• About GH&P
  • Contact Us

Garden, Home & Party

~ My love of gardening, making home comfortable and entertaining friends and family.

Garden, Home & Party

Tag Archives: paint color

{Home} Neutral ground

12 Tuesday Jun 2012

Posted by Karen B. in Decorating, Paint Color, Renovating, Trends

≈ 9 Comments

Tags

neutral color palate, paint color

I’ve always enjoyed color.  I admit, when we moved into our smallish home 30 years ago {I was but a child :-)} a designer friend of mine gave me some very good advice.  She recommended that I choose a color palate and use it as a guide with each room.  A small house, she explained, will feel more spacious if there’s some uniformity within the overall décor.  {Thank you, Gretchen} I would say it has worked well for us.  I’ve always kept the baseboards, door casings, raise paneled doors, paned windows and French doors painted the same white throughout the house (Antique White to begin with, Porcelain now).

Karen B. Family Room1

Karen B. red check sofaMaybe the sofa IS looking a little tired, it’s not that old but it does see a lot of wear.

Karen B. French doors, Royal Dalton plates

Overall I had a cohesive color scheme that originated with hunter green as the bold color for carpet and even the walls of the family room.  Later, as we added oak wood flooring throughout, the carpet was changed to a neutral and kept only in the bedrooms.  Years passed and I needed a change.  I switched the color combination to red, khaki and black, and boldly painted our family room and kitchen Benjamin Moore, Classic Burgundy.  That was probably over 15 years ago.  I bet you can see where this is heading.

Karen B. Family room2

I’ve recently been attracted to neutral rooms.  I don’t want to go overboard with a neutral palate, and with budget constraints and upholstered furniture that isn’t overly worn or in need of re-upholstery work, will remain as it is right now.  But somewhere down the line I think I’d like the family room and kitchen walls painted a taupe/gray.  I would also love to introduce a bit more blue and white.  As you can tell from the photographs, I’ve got a few items but I could see blue and white ginger jars on the mantle, maybe a neutral sofa at some far-off date, with some blue and white tapestry or other fabric pillows.

Tina’s shop at The Enchanted Home had these lovelies:

…and the most recent online issue of Lonny Magazine featured Christy Ford’s home, the author of …and George blog…isn’t this lovely…

Lonny Magazine

There’s been no end to the inspiring neutral rooms and as I said, I believe I’ll always want color but I would like a change, and with it, maybe some calm in my surroundings.  Early inspiration came from fellow blogger Joan, for the love of a house.  I found the room’s of her restored farm house to be what my mind’s eye had envisioned…

for the love of a house

for the love of a house

John Saladino creates an understated beauty with his simple and neutral rooms.

This next room (I believe I found the image on Cote de Texas) features burlap curtains, but it’s the casual comfort and neutral color palate  the room displays that draws my attention.

I fell in love with Michael Bastian’s apartment when adventures in tartanscot shared some of the space with his readers.

This room from a post at The Enchanted Home has neutral and blue and white touches {sigh}

The Enchanted Home

I would love beams in our home, I have one that was created when we remodeled but check this dining room found at Ivy Clad…so pretty AND neutral.

Ivy Clad

Any Pam Pierce room is beautiful, this one is especially remarkable.

Mary Ann at Classic Casual Home lives in California, as do I, and I’ve noticed she shares some beautiful rooms, many of them have this neutral look I’m talking about, like…

And this final image I can’t recall where it’s from, but it sure is pretty.

{via Maison Decor}

I will always lean towards some amount of color within the room’s decor, but I might be ready for a more neutral palate.

All input and opinions are welcome.  Share your thoughts with me, I love our chats!

xo, Karen

I’ve attached the link to the image above, {thanks to my blog friend, Kifus, at Inspiring Interiors)

I’m visiting Savvy Southern Style at her Wow us Wednesday, join the fun.

