Ten ways to revive a room.
Sometimes you just need a change. Reviving a room in your home can be a simple task like changing a few accessories. Or if you want to take it a step further, adding a fresh coat of paint can drastically transform any space. The following examples are just a few out of many possibilities there are to perk up any room.
1. Add a fresh coat of paint. It is surprising how far a fresh coat of paint will go to improving the appearance of any room.
2. .Paint the ceiling a shade off from the colour of the walls. This creates the slightest contrast, and you will not believe the impact this will have on a room.
3. Add a crown molding. Do not underestimate the power of a crown molding. If will turn an ordinary room into a room that has so much charm and character.
4. Add a fireplace. There are many styles of gas and electric fireplaces available, in every price range. The photograph below shows an electric fireplace in a sitting room. Or you can buy or have a custom mantel made, that would be used simply for decorative purposes. You can see from the above photos, what a difference this decorative custom made mantel makes to the room.
5. Buy new lamps or have existing lamp shades recovered.
6. Add a throw rug to the space.
7. Buy a new chair or recover an existing one.
8. Change the prints on the walls.
9. Add a large floor vase.
10. Purchase throw cushions. By adding several cushions to a sofa, it will give it an entirely different appearance.
what wall colour shades do you recommend? i've found bright colours to be very troublesome (sometimes they need four coats!). i painted my living and dining room a "castle stone" gray and absolutely love it. it's very modern looking without being too crazy.
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean about some walls needing several coats. I talked to a Benjamin Moore expert, after having problems with painting the walls in our sitting room. They suggested to start with a primer coat. Many painters say you don't have to bother with that, however I disagree. After painting walls both with and without a primer, I find it makes a huge difference when using a primer. Once you put the primer on, you are then starting with a wall that does not have any colour on it, which really is a benefit. Another advantage is you will not need as many coats. If you begin with a primer, then usually two coats of the new paint colour will do the trick. Also by using a matt or flat paint, it will cover imperfections much better than a glossier type of paint.
ReplyDeleteThe 'castle stone' gray colour sounds really pretty. If you are going to paint the ceiling of the room you painted 'castle stone', I would go with a shade that is just a little off gray. When we painted our sitting room we used Benjamin Moore 'decorators white' for the walls, and paint called 'cloud white' for the ceiling. The cloud white is from their off white collection. So it is still white, but the shade is different enough that it adds such a nice contrast, and dramatically enhances the overall atmosphere to the room. I initially got the tip from designer Susan Richardson, and she really knows her paint!
So to answer your question of which wall colour shades I would recommend, it depends on so many factors. As far as wall colours in general, light coloured paint tends to make a room look larger, and darker paints tend to close in a room. I prefer a light toned paint for that reason, plus I find it makes the space feel more relaxed and less busy. Colours like beige, creme, light grey, and soft white, you really can't go wrong with. When you start getting into reds, greens and other bright colours, painting walls becomes very tricky. Also when choosing a paint for the wall, think of the existing colours that are already in the room...the sofa, any artwork, carpets and so forth. It is important that everything will blend in with the paint colour. If you use a lighter colour of paint like the examples I mentioned, it will be less complicated. Once you start getting into reds, yellows and other bright colours for your walls, then you are going to have to work much harder to make sure the paint colour goes with everything else in the room.
Painting is not as easy as it may seem, especially if you really want to have the nicest outcome possible. I find getting a few samples is well worth it. You can buy sample sizes of paint from many paint companies, and some will even give you samples for free. The last time I painted a wall, before I started the project I bought five paint samples. I painted about a four inch patch of each paint sample (leaving a few inches in between each) on the wall in the room I wanted to paint. Then the decision of which colour looked best, was so easy. If you decide to try that, I would suggest looking at the trial colours on the wall, in both the daylight and in the evening.
Finally, on the Benjamin Moore website there is an option called the personal colour viewer, it is well worth checking out.
Thanks so much for your question! I hope this helps a little.