Sage Green Rooms

Posted on | March 17, 2010 | 12 Comments

The paint samples are continuing to dry in the den. The sun has returned but no room in my house could ever be classified as “sunny”. The house sits west which in the winter gives us some nice light on the back of house—which hardly has any windows— and afternoon sun in the front.

My favorites so far are #1 Cooking Apple and #3 Vert De Terre. In the photo above the colors look grayer then they do in real life. I am getting a lot of votes for #2 which is more blue then green. The room behind the den is going to blue so don’t fret if your color doesn’t win this round. Cooking Apple Green and Vert De Terre are both lovely colors but they are too dark for my space. Farrow & Ball was kind enough to send me a few more samples to try out. Stay tuned…

I imagine the walls to be a sage green like the rooms I found below on marthastewart.com. I realize the walls will look dark until I add furnishings, trim, and lighting. Picking paint colors that are up against stark white walls in an isolated scenario is probably not the best idea.

mla104089 0908 guestbed xl Sage Green Rooms

sage green rooms from martha stewart Sage Green Rooms

Category: interiors, paint colors

Green Paint Samples On Wall

Posted on | March 13, 2010 | 35 Comments

paint samples the next morning Green Paint Samples On Wall

From left to right: Cooking Apple Green, Teresa’s Green, Verte De Terre, Light Blue, Green Ground, Saxon Green.

I know I have more important home projects then picking paint colors but it’s rainy and cold outside and I couldn’t resist trying out some of my new Farrow & Ball paint samples up on the wall. The colors look totally different in the space then I would have imagined. I choose some green and blue tones so I would have a good range of choices. I forgot to get a sample for my favorite color, Blue Gray (seen below). Somehow I confused it with Light Blue; #4 from the left.

I’ll report back with photos of the paint colors in different light situations. I literally just painted the samples on the walls so the colors will continue to change as they dry. Hopefully, the Blue Gray paint pot will come early next week.

farrow ball greens and cream trims Green Paint Samples On Wall

Category: paint colors

Ordering Sample Paint Pots

Posted on | March 9, 2010 | 9 Comments

I ordered some sample paint pots from Farrow & Ball for my den this morning. Hopefully they will come by the end of the week and we can try them out on the walls. I am leaning towards painted the trim an creamy gray off-white. I really like the idea of green moulding but I’m feeling like I will regret it 10 years. I really don’t want to repaint moulding after we painstakingly stripped all the paint off. Walls I can deal with repainting.

Above a few of my selections. The images on my computer look nothing like the paint chips appear in real life. Color is so hard to depict accurately on a computer screen. Images get photo shopped and every computer screen shows colors differently. I advise ordering sample pots before choosing a color. Below a few of the color combos I picked paired with cream trim and my color card in the morning light.

Trim Options:
Off-White
Lime White
Joa’s White
Clunch

Wall Colors:
Theresa’s Green
Light Blue
Cooking Apple Green
Saxon Green
Green Ground
Vert De Terre
Breakfast Room Green (to try on moulding)

farrow ball greens and cream trims Ordering Sample Paint Pots

Category: paint colors

Dark Green Walls and White Trim

Posted on | February 22, 2010 | 12 Comments

One of my lovely readers sent me this house last week to add to my green room inspiration file. The dark green walls against the crisp white molding is gorgeous. I still don’t know what I am going to paint my room. I think I need to paint some sample colors on the molding and walls and live it for a few weeks. I don’t think I will be satisfied until I’ve tried out both color combos.

Below more images from a lovely home styled by Katrine Martensen-Larsen. I love the checks and stripes in the bedrooms and mudroom. See more gorgeous interior images at kmldesign.dk.

Thanks Bernadette for the tip!

green walls and molding Dark Green Walls and White Trim

checks and stripes Dark Green Walls and White Trim

Category: interiors, paint colors

Green on Greene

Posted on | February 19, 2010 | 8 Comments

In Soho this morning I spotted more green paint inspiration. Is the world telling me something? I love this green. Now I’m leaning back toward painting the molding in my den green. Ah! What to do? Above and below a building on Greene Street in Soho.

Category: New York, paint colors

Off-White Trim Colors

Posted on | February 9, 2010 | 17 Comments

Woodwork: Off-White No. 3 Dead Flat
Walls: Blue Gray No. 91 Estate Emulsion

I’m drooling over Farrow & Ball’s off-white paint options. I’m leaning away from painting the woodwork in the den green. I’m afraid the room is too dark and the color change will be jarring in such a small house.

I’m on the search for the perfect creamy off-white. A shade with brown undertones and less yellow. My current fav is Off-White. It looks great with blues and greens—colors that will appear as a theme throughout the house. I have to order some sample pots and test out a few different shades in the space. I’m getting excited. A few of my favorites from Farrow & Ball above and below.

BanisterCorner BP810 226IE 252IE S Off White Trim Colors

Door & Skirting: Joa’s White No. 226 Estate Eggshell
Walls: The Silvergate Papers BP 810

RadiatorWhole 91EE 3IE 4DF S3 Off White Trim Colors

Woodwork: Off-White No. 3 Estate Eggshell
Wall: Blue Gray No. 91 Estate Emulsion

WindowInside 40EE 2002EE S Off White Trim Colors

Woodwork: White Tie No. 2002 Estate Eggshell
Walls: Mouse’s Back No. 40 Estate Emulsion

Category: paint colors

What Color Do I Paint The Molding?

Posted on | January 21, 2010 | 70 Comments

We are almost done stripping and sanding the den. I should probably get a handle on what color I want to paint the room. I know I lot of you have commented that I should leave the molding as is. I’m not a huge fan of all wood rooms, it’s way too masculine for my taste. The floors will get stripped eventually so we can all get our shiny wood fix.

We have found areas of green stain on the wood which looks like it could have been the original color. I have come across photos green molding in a number of historic homes. Part of me would like to honor the tradition but at the same time I am leaning towards something more modern. Paint the wood green or paint the walls green and paint the molding cream or a combo of both? Below a few photos I am using for inspiration.

I could paint parts of the molding green like the images below from Michael Smith and Farrow & Ball. Oh gosh, I just don’t know. In this case I wish someone would tell me what to do. At least I know I want the room to be green.

p.s. I added more photos of the room and a video (click over for the video, it made my server crash) so everyone could get a better idea of the space. The video was taken at 11 am when the room gets the most morning light. I imagine the room being airy and cozy with a rolled armed sofa, floral accents and stripes.