I am trying to decide what color to paint for an accent wall. They are cream, in between a yellow and white right now with white trim. My sofas are red, mostly all my living room furniture is black, but I have paintings that have very vivid colors in them, blues, greens, reds, browns.
By Hannah
Take pictures of all your artwork, then spread them on a table. Find the one color that stands out in all or a majority of the art. You've just found the color for your accent wall! My mom was an interior designer who gave me this info.
I agree with aloham58 picking an accent color, perhaps one that is common to all the art work would be the best idea. It is an accent wall, so really make it one
When we moved into our place, there was already a red accent wall in the living room. The other 3 walls are the yellowish-cream that you mention. I have lots of artwork with strong, vibrant colors and the red really complements all my accessories. Here is a picture of the corner of the room. Obviously we're not done fixing everything!
Just don't forget how light or dark you want to make your room before you paint. Your paint can make a dark room darker and a light room dimmer than you want. you also don't want it to appear more cluttered or smaller. You may just want to accent with a trim paint that will go with your room. What color of curtains do you have and how big is the room.
I would pull the blue that is in the hanging photo on the wall, have the blue in the painting closely tinted into wall paint and paint away!
Thank You all so much! Im pretty sure Ive decided to do sage green color. it stands out the most in my artwork! I appreciate all of the feedback!
Here are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community.
I recently got married and my husband and I have moved into a house and have been remodeling it. We have already fixed up the kitchen and changed the ugly green walls to a nice golden yellow color. Now the next step is to tackle the living room, dining room, and our bedroom walls.
Here is the problem. There is at least one wall in each room that is painted a dark salmon color and all the other walls are a dark beige. My husband actually likes the salmon color so as a compromise I am keeping that color for him.
I want to paint the dark beige walls a different color and the trim work a different color, but I cannot figure what goes with that color. Any suggestions would be very helpful.
By Tiffany from NC
Match the salmon to a sample and go with the lightest version of that or even half of that. If you can find a color half way between the salmon and yellow, that might work on the trim, but I am not sure you want the salmon in every room. Perhaps one room with a salmon ceiling to match the wall, but you need another color. The right green or blue or blue green might work.
Go to a wallpaper store or fabric store and look for combinations with dark salmon, you might even be able to incorporate that color into your room with fabric or paper instead of a whole wall. Good luck.
The best thing I have found to do in your situation, is to go to any store that sells paint and get some paper samples., pick up at least one shade of every color. For instance, pick out a blue tone, a green, a yellow etc. The samples in Lowes have little holes in the center of the sample, these enable you to hold the paint sample on the wall and see how you like the two colors together. It is much better than holding the sample next to the wall. For some reason you get a better feel for it. For samples without the hole already in them, I just use a scissor and cut a hole in it looking at the new color surround the wall color makes a difference. Tape these on your wall for a few days and look at them from different places in the room, at different times of the day in different light.
The other thing that you can do, is find a pillow in a store, (or a napkin or something that has the wall color in it), and see what other colors are in the pillow that you like, pick one and have it matched. The one thing about paint, you can always change what you don't like. Paint is not cheap, but if you get one of those small sample cans it can be worth the money. They will make the color you want, you can take it home and live with it for a week, and if you like it you can take the can back to the store with the "recipe" for that color on the can, they can make it over again.
Good luck, happy painting.
Are you sure it is not a shade of terra cotta? If so you can go Italian or Mexican color themes. Check out decor in those styles and see some combination's that might work for you.
Go to a paint store, find a color wheel, locate your salmon color on the wheel and select a color directly opposite it on the color wheel.
Another thought is to do some decorative/faux painting either on the salmon wall only (to diffuse the salmon a little) or on the other walls to mask the color coordination a little. If you're mixing two colors in a ragging technique, for example, it won't be so obvious is the color isn't exactly what you wanted.
Though it's not salmon, my sister and her husband are redoing a 1950's house that has a bathroom with a deep pink tile. The decorator is having them put up a large floral walllpaper with a blue background. It looks great and tones down the pink. Perhaps you could use a nice cream color on the other walls. Then use some accent pieces (pillow, lamps shades, etc.) in another strong accent color. This way, if you don't like the color of the accent piece, it would be much easier to change than repainting the other wallls.
I have brown furniture, 3 of my walls are a deep wine color. What would be the best color for the 4th wall? I was thinking a lighter tan. Also what accents would you recommend? I have a large window on the wall I want to paint a light color and a smaller window on one of the wine colored walls. Any recommended curtains would be appreciated?
The tan is nice, but you might also like a light color in the wine family. Go to the paint store. They have strips with a color family. There will be five or more colors on the strip, ranging from lightest to darkest.
I would do a lighter shade of the wine color. I would also use that color in some throw pillows for the furniture.
I'm sure you are looking for something to brighten or lighten the "mood" of the room so it seems it would be good to go for lighter shades of your already present colors.
I like using the color swatches from the paint store but these are sometimes difficult to see from a distance and what a large area wall would look like. I have seen many colors "change" as soon as they hit the wall.
Usually experienced paint store employees will offer suggestions and sometimes they have very good perception. Also, they may be very good at making a special color - just for you. Please remember, even if you buy a mixed color, it can still be returned if it does not look like you thought it would.
Maybe a bight beige with a hint of rose/wine?
Here is a very good site for a wide range of colors - maybe you could get a better idea of what is available.
www.color-hex.com/
You mentioned having 2 windows but did not say what color curtains - or - will those have to be bought also? Take that into consideration when picking your wall color.
