We’ve toured a lot of homes throughout HGTV’s history — and I do mean, a lot. Everything from the most extravagant to the smallest spaces imaginable. But it’s safe to say that there’s one design dilemma cited by HGTV designers as more common than all the rest, no matter the space or location. No surprise here — it’s chromophobia, the fear of color.
Are you content to keep your construction-white walls or are you simply mystified about which color will suit your space? Hey, it only took Pottery Barn 59 years before they ventured into the non-beige color spectrum with their home furnishings. There’s hope for you!
- Color Correction with Constance Ramos
“Even the worst color disasters can be corrected.” Click for air times. [On Air] - Color Splash with David Bromstad
“Color is the root of great room design.” Click for air times. [On Air]
Photo galleries: red, pink, yellow, green, blue, purple, black
I am having problems picking a color for my family, my carpet is very light beige, I have a big sectional that is light brown, the accesories in the room are contemporary in bright colors, blue, yellow, red, purple, orange etc, the family also blends into the kitchen which has light brown cabinets and steinless steel appliances, my dining table is black as well as the tv stand and floting shelving units, I dont know what color to use in the walls, I dont want it borring but I also dont want all my walls to be the same color. What do you recomend?
WELL, WITHOUT SEEING YOUR SPACE OR FURNITURE ITEMS, I WOULD RECOMMEND A SOFT GREY BLUE COLOR FOR THE LIVING ROOM AND THEN A MORE VIBRANT CARMEL YELLOW FOR IN THE KITCHEN-TRY ALOOF GRAY AND MANNERED GOLD BOTH BY SHERWIN WILLIAMS, BOTH IN A SATIN-MORE DURABLE THAN FLAT BUT LESS SHINE THAN SEMIGLOSS. IF YOU HAVE ANY OTHER DESIGN QUESTIONS, I WOULD LOVE TO HELP, AFTER ALL ITS WHAT I DO!!! GOODLUCK, AND REMEMBER–LIVE BEAUTIFULLY=)
If you are afraid of color, it is a good start to only paint one of your walls in a bold color as a start. Sometimes, even if THEN the color is too strong, a half/half mix of water/glaze can whiten it up or a third/third/third mix of water/glaze/gold metallic paint can give you a warmer, more subdued color without the roughness of a bold color finish.
I Love that zebra print mirror where would i be able to find something similar?
I love that zebra mirror also! Really pops on the green painted wall. Great look!
my daughter has white walls and gray crapet… but she has very colourful bedspread and accessories… the space is also very small! I need colour on those walls soon! I dont even like goin in there! HELP!
My daughters room is very small. She is 12 years old… her walls are white but everything else is very colorful; pink, green, orange, lilac, sky blue ect. The walls need to painted! Any ideas what color?! Suggestions please!!
I am struggling with which wall to paint what color as I have vaulted ceilings and I have already painted the entry way a Green color, Nature’s abundance, ACE hardware color bought at Lowe’s. I am leaning towards a gold color for the peak wall and a burgandy for the wall that faces you as you come up the entry stairs .yes my house is a bi-level home .thank you for any advice you may have to offer Roberta
I definitely like a little colour–my curtains are fuchsia and orange Dupioni silk, and our bedroom walls are “Island Aqua”!
I recently moved into an apartment I like very much. I found out, after renting, that they don’t permit residents to paint any walls. The walls are off-white and so is the carpeting.
I have a lot of very nice wood furniture and large rugs that sit on the carpet – but only one of the rugs has vibrant colors in it.
This apartment is quite large and has great expanses of wall space. I don’t have any enormous wall art and can’t afford to buy nice pieces on that scale. If I were to add color with large draperies, I’d need some guidance for keeping the cost down and fabric and style that won’t weigh the room down.
Any ideas for adding more color?
In my family room I painted one wall with the fireplace on it a burnt orange or dark terra cotta.The other walls are taupe with a gold tint. Furniture is green, accents in gold, burnt orange, browns, really fall colors. Delimma is curtain color. 2 windows on orange wall, 2 windows on taupe wall. Which color should I use for curtains that will show up on each wall?
We have medium brown hard wood floors and the wood work matches. I have brown leather recliners and a taupe couch. What color would be good on the walls? I see colors I like but the trim in the room is all white which makes the color.
Thank you for your help.
I have a small bathroom.My tub and toliet are blue and sink white with blue coloring on it.I can’t afford to change them at the moment. What color other than white or beige can I use on the walls?
