We're starting our decorating and furnishing adventure first thing come February, and one question remains... what color do we paint the walls? Personally, we both like Tiffany Blue.
As you can see, the space is underground with no windows and raw concrete floors. We're going to light the room with floor lamps and fill it with all our awesome guitars and cameras. Both desks will probably sit facing the room, looking out from that back wall. The color of that wall is probably the most important, right? Even if we don't paint the entire room, I have a few ideas for color choices. Any suggestions?
Also, I really loved these various spaces in Tiffany Blue. They all feel light, airy and very happy.
1. The dining room of Kristen James + Mike Dunn is amazing; not only did they nail the perfect Tiffany teal blue, but their mid-century modern decor really pulls the room together.
2. The author of Color Me Happy blogs daily about her inspirations. One of her most recent projects involved reclaiming her office and turning it into a functional yet highly stylish workspace.
3. Kristen and Mike's kitchen is incredible, done in dark woods and shiny steal appliances. I love that they've carried the Tiffany teal blue in accent pieces around the house, like in the kitchen!
4. I found this cute vignette of a yellow chair that pops so nicely against a textured wall on Inspiration For the Home.
The most important thing, for me personally, is that the space represents both of us. Jordan leans more toward modern, minimalistic and I lean toward vintage, eclectic. Help us with your ideas :)
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No just wash them really good, then if you need color try colored lights. Creative lighting is what you need.
I'd go with the lighter blue like in the picture of the office.
Ohhh, BEAUTIFUL. If you're both agreed on Tiffany Blue, I say go for it. And the mid-century modern look will help you pull your styles together.
I'm really, really loving the 2nd and 5th photos. Question: Do those swatches represent the color scheme you're thinking of? I think a few pops of that red will look really gorgeous in that space. And personally, I would only paint the far wall in the Tiffany Blue, then use that pale gray for the other walls so you don't feel overwhelmed by the color. And if you can get your hands on a bright yellow chair, go for it!
Yes! Tiffany Blue is always a good thing... I painted my front door Tiffany blue despite the fact that my house is a terracotta red. It looks fabulous!
I disagree- I think at least one wall of Tiffany blue would be GORGEOUS (after the walls are washed and painted a brighter white if you keep them that color)! On the other walls you could do varying shades of the Tiffany blue, big prints on the newly white walls that complement the blue, and yes, fantastic lighting is the key!!!
Good luck!
I was going to put reasons here, but you've pretty much nailed them. DO IT, DO IT, DO IT. That is all.
I say try it! I think it'll look great, and if you hate it it's just paint.
Two of the walls in my living/dining rooms are Tiffany blue, but I cut it with a couple of camel colored horizontal stripes (6" and 1', with a 6" blue stripe between them), and did the remaining walls in solid camel. It's been on the walls for nearly six years, and it's one of the few paint colors/treatments I've never gotten sick of.
I hate to chime in with a negative here, especially since you both agreed on it (I know how hard that can be since color is so subjective), but our large bedroom is "tiffany blue" and I can't stand it! Lately, it looks dated to me and also it just seems to lack the sophistication of the rest of the colors in our home. I think something with a little gray in it would be nicer, and either greener or bluer. I like nataboo9's idea of doing multiple shades/variations on the color, and not just top-to-bottom "tiffany." Good luck and please post the final results!!
I must paint something that color! I have seen so many things robins egg blue and really don't like it, but I love this shade! You should get a sample of the color and paint it on the wall you want it then set up your lights to see if it goes well with the artificial light.
I say try the back wall only and see how it looks, with some colorful artwork on the other walls. It might feel more open.
If you still want to go all out after that, then paint the whole thing Tiffany blue.
Great space and a great color!
I have to be negative here and recommend you go with a more neutral grey. I bought a house with a "Tiffany blue" bedroom. I actually held up a Tiffany box to the wall to check, and sure enough, it was the same exact color. The walls are so bright, the color absolutely takes over and reflects all over the place.
If you are dealing with photographs, the Tiffany blue will bounce off the walls the second you turn the lights on and distort the way you look at the colors in your photographs.
I just painted my room bluye bonnet from benjamin moore. It's a lighter color like the one in the second picture but has a bit of grey in it. If you guys used pops of yellow, red or deep berry, and had some mid-century furniture this place could look really rad. And the blue would be a nice backdrop for a photo studio.
Use the blue as an accent color away from where you plan to photography. You don't want the blue color to reflect on what you're shooting. Stick with white or neutral gray on the walls. Check out professional photography studios.
I love the color -- just update your lighting while you're at it (I suspect that was already in your plan). The bigger question is: how will you balance the bold color in a windowless space so that it doesn't feel like an under-water cave?
I love the idea of incorporating wall-mounted wood cabinets at and above eye level to draw your eyes up and create the illusion of height in the space -- that is to say, I'd avoid floor to ceiling shelving that anchors the eye to the floor.
