This Plain White Living Room Looks Completely Different After One Paint Decision
Sometimes paint colors in rooms help everything else fall into place. For Alex Hinand (@the_bareback_contessa_), “I can be a bit impulsive in my own home,” he says. “I’ll see one paint color or inspiration image, and suddenly it’s all I can think about. That’s how I wound up with the pink and green combo in my living room.”
Alex painted his Chicago apartment living room — brick fireplace and all — pink with green trim, and he filled it with mostly secondhand finds. “I moved in with nothing but a coffee table to my name,” he says. “I have spent a LOT of time scouring Facebook Marketplace, thrift stores, the alleys in my neighborhood, to turn this apartment into the home it is today.”
Paint made the apartment feel much warmer.
The walls, trim and fireplace in Alex’s living room were white when he moved in. He started by painting the walls and ceiling pink (Benjamin Moore’s Rose Silk and Strawberry Yogurt, respectively) in 2023, and then he handbrushed the trim and mantel in green after falling in love with the olive green color (Benjamin Moore’s Vintage Vogue) in his dining room.
Alex’s painting advice is to first, pick a high-quality paint. (His go-to is Benjamin Moore, “not sponsored, just a huge fan,” Alex says.) Second, choose high-quality brushes for anything you have to hand-paint. Third, buy a little bit of extra paint for your project, and fourth, always paint in daylight for consistent lighting.
“I have bought cheap rollers that shed like crazy and add, let’s just say, unwanted texture to the walls. Spending a few extra dollars to make your life easier is so worth it,” Alex says on Instagram. And having extra paint on hand “not only will … ensure you finish your project, but you WILL need it for the inevitable touch-up,” he adds.
There’s a surprise stripe moment in the doorway.
One of the most fun paint moments in Alex’s place is the striped threshold between the dining room and the living room; he used painter’s tape and a small hand roller to make it happen, and the paint colors are the same pink as the living room walls plus Benjamin Moore’s New England Brown.
The furniture is an eclectic mix.
The coatrack in the living room is from Amazon, the coffee table is passed down from Alex’s grandmother, the chartreuse chair is also a hand-me-down, the dresser the TV rests on is from Facebook Marketplace, as are the chrome chairs and sofa.
The latter two are some of Alex’s favorite pieces in his home. The metal chairs are vintage from the ’70s, and they “add in a lot of much-needed contrast,” Alex says on Instagram. And the sofa is by Arhaus; it usually retails for $5,000, and Alex found it for $250. “
Alex says one — of a few — design “rules” he broke in his apartment was putting his sofa in front of the window. “I know sun damage is a potential risk, but it is the best layout for the room by far,” he says.
Don’t be afraid to accessorize.
One last piece of design advice from Alex is to not be afraid to layer and add stuff. “Are you a crafter? Put your supplies in a basket in the corner of your living room,” he writes on Instagram. “Put your TBR pile on your nightstand. Put that quilt your family member made on the back of a chair. Get some photos from your last trip printed and framed.”
In short, put things you love in your home, and make it personal. To see more of Alex’s home and to read more of his decorating advice, check out the full apartment tour.
Inspired? Submit your own project here.