We just bought new furniture. It is rustic. I am having trouble dediciding what color to paint my living room. We have hardwood floors that we are getting ready to redo. The new sofa is a tobaco color and the intertainment center is a Dark wood. I like earth tone colors. I have some knick knacks that are red. What would you suggest for a color for the walls and ceilings?
Sincerly
Dawna
My husband and i are buying a home and we recently moved from Germany. While we were there we bought our sofa set. Because we liked it the best and it was the most americanized one we had to settle for orange. now that we are moving into our new home i would like to paint the walls a nice color that complaments the lovely garden pot orange! Do you have any ideas?
Thanks for the help,
Shannon B.
Hi. I live in one of those small (less than 1200 sq. ft.) brick bungalows on the south side of Chicago (built in 1899). The house does have beautiful oak floors, baseboards, crown molding, trim, interior doors, etc., all in their natural state. There’s an east-facing picture window facing the street and my birch tree outside.
Yes, the walls and ceiling are construction-white. My problem is asking too many people what I should do with the color, as the living and dining rooms (the bulk of the house, really) need new paint.
With this “wood” theme, I have a camel sectional sofa, everything neutral, except a big blue and white fabric panel and a framed scarf which is mostly red on the north and south walls of the living room.
What about if I painted the living room walls a Benjamin Moore Cornsilk with a Barley ceiling and to get really crazy, do the opposite in the dining room? My grown children think I should stay with the white, which they feel showcases the beautiful oak.
PS. Since I couldn’t remember what the paint manufacturer was, I just looked at something on the web, and that Barley looked a little bright.
Thank you so much. Since I have gotten cable, I rarely watch anything but HGTV. Love it!
I have sage color furniture and light cream walls. I want to bring in another color to brighten the room so it’s not so neutral. Can you suggest a good accent color?
I have recently bought an older home for a great deal. Now I have to redo the kitchen and bathroom and paint the entire house inside in addition to adding heat and air, new windows etc. I really want to use some colors that reflect me and my family (2 children). I’m thinking some shade of chocolate for my living room to make it look larger but then you can see the kitchen and hallway from the living room (breathe) I like aqua and peach shades for the kitchen. what do you think? What about the hallway? What do you suggest?
I have recently bought a couches for my living room that are dark brown. I don’t have an idea what color the walls or curtains should be to give my living room color and illumination. What is suggested should be the colors for the walls and curtains respectively?
I have a nice sized kitchen with an island, however, it needs something. I have light colored hickory cabinets, light cream and beige lenolium flooring and really bad, green and tan wallpaper. It also has a cream colored countertop with hickory trim on the front.
As you can imagine, this is all very neutral and boring. I would like to put in a darker countertop with some brown flecks and do some kind of tile on the wall above the countertops and possibly paint above the cupboards. However, I cannot afford anything right now. So, if I just did the tile and paint, what color should I go with that would look OK with my cabinets? I’m tired of everything “blending in” together. But, I don’t want anything too bold either – I really am a traditional style person.
HELP! I am doing a small upgrade to my kitchen. My appliances are black, I have tile (an almond sand type color with a contrasting terra cotta like color trim)around half of the room and the other half is painted. The cabinets were also painted. I want to change the colors with out getting rid of the tile. I did want to go with some browns but I’m not sure if that will go. Then I’ve looked at some almond colors but I do want a change. What color should I go for for the countertop? I think I’m going to get a Corian counters. Can I go dark on the counter if everything else stays neutreaul? What about for resale, will dark counter tops effect resell value? Any suggestions?
I ahve a very bright livingroom with cornflower blue carpets and beige and blue funriture. I am wondering what color should I put on my walls. they are while right now. ther is an eclectic style going on with some red splashs here and there. I have a lovely 30 gallon fish tank with bright pink, green and blue in it. I also collect castles and dragons in this room. Any suggstions?
I’m moving into my new home in a few short weeks. I would like to change the family room wall colors to better compliment my dark red sofa and love seat. I plan on installing crown molding to match the white trim and tan tiles around the fireplace. The room measures 12×17. What colors do you suggest I paint my walls? Should I accent the fireplace wall with a darker or lighter color or not all?
