# Painting two adjacent rooms, color suggestions needed



## walds11 (Nov 28, 2009)

I am going to be painting my master bedroom and master bathroom. The master bedroom is very large with a sitting area. The master bathroom is nicely sized with a Jacuzzi tube and vaulted ceiling. Both rooms get a good amount of light. The colors we decided on are light to medium greens. The ceilings will be painted white. I can't seem to visualize this, but would it be "better" to paint one room a darker (or lighter) shade than the other? I was thinking of painting the bedroom a slightly darker shade than the bathroom for a contrasting look. Help. I ain't no interior decorator


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## user1007 (Sep 23, 2009)

Why not go online and see? Benjamin Moore and Sherwin Williams (and others) have online virtual painting programs. Upload your photo, spend a few minutes to mask it off, and pick colors for both rooms. Or use photos similar to your situation. 

Wish I could talk you out of white ceilings. Boring! Old school. And in the bedroom you may be seeing a lot of it?

I did restore a little Victorian a while back where the family wanted minimal color changes. They did let me play with the shades/values of the same color though and it turned out nice. So go ahead an use a different value of the same color in the two rooms if you want. Don't be too subtle though or noone will notice.

I've some free time over the next couple of days. Post your color chip code and name and I will see if I can come up with something for you. I hope it is not a box store brand those. I cannot always get a them. If it is Sherwin Williams, Benjamin Moore, Pittsburgh I should be alright.


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## walds11 (Nov 28, 2009)

I have been using Valspar paints in the other rooms with great success and no complaints. I am going to use a satin finish in the bedroom. Most of the charts say satin finish is ok in a bathroom as well. What about a semi-gloss finish for the bathroom?


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## user1007 (Sep 23, 2009)

walds11 said:


> I have been using Valspar paints in the other rooms with great success and no complaints. I am going to use a satin finish in the bedroom. Most of the charts say satin finish is ok in a bathroom as well. What about a semi-gloss finish for the bathroom?


Satin is probably going to be fine in a master bathroom. If it gets really humid and you may need to wipe it off often, I would switch to semi-gloss. Either way, if there is semi-gloss on now you should make sure you degloss the walls at least a bit. Fine sandpaper or a liquid deglosser will work. 

And actually if you think you might have to ever wipe it off at all?

I really hope I can talk you out of using Valspar, Behr, Pittsburgh (box store---the paint store stuff is fine), Dutch Boy, etc.---the box store brands. You will be so much happier with paint store paint. You wouldn't buy meat, fish or donuts at a box store would you? Why would you buy paint there? Even the contractor grades of paint from a real store are better than anything at a box store and will be the same price if that is the issue for you.

Just read some of the box store paint horror stories on this site. And notice how none of us that paint for a living use the stuff? If it were any good at all, and it were at all a bargain we would not be resistant to it I promise. It is crap. I do not do a lot anymore since most of my work is on restoration of antique homes but I still have some real estate friends that helped me pay the rent when I was getting going so I do some of their turnover work on rentals. Any one of them would kill me if I showed up with so much as a quart of box store paint.


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## walds11 (Nov 28, 2009)

Let's leave the box store brand paints for another thread. Back to the subject...I need help with the color contrasting of the two adjacent rooms.

It does not get humid at all in the bathroom. There may be a semi-gloss finish on it now, not sure.


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## user1007 (Sep 23, 2009)

Fair enough. I did play with some green transitions, just picking a random sort of sage green that may help you visualize. It would be nicer if you could tell me what the chip number or name of the green you picked is though so I could start with what you have. Anyhow, here are views of the same color going forward and backward through equally lit hallways. 

You said lots of natural light? What is the unnatural light in the bathroom like in the morning when you use it to get ready for work? Green is a tricky color reflecting everywhere when it comes to changing natural skin tones. Would you be open to a couple other possbilities I think you might like? I will use the same sample hallway situation if that is alright with you. 

Is your monitor color adjusted by the way? If it is a Windows machine it will take us a couple of mouse clicks to get it set correctly. It it is a fruit machine, I have no idea.


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## walds11 (Nov 28, 2009)

I have the paint swatches for Valspar...

6001-4A blanched thyme, 6001-4B native henna, 6001-4C tarraon

5005-4A filoli ballroom, 5005-4B green peppercorn, 5005-4C belmont green

5008-4A jungle chameleon, 5008-4B catcus shadow, 5008-4C april arbor

Not sure which is my favorite, but I planned on picking out two of the lighter shade colors from one swatch and using one color for the bedroom and the other one for the bathroom.

As for the unnatural light in the bathroom, there is a 3 light fixture above the vanity and a light in the shower. It's fairly bright when it's dark outside.


