, i say get rid of the rug rather than trying to fit your colors around it. a nice black and white rug would look lovely contrasted with the orange.

No comment on the orange color. As far as your living room as Patrick(the other one) stated all of the colors are in your rug.

They are all neutral colors and will go with anything. I like the tan color but also the green will do. Some nice lamps near the sofa will look great.

I really like the grey/blue color in the living room. Can anyone provide details on paint brand/number?

You need to unify the colors in the room. Based on what you already have, I would recommend the palette to be brown and green (similar to the chair color). Perhaps you can introduce orange as an accent color. I would paint the entire space either white or a light green. Get wall hangings that are have stark design shapes (like Motherwell prints)that reiterates your palette. Wall hangings should be bold and large, or many like frames/pics grouped together. Maybe add really long twigs in a vertical green pot, or green stained bamboo in a long espresso pot to add texture and accentuate verticality in the room. Put some throw pillows with patterns in brown and green, tan and black, or orange and brown. Maybe add a simple espresso curtain to the windows (slide it to one side, straight) to frame and add softness to the room.

Re entry hallway: I'd build a between-the-studs niche for all those shoes, kind of like a Japanese shoe cabinet. It could be tall, or you could have more than one of them. The shoes would have to be stored vertically, perhaps elastic bands could hold them in place, or narrow boards. Maybe another simple niche could hold a tall, narrow branch or sculpture -- something to focus your gaze, welcome you home, and help you shed the world as you arrive.

My two cents: Put in high, mounted wall lights of some sort before you pick a wall color. To me...color alone won't make it welcoming.

Hi Rich,

I make modern mobiles, and this narrow hallway has come to me many times. My clients order a large mobile to fill their high ceiling. They are colorful, they move with the air from the door, and are pleasing to see first thing as you enter the house. Just a thought. Come visit my site:
http://www.humboldt1.com/~mobiles/
Colorize to your hearts desire!
-Julie Frith

I don't see how the orange would work with what you have, I'm afraid. A little too autumn-blend for me. Painting one wall of the hall a strong color is a good idea, though. Leads you into the apartment. I agree that you need a topnote in the LR.

In the photo of the LR, the blue pillow-chair just pops out and has nothing to do with the rest of the room (could be that the photo washes out the rest of the colors). Perhaps sronger blues should be what you build up. Your walls appear to be pastel. I would go with a more saturated blue (something like BM 767 Graceful Sea), or green (BM 416 Tasty Apple), or that taupe/gray in your rug ((BM 1501 Paris Rain?). It looks like you have a good apple green upstairs, or is it the same green as downstairs? Overall, you need to make bolder decisions, or things get lost.

Vertical elements are a good suggestion. Something tall and dark to hide the tv. Art on the walls. Something bolder and larger on the mantel (too many little things there), strong-colored curtains in a textured, heavy fabric (hung from near the ceiling on a chunky rod). Good lighting. And either ditch the beige chair in the LR or get it recovered. The fabric has nothing to do with the rest of the arrangement. The wood is the wrong tone, too. New pillows to pull out the strong colors you choose. The pillows you have are all wrong. And fewer things on your counter by your dining table!

I can't speak to the orange, as I'm not quite sold, yet not quite turned off - and I trust Maxwell - but mightn't the problem with the living room be the juxtaposition of warm furniture tones against the cool walls? I think the furniture overpowers the walls and leaves a feeling of dissidence in the room. You could try a darker shade, but I'm not sure that will do the trick.

And as the others have said, whatever color you decide on, you'll want to integrate it with the furniture using pillows and so on.

Thanks for everyones comments thus far.

Narrow Hallway Entrance on 1st floor (1st picture): I'm not to keen on the orange, but wanted a something that widens up the space. Do you think it's best to paint one side of the wall such as the right side as shown in the picture and leave the other wall the off beige color?

The Kitchen (2nd floor): I'm planning to change the green pastel color to something darker because I think it doesn't look right.

Living Room (2nd floor): I'm definitely will be getting rid of the Ikea chairs that's in the picture and changing the TV stand. My problem is trying to add some color to the wall between the dining room and living room.

