See that pale teal color in the painting over the fireplace?

That's the color for your walls.

a rich Khaki would make that red chair pop

Before I had even read that the room lacked natural light, I was envisioning a warm color for it. Initially I thought a yellow, but the more I look the more I would consider a subtle pink - either a grey, tan, or off-white that has a serious pink tone to it. Pink is often neglected as being able to work as a neutral, but it can warm up a room wonderfully and not feel overtly pink at all - more like the glow of sunset always pervading the room.

i would paint each wall a different pale color to simulate the appearance of light and shadow

I agree with bepsf and hunted. Pale teal or rich khaki. If it gets to hard to choose, flip a coin!

No question at all in my mind: An ethereal sky blue, similar to the color in the painting over the fireplace, but even lighter and airier.

(I wish I could cite a specific color by number, but I'm no help with cool colors -- all my walls are buttercream and sand.)

I agree with bepsf. That was my first thought. A warm gray is also good (perhaps one with more of a yellow undertone).

a crazy blue: peacock or the color of a Tiffany's box

Behr Toasted Wheat in Flat. It's a beige, but a good, strong, neutral beige that works with the pale blue, red, AND brown in the room. It will make the baseboards pop.

a light blue to match the rug or background of the flower paint if you want a very blending serene room, or a grey color if you wanted things to showcase and standout more.

Bepsf, that is exactly what I was going to say. It will look great with every piece in these photos.

You might also consider leaving the brick wall painted white, with the other walls a new color. That way you leave the lighter wall at the darker end of the room and don't drown out that nice painting.

i agree - light aqua like the background of the painting over the fireplace. it will look great with the red and brown/neutrals you have in the room, as well as with the white.

Pale teal, no doubt about it.

I agree with the pale teal suggestion.

I think a light grey - maybe Behr in "Sparrow."

My first thought was a pale teal; totally agree with bepsf.

Home body is on to something with the suggestion of a very subtle pink tone...

And sorry, but I totally disagree with the suggestions of pale turquoise and the like. I think there's too much light wood for that look and it'd wind up looking sterile. Plus, I think the combination of aqua & brown needs to be put to rest for a little while. Please. PLEASE.

I think that a lovely chocolate brown, like that in your pillows would look perfect! Good luck deciding!

Another one for the pale teal! I also like the idea of the brick wall staying white.

And if not the pale teal, my initial suggestion was going to be a a sort of light, muted neutral mustardish tone.

light grey

I'm for a slightly darker gray that would contrast with the light-colored furniture.

I agree with ghunt and MeghanD,

Leave the Fireplace wall white and paint the other walls a light gray. The gray will make the colors in the painting and furniture pop even more.

teal or gray but definitely as modernguy says, leave the brick wall white.

I think wide horizontal stripes in colors like Benjamin Moore manchester tan & linen white would make a big impact and create visual interest.

Count me in for the cool color. I think a pale teal maybe slightly muted will look great. It'll contrast well with the pops of red, and the paler color will still feel light and airy. (Although you can never go wrong with grey.)

NO COLOR! leave the walls white. looks like you have enough color going on with your furniture and artwork.

Your furniture and decor are very straightforward, so you could get away with something more dramatic on the walls. I'd vote for a "mushroom" color on the brick wall - a color that's halfway between your brown pillows and the taupe pillow on the couch (with a little gray added to keep it neutral). It'll really make the red and blue "pop" out of the painting.

For the other walls, I'd consider doing a pseudo-wallpaper painted technique. Using two rich golden-toned taupes, paint your walls with very broad stripes. Each stripe should be at least 16" wide. The taupes should be very similar to each other, but you want just enough difference between the two so that the striped pattern just barely catches the eye. To help with the effect, the darker taupe should be a flat finish and the lighter taupe an eggshell finish - the light will catch the lighter stripe from different angles to create depth (an almost fabric-like appearance). Its a style that looks fantastic with a bright white crown moulding, if you ever wanted to go in that direction.

