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Decorating & Furniture/Decorating with green/gray furniture

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Expert: Shamim Razvi - 11/16/2009


Question

Tianna Brittain Living
Hi,

We just bought a sectional sofa set for our new house and when we bought it it seemed much more gray than it is at home where it seems almost sage green in our living room.  We've decided to keep it but would like to know how to tone down the green in order to bring out the gray.  Right now the walls are a 'safe' pinky beige.  Our original plan was to decorate around gray furniture with aubergine, black, silver and white.  We have a vaulted ceiling with great windows that face East.  The living room is part of an open concept area and on the West side of the house is a sliding door to the backyard.  There are two smaller windows on the South side as well, in the dining area.  The wood in the kitchen is oak and the handles are a brushed nickel colour.  So, there is a lot of light in the living room, but we do live on Vancouver island, so a lot of the light is gray from November-April.  I'm not afraid of colour, but I'm not a big fan of oranges/yellows/greens.  We would like to re-do the floors as well, which consist of a beige carpet in the living area and a grey/brown linoleum in the kitchen/dining area.  We were thinking of going with a very dark brown wood.  The stairs come up behind part of the sofa, so I was wondering if the stairwell should be another colour?  The room is empty except for the sofa, so it is a blank slate for accessories!  Any advice you could give would be very much appreciated.  :o)

Answer
Hi Tianna, the reason your sofa looked more gray in the store has everything to do with lighting.  Does it look more green in the evening with the lights on?  Try changing the type of bulbs you are using and see how the colour looks it may help.  A suggestion for the wall colour would be to choose a warm gray based neutral.  A colour I really like is ICI's 'Roma Haze' or 'Chinchilla White'  Again you would have to see it under your current lighting conditions.  Bring home some colour card samples, or better yet, some colour testers and go with your instinct.  
For the flooring, it is best to create as little contrast between colours as possible. I'm not sure I understand your question about the stairwell, as you said you were doing carpet and linoleum.  If you decide to carpet the stairs, keep the same carpet as the family room.  
For accessories, find even cushions, artwork or a rug that has the green/gray of the sofa and also one or two other colours.  Use these colours as your colour pallette throughout the room.

I also offer an 'Ask the Decorator' service on my website. I would be happy to be of further assistance to you if needed.
Thank you, for your time.

Shamim Razvi
The Eighth Haven
www.eighthaven.com

Shamim Razvi

Expertise

I can answer anything in general about decorating, i.e. Space planning,colour co-ordinating, furniture placement, choosing the most suitable accessories,fabrics,lighting, window, wall and floor treatments. I cannot answer questions about structural or architectural changes.

Experience

I have been decorating for the past five years and running my own decorating business: The Eighth Haven, www.eighthaven.com, for over a year.

Education/Credentials
I am a graduate of QC Design School, in the field of Professional Design and Decorating as a certified Interior Decorator and Professional Colour Consultant.

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