{Home} Paint colors…making a difficult choice

12 Friday Aug 2011

Posted by Karen B. in Decorating, Renovating

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

guest bath re-do, paint color

As some of you may know, we’re finally renovating our guest bathroom.  It’s a bit of a good news/bad news deal.  Good news:  I have many of the major components [vanity, wall sconces, canned lighting, fan, bathtub, toilet, crown, base and door casing selected; bad news:  I’ve decided to select a paint color with a hint of gray  to it to go with the Carrara (thanks to Vignette Design for setting me straight on the spelling) marble vanity top and floor.

image via Vignette Design {1}

The vanity we have ordered (below) is a Pottery Barn design.  Due to limited space in the guest bathroom we choose this little 26″ wide piece.  The counter-top is Carrara marble, and is part of the reason I’m looking at gray paint.

This is the recessed mirror/medicine cabinet we’ve ordered.  The wood looks aged and has a little white/gray to it.

The wall sconces we’re using are these Pottery Barn beauties.   Again, I think they lend themselves to the gray I have in my mind…yet to be found!


I visit a lot of blog sites and am almost always impressed with how lovely rooms can look with gray paint.  However, I get to the store and am overwhelmed by all of the shades of gray to choose from, not to mention the samples they offer are the size of a postage stamps and it can be difficult to select from that sample.

While I love this bathroom by Jill Sharp Brinson, I believe it’s too dark for my small space.

This paint (below) is “Natures Essentials” by Benjamin Moore…its very close to what I imagine but I couldn’t find the color at my hardware store today so the search continues.

This gray and white (below) is lovely but may be a little dark, the room in the image is quite bright and cheery so it can handle the darker paint.

{2}

What’s that you say, just buy the little sample pots so many paint companies offer?  Let me just say this about that…they rarely have the color in sample size that I’m interested in and when they do it can be pretty pricey.  Does this ever happen to you?

I love the gray of this room (below) and the black and white accents are something that appeals to me.

 {3}

This soft gray is perfect but I don’t have the name of the paint so the search continues.

{4}

Polished Pebble recently redid a bathroom in their Ojai home and I love the  Cararra trim accent used with the white subway tile.  I’m following her design idea and using 12″ Cararra tile on the floor.

{5}

This is a pretty pale shade of gray that accents the blue and white beautifully.

{7}

This taupe-gray (below) is what I really envision.  Love this room!

{8}

Heirloom Philosophy painted her living room recently a Farrow & Ball color called Hardwick White.  I like the contrast with the white trim, which is what I’ll be using on the crown, base and door casing.  What do you think?  It’s hard to see the actual color on a computer screen, don’t you agree?

{6}

On the right (below) is Hardwick White; on the left (below) is Lamp Room Gray, both by Farrow & Ball

So I’m doing my due diligence and revisiting some of the beautiful gray rooms I’ve seen on various sites and then I’m going straight to my friends for honest input and advice.  Isn’t that always the best anyway.

I will be posting before and after photos once we’re underway.  Meanwhile, while I try to compile all of the components I welcome any and all input from you, my faithful readers.

Meanwhile, if any of you have a wonderful gray paint color you’d like to share please email me.

Images: 1. Vignette Design; 2., 6.,  7. & 8. Heirloom Philosophy; 3. & 4. Griege ; 5. Polished Pebble

Paint color…too many choices!

28 Monday Mar 2011

Posted by Karen B. in Decorating, DIY (do it yourself), Renovating

≈ 6 Comments

Tags

paint color

I’m in the process of renovating our library (or sitting room, or very small living room, whatever I call it on any given day).

The room was wallpapered with a Ralph Lauren paper made to look like aged plaster (not a really good imitation, but fairly neutral and I liked it for quite a few years).

The print between the plates (above) is the print that now hangs in the dining room…as you might imagine, quite a large patch of original colored wallpaper in a sea of faded paper, not a good look!

About a month ago I decided I wanted to move a framed print from the library into the dining room.  I had a little vignette all figured out for the space and was pretty excited for the change.  {I do love change!}  I moved the print and was amazed at how faded the wallpaper had become.

