Paint energized kitchen, calms family room

THE NEWS & OBSERVER, Raleigh, NC Saturday, May 24, 2003

Dear Designer: Last year we moved into a new home with an open floor plan on the first floor.

We love vibrant wall colors and have been puzzled about the best way to approach painting an area where rooms are not clearly defined, as well as how to choose colors that will create separate areas yet will complement each other in one large room.

One wall at the end of the family room is painted a gold color that we like. The remaining walls are all white.

Another key is choosing colors that match our existing furnishings, since we don’t plan to purchase new items. How can we bring more color into this area without creating a design nightmare? --- L.B. Chapel Hill

Dear Designer asked Sally Williams of Colorful Concepts to help L.B. make her open floor plan flow together.

Dear L. B.: You asked some great questions about defining rooms, complementing colors, and working with your existing furnishings.

During our meeting, you expressed a preference for a harmonious color scheme (various shades of one color). You like subdued earth tones, and have a somewhat eclectic furnishing style. You indicated that you’d like the kitchen to be energizing, and the family room to have a more calming feel.

I found out another important detail: You are expecting your first baby! You and your husband have asthma, and therefore you have chosen not to install any window treatments other than the present blinds. Also, the house has hardwood floors, so there is no carpet color to be concerned with in our color selection process.

It is important to look at the colors used in the other rooms on the same floor as the family room and kitchen, so that our final color selections will lead to a nice flow of color throughout the rooms on this floor. The dark gold on one wall in the family room, is also used below the chair rail throughout the foyer, and leads to the family room. From the chair rail up, the walls are white in the foyer, the living room, and the dining room. Below the chair rail in the dining room is a deep red color, which you mentioned you want to change to a burgundy.

Since you like harmonious color schemes, and earth tones, we can achieve the results you want by continuing to work on the theme of gold.

For your kitchen I recommend a soft gold color - a light, bright, energizing color. For the family room I recommend a deeper gold (not as dark as the gold in your foyer) - a much warmer, calming color. The Benjamin Moore names and codes are golden straw 2152-50 for the kitchen, and golden tan 2152-40 for the family room. These two shades will create a harmonious scheme in this large two-room area, yet help define two separate rooms and moods. Also, these two shades of gold will flow very nicely with the existing dark gold, and with the future burgundy of the dining room.

The paint should be in an eggshell finish. This finish is much more washable than a flat finish (a big plus when you have children), and has a very slight sheen that reflects light and gives the color a lighter, brighter look.

A big concern of yours is where to start and stop the wall colors, because of the open floor plan and the way several of these walls flow into other areas of the house. In making this decision it helps to stop moving through the spaces in question, stand, and look at the walls from various vantages. Where are you standing when you see each wall most completely? What color is the room you are standing in, when you get the best view?

In your case, the walls in the hallway leading from the family room to the foyer are not visible from the kitchen. The shorter wall in the hallway is visible only from the family room, while the longer wall is visible only from the foyer. Also, the longer wall has the original dark gold color below a chair rail, while the shorter wall has no chair rail, and is completely white. I suggest painting the shorter wall the same deep gold color as the family room, and leaving the longer wall as is.

In looking at the hallway leading from the kitchen to the stairwell and foyer, I saw that none of the three walls in question are visible from the foyer. Two of the walls are visible as you come down the stairs, and all three of the walls are visible from certain areas of the kitchen. The longest wall leads into the kitchen, over the doorway to the dining room, and definitely needs to be painted along with the kitchen. An option would be to leave the two short stairwell walls white, but that’s not much fun for someone who loves color! Go for the gold, I say!

The furnishings

In working with your existing furnishings, I find that keeping the area rug is a challenge. Your harmonious color scheme can include the black and gold chairs, the brown leather couch, the cream chairs, the gold walls, but not the green and burgundy rug. You should also remove the matching runner and doormat that are currently between the two rooms.

Begin pulling together the colors in your family room by changing all the photo frames on the wall unit, to gold-toned (painted wood, or brass) frames. Make the same color change with some of the bookends and other items. Find several pieces of pottery, in light earth tones or creams, to arrange at the center of the top of the wall unit. Move the two black chairs to either side of the fireplace, to make a much bolder color statement at this focal point of the room. Place the two cream chairs in their place. Select six accent pillows in several shades of gold, to be used interchangeably on the cream chairs and the sofa. You may have been avoiding pillows because of the dust issues, but there are some options available. Many stores now sell pillow covers separate from pillow inserts, so that covers can be changed seasonally. Synthetic 16-inch square pillow inserts are available from Pottery Barn for $12. They can be washed and dried at home, allowing you to control the dust. Also, a cream throw blanket over the back of the sofa would be a nice touch.

A cornice window treatment does not involve any pleated or gathered fabric, and is therefore ideal for those who are concerned about the dust factor. A cornice would hang straight across the top of your window frame, concealing the top of the blinds with a box-like shape. You can make one out of wood yourself, covering it in a fabric of your choice. A fabric in any combination of your colors, but predominately black, would add dimension to the room and would look fabulous.

You asked me for ideas on how to bring more color to the kitchen, in addition to the new gold walls. I understand that wallpaper, and stenciling or hand painting any designs does not appeal to you I suggest that once you have selected the burgundy for the dining room, use the same color above the kitchen cabinets where you currently have the wallpaper border. This will be a punch of added color on which to build.

Change all the switch plates and outlet covers from standard white to colorful ceramic ones that complement the gold and burgundy. These can be found at the Sally Huss Gallery in Raleigh, ranging from $13 - $23. Also, change all the brass cabinet knobs to colorful ceramic knobs, or paint some wooden ones instead. In the breakfast nook there is 1½ to 2 feet above each of the four large windows, where you can hang some small pieces of colorful framed art. A clock hanging above the doorway to the dining room could also bring in more color.

When you are ready to make some larger purchases, there are two items that would complete your family room color scheme: a slipcover for the sofa, and a new area rug. A slipcover for the sofa in a fabric pattern of mainly dark gold would be ideal. Then take the black accent pillows from your two black chairs, and move them to the sofa. You may expect that a new area rug would cost as much as $2,000, but I have found a less expensive option for you. The rug you are removing from the room is approximately 8-by-12, and was a bit large for the space. This made the room feel narrow, while a smaller rug will visually “widen” your space. An excellent option for you is a 6-by-9 woven sea grass rug, with a 1-inch canvas border in gold. This rug is extremely stain-resistant and easily cleaned, and will cost only $465 at West Side Furnishings in Raleigh. Sea grass is a natural fiber that will wear well, the colors are perfect for the room, and you won’t have to worry about your new baby ruining an expensive area rug.

I have enjoyed helping you arrive at answers to your color and design questions. It was fun to work with someone who knows about the marvelous impact of changing walls from white to colorful. I hope you and your family will enjoy the transformation of your kitchen to bright and energizing, and family room to warm and relaxing, for many years to come.