Thinking of painting Accent walls (pictures included)

[gate_pourri]

I have been slowly updating my condo (redid the kitchen top to bottom last year) and have recently started getting a little bored with the white paint in my living room and am thinking of painting 2 'coordinating' accent walls in my living room and dining room. The two rooms are actually connecting (really - it is just one long room, which I am using as two), and the two 'accent' walls would be across from each other.

I have been playing around the Sherman Williams 'paint' website (I did not spend too much time outlining the wall, so use your imagination. LOL) and I think I like the following paint:

But I am not sure of:

1- Does the blue/green color coordinate enough with all the red accents in my house. I have a lot of red accent colors in my living room/dining room and kitchen.

2 - Should I paint the two walls (across from each other) or just one side?

3 - Will the 2 coordinating walls make the room look small? Will it look stupid? Make it look too much like one long room, instead of 2 separate areas?

4 - Should I just not bother? and leave good enough alone!

Any ideas appreciated. Thanks!

 

[Disney Doll]

See bolded

I have been slowly updating my condo (redid the kitchen top to bottom last year) and have recently started getting a little bored with the white paint in my living room and am thinking of painting 2 'coordinating' accent walls in my living room and dining room. The two rooms are actually connecting (really - it is just one long room, which I am using as two), and the two 'accent' walls would be across from each other.

I have been playing around the Sherman Williams 'paint' website (I did not spend too much time outlining the wall, so use your imagination. LOL) and I think I like the following paint:

But I am not sure of:

1- Does the blue/green color coordinate enough with all the red accents in my house. I have a lot of red accent colors in my living room/dining room and kitchen. I do not love that blue/green color with in that room. YOu have dark furniture and it makes the room seem dark and I don't love it with the red accents. Sorry.

2 - Should I paint the two walls (across from each other) or just one side? I would just pain the wall with the wondows in it.

3 - Will the 2 coordinating walls make the room look small? I think so. Will it look stupid? Well, stupid is a strong word, but I don't think it looks terriic. Make it look too much like one long room, instead of 2 separate areas? I don't think it looks like 2 separate areas, whether it is painted or not painted

4 - Should I just not bother? and leave good enough alone! No, I htink us "DIS-Designers" have to get on the case!

Any ideas appreciated. Thanks!

Did you try red as the accent color? Pick up your pillows and other red touches in that room.

For some reason I'm thinking that a really "clear" (not muddy) silver gray color would look good, but only if your couch is more of a grey than tan color. It's hard to tell the color of the couch from the picture...

I think that because your floor is a deeper color wood and you have dark furniture that you don't want a dark color on the walls too. You want a light color or something (like red) that will "pop".

It's a nice room though...I like an open style floorplan like that...

 

[Buckalew11]

I agree with DD. I am not crazy about the blue-green in that space. keep trying different ones though. I think there needs to be some color in there.

 

[DebIreland]

Did you try red as the accent color? Pick up your pillows and other red touches in that room.

I agree. I think red would look amazing. In fact, I'd consider painting the non-red areas cream/tan colour to match the couch.

 

[wdwmom0f3]

I agree. I think red would look amazing. In fact, I'd consider painting the non-red areas cream/tan colour to match the couch.

I was going to say the same thing. I hate white walls, so I would paint the other walls a pretty but neutral color and one wall red. Personally, I think I would paint the wall behind the TV and book cases red, and then a pretty tan on the remaining walls. I wouldn't paint the little wall by your kitchen red though because it didn't look finished, or balanced with the other color to me. I'm not a interior decorator though.

Good luck!! Little projects like this are fun!!

 

[4greatboys]

I have to agree that color doesn't look great with the red. Have you considered some shade of brown? it goes great with the red and will make it pop.

 

[sms]

I would go with one accent wall red. on the others, I would go with grey or yellowish/goldish
.

 

[disneyhand]

I wouldn't paint the accent walls in your picture. It is too dark for me and makes the white look really stark. I don't care for it with the red accents you have. I would choose a warm, but lighter tone, probably in the beige/ tan family and paint all the walls. I'm not really a fan of accent walls anymore. Your floors are really nice, oh by the way! Good luck!

 

[hambirg]

I was going to say the same thing. I hate white walls, so I would paint the other walls a pretty but neutral color and one wall red. Personally, I think I would paint the wall behind the TV and book cases red, and then a pretty tan on the remaining walls. I wouldn't paint the little wall by your kitchen red though because it didn't look finished, or balanced with the other color to me. I'm not a interior decorator though.

Good luck!! Little projects like this are fun!!

This is what I was thinking. the "accent" wall should be the one behind the tv. That dark green does nothing for the light in the wall with the windows. If you were wanting to keep all the other walls white, I would go with a latte typed color behind the tv. But I like all the walls being a tan and the accent wall being red the best.

 

[Disney Doll]

Never thought of doing the other walls tan.

Really, OP, it depends on the actual color of the couch. What is that?

 

[cassiez76]

i actually like the big wall that color. i'm kinda iffy on that little section with color.

red walls are a $@#@!!! to paint. i have one and while i do love it, it took forever. (that was before the new paint/primer in one).

 

[StephMK]

I like your design direction & choosing the wall of the windows as the accent wall. Can you go w/a color that has more blue in it? I would pick another throw pillow or two or a throw rug for under the table(s)? to pull the red/blue together. Personally, I think painting the wall red also would be too much of the same accent color plus hard to match to what you already have.

