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About Rebecca Bushner
Expertise
Specifying paint/coating colors or materials for interior or exterior of buildings including residential and commercial spaces. I also do graphic design & color marketing. I'm the current immediate-past-president of the International Association of Color Consultants/Designers North America (IACC-NA), a former Color Marketing Group chairholder, and an award-winning fine artist.
Experience
I've been officially a color consultant for 7 years, a designer and researcher (tableware design) for about 10 years. I have my own color consulting/graphic design business in Arizona.
Organizations
IACC-NA: International Association of Color Consultants/Designers, North America.
Publications
NAFEM (North American Association of Food Eguipment Manufacturers, Ceramics organizations.
Education/Credentials
BA in fine art, MBA, and have taken the full International Association of Color Consultants/Designers seminar course and oral exam.
Awards and Honors
Past-President of the IACC-NA
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You are here: Experts > Style > Interior Decorating > Painting & Wallpapering > wall color for a large room & wainscoting
Expert: Rebecca Bushner - 11/3/2009
Question
My living room is 42 X 26. Will wainscoting make it look larger or smaller and what color should go on the top part of the wall. I am very fond of sage and the sage family, olive, etc.
Should the wainscoting, if I put it up, be white or a wood. The floor is a wood floor, kind of a mahogany color. A fireplace is on one end of the room.
Answer
Hi Carla
You have a large living room and the wainscoting should be fine....but make sure you have at least an 8 foot or taller ceiling if you want it to appear more expansive. There are a few more "looks larger" tricks...keep reading.
Colors; the darker color always goes on the bottom. However, If you want white, be prepared to either do the top in a very pale color or have an unbalanced room: the walls will seem to loom toward you, especially when seated, with a dark color on top of white. Dark on top with white on bottom and a white ceiling also makes the walls look shorter.
For expansiveness, try a medium-toned wood finish and a lighter color of paint or wallpaper on top. The closer these two colors/finishes are in saturation, the larger the room will look. Closer in color, even better....such as birch on the bottom and warm light beige on top.
However, fabulous wood with beautiful grain and color is something most people wish to highlight, so a contrasting color (Dark walnut with the palest blueish-sage green, hickory with a blue-based sage green, cherry wood with a rich true sage green) would look really fabulous and create interest in the room. With a large room, you can get away with it.
So, to get back to the question, I'd be inclined to do wood wainscot in a rich wood that complements but doesn't match the floor and pick a sage green that really enhances the warm wood tones. Or go neutral with warm off-whites above the wainscot and put the sage greens to work in an area rug, fabrics, throws, window coverings, etc.
I hope this gives you some great ideas!
Cheers
~rebecca
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