Roberta,
Comment for Roberta Olsen. Hope its not too late for this advice:
I think your colors of green yellow and burgandy are way over the top. Of course, it depends on the shades you use. I would suggest… the green entry as you have painted, yellow in the vaulted living area, but not the burgandy on the facing wall. Paint it the yellow. With the different angles you have going on in the bilevel house, your room will appear larger and not as broken up. Then use your burgandy in accents in both rooms — entry and living. POssibly in vases, pillows with yellow, green and burgandy. Remember the 70-20-10 rule when working three colors. 70% in one color (yellow) 20% in 2nd color (green) and 10% in third color (red. Good luck and let me hear from you.
Comment for John Arriola –
With a dark brown couch, paint your walls a light shade of beige and be sure to trim molding (add crown molding if you need to) a nice white. Then bring in a third shade of brown with some texture for the draperies and possibly adding a 4 inch vertical line of white fabric in the inside edge of the draperies. Add matchstick or bamboo roman shades for privacy in the windows. Then pick an accent color for accessories — possibly a grayish blue, vibrant red, golden yellow or orange for pillows, vases, and artwork. Just pick one of those main colors to use for accents and don’t go overboard. These will go very well your your manly electronics in black and silver which I assume you have. Throw in some black accessories throughout the room also. In black leather ottomans/coffeetable or pillows or desk/bar accessories. And don’t forget some fabulous mod dishes/plates for food while entertaining friends. And to make everything pop, make sure you have enough lighting — floor lamps, table lamps, and the ocassional candle to set the mood!
I’m stuck! I’ve painted a very small den an olive green color and I have one small white ikea loveseat. I have no idea what accessories to use, but I do want to create a romantic, yet sophisticated look that is not overly girly. When I walk into the room it feels cold and lifeless, a white loveseat and green walls, no texture, no warmth! What should I do to make the room feel “alive”?
We have an open floor plan where the kitchen living and dining room area connects. Our carpet is chocolate and my furniture is red with accent pillows and chair. I would like to bring a color to the kitchen that would make the whole room love warm and crisp. The cabinets are oak and I am adding bonze hardware. Im trying to keep all the wood a deep chocolate. Could you please suggest a color that would look great in this open area?
I just bought a house in which one of the living room walls turns into one of the kitchen walls. I think I am keeping the living room wall white (maybe a tannish color), but I want to paint the kitchen a different color. How do I separate the two rooms? Do I just change paint colors midway down the wall??? WEIRD.
I watch HGTV but first time on the blog. I would like to use the trick I saw on Color Splash to eliminate paint bleeding thru under the tapelines because of texture on the walls. They painted over the tape with glaze to fill any gaps. This gave a nice straight line for the final paint choice. SO, WHERE DO YOU BUY GLAZE? Home Depot wasn’t much help. Thanks.
i need hehp in selecting a color for my family room i have burgundy furniture, a stone fireplace, and brown hardwood floors. what do i do?
My living room has wood floors and furniture and the couchs have dark brown, beige, and burgundy in them and the area rug is a mixture of burgundy’s and brown. WHat color should I paint my walls?
I just renovated my kitchen taking down a wall to the dinning room, I have maple cabinets, black appliances, coffee hardwood floors, white woodwork and a light background granite with multicolors of beige, brown, grey, black running thru it. My backsplach is tumbled marble in the beige tones and brushed nickle lighting. My table is cherry top with black legs and chairs. Help I need guidance in choosing a color of paint. I have tried numerous colors in yellow/gold family and did not like them.
I bought an aqua and brown bedding set for a new townhouse. I intend to paint the master a soft aqua and the master bath a chocolate. The problem is that the master is visible from the great room which is attached to the kitchen and I don’t know where to go with those rooms color-wise. I originally wanted soft yellow and blue…until I bought a one-story unit and won’t give up my bedroom colors. HELP!
