Felicity Art

Wall Colors for Living Rooms, Dining Rooms and Entries

The public rooms in the home offer endless possibilities for color. An entry hall that features windows or skylights may adapt well to rich shades of chocolate, plum or wine. The light from a hanging fixture or wall sconce will enhance these shades and create an immediate warm and inviting ambiance to make guests feel welcome. If the entry flows into other areas such as the living room and dining room, colors from a similar palette should be chosen.

A dining room could feature an accent wall of a different color; for example, a burgundy wall with candle or electric sconces and a china cabinet displaying crystal and silver makes an elegant statement. Other adjacent areas could carry more subtle tones of rich tan shades or cooler gray tones. Choosing wall colors for the dining room offers the chance to highlight cherished heirlooms, set the mood for contemporary artwork or bring out the colors in draperies or window treatments.

Living room and family room areas require coordination of furnishings and accessories along with the choice of wall colors. Dark brown leather sofas blend well with ochre or deep tan tones on the walls. Rooms that contain upholstered furniture with floral or patterned motifs should always highlight a single color from the print as the primary focus. For example, a wall or two painted in hunter green will complement a sofa and chair upholstered in a country style print.

Wall Colors for the Nursery and Kid’s Rooms

Bright colors add a cheerful ambiance to any room and work well for children’s playrooms and nurseries. Dividing the wall into sections with molding strips allows the use of bright color on part of the wall and makes the environment pleasant without being overly exciting. Children need to have a space for both play and rest. As the family grows, walls may be repainted in favorite colors for boys or girls. Pinks are popular for young princesses and make them feel special and cared for. Boys may prefer a touch of red, navy blue or grass green that stimulates their imagination.

Teenagers typically go for darker shades that can be brightened by using neutral combinations, for example, black with white or chocolate brown with cream. If the lighting in a room is sufficient, even the darkest wall colors will be suitable for studying and create a restful environment during the evening hours.

Wall Colors and Textures for Bathrooms

A powder room looks elegant when finished with metallic tone paint in silver or gold highlights. Bronze fixtures stand out against a wall in a deep shade of rust or sienna. A master bathroom that features granite or marble countertops with streaks of gold or silver will sparkle if the same shade is used on the walls. Brighten the room by choosing rich tones for the wall color and adding lighter shades for the towels, rugs and bathroom accessories.

Tips for Decorating with Wall Color

- Mix wall colors by choosing two contrasting shades such as teal blue and sunflower yellow on adjoining walls. Use fabrics for curtains, upholstery, rugs or pillow to tie the colors together. Try to limit the theme by only adding one more color such as cream to avoid having a too busy look.
- Paint wide stripes of color in a vertical pattern on one wall in a bedroom or office. Place decorative molding strips in a horizontal pattern around the remainder of the room.
- Use a chair rail molding at a ¾ height and use two different colors above and below the rail.
- Use leather textured paints for a family room or an office and accessorize with Western furniture, lamps and rugs.
- Pick a bold color for a single wall and hang a large oil print that features that color.

The possibilities for creative home design using a few gallons of paint are endless. This inexpensive method of personalizing the space we live in makes the thought of redoing a room an exciting prospect.