Help me pick a color! I've chosen paint color swatches that pick up various of the colors in my duvet, and taken photos of the swatches against the duvet so you can see the matches. Disclaimer: None of these colors are exact. The camera seems to lighten everything up somewhat. I guess it balances out more or less though, because it also washes out the duvet a bit too. Regardless, you can still get an idea of what I'm considering. I'd appreciate any input you care to provide. I realized I've given myself WAY too many choices which is always a downfall for me! But I did it and now I have to deal, so help, please! Even if I can just narrow down the choices somewhat, that will be beneficial. Number 1 Number 2 Number 3 Number 4 Number 5 Number 6 [/url]
Hi. I would go for one of the three lighter tints of green shown on foto nr. 6. The yellow/golden tints look royal and quite nice, but it seems a bit too much of that colour (for me). A red is possible, but then the walls and the material would also give a feeling of quite a bit of red it seems. The lighter tint of green gives me a feeling of calm annnd I find the soft green gives the rich colours in the material a chance to "come out", if you know what I mean. The red quickly dominates and the soft green doesn't in my eyes. But how nice to begin fixing up your room. Despite the difficult choices, you must enjoy this change.
Ronni, I think your color choice may depend on how much time you spend in the room, and whether you are an early rising, jump out of bed singing type, or someone who needs to get used to being upright in the morning. If you are the singing-jumping type, I'd go with the soft yellow in photo #1, at the top (12 0'clock position.) It's cheerful, but not glaring. If you are the slow-rising type, I'd go with the soft green in #6, at the 9 o'clock position. Restful, but lets enough light reflect so you don't just roll over and go back to sleep! By the way, that is a gorgeous duvet.
The elimination process begins with the color chart in #5, way too many to choose from. If there are a few you are drawn too then cut those blocks out and throw the rest away. But I don't think red should be one of your choices. The room photo in #4 might not work when you get the walls painted and with your furniture. I would eliminate that for now and let the room develop along the way. You might find that after the walls are painted and the duvet is in the room, that many of the other color options you have chosen will work as pillows, rugs, curtains or paintings. You are not limited to one or two colors if the others also make you happy in the room. Red is not a restful color, it's the color of anger and you don't want that when you are trying to relax in there. Yellow can make you feel optimistic and cheerful but in some people it evokes a feeling of impatience and criticism. I have read that many people who study baby behavior advise that a nursery should not be painted yellow...many babies feel tense and uncomfortable in a yellow room. Green is the color of new life, balance, growth and self-reliance as positive feelings. Gold in all it's shades are the colors of success, achievement and triumph. Browns can give a feeling of security, protection. Do you want the only focal point to be the duvet or have it be one of the focal points? I would think that any color lighter than the lightest color in the duvet is going to make the duvet stand out as the main focal point and with so much color in it that might not be a restful thing. You can also have your color created for you to exactly match one of the colors in the duvet. Most paint stores have machines that will read the color and make a match. Then you can get them to make a pint size can of it, paint a small portion of the wall and live with that for a few days to see if you like it. Personally I like the green in the 6 o'clock position in photo #6, since the red is so strong in the duvet the green will make that color pop and the red will receed becoming a secondary color.
I appreciate all your input so much, thank you. Toni, a specific and grateful acknowledgement to you for such an informative response!! Wow. This in particular made me think: I have always loved yellow in all its shades, and always disliked brown because it's boring and, at least to me, somewhat depressing. You make a very good point about the duvet being the focal point. That really made me think. The room is small, I'm trying to fit a lot in here (I desperately need as much storage as I can create) and I'm beginning to wonder if the duvet is just too much?....too busy?....for what is ultimately going to be in the room. There have been some changes, too, to what furniture I might end up using, so until I get the furniture things sorted out, I might have to hold off on making a decision about the paint color. I mean, I may well end up with very dark, red shaded wood pieces as opposed to light, which will change my opinion about what color the walls should be. But if I do end up with darker furniture, I'm thinking that I should go with a lighter paint color, yes? Not as saturated as some of the colors I posted. I'm thinking too bold or strong a color, along with dark, red toned furniture, is going to overwhelm the room a bit, right? Here, here's one of the pieces that I'm currently using in the room, complete with the slate gray walls which is what I'm going to be painting over. If the rest of the furniture is similar in shade to that piece, I think I need to go lighter on the walls. Oh, here's another piece I'm thinking of using. It's covered in dust, so what looks like green trim is actually just an accumulation of dust. But it too is dark, so again, I'm thinking lighter walls? Too, if I do end up using those pieces, then it seems like I need a much lighter, less busy, duvet. SO MANY DECISIONS!!!