Personally, I would pick a richer color for one side, like the orange offered up as a first suggestion, and then put a lighter version of the same color on the other side. The dual colors really fool the eye into thinking the space is larger than it is. Alternatively, you could try a rich khaki on one wall and keep the yellow you have used previously on the other side. I have seen it work really well in hallways.

Rich--
I think the kitchen green doesn't look right because it is too blue, and not olive-y enough. Should/could be a lighter version of the green in the rug. A yellower green (as opposed to the bluer) will look less institutional.

As for the dining room to living room wall, why not just continue to wrap the color on the dining room wall down around to the living room? Although I'm not sold on the yellow, I think carrying the color on that side (versus the opposite) will give you better result. Then get your color on the opposite wall with art.

I think the color-blocking effect you seem to go for is much more contemporary than the "bones" of the house seem to be (moldings, railings, etc.) which is fine if you continue to push that vibe wiith future friniture choices and possible renovations.

I can't wait until we're not saying "good bones" and "pops" anymore.

I guess just to clarify about the arrange ment of this place.

The 1st floor is the narrow entrance as shown in the 1st picture taken from the 2nd floor and the last picture posted is a picture to the 2nd floor.

The 2nd floor layout is as follows: stairs leading up to the kitchen and adjacent to that is the dining room and adjacent to that is this small hallway that then leads to the LR.

I essentially have two different hallways that I want to paint and the rooms I would like to tie it together.

providencial--
there's a great drinking game that involves HGTV (or TLC) and the word "pop"...it's the only way I can stand it.

Hang on all.. I think I hear Andree firing up her paint program...

Rich, you're right that the arrangement wasn't clear. I think the most comfortable color family for that DR to LR hallway would be in the greens, since it straddles the colors in the two rooms (I am assuming that the walls in the DR are a yellow-green and not yellow...hard to tell from the photos). A darker, very saturated, cool gray-blue-green on the long wall, and a continuation of the DR color on the other wall? But you need to be careful with this combo, because green and yellow can be too harsh together.

It's hard to say without seeing all the real colors, but I would carry the DR color down the hall on the wall with the door, and find a deeper, more saturated color for the other wall. Then make sure you have something in the LR that picks up those colors.

The Trading Spaces drinking game:
http://www.yourghost.net/tradingspaces/

The HGTV drinking game:
http://holly.wards.net/2005/11/24/hgtv-drinking-game/

agree with the person who said you have too many colours. the house I bought ten months ago had a different colour scheme in every room – but we’re talking deep purple in one room, cardboard brown in another, dark green in the halls (and spearmint on the hall ceilings!!), jaundiced yellow in the kitchen, dirty blue and hot pink (together) in the master bedroom. so I counsel against lots of colour on walls! I’ve changed everything to cream – as many suggest, use a white for everything, but I find cream is warmer and just as beautiful (and pick the right shade, it tones gorgeously with white ceilings). introduce colour then thru upholstery, soft furnishings, and definitely some artworks of some kind for your blank walls (fabric widths, rugs or scarves can look great hung up, and have a fab 3D effect). agree to with the suggestion to get some consistency between furniture – it doesn’t have to be matchy matchy, but it makes a place look less student digs if there is linkage, through colour, textiles). and re the original question, the hall – why not stick to a pale neutral, but whether it’s wall paper or paint, introduce light, interest and texture with an effect? ie a textured but monotone wallpaper? or (my first thought) a pale neutral paint in a soft pearl or shimmer effect? I’ve seen this done and it doesn’t look disco, it can look very classy. keeping it neutral (white, stone, cream, palest silvery grey) maintains light in this very narrow space, but the texture adds some interest!

Pat:

The DR has is a pastel yellow color. The kitchen that you see in the background is also in a pastel green which I will change to a darker shade of green. The LR color is gray-blue color, but I guess it's hard to see in the picture.