dear,
my new rented home is south facing, and my working room is on west side, master bed room on north west, kitchen and dining on north side, and another bedroom on north east.. please help me to select the curtain color for each room…
thank you
I have a narrow entry way that leads into my living room. I would like to paint both however, I’m unsure as to what color to paint each room. Should both be painted the same color?My living room furniture is chocolate leather, end and coffee tables are Polished silver with chacolate leather trimming. My throws are grey/ blue/brown and the others are Tan. Checkered area rug (blue, tan, grey, and white) Parkay wood floors. Thanks
i have a very small house[800 sq.ft],3 bedrooms.my walls are all off white. i watch hgtv every day,hoping to see something on color for small rooms. i have a sort of jungle theme through out most of my house,but it’s not over done in the jungle theme. i want to give my walls some color but i don’t want to over do it. i wish you guys on one of your shows were in the detroit area,because i sure could use some inspiration!! thanks bean
I have a room we use as a dinette. It has a glass oval table. the bottom of all the walls and walls leading into the foyer is white beadboard or (paneling) there is a chair rail sep. the two which i would like to paint white. if I choose benjamin moore 198 -colorsilk for the top (or bottom) what color do you suggest for the bottom and does the bottom get a darker color or lighter color? I think I would like to keep the bottom the same color thoroughout the hallways and foyer leading out of that room being they all have that same tyoe of beadboard. thanks
I have just recently purchased a new house, and the previous owner had put all new white kitchen cabinets in, which are not what I would pick out, but they are nice and I will keep them. They also put in a brand new counter top, that is BLUE! Another thing I would NEVER pick out. It will get replaced later, but for now it has to stay… I need some decorating ideas on how to use blue in the kitchen, but mix in another color or two and tone down the blue and bring your attn. away from the blue.. Got any ideas?? It is a fairly large space too and very open.
i would like to know what colors to chose…I have a brown bi-cast leather sofa(pulls to a bed) with silver feet and my walls are a yellow/beige unfortunetly because i rent the floors are an industrial tile of white and grey I would like to know what accent colors and furnishing to choose with this…now i do have antique furnishing such as a desk and coffee table that are a dark brown colour…and my kitchen table is an espresso will this all work or not…H-E-L-P!!
my seats are brown in colour and the wall is painted half blue and half cream, what colours should i choose for my carpet and the curtains. please help.
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Hello there! I hope you can help me. I just ended an 11 year relationship and need to change things up and paint. I cannot afford new furniture or window coverings right now, but I am extremely tired of my large expanse of painter’s grade rental apartment white/cream walls. Here are the two rooms I’d like to tackle to give my life a boost.
The living room is L-shaped 30′ x 24′ with the balcony in the L. It has a large west-facing window, but because of the sun, the burgundy verticals are usually closed. My sofa/love seat are hunter green with a small linear design with gold and burgundy. The floor is parquet and my furniture is medium wood pine. The hallway abutting the livingroom is a mushroom/taupe colour. I was thinking of carring into the L/R, but my ex painting his the same colour, so I am looking now for something different.
The other room that I would like to paint is the bedroom (for obvious reasons). The furniture is cherrywood and the verticals are the same burgundy ones as in the L/R. The room is approx. 14 x 12 and also has a west-facing window. Bedding varies from country blue/red/white quilt (light blue bed sheets), to light beige/rose/green more formal duvet cover (sage green sheets) and the other is all sage green.
As you can see, with this life change, I need some help to update my surroundings with a change in atmosphere to help boost my spirits.
I would appreciate any suggestions you may afford me to guide me in the right direction to picking new paint colours for these two rooms.
Thank you very much!
From – one who’s starting a new life and needs a boost – G
Gloria, a soft golden yellow (with red undertones) in the living room will pop your furniture and bring out the rich tones in your pine furniture and parquet floor. It wil also bring a very cozy warmth to a big room.
Your bedding sounds very country. You might try a typical country look by adding a chair rail and then using 2 colors – a light one above and a darker one below. A soft blue on the upper part of the wall with a darker blue below. Or a softer version of the living room gold above (to bring color flow into the house) with cream or sage green below.
Been there. Good luck. C
Help! I’ve been trying to paint my diningroom for a couple weeks now. I have tried 7 different beiges on the walls and they all look gold, pink or orange. We just purchased a natural finished cherry diningroom table. The side chairs are a natural cherry with cream seats and the end chairs are dark brown leather. The floor is a cream tile. I would really like to accent the beauty of the table with a wall color that compliments it. I’m trying to warm up the room, because there is a lot of cream tile between the kitchen, diningroom, and foyer. All the woodwork, including the kitchen cabinets are a medium brown. We were thinking of painting the patio doors in the diningroom and trim a cream color. Any suggestions on a wall color? I’m totally stressed about it and can’t afford to invest in any more paint samples.
Please advise! We're currently trying to get our house ready to sell, and since we've been living here, I haven't had a chance to decorate our master bedroom and bath. The walls, trim, and 4 doors are painted white, the carpet is a light beige.
I'd like to brighten the room by putting some color on the walls, but have been told that it's best to keep colors neutral, and if I paint, to keep it a light or pale color to make the room look larger. I don't have a color scheme that I have to stick with (except that the bathroom tile is a light spring green & white), I just need to make a decision!