I love the yellow we painted our office space. The photos aren't very accurate to the actual color, but I find it goes well with dark wood, is cheery and would really show off your duvet. I have some tribal rugs and a camel pack (similar colors to your duvet) that really go well together. I am rather bohemian in my style, but I love rich colors in the reds and yellows. The ceiling is a white with just a hint of yellow. Even on the rainiest day this is a happy room. Remember your dark wood will need a lighter back ground to balance it. ( photo / image / picture from Jewell's Garden ) ( photo / image / picture from Jewell's Garden ) My little room with bright windows on two sides has a rich brown on two walls and the window walls are an adobe. Accents are white and a ceiling of turquoise. This room has desks, window and doors of white (also their frames) also. Sorry no photos, but if you want will get them after work. Be brave and do what you love and makes your heart sing. It's only paint.
Ronni, if yellow is a favorite of yours and brown is depressing then go with what works for you. Color studies are like other studies...the results are based on what the majority said and there are always some who don't feel the same way. Where I am coming from here....I don't like white or any color that is so light it looks white on the walls. They are too sterile looking and don't give a comfy, homey feeling as far as I am concerned. But if you like the look then go for it....but don't do it just because you think it should be!! This room is yours to create a get-away to retreat to and feel comforted in. Gray seems to have been the 'color of the day' so to speak for designers in the last 10 years. Personally I don't like it unless someone gave me a grey-silver colored Rolls Royce then it would become my favorite color. But don't even think about putting it on the walls of a room in my house. The color of Jewell's wall is as light as I would go, and since you don't like browns then go for a golden, almost a Dijon mustard, color. And now that you put in the brown furniture with the reddish tone, I wouldn't go with any of the greens. They looked good with just the duvet but not with the furniture. The golden color would look good with the duvet too. Don't get rid of the duvet yet, wait until the walls are painted and the furniture is in then see if it still fits in. I think with a color on the wall and the rich color of the furniture the duvet will fit in perfectly.
For me the yellow side looks funky while the green looks serene and lighter shade should do well. Go with your feelings and imagination, which ever is best for yourself.
Ronni, I totally missed this earlier...sorry, I am sure you really don't need my advice, but here it goes... #1 NO NO NO! #2 no no no! #3 NO NO NO!!!! blech! Not even close for the comforter in this picture. Way wrong color family. #4 Very do-able scheme. this is the one I keep coming back to. #5 too many colors to choose from there. Which were you thinking? all of them? one of them... nope, too many choices, move on. #6 None of these colors match quite exactly. Something needs to be more of a spruce green. 12:00 is too harsh, 2:00 is too blue, 6:00 too yellow and the rest are too light. Sounds like Goldilocks and the three bears, huh? Just lay the colors you choose on the comforter for several days before making a final choice. What does your eye keep pulling towards? That is the way I think I would choose what suited me the most.
I appreciate all your input. My decorating ideas have taken a left turn. The furniture I was planning to use in the room.....well, let's just say that the person who purchased them for me has decided they're his, not mine, so I'm kind of starting from scratch. And as much as I love that duvet, I've also decided that there are too many negative reminders associated with it, so I don't think I'm going to use it after all. Given all those changes, I ALSO decided that I want a completely new look for my bedroom! A friend of mine has this beautiful dresser that she's getting rid of and will give it to me for a song, so I'm starting over with it. She refinished it herself and i just LOVE the finish! I also love yellow, so I'm starting with those two things as my theme. I'm thinking red hued furniture, happy yellow walls, just lighter, more breezy overall. Yellow walls, creamy white bed stuff with splashes and blooms of yellow and other complimentary colors, a lemony throw etc., maybe light gauzy curtains. A completely different look from what I had before.
I glad you went with your heart and are picking some colors that sing to you. I love your little dresser. Your plan sounds light and breezy. In my husbands office we only did one wall yellow and the airy feel makes it bright and light in the grayest winter months. Our breeze way/hallway/plant room has a lighter shade of yellow and I always wish I'd painted it a brighter yellow, but love it anyway. I suffer from SAD so along with my light and extra vitamin D those yellow sunny colors with splashes of red are happy colors for me too. Really necessary since I work in a room with no windows and am often at work from AM dark to PM dark in the winter months.
What a mess. I hate painting. I primed all the trim areas with several coats because the gray is so hard to cover. I figure it'd be a lot easier to just slop primer over everything till the gray was completely covered, then I'd only have to do one coat of the yellow paint on those really finicky detailed areas. Here's the room primed but no color yet. All the furniture's been shoved into the middle of the room so I can get to the walls. And a couple different swatches of color so I could figure out what I liked best. I went with the color on the left. You know that point in the painting where it looks like crap because it needs more coats, you're tired already but you have at least two more coats to go, you've dripped paint on the carpet and gotten it in your hair and you've painted outside the lines one too many times and now you just don't care? And finally done! I'm pleased with the way it turned out. It's a happy color. Now to restore some order to the space....I don't much like sleeping in the middle of the room which is where my bed has been since this evolution began.
