Painting & Wallpapering/Painting to Sell

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Expert: Rebecca Bushner - 4/21/2009


Question
My husband and I are re-painting our living room and dinning room before we sell as they were really bright colors and we want to tone it down. The living room is quite large and open and the dinning room quite small and they are connected. There are 3 large windows in the living room that let it a decent amount of light during the day.

My question is this, my husband bought a grey primer to cover the bright colors we had before. He now feels the grey looks good and wants to just leave all the chair guards and base boards white with the walls grey. I disagree and feel this could hurt the chances for a sell. We just want to do what is best for the home either way any advice would be most appreciated.

Answer
Hi Lisa
Your Real Estate agent should be helping you with this decision, but in general, grey walls do not make a very friendly room, unless done very, very well. Since you are painting, I recommend a popular off-white like Benjamin Moore's "Linen White" or similar. Give the future owners a blank slate since chances are 99% will not like grey walls.
Good luck with the sale!
~rebecca

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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 am currently the Executive Director of NARI Southern Arizona/Tucson Chapter, NARI is the National Association for the Remodeling Industry. I'm also a 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 since 2001, a designer and researcher (tableware design) for about 10 years. I have my own color consulting/graphic design business in Arizona and work for NARI, Southern Arizona/Tucson chapter.

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

Past/Present Clients
Guthy-Renker, the Love Plates, Toscana Studio & Gallery, Sky Meadow Apothecary. and more.

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