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## user1007 (Sep 23, 2009)

Just wanted to toss something a bit different at you to get your reaction. This is a combination I used in the office of a family law office recently. 

What you have so far is what is called a monochromatic color scheme and there is nothing wrong with it. This would be a basic triadic color scheme I anchored to a sagey sort of green. 

How big are the master bedroom, sitting room, and master bath combined. I just worry you are going to feel like part of Kermit's family after time.


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## user1007 (Sep 23, 2009)

walds11 said:


> I have the paint swatches for Valspar...
> 
> 6001-4A blanched thyme, 6001-4B native henna, 6001-4C tarraon
> 
> ...


Will search out the colors and see what I can do.

Found them. I wasn't far off in guessing what you had in mind but that you are leaning toward grayer greens? Will translate the codes and get back to you.


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## user1007 (Sep 23, 2009)

Of the colors you posted I thought 6001, 5005 too gray so worked on 5008.

I could live in it although I think it is a lot of the same for a sitting room, master bedroom and bath. It is soothing and pleasant to me and I guess you could break it up with towels, accents and things. Anyhow the color code Valspar's color code translated to in the Benjamin Moore world was 2144-30.

Here is what the transition might look like if you want to play with different shades and staying monochromatic in color scheme. Same thing happens down the Valspar chip chain too.


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## walds11 (Nov 28, 2009)

That looks like a great combo. I don't know the exact size, but the master bedroom is bigger than your average size master bedroom. And there is a little sitting area off to the side. I was thinking of going with the brighter shade color in the bathroom. I like the monochromatic paint scheme.


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## user1007 (Sep 23, 2009)

Ok,

That leaves you in the Valspar 5008 chipset or the 2144 one in Benjamin Moore if you want to switch.

Hope I helped? Do wish I could talk you out of white ceiling and into one from the same paint chip range too? An into nice paint store paint.


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## walds11 (Nov 28, 2009)

You have been a big help. Thanks! I am going with the 5008-4A in the bathroom and 5008-4B in the bedroom. 

You think I should go with the semi-gloss finish in the bathroom?


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## user1007 (Sep 23, 2009)

walds11 said:


> You think I should go with the semi-gloss finish in the bathroom?


I cannot help you with that decision. Only you know how big it is, how often you might have to wipe it off, how humid it gets etc. Generally speaking, I personally prefer semi for baths but paint as many with satin for people that don't like the sheen. 

As mentioned in my prior post, if there is any chance there is semi on the bath walls now? Do take the time to degloss them a little bit

Still no way I can talk you into real paint though hugh?


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## walds11 (Nov 28, 2009)

I am pretty sure there is semi-gloss on the bathroom walls now. I decided to get semi-gloss either way. Just to let you know, I am not actually doing the painting. With two young kids and a busy work and family life, I could never find the time to do it. A friend of the family is doing it for a really good price. He was laid off from his job in the spring and is doing painting on the side. He just asks me to pick up the paint and he will take care of the rest. He already did my living room, dining room and the two kid's rooms. The living room and dining room entailed wallpaper removal, prep and painting, etc. He did an amazing job.

A little off topic...just out of curiousity, what is the going labor rate per hour for a professional painter to do the job? I got quotes a few years ago of $30-35+ per hour.


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## user1007 (Sep 23, 2009)

walds11 said:


> A little off topic...just out of curiousity, what is the going labor rate per hour for a professional painter to do the job? I got quotes a few years ago of $30-35+ per hour.


I hope people don't respond to this and quote on going rates for painting. There are too many variables and my rate is not going to make sense to most people. And I bid jobs for the most part and do not work by the hour. Asking for an hourly rate is not fair to those of us who do this for a living. 

I am sure your friend is doing a great job and can certainly use the money. I know three immediate differences between him and me though. 

My clients sign contracts with me.

I work on the books. You are paying him cash under the table? Careful with that! Has a way of sneaking back to bite you if not really careful. 

I have contractor insurance that will cover accidents I might have in your home or the damage to your antique oriental rugs if I were to spill five gallons of paint on them. Hope your homeowner's insurance will do the same for someone who does not have the coverage. Your friend would probably never dream of going after you if injured on your property but trust me? The hospital that treats him will for everything you have over and above whatever his insurance or ability to pay might be!


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## walds11 (Nov 28, 2009)

Fair enough on not being able to quote an hourly rate. I am just happy that the painting is finally getting done at a great price. We have been putting it off. Back in the day, I would done most of it myself, but it's too hard with such a busy family and work life. The last thing I want to do when I get home from work or on a weekend is paint all day and/or night. The wallpaper removal would have been a bear of a project.


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