I think you're best off with neutral walls - the red and blues (and yellow!) are already great accents, so you don't want to compete with them. Bringing the golden taupe color throughout the room just ties everything together. I'd also think about adding another black-framed photo to that wall (forming a staggered/triangular grouping) just to add another asymmetrical element to break up the "boxiness" of the room.

Its a great looking room!

oh yes, definitely leave the brick white.

Go with the pretty blue in the painting. It would contrast nicely with the pink/red and look gorgeous with the cream and brown furniture!

I would paint them a slightly lighter shade of the green in the painting in the first pic. I'm seeing people call it blue which may be right since my screen is dark.

i go with homebody and tmoore, the palest of pale pinks, just a whisper of pink. it would look so serene and mysterious. teal & aqua have been done to death.

A nice grey or perhaps a burnt orange.

I agree with the teal or the khaki all depending on if you want the room to have a warmer or a cooler feel. The teal would certainly pop the most in my opinion.

The blue would overpower the room. Stay neutral, but add depth. Ralph Lauren's Antique Brown (FLAT) would be nice. The other largest surface in your room is the flooring...choosing a shade that complements the floors will allow the other colors to really pop. Despite its mysterious popularity on AT, many blues are very difficult to live with, and if you don't get it EXACTLY right, you can end up with an "underwater" feeling. Especially in a room of that size without a lot of natural light.

a full aqua or calm orange.

i'd go with a pale neutral(au lait maybe?) or pale bluish/gray color....

Another here for a pale blue-

look at this color-http://www.benjaminmoore.com/bmpsweb/portals/bmps.portal?_nfpb=true&_br=1&_pageLabel=fh_home&np=colors/2052-70

see bedroom- BM Silver Marlin
http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/ny/house-tours/stefanies-house-tour-house-tour-109564

sorry here is BM Ice Blue
http://www.benjaminmoore.com/bmpsweb/portals/bmps.portal?_nfpb=true&_br=1&_pageLabel=fh_home&np=colors/2052-70

Benjamin Moore Marblehead Gold is a gorgeous yellow that is in the same intensity and value as your pinks and blues. It would be gorgeous, with lots of depth and punch.

I would not do blue in this living space. A tan as suggested by TampaRN (Toasted Wheat) would be perfect.

that pale teal color that everyone else is mentioning for the walls and a deep burgundy accent wall by the fireplace.

Patina Green... Farrow&Ball 'Arsenic'.

I vote for khaki/mushroom, leaving the brick wall white.

Not teal! I think that would make the room too one note for me personally. I'd like to see a golden yellow/khaki or a deep grey with yellow undertones. That would make the rest of your colors really stand out. And I'm for leaving the brick wall white!

Almost all the paint companies have websites that let you upload a picture and try out colors. I'd try that.

I'd do a test patch of a deep teal (like this: http://www.colourlovers.com/color/084356/dark_blue) on the brick wall to see how it works. Then paint the rest a creamy white so there is no harsh contrast. If dark colors are not your thing I'd look at yellows, too, but with the light wood furniture, that could be tricky.

Good luck! It's a lovely room.

Two ideas that can easily be combined: That teal blue would be amazing from the painting. Then to keep it light but add texture and depth try a worn plaster paint technique (think buildings of Europe, mostly white with hints of blue, pink and yellow). I think the contrast between the "textured" walls and your smooth modern furniture would add a whole other visual dimension to the room.
My friend did this technique in her place and it looks phenomenal. It adds subtle color and texture while making everything else in the room look better. It took some time to paint but it's well worth the wait.

I would do an accent wall with the teal blue (but wouldn't put the rose painting on the same wall, I think it would blend in too much) and do the paint technique on the others.

As a side note, the two black and whites would look nice spaced out a bit more, maybe add in a third and or put them more over something, like the chairs. They are currently getting lost hanging out together in the corner. Good luck and I hope we can see the finished product! You're off to a great start with the furniture that you have already!

