Getting Color Schemes to Match on a Budget?

Hi. You didn't say what style you had or was going for but I'm assuming you have a "traditional" style in your living room with the dark furniture and floors, and you are happy with everything, except the white trim? If you want the trim to fade or not stand out, paint them the same color as the walls or off white. Paint is the cheapest fix!

Now the kitchen, are you not happy with the blue? You could paint the walls a close shade of yellow similar to the living room. If the paneling is in the kitchen, that can be painted also, Prime it first. Same with the cupboards, or add new painted knobs (the cheapest).

White is nice and neutral for your appliances. You can tone down the blue in the flooring with rugs or a painted linoleum rug. You can have a yellow scheme going in the kitchen with tiny, tiny bits of blue accents.

Again paint over any knicknacks in whites and yellows you have now with craft paints (small bottles of paint are cheap or borrow them). If you see something at a garage sale you like thats inexpensive but wrong color. Get it and paint over it. Colored bottles or plates make cute decorations also. Curtains definitely add color. Check sales. If you sew make some new curtains with dollar a yard fabric or sheets. If you don't sew hang tea towels or lengths of fabric, hemmed with iron on hemming tape with curtain rings or tied with ribbon on the rod.

Of course, these are just my opinions, and hope some of the ideas help. All in all have fun. Dori

Sounds like browns and (cherry?) burgandy are your main colors so how about painting the trim in living room beige. and you could get say a pint of oil blue to match in kitchen you could paint a thin trim on you appliances. Do away with beige on trim in living room. You could just add a thin line of blue on white woodwork and cover a few of your pillows with co ordinating fabric. I think you get the idea - cheap and simple pull a few colors into each room to create a more uniform look.

I think if you paint your kitchen paneling the same yellow as the living room and the kitchen's trim the same as the living room, it will all blend together. Good luck

Jessica

June 12, 20080 found this helpful

Thank you all for your handy suggestions.
I can't wait to get started and make these suggestions a reality.
And Dori, you are right, I am going for a more traditional look with the dark colors, though I'm not sure exactly what my look would be called specifically.

Allison
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June 14, 20080 found this helpful

Pillows, rugs and accents (towels, flour canisters, etc.) can do wonders for carrying through color. One great rule I learned is to use 2 or 3 main colors in a house in varying intensities in different rooms if you want, but with the same tones (warm or cool).