Also consider floor color. I've learned that warm beiges / oatmeal colors hide dirt better than darker colors, and if your choice of blue has a little more yellow in it, you'll probably want to choose a floor color with a warm hue rather than a cool hue.
Then there's the whole mirror thing to reflect light and create the illusion if windows. Consider hanging large framed mirrors --especially those divided into smaller "panes" in places that would be architecturally natural for windows. e.g., http://www.furnishingsontheweb.com/images/Designer/hahmr60019.jpg or http://elitechoice.org/wp-content/uploads/2007/08/windowpane-mirror.jpg
Go for it, but only on one wall. I'd give the other walls a fresh coat for white paint. A great tiffany box blue color is "Icy Moon Drops" from Benjamin Moore. Good luck!
Go for it! BUT - notice in all of the posted pictures each room has a lot of contrasting white. I would say leave one wall white, or accent the place with a lot of white furniture/equipment. Good Luck!
My initial reaction was "AAAAHH!!" but that has more to do with my team painting an office complex tiffany blue and royal blue for the past three weeks. Every single wall. The only wall we didn't paint was the cube walls.
Overall, it looks gorgeous (and is also 100% underground due to the nature of the building). Sherwin Williams Calypso and Mosque Blue. All the doors are bright white, and the frames are Mosque blue.
I'm a fan of doing accent walls, but not necessarily just with white. White can read very stark, so maybe a light grey?
Have you thought about painting the floor? With Tiffany blue, I'd do chocolate brown - whether you accent or not, white or grey.
Go for it!
Yes! If you don't like it, you can always change it. But the idea of it reminds me of an awesome room I saw in a magazine that not only painted the walls sky blue, but then put grass-green carpeting on the floor. I would imagine it could give a very happy vibe to a basement.
I think like you show in #4 it's better as an accent than the whole room.
Check out Benjamin Moore Aura Paint Color Blue Echo. Aura paints are awesome because they have really great coverage and go on super smooth.
You mentioned that you like the “light and airy” feel of the blue rooms in the photos. But those rooms ARE light and airy. They have windows and natural light; your space does not.
In my experience, light colors don’t work very well in dark rooms. Light colors tend to look dingy and flat in dark rooms. They sort of lose their color, actually. (Light = Color, right?)
Since your space has no natural light, I would be inclined to go with a deeper color. With the right lighting, you could create a very dramatic space.
Whatever color you do choose, lighting will be critical in the space. Lighting will MAKE this space.
Also, I’m not sure exactly what your photographic venture requires of the space, but you need to consider those needs. If you are using the space for shoots, then you will probably want to set up an area that can be away from the influence of other color.
I say Go for the Tiffany blue! And hey, why not pick a great wallpaper like the one in the cute vignette...if your space is all about being fun and creatively adventurous?!
awesome feedback, thank you :)
I should of clariified however... we are only painting that back wall.
I like the idea of light grey though now ...
I say yes, but only in a small area. Stripes, a gallery wall over it, or only one wall with the rest white. Tiffany blue can become very overwhelming very quickly and if you're in a basement the lighting will only make it more overwhelming.
yes! we just did our bathroom in tiffany blue (a very light shade)- and it is amazing. our bathroom doesn't have any windows- so it can be quite dark b/c it doesn't have natural light- so it was just what we needed to brighten the space. how exciting!
I say go with the darker grey/black. The photos you've chosen are lovely...but none of them are window-less basements. There is not much hope in my opinion for "light and airy" underground...but you can acheive cozy, sexy and rich.
I have painted two different bathrooms black (due to lack of a window...gotta love NYC) and curtained over all the walls in a finished basement (covering a sad little window) and I have to say in all cases, it worked great.
In your case, I think the blue would not look good against the raw concrete of the floors, and will end up reading as a little dingy because of the shadows.
Light it well, paint it black, call it sexy, and have fun!
And if you go for the Tiffany blue...I am still with you! ; )
Yes please. Gorgeous!
Keep the walls white. Paint the floor blue!
You might want to check with your photographer partner on the use of that blue. Wall color will migrate into photographs, so unless she doesn't mind explaining to her clients why the pictures have that lovely Tiffany color cast, especially in the shadows, might want to rethink the blue. Even if she's not actually shooting in the space, the wall color surrounding your workstation has an influential effect on how the eye perceives color on the monitors. Advice - go neutral.
I have one Tiffany accent wall in my kitchen (which I repaint regularly), but the rest of my studio space (I've been a commercial photographer for 20+ years) is neutral white.
yeah that blue is nice in a basement. it's cool, so it feels bright, but greenish so it isn't cold. you are thinking about it strongly enough that you wrote in to ask.......seems to me you want to. don't be so timid, just do it!
my bedroom is this color and i love it. its not just basic blue, and it really brightens up the space. love love love it.
I love the curtains in the picture of the office. Lovely!
Tiffany, shmiffany, a neutral gray/blue will always work...especially as a backdrop for your photos. STAY AWAY from those bright colors - will hurt your eyes and will be outdated by next week. Frame all in white, can't go wrong.