Painting always seems to lead to more painting but I would consider painting all of the other walls a light warm tan/beige color. I think that would be really nice w/your pretty dark wood tones in your furniture & cabinets.

 

[3boymthr]

I also think red would be better than the green. Or maybe a silver or dark grey or charcoal grey - almost black - since so much of your furniture is black.

i actually like the big wall that color. i'm kinda iffy on that little section with color.

red walls are a $@#@!!! to paint. i have one and while i do love it, it took forever. (that was before the new paint/primer in one).

I have a red & tan kitchen and it went on easy as pie. I'm wondering if it was the paint you bought or the color you were painting over - I was painting over white walls and it took 2 coats - but then so did the tan I used. I did use a good "kitchen" paint and I used a dark more purple-y red (official name Persian red).

 

[cassiez76]

I also think red would be better than the green. Or maybe a silver or dark grey or charcoal grey - almost black - since so much of your furniture is black.



I have a red & tan kitchen and it went on easy as pie. I'm wondering if it was the paint you bought or the color you were painting over - I was painting over white walls and it took 2 coats - but then so did the tan I used. I did use a good "kitchen" paint and I used a dark more purple-y red (official name Persian red).

it was a real wood panel wall. UGH! i had a coat of gray primer and then it took 3 coats of the red. my red is a poinsetta red. and all the walls are the color of this smilie

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Not a big fan of the green, either - or the concept of accent walls.

I think what I would want to do here would be to paint all the walls something similar to your couch color. Then I'd get some pretty pillows, maybe a rug and some other accents that incorporate both the beige and the black (of your storage units), with splashes of other colors here and there.

I think that, while nice, your place is missing some texture, too. And maybe some elements. These would bring warmth to the space. Have you ever considered getting some fabric window coverings? ETA links aren't working but I had picked out several fabrics that had your colors in them. Go shopping - sometimes a pillow might inspire all of your colors. I like using Feng Shui for ideas in decorating - if you haven't looked into it, it can help a lot.

 

[cbg1027]

1- Does the blue/green color coordinate enough with all the red accents in my house. I have a lot of red accent colors in my living room/dining room and kitchen. No, the color doesn't really coordinate. I would go with something either more blue or more green, not the in between color. Also, a shade or two lighter. You don't want to make the room seem smaller, and dark colors will do that, especially with the darker furniture you have. I would also try to incorporate something in to your decor with the color you choose for the walls. What you should really do is pick out some decor items (Additional or replacement) that serve as the inspiration for the color design. That's what makes things tie together. When I decorated my house, the basis for everything came from some pillowcases I got at a flea market in France.

2 - Should I paint the two walls (across from each other) or just one side?
3 - Will the 2 coordinating walls make the room look small? Will it look stupid? Make it look too much like one long room, instead of 2 separate areas?

Paint the two adjoining walls that make up the dining area. I think that will separate the spaces more if that's what you're trying to accomplish.
Or just one wall. But I think opposite ends will make the room seem smaller.

4 - Should I just not bother? and leave good enough alone!

Do what you want! Go for it....if you don't like it after a few months, it's just paint, it can be re-done a million times.

 

[cornflake]

I'm not a fan of the colour for a few reasons. First, I think it's too bold for those small sections.

The room is pretty stark and modernish the way it is, and the two hits of such a bold tone make it disjointed.

It's not a warm tone and given the general colder feel of the room with the black furniture and contemporary stuff, I think you need something warmer.

With the red accents, looks like Christmas.

I'd try a shade between the tone of the floor and the tone of the kitchen cabinets. Something that'll go with the couch and chair cushions but darker and with a bit of a cherry undertone - like a middling chocolate brown. It'd go well with the red accents, the modern stuff, the floor and warm the place up.

I Also think you should paint all the walls, and if you want an accent wall, do the window wall a shade darker of the same colour.

I don't think dark is a problem, it looks like a fairly big, well-lit room - and if you do the trim (window, door trim, doors, etc), stark white, it'll be plenty bright.

 

[gate_pourri]

Hmmm.. Alright, blue/green is out! I don't think I've ever seen this much agreement on the Dis, but apparently my lack of artistic ability brought everyone together...

The couch is more of a tan color.

As for the red, I am a bit afraid a red wall will make the place TOO red. I don't want to be the weird lady with the red house.

I think I want to just start with the one wall: probably the one with the windows, since the one with the TV will be harder to paint, since it has larger furniture & the mounted TV. I am not too terribly 'handy' when it comes to household design, so I want to start small. So, ideally, I'd love a color that will look good against the other white walls, and if it turns out that I love painting/don't totally mess it up, may paint the other walls in the future.

Keeps the ideas coming! I'll go back onto the Sherwin-Williams site tonight and try a few more mock ups.

 

[Buckalew11]

I have tan walls in most of my rooms. I love it being neutral enough to just trade out pillows and such for accent. In my kitchen area I have tile on the walls and tan paint, I chose red accents and even though I am not a fan of red, it looks great with the tan and has changed my mind about red! lol

Upstairs we used a dark tan (but not brown) and I am amazed at how many people have walked through and loved that paint color (new house, so many people want to see). DD picked it out for her room--and picked a winner!

Again, love it being neutral w/o being white or off-white. White trim makes it all "pop" but there again, there are a million colors of white to chose from with all different bases! Good luck with what you choose to do!

 

[Disney Doll]

How about instead of painting the wall, trying to find something to hang on it that has reds, blacks and tans in it?????

You're room has a modern flair, so you can't do a cutesy country quilt, but there has to be something that can bring some color in....let me look.