Ok, we've been living in our little house for over three years now. Since then, we've added two kids. Making a total of three. With our children, we've also discovered the art of "wall drawings" and hand smears. No amount of washable markers and washable crayons will stop them from getting into the "unwashables". You can't see it in the pictures, but I promise....they are there. So here's where I need advice. My house is pretty much completely beige inside. Carpets, walls and ceiling are all the same. We were going to keep it this way, to make it more "sale-able", but since that is not going to happen for us for quite some time, I think I need to make a change. The walls are GROSS and need paint...so....this 1st Picture to the right is the worst wall of all. It is also the 1st thing you see when you come into our house. Do I paint it the same color or give it some color? The problem with this wall is that it connects to the upper shelf. So if I paint it a color, do I just try to maintain a straight line, and paint the FACE of it? Either way, this wall needs paint.
Option #3: Do I paint this wall? Again there is a shelf, and archway, but it also extends above the shelf in the kitchen. We also have this icky Oak hutch. I like the idea of a Hutch, but Hate the color of it. So do I paint the Hutch Black? Has anyone ever painted Oak? Is that a bad idea. You can see my kitchen cabinets are the same color of the hutch. They are cheap and also very icky fake wood. So do I paint them and add hardware?? I know that would be a HUGE job, but I think I could handle it. Can they be painted? I have no idea about anything. I don't even know where to start, but I need to break out of my beige world. Please Help! I know tons of you have a good eye and have painted your own homes. So I really need some advice. Leave a comment and let me know what you think. It can be a long comment, I don't care. Keep in Mind, I HAVE to paint the 1st wall that I talked about, weather it be the same color, or a different one. Ok.....now put on your thinking cap and tell me what you would do.
Anna. You need to come over. I have the SAME color of couch you have and then YELLOW chairs, so it made it so difficult but I found a color I like and painted, though I have the same issues as you as far as shelves and what not. So you can see if my solution would adapt to your walls. Also I bought a new toy that will be so helpful to you! A paint fan deck with TONS of paint chips in it, it's my favorite! And as far as the hutch...if it's pressboard or a laminate top to it, they technically CAN be painted but I would never attempt it. I don't think it would be worth it b/c you can't sand them and I don't think it would give you the finished look you want. I'd prob check on craiglist and look around at second hand stores for a solid piece of furniture you can repurpose and refinish to suit what you need. However, I've seen someone do mod podge stuff on the cheap laminate wood furniture and it turned out so cute! Just an idea!
ReplyDeleteThat's a hard decision, I think that #1 and #3 would look really good a different color. I think that blues are great colors, they are calming and not so bold. Yellow is nice too, it brighten ups the house. I would look at your decor and see what colors you have in them and then try to pick something by that. Sage green is another color that is a good "neutral" color but gives you that extra color.
ReplyDeleteI also have a hutch that is old with fake wood that I am planning on just painting over. I found that spray paint actually doesn't a decent job on furniture. I don't know if you really should paint them, but I do it anyway.
I am not very much help here since I struggle with decorating and my house is all white. But I like the modge podge idea. You can look online and people do amazing things with modge podge. I would paint your kitchen cabinets and add hardware. I'm not sure if they can be painted or not but I'm sure that a worker at The Home Depot could tell you.
ReplyDeleteI was just thinking today that I might want to paint one of the walls in my kitchen. Or I want to add fabric. I saw it on Rachael Ray. You can put fabric on your walls with a baking soda paste that completely washes off. So you can "wallpaper" your walls but easily remove it when you want a change. I might do that too. There are tons of cute fabric choices out there. Oh man good luck. I wish I had an eye for decorating.
Mitzi
p.s. Have you tried a magic eraser on your walls. Those things are amazing.
Anna-
ReplyDeleteWhile wall #1 DOES need painted, I think you should leave it the same color. Lighter colors on an interior wall like that will make it pop, if you can paint the other walls. I don't know which one would be better, but I personally think the counter wall should be left the same color.
As far as colors go, I'm not sure blue or yellow would go with the look of your house. I'm thinking you'd want some shade of green or brown....I think it'll match your furniture and everything else the best. Go pick up some swatches. And remember, most stores you can get paint samples and test it on your wall before you do the whole wall.
Good luck!
Zero paint expertise from my corner - but I did paint our oak crib this summer. My sister suggested using spray paint. It turned out lovely and it looks like we have a brand new black crib. I also painted all of the oak picture frames black in that room too - and it doesn't look too shabby. Good Luck!
ReplyDeleteGray seems to be the new neutral... I like a nice stone gray wall.
ReplyDeleteAnna,
ReplyDeleteI have painted some dressers and my mom has painted her cupboards before. We would sand them and then paint them white and then whatever color you choose. I painted two dressers and a little table all of which were different colors of wood. We sanded them down, painted them white and then painted them black and then I bought matching hardware. So now they look like they all go together as a bedroom set.