apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

What colour is the room that has this closet? Is it your bedroom?

Oooo, I would love to have a reading room! I'm picturing gray walls, with white wall shelves for books and a comfy yellow or aqua armchair, a small table, and a lamp.

how about doing something with texture, rather than just paint? for instance, what about hanging some white or cream sheers around the room to create a sort of an ethereal feel or doing a textured wallpaper?

or, i once saw a "thinking room" that was floor to ceiling shelves with just one overstuffed chair in the middle. i thought it was perfect.

here's the reading room that i've been working on...

http://tearinguphouses.blogspot.com/2009/10/before-progress-pictures-little-blue.html

kelly

try "whip-poor-will" or "sealskin" by martin senour brand paints.

Don't forget to paint the ceiling, too. It's amazing how in a small, windowless room it will make it seem infinite. No matter what color you choose.

Soft yellow.

Personally, I find dark colors more expansive than light ones, maybe a soft brown or dark blue or gray. And definitely paint the ceiling as well.

I'd put down one of its wall... if you're not a renter. It's a really, really small space and I wouldn't use it.

If you want to keep it, I'd go for a very bright palette, since there's no window.

That's a hard one...

Black with White trim.

I think this would be the perfect place to use a bold wallpaper. However, it you want to stick with paint, how about chartreuse?

when there isn't a lot of natural light, i think it's good to run with it instead of try to hide it. if you did a deep color, like navy or chocolate, and painted the ceiling too, it would feel SO cozy. a deep bitter chocolate, with bookshelves painted to match and some nice soft lamp light... i want to join you now!!

I like the idea of a deep chocolate or navy color. Both go so well with books.

I'm thinking blue/grey walls with soft yellow accents in the room.

I agree with the dark color recommendation, but I'd go with eggplant or deep violet. Add some luxurious textiles and you'd have a "royal chamber" to retreat to!

A dark grey with purple undertones, white accents, and a pale aquablue chair.

Have you seen Layla's reading room? So soothing!
http://www.theletteredcottage.net/2009/09/reading-room-reno-rumblings.html

Definitely a dark color. You'll probably be using reading lights which will make paler colors look washed out and bright colors too loud. I'd go for a chocolate brown, dark blue, or seal gray and be sure to paint the ceiling.

Without knowing the colour of the bedroom or your decor style, it's not really possible to say anything definitive. The colour would need to be complementary to the colour of the bedroom - going from a pastel yellow to a dark purple, for example, will be too much of a clash. And while a rich grey is beautiful and fashionable, it's going to look terrible if your furniture and trim are honeyed country pine.

I think you'd be safe going with a richer, darker shade of your bedroom colour (eg from a light blue to a sapphire blue) or a colour with a similar intensity (eg from a light beige to a light chartreuse). A small, indulgent room like this is "allowed" to be a little like a jewelry box, with luxe materials and deep colours.

Just be careful not to go to far, and cross from "private sanctuary" into "prima donna throne room".