I feel like all the beige/warm color suggestions will make it feel like you are perpetually living in autumn with the brown and orange accents (very pretty by the way!). Great in October, but I would find it awkward in the warmer months, like leaving the Christmas lights up. I would add in a cool color for some contrast and to eliminate any potential seasonal tone. I love the pale blue suggestion, but if you think that's too sterile, you could always play with greens. I think an olive or other shade with some yellow to it could be great! And I'm also for leaving the brick wall white. Good luck!

Lovely room.

I wouldn't suggest a paint color for this room and decor. I would recommend a medium-toned grasscloth wallcovering in a shade that harmonizes with the floor, piano and the sofa and then keep the brick white (or possibly repaint a cream, off-white or taupe several shades lighter than the grasscloth).

Keep the brick white, as others have suggested. Then, I'd say go for a nice grey. I could even see the wide stripe/painted wallpaper idea working really well with two similar shades of grey, one in flat finish and one in eggshell finish.

Bring more of that aqua color into the room with throw pillows on the brown couch. It will liven it up without making the room feel sterile. (That green/blue can feel like a hospital pretty quickly.)

As someone who lives in a house with warm taupe, beige, and dark orangey-pink walls, with red, brown, yellow, and green accent pieces - I can vouch that lcarolla is totally right. It works really well in the fall, but whenever springtime rolls around, I find myself seeking out more green accent items to make it feel more like spring. (Just bought a green clock today!)

White bricks, chocolate walls. (If that's too much brown, leave some of the walls white but freshen it up.)

I would leave the bricks surrounding the fireplace white and paint the other walls a gray/green, so that the colors stay light but offer more warmth. I love sage and a soft minty green, similar to teal but less intense. The room is beautiful as is too :)

Its a nice living room with a lot of potential - I like the fireplace (is that a low shelf in front?), the wood tones of the floor and the piano and the yellows above the piano.

Personally, I could live with the white, but if painting, I would paint a warm shade of white (that is what we do in Scandinavia, where in the North the sun does not rise at all for several months).

I would make the fireplace more of a focal point though and move some of the furniture closer (and that lamp and table out of the way of the view), and maybe put candles in winter to echo the fire.

I would get rid of the teal/brown combo and lots of styles/colors of furniture just does not work for a living room. I would replace the sofa/armchair covers for more unified, masculine, look (the red chair could still work).

Another for teal that matches the color in the painting but a few shades lighter.

Also, leave the brick wall white. Awesome accent.

I would match the blue on the painting for the walls and leave the fireplace white.

It's a lovely room as is. You have lovely taste. But I think a nice sunny yellow would look great. I'm not really feeling the aqua/teal/blue vibe going on in this thread. Yellow is the key. :)

I'm with home body in voting for a a nice, very light pinky/coral. I have a very lgiht pink living room and its a lovely restful neutral. Teal/ gray would be too harsh/ cold for me.

And yes to echo some others,I'm seeing a lot of squares and right angles, the space feels a bit blocky and cold with all the furniture clumped that way on the rug. I would go with a larger rug, a looser floor plan, maybe some rounded/rice paper lights and some plants . I think pinky walls are my way of warming up and giving more human flow to the space, but it's in the arrangement also.

I think you should live the walls white. Maybe remove some chairs and keep the red one for accent with the white walls.

Grasscloth wallcovering!

SPONGE paint it!

;)

I'm with the palest of blue or pink. Is it just me or are grey rooms becoming the next KCaCO?

grey

i love the white brick wall as is...and sorry to go off topic, but can anyone tell me where to find that white side table?! pretty please? i've been looking for one just like it...

"Is it just me or are grey rooms becoming the next KCaCO?"

How could could something as abstract as a color become as annoying as a war poster motto which has been regurgitated all over cheap tea towels & tote bags and yet even more cheaply-framed posters & placed inside a bunch of barfy mid-centikea interiors?