A VERY light gray would be a good neutral. Wallpaper is in the top 10 trends for 2017 but mainly I would seek out a rug first with your wine in it. When you find a rug you can pull color ideas from there. However, if you have carpet you may have to pull your colors from the curtains and decorative throw pillows. You can also buy a light colored slipcover for the couch that matches your accent wall. With wine I can only imagine beige, light gray, khaki, sand or wallpaper.
I painted my room pink, well 3 walls, hot pink and I don't know what color to paint the wall that my bed leans against. Any suggestions?
By Diana from Downey, CA
A pale pink would be nice. So would a pale green. Or choose a color from your bedding and use that.
Chocolate brown might work. Whatever the color, it needs to be picked up elsewhere, rug, throw pillows on a light brown bed spread with some hot pint accents. Ivory might work too, but you need to repeat colors. That hot pink can be overpowering so choose carefully.
Choose a color that is in the fabrics that you are using in the room, like bedspread, drapes curtains etc.
The bed wall needs to be the focus of the room, so you need to go bolder on that wall. I would try to go 1 or 2 shades darker than the other three walls. Or paint it the same color and wash it with a darker color pink. You can always paint some kind of wave design on it, try it on a piece of paper first to see if you will like it.
I want to paint a wall in my bedroom. Is there a decorating tip that will help me choose which wall I should paint? The wall that you face as you enter the room that has a window on it, or the wall to the right that is opposite the bed?
By Jodi from Ogden, UT
Which wall to accent is a matter of personal choice, and you should take into consideration the overall space. But the wall that comes into view that is opposite the main enterance is most often the feature wall and usually the safe choice to paint with an accent color.
All the rooms I've ever seen that had an accent wall had a solid wall accented, not a window wall - usually the wall that the bed goes on. Good luck with your project.
I agree with the idea that the wall opposite the entrance to the room is usually the focal point wall. This would be the one you would want to have the head of your bed on.... usually. Use the same shade as the other 3 walls but one (or possibly 2)step darker on the paint strip. That way you'll always know it "goes" together.
Try to watch episodes of "Sell this House." The designer on that show is especially gifted at choosing colors for paint, defining accent walls, and furniture arrangement. Where I live the tv show is on A&E on Saturday mornings.
Good luck and enjoy your new room!
I painted a 8x12 bedroom where the window was on the opposite wall as the door the accent wall was a fresh green think of spring, and the others were a moderate yellow, not neon not gold. The green was called Shakespeare and the yellow was sunshine. The focal wall was not a drastic eye popping difference but it was nice use of two different colours it looks awesome because it wasn't a very big room and it made it seem bigger. I could have also done the right hand wall that the bed was on but it just didn't seem to appease the eye quite the same, often on tv designer shows you see the wall that you see as you walk in as the focal wall.
I just received a sofa and love seat in sage. I have a small home, cabin style. I plan to paint over the fake panneling with a creamy beige.
I have hardwood floors. I have navy blue, turquoise, and lime green accent pieces. What color would be best for a short accent wall?It would be great to know the colour of your new furniture. So saying, I love the mix of rustic and colours.
I really think either a turquoise or a rich mustard yellow would go great for the accent wall. YOu could also go for bright red to add some interest.
I think you have a lot of colors already. Keep the walls beige and invest in printed pillows in the colors you already have.
I have a light living room with 3 walls; it opens into the kitchen. It faces west. There is a full tall cathedral wall, another the same that tapers down to the front wall which is all the same height and has a fireplace and 2 windows. This wall does not have much wall space, it is all window and fireplace.
Which of these 3 walls should I paint darker? It's not a big room, but it is bright because it opens into the kitchen. I may not be describing this right, but I guess my main question is: I have 3 walls and I want to paint them; 2 one color and 1 another color. Do I paint the shorter wall with the windows darker or lighter then the other 2? I do not have a photo at this time. If you picture a room with a cathedral ceiling and put a wall up in the middle so you have a 1/2 cathedral that is my living room not big, but with a high ceiling in half.
By Barb
I am not sure, but I have seen a room with a cathedral ceiling and the wall opposite the windows was painted in a beautiful red as the accent wall. The red was not a bright red but rather a deep red. It was stunning. A good way to get opinions is at your paint store. Also, I can take a picture of rooms in my house, download them and paint a specific room whatever color I may want to paint that room. It gives me a good idea of what I want.
A professional painter recently painted the walls in our office with an accent wall. We were told that the wall opposite of the entrance is the one that should be painted with the accent color so that when a person walks into the room, it's the first thing that is seen.
I have a green countertop, black appliances, and oak cabinets. The rest of the walls are gold. I like red, but I'm afraid of that. So should I go green to blend in better?
By Suzanne
Don't be afraid of painting your kitchen red. I too have green countertops and a mixture of white and stainless appliances. I love my red kitchen and get compliments on it all the time. It is warm and inviting.
The walls in my den are beige. I wanted to make an accent wall behind my love set. I picked the wrong color for the wall. It looks like cherry. What can I do to to take away the boldness?
By Betsey J.
I need to paint my living room. One wall is painted green. I want to find a color to coordinate with it, without having to repaint it. What colors can't be used? My furniture is gold.
By Mary
I planned to paint an accent wall of my family room with random stripes (four different colors). I brought the paint and now I feel so lazy and it seems like lots of hard work. The paint is non refundable so please can anyone suggest how else can I make a pattern or how else can I work with multiple colors on a wall. The colors include light beige, light yellow, light green, and light grey on an off white wall
By Miss handy from tomorrow
