# Help with kitchen/dining room colors (really need help)



## claythrow (Jul 25, 2011)

I bought a foreclosure and redid most everything. I'm a newbie when it comes to interior design but I've read a number of books, know the color wheel concepts etc.

Well the floors are a deep chocolate hardwood that you can't see in the pictures.

The cabinets are natural maple and the countertops I splurged on, they are blue pearl granite. The backsplash is a light gray.


I painted the walls blue thinking it would help bring out the countertops, instead I'm drowning them out and they aren't very noticable. What color should I paint the walls so that the countertops are more of a feature? Sorry for the picture quality, all I had was my cell phone.


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## m1951mm (Apr 16, 2011)

IMHO the blue is to dark to accent the countertops. Blue is ok, just lighter or think about a very soft toast color. The toast would bring out the wood floors and the cabinets and at eye level the countertops would be the darker color making them stand out more.


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## claythrow (Jul 25, 2011)

*Blue*

I tried a lighter blue originally and it also didn't look good. You can see the original blue on the wall that abutts the cabinets vs the blue under the radius countertop. So I'm going to go non-blue.

Opposite of blue is orange so theoretically that would bring out the blue in the countertops....I'm unsure of what you mean by "toast" color though?


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## m1951mm (Apr 16, 2011)

A soft golden brown, close to the orange you mentioned without so much red in it. Sherwin Williams color Kilim Beige is a wonderful neutral and would stand up well to your colors.


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## klmeenan (Apr 28, 2011)

m1951 is right, that color would look great and it would pop your countertops!


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## claythrow (Jul 25, 2011)

*Thanks for all the help....*

What do you think about the dining room walls, since the kitchen/dining room are sort of one large room. I'm nervous it would be too much brown. The rooms have easy break points to paint them each a different color but again I don't want to drown out the countertops, I want to highlight them. If I had my preference though, I would paint the kitchen and dining room two different (even if it is slight) colors. 


I wish I was rich.


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## m1951mm (Apr 16, 2011)

I would continue the same color into the dining area. Where you can get a nice pop of different colors is with fabric at your windows be it roman shades, cornaces or valances. You could have fun with similar colors from your countertop and that would break up the toasty color. Leave the bottom of the dining room in the white or the same color as your cabinets. This would make the rooms feel so much bigger and not to choppy. 

I could give you some easy tips to make simple cornaces if that sparks your interest. Do you sew?? or have carpentry skills??

Best to You
Mickey


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## claythrow (Jul 25, 2011)

*...*

Carpentry skills yes, my brother and I did all the renovations in this house. We gutted it, restructured (removed walls, everything was all so closed in before)put in radiant floor heating (ourselves) new kitchen, new bath, new boiler, switch from oil to propane, hardwood throughout, chair rail molding, crown, tray ceiling etc. I redid much of the plumbing and electrical as well. 

Sewing I'm about to try my hand at, I just ordered some fabric for curtains and will make some grommet curtains. Crommet curtains are the only kind I like. They are funcional, and I just like the way they look. I'll show you how they come out. 

I don't know what cornices and the other things you mentioned are? I would google them but I'm working at the moment.


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## m1951mm (Apr 16, 2011)

The following web site has great selections of different window treatments. You can purchase patterns from them if you care to: www.mfay.com

If you are going to do grommets you will need special equipment to do them. The presses to do the gromments are not cheap. Maybe you can find a drapery workroom in your area that will do them for you after you fabricate the panels themselves. If you special ordered fabric I assume that you are spending a good amount for the fabric. Please think about using a lining with your fabric to save the fabric from sun fade, and the lining will also give the face fabric richness. Here is another website for grommets and other supplies you may need to do your window treatments: www.rowleycompany.com

I am not associated with either company. I just use their products and find them to be some of the best in quality, advice and price in the industry.

Again Good Luck
Mickey


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