In defense of grey, which, incidentally, would not be my choice for this particular space, the color can be complex, atmospheric, calming or moody and is an elegant foil to both neutral & bright furnishings. How is that like a poster?

Because it is popular? Like TEAL?

There is a PPG colour that I have at my work that would be fantastic in this space! I will update tomorrow but you should keep the main portion ofthe room white. This is your chance to maximize the natural light while also satisfying the need to give the space some depth. Don`t paint the wall with windows a darker colour because it will fight with that gorgeous light you have pouring in (due to contrast). Paint the opposite wall (to the right of the fireplace) your accent colour. I am so excited for you!

I actually like the white quite a bit.

However, I think a light butter yellow (muted, though (kind of wheat-ey)) would look beautiful.

That, or, dare I say it? A light purple-grey? This is probably one of the few places I've seen where that color could fit in fantastically.

@sashax415 I have the exact same table, and I bought it at Homegoods

My immediate reaction was exactly the same as Bepsf's - a very pale, aqua-y blue would look AMAZING. Your orange/red/brown accents would really pop against it, as would your white fireplace. I'm not usually a fan of accent walls, but I would say in this case to start with the wall to the right of the fireplace only and see how you feel - that may be enough. There's a color I love called BM Bird's Egg that might work for you, but you may need a color that is more aqua.

Another vote for bepsf's pale teal suggestion.

Though I also think if this were my place, I might keep it white but change up the warmth of the white a bit. You have a lot of color going on and it might be nice to keep the walls neutral. Having said that, the pale teal can read as a nice neutral too.

But I would not under any circumstances paint that fireplace. It's lovely white.

@Made: Thank you! Though what a bummer... that means I probably won't ever find it! Let me know if you ever get tired of it and are looking to sell ;)

Thanks for the vote of confidence AKB2003!

Definitely not blue. You'll lose the nice impact of the blue armchairs. The color palette you have is very simple and soothing. I like the grasscloth idea. Personally, though, even though I am a color freak, in this room I would redo the fireplace a very glossy, warm white and the walls a less glossy version of the same color. And I would either move the painting on the mantel to where the two small prints are, or leave that but replace the small prints with something bigger that has more impact. Part of why you hate the wal, in my opinion, is that there is such a large expanse of it there. Those two prints are too small for that space and they are also hung too high. Something large and colorful and vertical would add a lot of interest to the room.

I also think the room suffers from being a little too matchy. You could take some of the color suggestions from other posters and find pillows that feature them to replace the brown ones you have there now.

White. Classy and timeless. And then invest your time (and money!) to find a large scale original piece of art. Austin has some great artists.

I think a warm pink would be nice!

Here's what I picture: white bricks, faux concrete walls, pale aqua ceiling. Add a few more punchy bright yellow accents. Picture those yellow flowers on the piano against a concrete wall.

I think it would look amazing, like an outdoor room.

Don't paint the fireplace, but the rest of the walls in pale blue would be marvellous.

If you had natural light, I think you could go as dark as the small teal book in your bookshelf, but the painting certainly has some good shades to pick from too (in the right level of colour saturation), and they won't overwhelm the space or make your furniture battle for attention. Plus a pale greenish blue like that would complement the wood of your piano beautifully.

Leave the white brick wall. Paint the other wall Farrow & Ball Down Pipe (dark blue grey) or Railings (dark blue) or Benjamin Moore Chalkboard (which is like a charcoal blue, plus, you can draw on it). Or, do a lacquer brown.
Accent walls are scary til you do them and then they are amazing.

I like the idea of a light teal/blue/green like that in the painting - on an accent wall.

I am wondering where the painting is from?

Another minority vote for a "neutral" pink. Check out Benjamin Moore Boudoir, Martha Stewart Pebblestone, and Farrow and Ball Pink Ground. I'd leave the ceiling and bricks white.

I agree with a pale grey and keep the fireplace white so it will pop.