I was bored at work and did this in a flash.
hope it helps.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mimi_destiny/sets/72057594124918543/

Rich, how much stays, how much goes, how much do you want to do? It doesn't have to be done all at once. Just having an overall plan and doing things in steps works well.

I'm an IKEA fan, proud of it, and I like to pretend I have my own TV show with IKEA as a sponsor, unlimited funds, and the ability to shove you into the bathroom while I flit and flutter around your home like the magical house fairy I'd like to be (with wings, even).

What do you need? What do you want? What do you like?

Stuff I'd do with my dragonfly wings and wheelbarrow full o' cash would be to get the shoes off the entry floor, and use this handy bench at IKEA:
http://tinyurl.com/hc2ya

This goes above:
http://tinyurl.com/8gk25

At the top of the stairs. You're probably going to say you don't have room for it. However, you have taken up more than that much space at the bottom of the stairs on either side with shoes. Because two pairs of shoes sideways is more than one pair lengthwise (from what I can see of the shoe sizes). And you'll have a place to sit down to remove them.

I'm going to do this in steps. I now come to the AT site later than everyone else, so my long posts can be at the end of the day where they won't get in the way of everyone else.

I personally think the orange would be hideous in the entry. What do you have for lighting above that entry door?

I wouldn't change the white hallway, between kitchen/dining and living. I would add a gallery. With this:
http://tinyurl.com/rurf7

Okay, have to do some errands, and as Night Shift said, Fire up the paint program.

Okay, did a bit in the entry and the hall. My old art teacher is rolling over in his grave over the perspective. And if he's not dead yet, he will be after seeing my attempt at putting in the Pottery Barn Wall Easel in your dining/living hall.

I did a blue-white on the door wall and the right wall in the entry, put in the iceberg picture from IKEA (the ready to hang area), spilled something blue all over the floor, which could just be an entry way rug/runner. And placed a dangerous rug at the top of the stairs to slip on. Oh, and that's an IKEA hanging lamp above, but I'm sure the scale is off and maybe a cluster of three would be better.

I like "themes". I don't mean the typical themes of a certain style. I just like to have a visual cue to attach colors or decor to. So I gave you a cool, icy, sea entrance.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/96179754@N00/

It's serene. It's not rush-rush, hurry-hurry. It'll slow you down, whether you're on your way out, or on your way in. This is a GOOD thing. It's cool, too, good for summer. In winter, folks won't be hanging around down there anyway, there's no place to sit, let them warm themselves in the rest of your home.

Do you like the pillows on your sofa? And is your sofa dark brown? I was thinking it might be nice to warm that room up in an exotic manner. Instead of the blue-grey (which will pretty much be down in the entry now).

I like to use this set of pictures from BHG called Carpet Magic on just about everyone I come across. And your room is architecturally similar!!!
http://tinyurl.com/h6kpe

Check out the Color and Culture picture. The POANG chairs are SOOO comfortable. I'd swap out the cover on the white one for the red leather or red fabric. Keep the tannish color. Check out the MARKOR entertainment armoire at IKEA too. That will hide your television and those cords (I say we start saying and believing the lots of visible cords are extremely attractive, and it's a new trend, and finally I'll be ahead of the trend!).

What do you think? Anything sounding good? I haven't invaded the kitchen and dining room yet.

hi,

you have a really lovely space.

i'd agree with others & suggest for the living room:
keep the wall color.
get two new arm chairs that coordinate (suggested above)
replace the mirror above the fireplace and throw pillows with something along these lines:
http://www.pillowsandthrows.com/modern-bedding-inhabit.html
http://www.pillowsandthrows.com/inhgrs1818p.html

remove that oddly hung clock!

After sleeping a bit, I don't know if I like the blue entry anymore. hahahha...but I did the living room. Simple stuff, some of which you were planning on anyway.

Just the fireplace wall is brown. Not the rest of the room. Flor carpet tiles, House Pet group, in Black Cat, Gerbil, and Snake.
http://www.interfaceflor.com

The medium brown finish POANG, I just got a new cushion/cover set, KUNGSVIK dark red:
http://tinyurl.com/eynep

The wall art is from here:
http://tinyurl.com/fyky5

Open Skies by Scott Steele

THAT is your inspiration for your entire home's colors. All your colors are in there. That golden yellow-orange you have in the dining. Darkening up the kitchen to a muted olive or gold. The grey-blues and browns. Reds, grey, black.

