# Mult-purpose living area decorating



## shapeshifter (Jan 10, 2007)

Yea!!! Thank you, Nathan.

Here goes:

My main living area and kitchen kind of morph from one to the other. I'm thinking about painting the living area a shade color, and the kitchen a brighter shade of the same color [SW's Gold Vessel]. I don't want a lot of difference but just some delineation between the spaces. On fireplace wall, I'd like to go a totally different direction to make the fireplace pop. Was thinking of a coordinating shade of darker gold or even into the brown family.

Thoughts? 

Suggestions?


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## slickshift (Aug 25, 2005)

Are the floors the same in both rooms?


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## shapeshifter (Jan 10, 2007)

Yes they are. I'm planning a re-do sometime down the line but the flooring will still be the same.


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## slickshift (Aug 25, 2005)

You'll have to go more than a couple of shades to notice the difference
The light changes alone during the day can make the paint on one wall look a shade or two different

If it's not enough of a difference it'll just look like it's the light in the room


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## shapeshifter (Jan 10, 2007)

So, decorators, what DO you suggest? 

My living area [few windows and quite dark] has a huge fireplace wall and morphs right into the kitchen area [one east-facing window.] They share the same floor and ceiling colors.


I have already painted another room in the house a warm golden color [SW "Gold Vessel"] and we love it. It even makes the room bright at night.

Should I paint the darker living area a darker gold and go light in the kitchen? Or vice versa? I'd love to paint the little bit of wall that fireplace is on a really rich vibrant color. Again, ligher or darker?


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## yummy mummy (Sep 11, 2006)

Can you post a picture?


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## shapeshifter (Jan 10, 2007)

Yep, but I have to clean house first,,,,:laughing:


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## shapeshifter (Jan 10, 2007)

Here are some images. Just to the right of the shelves is the entry way. The fireplace wall is directly across from the shelves. You can see how the main living area morphs right into the kitchen. To the left of the fridge will be a small dining area.

























I want to paint the entry way, living room, and new dining area, a light shade of Sherwin Williams "Gold Vessel", and the kitchen a darker shade. 

:blush:


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## yummy mummy (Sep 11, 2006)

The pictures are really small.
Hard to see what you mean.


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## shapeshifter (Jan 10, 2007)

I know. Hard to get them the right size that DIY will let download


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## yummy mummy (Sep 11, 2006)

Use photobucket or tinypics.com.
If you use photobucket, choose message board size, and that should work better.


Try it.


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## yummy mummy (Sep 11, 2006)

Are the tiles terracotta?


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## slickshift (Aug 25, 2005)

That would look great
Keep in mind the trim, floors, and cabinets, are "golden", so with Gold Vessel (http://sherlink.sherwin.com/swapp/color_visualizer/index.jsp?colorNo=7677) on the walls, the place will be reeeeeeeeeaaaaaaallllllllyyyy gold
Like "Hello, I'm Gold...did I mention I'm Gold?"-gold
I'm not saying that's bad, just be prepared for some gold


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## yummy mummy (Sep 11, 2006)

This is what I would do, but this is just my personal opinion and taste.
What you want to do is just fine, because you are the one living with it.

I would carry the same colour throughout, using the lighter gold that you have mentioned, because of the floor being the same everywhere.

For the fireplace wall, I would totally go different so that you can draw attention to it. I would go with a cranberry colour. Similar to th candles that are in front of the fireplace.

This is just my opinion and taste.


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## shapeshifter (Jan 10, 2007)

Thank both. Yummy, cranberry or a really nice darker terra cotta is exactly what I want on the fireplace wall.

The cabinets are going to be stripped and re-stained so the color in the kitchen is something I failed to take into consideration. There is not a lot of wall space that will be painted, just the soffits and a small wall with a door in it. Thanks for the heads-up, slick. 

I know that color is *gold,* I used it right out of the can in one of the bedrooms and we love it. It makes the room very warm, inviting and bright even after dark. 

That's why we were thinking of a lighter shade of the same hue for the rest of the house, rather than the way it comes right out of the can.


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## New2dis (Dec 26, 2006)

ur house is kind of set up like mine.


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## Woodpecker (Feb 7, 2007)

*have you thought about stippling the walls or ragging*

Use a creative technique, of painting the walls I say some sort of faux painting, I think a terra cotta paint on the walls that blends in with the floors and leave the fire place alone, the dark walls will make it pop, and down the road, you can change the fire place if you chose I also would make the grout, between the fireplace bricks darker, maybe you can use the same paint, that would also make it pop, waddya think of that idea? it appears to have a shade of terra cotta in the brick.
I really think it would warm it up much more, kinda like a sunset color... Makes it nice and cozy and I actually think you could go either light or darker, Prefer darker, (or both) or like I said maybe make a faux look, I also think of a wall made to look like adobe walls, if thats what they call it, just slap some joint compound on the walls with a compound 4 inch knife. very very thin, and not so smooth, let it dry and paint over it, you will make a nice textured wall.. or you can just pain faux cracks in the wall, sporadically ( If you are into southwestern) Hmmm :yes: Nice. don't you think? 
I think the gold is a beautiful color as well, I just don't think its a good choice, with the floors. I think you may be sick of the gold before you know it, & I think you may regret painting the fireplace down the road as well
Another option is cranberry on the walls white trim around doors etc, and use a textured wallpaper in the kitchen that will blend in or better yet tile the back of the kitchen walls, and use some mossaics. Tile will be easy to clean and will last forever.. and again leave the fireplace alone, Maybe stain the grout darker. to match the floors or walls..I would not touch the brick yet until i am absolutely certain about the outcome. ( that's just my opinion) ,But i think you are stuck on gold, gold and yet more Gold, :whistling2: tee hee:no:


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## shapeshifter (Jan 10, 2007)

Wood, thanks for your fab ideas. You brought up some points I had not thought about and I appreciate your input. 

One thing that Hubby and I agree on is that the fireplace will not be touched. You cannot tell in the pictures but it is not brick, but rather limestone rock. 

I had thought about pulling the wall color from some of the colors in that rock, though, and I think we have hit upon a solution for putting in a mantle. My reason for choosing some shade of gold is that there is a minimal amount of ambient light in the room, and it sorely needs something to brighten or warm it up. I'm still up in the air about the final color.

I had the same thought you had about texturizing the walls. Right now most of them are covered in wall paper which will be coming off NOW. 

I'll post pix when the project is done.


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## Woodpecker (Feb 7, 2007)

*Have you decided yet?*

Never underestimate the power of uplighting,,, :yes: 
A few plants in the mix and a favorite trick of mine is nightlights, inexpensive yet effective, I put them everwhere... they are really a good thing, to add just the right touch to a dark corner, or behind an end table or sofa/chair... or even a wall unit if done properly, It really is amazing what a little light will do, Well which ever color you choose, Keep us informed we would love to see the end result, we love before and after shots..... Good Luck!:wink:


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## truckerwoman48 (Jul 7, 2007)

Yep and an eye popping color from the red to terracotta, depending on what color that floor really is. I lean on the REAL pros. Head for the fabric stores and see what colors are being used in fabrics that have those colors you are already working with. Just a smidge of an accent color will make all that yummy gold just seem right, but I'd be selecting the exact accent based upon what the R&D folks have already figured works. I lean on the fabric designers and folks who have painted paintings that I love. They already have made their mistakes. There is a wonderful buttery gold that my niece used and then used in her next house. My best friend was trying to find a wonderful yellow without being a copycat and wound up in tears in the middle of an already painted room that looked like a doggone caution sign times 5000. We repainted in my niece's gold and have never regretted it.


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