I confess, I love the new look Restoration Hardware (images above and below) has been promoting and the gray they use became an inspiration for upcoming (and much needed) upholstery fabric for the sofa, window seat cushion, and ladder back chair and ottoman.

Since the library was wallpapered about 8 years ago I thought it was a good time to take down the paper and paint (more on the renovation in a future post).

Image via Elle Decor

I knew I didn’t want the paint to be too sunny since the room has so much natural light, sunglasses indoors isn’t a good look for me!

Image via John Jacob Interiors

…I know this is a bathroom, but the color on the walls reminded me of Restoration Hardware paint and I really liked it.  So I bought a smallish can of Restoration Hardware’s Graphite (it was similar in appearance to the above wall color.

Image via Atmosphere blog

Additional inspiration…

Image via Atmosphere blog

I have a gray-ish basket trunk from IKEA that I use for a coffee table so this image was additional ammo for the whole gray paint idea.

Many of you probably figure that finding paint is easy, right?  Well, I have seen more paint chips over the past 2 ½ months than I care to mention and ultimately, I have decided to paint the room the same color the dining room is painted, “Inside Passage” by Dunn Edwards.

Image via Country Living

I didn’t think white paint (as in the image above) would be a good fit for the “look” I ultimately wanted to achieve, however, I love this room by Kolene Spicher.

Meanwhile, I looked at Pottery Barn paint chips (Benjamin Moore paint), Restoration Hardware paint chips, Behr from Home Depot, Martha Stewart paint chips, also at Home Depot, and my head was aching by the end.

There are a lot of paint tools online and House Beautiful has one that works well, but there is nothing like painting a good sized patch on the actual wall and standing back to determine its merit.  I ultimately called by good friend and designer, Gretchen, to weigh in on the sample.  She saw green in the Restoration Hardware gray sample.  Knowing her eye is better trained than mine I went back to the Inside Passage by Dunn Edwards.

Image via Jackye Lanham – website

The wall color in the image above is what “Inside Passage” looks like.  It has a bit of gray and taupe in it.  I like it because it changes looks with various light.

Have you had to select wall color recently?  Was it as challenging for you as it was for me?

 

Recent Posts: Garden, Home & Party

Homes that welcome the season

A little this and that

The color of autumn

Wall Art Inspiration for our bungalow

Project Design: Outdoor Living Spaces

Enter your email address to subscribe to GH&P and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Instagram




Follow gardenhomeparty on Twitter

Follow on Tumblr

Google Plus

Recent Posts

  • Homes that welcome the season
  • A little this and that
  • The color of autumn
  • Wall Art Inspiration for our bungalow
  • Project Design: Outdoor Living Spaces

Categories

  • Accessories; details
  • Annual WP Report Card
  • Antiques
  • Architects & Builders
  • Architectural elements
  • Autumn
  • Bastille Day
  • Bathroom
  • Bedrooms
  • Christmas
  • Collections & Accessories
  • Cottages
  • Decorating
  • Designer
  • Dessert
  • Dining Room
  • DIY (do it yourself)
  • Drink
  • Easter
  • Entertaining
  • Fall Entertaining and Decorations
  • Family
  • Flowers
  • Food
  • Gardening
  • Gardens
  • Halloween
  • Holiday/Seasonal cooking
  • Holidays
  • House and Home
  • Independence Day
  • Kitchen
  • Maintenance
  • Misc
  • Outdoor living
  • Paint Color
  • Party Planning
  • Personal Information
  • Recipes
  • Renovating
  • Seasons
  • Simple Meals for the Avid Cook
  • Spring
  • St. Patrick's Day
  • Storage/Closets/Pantry
  • Study/Office
  • Summer
  • Thanksgiving
  • Traditions
  • Travel
  • Trends
  • Uncategorized
  • Valentine's Day

