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Long room layout –multipurpose. Hello, perhaps you or your readers could help. I can provide more details later. We have one long room on the bottom floor of a multi level home. The room is large and long and needs to serve two primary purposes. The first is a living/den/entertainment section and at the far end of the room a section for housing guests. We were thinking that on the nearest end there could be a gaming table etc. the middle section some couch/chair/type grouping facing a large wall unit with electronic entertainment and at the far end of the room — either a Murphy bed or a sofa bed arrangement. The dilemma is if there is a sofa bed and if we need another sofa type thing to watch entertainment from how would you do that. Also we thought there could be a rod across the room to hang luxurious curtains ala Schraeger which can be drawn across the sleeping area for privacy if one partner is sleeping and the other watching tv. No guests the room is for everyone to hang out. Guests present the entire room is theirs. Can anyone help? Thanks.
Hi Paula,
If your room is truly long enough, you can easily have three distinct zones, including two conversation areas with two different sofas. But I do like the Murphy bed idea if the end of the room is really only used when you have guests.
Just choose a palette and mix and match around the space so that although you have three different areas in the room, the space has flow.
I think you have a great plan!
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Dear Barbara,
I have a painter coming to start painting my two story traditional brick home with partial wood siding on the first floor and all wood siding on the second floor. The brick color is an antique red with orange undertones. The roof is charcole gray. Currently the siding, garage door and front door are are all white. I would like to add some color and have thought about a sage green but worry this will be too much with the brick color. Can you suggest some color possibilities for the siding, garage door, trim and front door? My home is on a large lot in the country.
The bottom story has wood siding in the middle (surrounding the front door) and brick on each side.
Thanks,
Susan
Stella1701@Att.net
Hi Susan,
How about Ben Moore’s Tyler Taupe HC-43 for your siding and garage door color with Navajo White for the trim and Georgian Brick HC-50 for the front door (if that color is in your brick, that is). That color combination will really warm up your house.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Barbara,
Thanks for the suggestions. I really like the
Navajo White for the trim and the Georgian Brick for the door is beautiful. I am not so crazy about the Tyler Taupe ( I don’t like to orange/gold color. I can send some pictures of my house and the brick color to you (is there an email address? I don’t know how to attach a file here). Do you think I could use a nantucket gray (HC 111) or Sag Harbor Gray (HC 95) in place of the Tyler Taupe? If not, do you have any other suggestions?
Barbara,
I bought a sample of Nantucket Grey and found it to be more of a taupe (brown/yellow) color too, which I don’t like. Do you think Weekend Getaway (Benjaimn Moore 473) would work with my brick color?
I can send you pictures of the house if you would like. I have painters arriving at 10 am tomorrow and I do not have colors slected. Please help!
Susan
Hi Susan,
I like the Weekend Getaway (it’s a beautiful green) but if you really don’t like so much yellow , check out Kennebunkport Green (HC-123). I hope the painters have some prep work to do before painting starts — good luck!
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Hi again Susan,
I wouldn’t worry about using green with your brick. It’s usually a very pleasing combination.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
I currently have blue shutters/garage color and would like a change. My house is light gray siding and the new roof is dark gray/with black. I have a fiberglass door with the top half is glass with gold trim. The door is “faux” wood look. I am tired of the blue shutters but with the wood looking door I don’t know what color to do the shutters and garage.
Thanks
Hi Susan,
Have a look at the sophisticated colors like Ben Moore’s Ashley gray (HC-87) and Kingsport gray (HC-86). They might help to bridge the warm/cold gap between the gray house color and the brown “wood” door.
Worth a try. See how it looks.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Hi Barbara,
I’m not sure where to go with my backsplash. I have baltic brown granite, ivory painted cocoa glazed cabinets and my paint color is SW Restrained Gold. Appliances are black. The granite is dark & a busy pattern. Should I go with a darker backsplash or lighter? I’m thinking mosaic tile would be too busy with this granite although I love the look of it.
I also love the subway tile look but again probably too busy. I would appreciate any advice you can give me! Thank you!
Hi Jackie,
Since your cabinets are light (both top and bottom), hava a look at either a glass or metalic-looking tile in one of the deeper tones from your granite. It sounds like that would add drama. I love the glazed cabinets but I think you’ll need large darker tiles along the backsplash. You can use grout in the same color to avoid a busy look. Subway size is fine. You’re right, mosaic would be busy with your granite.
Hope that helps.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color coach
Barbra,
I like the advice I see you give in response to the questions posted so I would like your opinion on the house we are currently building. I would like to send a picture of it but am not sure how to post it on your site. The house is in the country on three acres with a white barn with a green roof and a white vinyl fence along the front property line. We have quite a few tree oak trees around the house. The house is 1 1/2 stories with a large porch and 5 dormers. The front and side of the garage will be drystack stone, the roof is forrest green, the windows will be white, we will be using hardi plank siding with hardi shake shingles in the gables. What do you suggest colorwise for the siding, trim, stone? If you send me your email, I will send a picture, it might help with any details I may have missed. Thanks for any help you can offer.
Hi Cliff,
You can email me at bmeglis@yahoo.com and I’ll be happy to take a look at your photo.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
All of our house walls are Pratt and Lambert Chamois with designer white trim. What color would be nice to accent a wall with? Thanks
Hi Pam,
With your Chamois walls, you have lots of options for accent colors: dark chocolate brown, rust, eggplant purple, and of course black. And don’t forget a rich red — it’s a classic combination with Chamois.
But honestly, all you need to do is find some really great art or a rug that you’d like to put into the room and take your accent colors from those pieces.
Good luck.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Before posting a comment,
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AUGUST 29th, for changes to blog
Hi,
I have a question re paint. I have an open floor plan, so kitchen, living, dining rooms all flow into each other.
Right now I have taupe colored leather couch and chair.
I painted the walls when I first got the house a recommended Bleeker Beige. Now I feel it is too similar to the furnishings.
My other colors tend towards blues and greens. I have natural golden oak floors. I’d love to change color of walls. Anything that would get me away from straight beige that you can recommend?