It took a good three trips to the hardware store to find the right paint chips for the living room. Luckily, I had decent floors to deal with after the mint green carpet came out. But, it's a long skinny room with low ceilings, so at first I wasn't quite sure what to do. I wanted some red, because I had it in my last house and it looks good with retro leopard print-- definitely a must. (I guess you could describe my decorating style as "Bettie Page burlesque bordello").
I am not a fan of pastels or of white walls, either. So, after sitting on the rug absorbing the vibe, I decided I'd do three walls in a light neutral, with one dark accent wall in a red. My goal is to get the stone fireplace and the built-in metal plant holder to stand out. They just kind of blend in against the white, when really they are the coolest parts of the room.
I ultimately went with American Tradition Cincinnati Hotel beige, from the National Trust for Historic Preservation paint series and Bordeaux by Eddie Bauer for the accent wall, both from handy dandy Lowe's. Just a warning: before you paint anything red, understand that it takes at least three coats to get a solid red color. It's not for the faint of heart.
So, after a weekend of painting, this is how it turned out.
Click here for a before and after living room photos slideshow
Between the camera and the Internet, it's hard to convey the true colors in the room, so if you are really motivated and curious, you'll probably want to inspect the chips in person next time you stumble into Lowe's.
But, mission accomplished, I think, on making the fireplace and the plant holder much more noticable.
Alas, for me it's back to the paint chips. Now I'm on a quest for the perfect 1950s blue for my bathroom!•
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