Last night some great friends came by the apartment: Whitney and Martin! They were in town from New York, where Whitney is a product designer and soon-to-be architect. They had great suggestions.
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Martin & Whitney - two of our most dedicated blog readers. |
First off, Whitney spotted the blue paint tests on our living room walls and suggested that we go with a warmer color. “The paint color sets the psychological tone for a room,” she said. I agree that San Francisco can be foggy and gray—maybe an icy blue is not the right choice for this room. I do love the calming qualities of a light blue/gray, however.
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The famous Donut Painting by local artist Jay Mercado. |
Whitney looked at our donut painting and suggested pulling a light yellow from the middle of the donut. Her pre-war New York apartment has yellow walls and light parquet floors in the living room, and it is the warmest, happiest room in the home, “like sunshine.” She also mentioned that if we do not want to go really yellow, we could pick a light yellow that would register as white to the eye, but still have a cozy feel.
Whitney and I consulted House Beautiful Colors for Your Home: 300 Designer Favorites, which I have checked out from the library five times. We picked some new colors for me to spot test. They are:
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The yellows: Humble Gold, Pale Moon, Morning Sunshine, and Windham Cream. |
I will trot on over to Ace Hardware after work to pick up “mini-pots” of these.
The blues that are currently on the walls are:
- Behr, Urban Mist
- Behr, Offshore Mist
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The blues: Borrowed Light, Light Blue, Yarmouth Blue, Gossamer Blue, Urban Mist, and Offshore Mist. |
Dean and I were debating between Urban Mist (a little gray-ish) and Borrowed Light (a true light blue), before we decided to venture down the yellow trail. We might still return to blue, after we check these yellows out.
Do you like warm or cool living spaces better?
Another question: What are your experiences with paint finishes? Flat (or matte), eggshell, or satin?
Andi