And, when folks come up the stairs and look over down your hallway, that is what they'll see. The wall art over the fireplace, the red chair, the black/red/brown rug. They won't see the blue walls in the living room, that will be a surprise. And keep it from being dark (although that could be a very cosy room in dark colors with your ceiling lighting).

Anyway, same link as above, check it out. Love it? Hate it? Doesn't matter, just seeing how things look from another person's perspective can be fun and help you decide on things you do want (or will NEVER do). ;)

"All your answers are in your rug."
Such wise words...

Lauren:
Thanks for the advice. Do you think that the mirror above the fireplace would go well at the entrance hallway or just a large painting or a series of painting?

Andree:
Thanks for all of your suggestions. I may keep the blue-grey paint color in the LR and possibly just paint the fireplace a different color to bring it out. I was also trying to stay away from reds in the room.

I'll attached a copy of the my floor plan to help people see the layout which may make it easier.


http://www.flickr.com/photos/10584411@N00/140331833/

Rich--
Also love the idea of using the slate color of your fireplace surround as inspiration for either wall colors (between LR and DR) or weighty accents in the LR.

I'd also consider just painting out the firebox (the white parts) to something darker.

And I agree about not introducing reds.

I agree that you have a lot of colors going on, and i think adding orange to that space would serve to emphasize its proportions, which I am not sure is your aim. If you are to paint it at all, I would go for something subtle and wouldn't paint it to the ceiling. Paint it up 10 feet or so, and leave the rest white so that it bleeds into the ceiling. Maybe you could add white molding to formalize the division (bonus: don't have to tape as carefully).
If you don't paint, maybe you can add some attractive, low-hanging track lighting (though "attractive track lighting" may be an oxymoron!), or a series of large, but NOT fussy--very simple, low-hanging chandeliers to lend the effect of lowering that ceiling.
If this were a grand vestibule, I would say play up the vast height, but as it is a pretty narrow, dark, space, the height is awkward, and seems like somehting you might want to play down in order to make it more inviting.
Livingroom: I think adding art to the walls and some CURTAINS (in a brown or green from your rug) would greatly improve the space. I like the grey-blue paint, it is the empty walls that make it seem stark. Matching chairs would help too, or you could just sand, stain, and recover the white one.
Good luck!!

BM Pittsbug Blue (HC-159) is a beautiful slate color if you are looking for one (for LR accent wall).

With all those pastels you risk looking a little too sweet, which is not where you are going with your furniture. The greyish-bluish green I was talking about earlier (for hall between DR and LR) is somewhere near BM Prescott Green (HC-140). It's my approximation of the green I see in you LR rug.

I assume that the orange Maxwell suggested was to do an early-sixties palette, to go with the furniture. Doesn't seem to be your taste.

If you cut down on the number of colors, I'd drop the yellow, and go with the slate blues and warmer greens. The green in you LR chair looks like an apple green to me. I'd use it. With the brown of your couch, and the blue ottoman/beanbag thing and blue on the walls, it could all flow together. Find some bold-design pillows that use the blue and green, and taupe from the rug. Hang some artwork in dark frames. Get those dark curtains, hung high, even if they're just dummy panels.

I get a real kick out of seeing how into this everyone gets. Guess I'm not the only one who goes into the homes of other people and wants to redecorate.

Rich:

Floor plan confused me more, I know you have two stairways. I had no idea there was one going right into the living room. Please tell me you don't have to come in the front door, go up the stairs, through the kitchen, the dining, the living rooms, back down the other stairs to finally find a bedroom.

On those days I'm soooo tired, I'd give up just inside the front door and sleep down there with the shoes.

Rich, what DO you like, want, need? What don't you like. We now know about not wanting red.