I think it will look TOO matchy and coordinated if you go with light teal. I second the khaki suggestion-- I even think it could look awesome if the khaki tends slightly green!

I'd match the blue in the painting. Really pretty!

So I have some suggestions that are more than just paint colors.... :)

Having lived in a basement room for 3 years in college with one, 12" x 36" glass block "window", I TOTALLY understand having to deal with lack of natural light issues.

Looks like you have one good sized window there.

I also love cool colors...and I think when done wrong they CAN be "too cold"...but there are ways to warm up!!

My suggestions are:
1) Paint the brick a light turquoise or aqua that is in the same color family as the painting you have (luv luv LUV BTW!!!). There is an interesting finish that could reeeeally work there, a lime wash finish (attached link)
http://colormatch.biz/articles/diy-limewash/

This would certainly add depth and keep from being too "chalky" under artificial light.

2) Paint all the other walls a "deeper neutral" that is more of a sandy taupe like so...
http://classic-interior-design.blogspot.com/2009/05/neutral-paint-color-by-benjamin-moore.html

3) Move your GORGEOUS painting over the...I think that's a piano...? By the window...?

4) Collect the photos you have scattered about and place them on the mantle on the accent wall

5) Throw some sleek, red grommet drapes on the windows a la pottery barn or west elm-ish to stay stylish but soften that corner

6) Move the leaning shelf and put a tall plant (janet craig dracaenas are super tall and easy to keep) by the window to further soften the corner

7) Take the leaning shelf and put the stuff that's on the low bookcase shelf thing on it

8) Check around for some pillows that tie in the red and aqua...I love Etsy.com because they're custom/original and it supports artists :)

With only two pics and not a description of "what you're going for" it's hard to offer more...but I know I'd put a couple wicker items (maybe as a "planter" for the tall plant) and a big, stone, earthenware-ish item or items...these would also add depth...maybe a metal wall art piece or something in a bronze-y finish if you find there's TOO much space on the walls...swap out that little white table with the lamp on it for a small, old, rustic trunk or leather storage ottoman with studs...

Good luck!! :)

I've looked through the suggestions, and they all seem to be very predictable and flat (sorry).

My immediate thought was a light royal purple for the right wall, like this:
http://www.vestsbycharlotte.com/images/vests/15k-royal-purple-vest.jpg

I would leave the brick white, though.

I think if you go for any light colour for the walls, it will wash out the whole room, and the colour you do have won't pop anymore. It will look like every other room where people have been a little creative, but stopped before things got too scary, and they end up with an average looking room.

Consider my crazy suggestion. :D

PS I meant other walls, not just the "right wall". Also, keep in mind that you have some white furniture (and light furniture). If you have light colour on the walls, your furniture will not look nearly as swank as it could.

Good luck!

I agree with some of the other commenters: pick up the light teal that is in the painting. It would make the red and browns of your furniture really pop. And keep the brick of the fireplace white so you have a focal point.

Blue and grey are nice but the rebel in me thinks that if everyone in this post says blue or grey, then I say ORANGE! Just GO FOR IT with the orange color from your poppy painting - that light orange in the center of the flower. It'll warm the room way up and make your blue chairs and white accessories really pop. Here's the thing though - don't paint the brick, leave that white. Blue and grey are going to look fine, but how boring is that?

@tmoore that rocks.

After much contemplation, I like the idea of doing something in the coral family...look at your painting and choose one of the lighter highlight colors in the flower. This will look good with the pale blue and brown furniture, and won't compete with the red-orange chair and painting. They will still be bold enough to pop out, but the wall color will be dark enough/contrasty enough to accent your other furniture well. I agree with the suggestions to leave the fireplace wall white because it keeps everything clean and modern.

I'd be really interested to know what Megan finally decided. What color did you choose? How did it turn out? I love this room and the colors you have to work with are fantastic!

I think I would leave the brick white and paint the wall red.