Recommended

  • Bastion & Lark
  • Content in a Cottage
  • Cote de Texas
  • French Essence
  • French Kissed
  • Garden, Home and Party
  • Greige Design
  • Heirloom Philosophy
  • Henhurst Interiors
  • In the Fields
  • Jennings & Gates
  • Making Magique
  • Miss Mustard Seed
  • paper{whites}
  • Polished Pebble
  • Providence Ltd Design
  • Restoring our 1890 Victorian
  • Slim Paley
  • Splendid Willow
  • Talk of the House
  • TG Interiors
  • The Adventures of Tartanscot
  • The Enchanted Home
  • The House of Edward
  • The Lady's Life
  • The Pioneer Woman
  • The Polohouse
  • Tone on Tone
  • Trouvais
  • Velvet & Linen

Archives

  • October 2019
  • September 2019
  • August 2019
  • July 2019
  • May 2019
  • April 2019
  • November 2016
  • October 2016
  • September 2016
  • August 2016
  • July 2016
  • June 2016
  • May 2016
  • April 2016
  • March 2016
  • February 2016
  • January 2016
  • December 2015
  • November 2015
  • October 2015
  • September 2015
  • August 2015
  • July 2015
  • May 2015
  • April 2015
  • March 2015
  • February 2015
  • January 2015
  • December 2014
  • November 2014
  • October 2014
  • September 2014
  • August 2014
  • July 2014
  • June 2014
  • May 2014
  • April 2014
  • March 2014
  • February 2014
  • January 2014
  • December 2013
  • November 2013
  • October 2013
  • September 2013
  • August 2013
  • July 2013
  • June 2013
  • May 2013
  • April 2013
  • March 2013
  • February 2013
  • January 2013
  • December 2012
  • November 2012
  • October 2012
  • September 2012
  • August 2012
  • July 2012
  • June 2012
  • May 2012
  • April 2012
  • March 2012
  • February 2012
  • January 2012
  • December 2011
  • November 2011
  • October 2011
  • September 2011
  • August 2011
  • July 2011
  • June 2011
  • May 2011
  • April 2011
  • March 2011
  • February 2011
  • January 2011
  • December 2010
  • November 2010
  • October 2010
  • September 2010
  • August 2010
  • July 2010
  • June 2010
  • May 2010
  • April 2010
  • March 2010
  • February 2010
  • January 2010
  • October 2009
  • August 2009
  • July 2009
  • June 2009
  • May 2009
  • October 2007
  • August 2007
  • July 2007
  • June 2007

Top Posts & Pages

  • {Home} Cozy and other adjectives that describe home
  • Living with what you love; age and decorating
  • Knock, knock, who's there?
  • {Home} Adieu Pierre Deux
  • {Home} Mirror, mirror on the wall...
  • {GHP} Summer Heat ~ cool pools
  • Cottage living...Moody cottages
  • About GH&P
  • Homes that welcome the season
  • Toile, my favorite

Subscribe via RSS

  • RSS - Posts
  • RSS - Comments

Topics

4th of July accessories antiques Architects & Builders Austin Autumn Barefoot Contessa bathroom bedrooms birthdays blog favorites Blogging blue & white decor books centerpieces chairs Christmas collections cooking cottage cupboards decorating for fall decorating styles designer details of a home do-it-yourself Dogs dream house Easter easy recipe easy recipes Engagement Party English gardens Entertaining fall Family Father's Day Flowers foyer furniture Garden Gardening Halloween hardwood floors holiday home home accessorizing House Beautiful magazine how-to Independence Day interiors Irish Stew kitchens Kooboo chairs library mirrors Mother's Day neutral color palate New Years Eve Organizing Outdoor living paint color Pets in the home plaid recipe recipes Rogers Gardens Spring summer living Table Settings television Texas Thanksgiving Valentine's Day weddings

Blog at WordPress.com.

  • Follow Following
    • Garden, Home & Party
    • Join 749 other followers
    • Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
    • Garden, Home & Party
    • Customize
    • Follow Following
    • Sign up
    • Log in
    • Report this content
    • View site in Reader
    • Manage subscriptions
    • Collapse this bar
 

Loading Comments...