Everyone who mentioned the key is in the rug:

I don't agree with using the rug colors in the living room, because the rug in the photo, in contrast to the wood floor (orangish) the crisp white molding, the grey-blue walls and the rich sofa, the rug looks dirty. It just looks dirty, dingy, grimy.

In that home, the one thing that would be the hardest to change is the floor. Paint is easy. Tons of art, textiles, rugs, that could work. Using the FLOR tiles over the whole floor in the living room would work. But, otherwise, the floor will stay that color and because of the shade *I* see on MY monitor, I wouldn't put that rug in there. I wouldn't have done that light of a wall either. It would have been bluer.

What does everyone else think? About flooring? Floors. Floor colors? I tried fighting my own brown carpeting for years, and gave in to the browness of it all. And went with it.

Pat:

Yes, it is a lot of fun to redo someone else's home. Whether they like it or not. hahahahaha What's GREAT about this thread are all the ideas!!! People looking at the SAME SPACE and interpreting it differently. Which goes to show that we all see things in our own way.

Andree:
I was just interested in finding colors or things for the entrance hallway and the colors between the LR and DR. As for the furniture, The rug, coffee table and sofa will be staying along with the mirror.

The rug that I have is linked below:
http://www.roomandboard.com/rnb/prod.do?pfid=956109&grp=RB3439-2&grpType=0&collid=RB3439&collname=Abstract&dept=RB317

Thanks everyone for your suggestions and comments. I'll focus on the colors in the rug to tie everything in the rug together.

Rich--

Ikea does have a great shoe cabinet, but the closest thing I can find online is their Nyland, which isn't quite the one my friend bought. His has a top shelf with hooks for keys, leashes etc., and looks much more "furniture" than the Nyland.

He replaced the knobs and it really looks-- and functions-- great. Consider putting it at the top of the stairs if the foot of the stairs doesn't offer enough room.

ps: Really love that rug.

Wow! The rug looks completely different on the website than it does here. I mean, it's the same rug, but the COLORS look different. Remember, we are all seeing different colors, because of the way our monitors are set anyway.

Okay, just the entry and the hall. I wouldn't do either, other than perhaps adding art. I tried colors, other than what I posted, and it made the hall and especially the entry look like narrow caves. Made them look 2 feet wide.

Which is why I say art. And some ceiling fixture in the entry. Instead of looking down at the cave, there would be things to occupy the eye/mind. The various items that will grab the attention, instead of just the walls.

What's with the code thing, this is the third time I've tried to post!

Rich, the link to the rug was a good idea. The colors show much better. It's a great palette to work from, and if you want that top-note Maxwell mentioned, you can just use a brighter, warmer version of one of your colors...like a hotter blue or apple green. I really like the mouse-taupe color, too. It could be used on a wall in a flat finish, but not in the LR. Maybe the long wall of the entry? That color needs contrast to bring it up...crisp white trim and dark or black wood. You'd have to be careful with the color it met up with in the next room. Stick with the rug as a guide.

That butterfly chair at designpublic.com --- which AT featured earlier --would look great in the dark finish in your LR. At the entry, I'd go for a shallow, simple bench in a dark color. You can slip the shoes underneath. You'd probably have to make it yourself, but people just need to perch there to put shoes on or slip them off. It needn't be full-depth. You never want to crowd your entry.

I just did a very small hallway in Benjamin Moore's "Honeywheat" (179, eggshell). It is a beautiful butternut squash-like yellow. My painter liked it so much, he is even considering using it in his apt.! It changes the look depending on the light source.. from light light warm yellow (without looking lemony) to a darkish warm yellow.

Pat: Do you know of a place to purchase a shallow bench?

Pottery Barn has a cute Prairie Bench that's only 12" deep and 22" long (19" high). That's the kind of thing I was thinking of. Comes in nice colors, too.

Anyone have a suggestion for a type of TV stand in this room? I'm not looking to spend very much.

BM also has a paint called hemp seed beautiful in a hallway for a touch of colour with out making it darka nd dreary. The BM colour specialist sayd she reccommends it for hallways especially.