Expert: Rebecca Bushner - 3/22/2007

Question
QUESTION: I really need some help..I seem to be frozen and unable to decide on interior paint colors for my beautiful 1917 Greek revival style home. The outside is painted a beautiful pale green(seems almost blue at times) with a much darker green color on the shutters, the door is burgundy.

Anyway, when you enter there is a very long hallway (all floors thruout are medium stained heart pine floors) with beadboard on the lower 1/3 of the wall. This hallway again is very long and dark. Also, right when entering you can immediately turn right to enter the living/family room area. This room has 4 very large windows but because of the front porch and many surrounding oak trees this room is darker than I would like.

You then can walk directly into the dining room from the the living room or can enter it from the hallway.  The dining room I painted a beautiful white (simply white by B. Moore..I think, with a slightly different white trim color). I love the color in the dining room. I really am somewhat tempted to paint the entire house this color but really would like some other options.  

The next room thru the dining room is my kitchen.  The previous owner painted all the cabinets and trim around the windows...Spicy Mustard by B. Moore.  It is a rather crazy color but has somewhat grown on me.  I would like to repaint them in the near future(and would love any suggestions there) but first I need to address the hallway and family room area.  Oh, also when you enter the house you immediately see the stairs and rise off to your left. Bead board also covers the lower half of the staircase wall. The stairs themselves are the same wood as the floors (not painted or covered with a runner) All the ceilings (except dining room) need painting, they are bead board also.

One more thing and then I really will try to hush but the library also needs painting. This room is off the hallway directly across from the dining room. I have a red and cream couch with red window treatments. (i have seen a toile (forgive the spelling)(french decorative scene fabric)with a beautiful blue background with red birds as the focal point. I have seen this beautiful combo before.  I was thinking that blue (if I knew the color) might look beautiful with the red. What do you think?

I just bought this house recently and waited for years for such a house and really want to do it justice. Please help with any suggestions you can give. I am open to anything but again seem to be frozen..afraid to make a mistake. Thank you so much...please feel free to ask me any questions if you need to. Rebecca
ANSWER: Hi Rebecca
I don’t want to put you off, but your project is very large and you basically want answers to complex questions that can’t be answered without actually seeing this wonderful home of yours. When you are very afraid of making a mistake with color and you have a whole house to do, you really should hire a professional color consultant. If you let me know where you are located, I may be able to suggest an IACC-NA trained consultant to help you in person. A professional can transform your home and lessen problems such as dark rooms and too-long hallways easily and create a renewed sense of style and function. Let me know if I can recommend someone for you.
Cheers,
reb




---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thank you for your response.  I live in Thomasville, Ga.  Thank you again. Rebecca

Answer
Hi Again
We have one IACC-NA member in Cumming, Georgia, but that might be too far away from you. I recommend that you look around in your own town for a color consultant. Or if you like, you may e-mail me personally for a remote consultation. I’ve done them before quite successfully.
I hope this helps!
rebecca