August 31, 2010

Painting Paralysis

This is my favorite corner. I would like it even better if the walls had paint on them. Alas, I am suffering from Painting Paralysis. I know many of you have suffered with this same disease. Maybe we should start a support group?

My struggle with choosing a paint color for this room is a direct result of having wood trim. As I look through all of my inspiration pictures there is not a single one with trim painted anything other than white.


I have decided this room should be neutral. I'm looking for a beige/latte/putty type of color that is light and airy. I'm now accepting recommendations that I can then obsess about for the next month.

42 comments:

  1. I DEF feel your pain!!!!! I think I have every paint sample card from Home Depot and Lowes, and yet I still can't commit! EVERY picture I LOVE has white walls, with white furniture. I feel like I need some color on the walls.....just can't commit!

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  2. I love your corner. Have you looked at Natural Linen by our friend Ben?

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  3. Oh, I get it. I'm currently in painting paralysis and have been for 5 years!

    I wish I could give you advice, but I can give you support!

    xo
    Claudia

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  4. I have a few suggestions but without actually being in the room not sure which one would be best
    Valspar (Lowe's) does one I love called moose mousse # 3003-10A
    Martha stewart from home Depot has a nice one called toasted Marshmallow that is nice too I think either would look great in your corner

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  5. Hearth #8088 from Martha Stewart's Paint line when Sherwin-Williams carried it. (Not to be confused with her paint color Heath, at Home Depot that carries her colors now.) I have a picture of it on my Dec. 15, 2009 post, and I liked it so much I put it in another bedroom with wood trim, and it looks good with that too. Your corner looks very comfy, love that white chair! ~Lili

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  6. I have the same issue with my kids playroom!

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  7. And here I thought you HAD painted!! That corner is divine! I have painting paralysis for the new house, I cannot COMMIT!!!! Your in good company my friend! :) Dreamy pictures too, thanks for sharing
    Kristi

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  8. i LOVE that wood trim
    hate me?
    i love it
    now as far as paint color, sorry charlie, no ideas
    but once again, i love that space regardless
    obsess over for a month...you make me smile
    xo

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  9. I get it! I can't tell you how many testers I have painted and then ended up keeping the same color that I had rather than commit to something permanently. I mean, geez....it is just paint...for goodness sakes...and we can always REpaint if we don't like it, right? I used to be braver- I dunno what happened! lol Good Luck! Diana

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  10. I am in love with your corner! I have one too. My living room walls are actually wood, so I've got nothin' for ya. Sorry! Be brave & good luck!

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  11. What a wonderful corner! I love the clock on the wall...

    Here is a link to my Comforts of Home blog, where I painted a guest room a color called Steamed Milk for Olympic Paint at Lowe's. You can see how nice it looks with the wood furniture. Hope it helps!

    http://thecomfortsofhome.blogspot.com/2010/01/red-toile-guest-bedroom-before-and.html

    Penny
    Lavender Hill Studio
    Comforts of Home

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  12. Love your corner and your wood trim, though all of mine is painted white. Here's a light color I like - Sherwin Wm. Muslin.

    Good luck!

    Janet

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  13. That is such a cozy corner! I like Raime from Sherwin Williams but maybe a shade lighter called Rice Grain would look better with your wood trim. I think the trim adds character. A creamy yellow would look good with the trim too!
    Good luck!
    Amy

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  14. My two faves for playing nicely with wood is Taupe 3 from Laura Ashley's line at Lowe's, and Canvas Natural by Ralph Lauren at Home Depot. They still have the formula even though they don't carry his paint anymore. The Old Painted Cottage used it throughout their home, and I just used it in my dining room. Its a warm beige that can tend toward cream. The taupe is a straight neutral...when I reopen the can for touchups, there's fushia and grey in it :)

    It's a lovely corner though...even if you don't paint it at all :)

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  15. Jen, my new living/dining room has beautiful natural chunky dental crown molding and everyone has told me to absolutely not paint it. The only reason why I'm not is because I think I'd rather repeat Middle School than paint dental molding. So my solution is to just simply ignore it. I chose a color for the wall with out even considering the moldings- you'll drive yourself crazy otherwise.

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  16. we just painted our master bedroom Indian White from Benjamin Moore (ok, actually I got Home Depot to match the color, and saved about $20...) I love it. It's a slight shade darker than our white trim, and it is very light and airy as well. You can look at the pictures of our beachy bedroom makeover.
    Get some paint samples and stare at them for a week or so- that always helps (but no more than 3 or you'll really go crazy!) :)

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  17. Wow! I LOVE your space. It looks perfect to me. I wouldn't paint a thing, but that's just me. I like Linen White by Ben Moore.
    -FringeGirl

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  18. I am having the same difficulty! We live in a log home, so it's naturally dark and every color I put on our interior walls is just not what I hoped for! I will be the first person to join the support group! lol I love your "corner". Good luck and keep us posted!

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  19. How about greige (aa combo of grey and beige).
    BarbaraG

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  20. I used to have this problem downstairs in my house. I tried every color, then finally gave up and painted my dark woodwork white. Upstairs in my house, its a different issue. My bedroom has the original dark woodwork. While I went for a darkish brown (still lighter than the woodwork), it might be too dark for a daytime room.

    I would try a medium brown with the same sort of tone as the woodwork. If the woodwork has no red tones, avoid that in the paint. This would look great if you have light furnishings to brighten things up.

    Good luck!

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  21. I love your corner but I couldn't sit next to a mirror that big -Yikes! Of course, I'd never snack!! It looks great though. I am a color girl with white trim so I am useless for advice. I love your inspiration pictures! You'll figure it out. You will know it when you see it. I think the color of the pillow would look great though.

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  22. I have wood trim throughout my house which my husband refuses to let me paint. So since he lets me do everything else I want I'll give him this. I have grown to love it and I find all blues and greens, light or dark, look really good with wood trim. Blue and brown are opposite on the color wheel which means they get along beautifully. I'll tell you one thing, it's a lot easier to keep clean looking! One of my favorite colors is Ralph Lauren Pueblo.

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  23. Martha Stewart Sisal! Beautiful & wonderful.

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  24. I hear ya!! After living in our first home and having an impossible time matching paint colors to the wood trim, I told my husband to be warned...we were painting it white here. It's very difficult to find shades that go with wood trim but I did end up with a tan color in that fist home that was neutral and pretty. I wish I could be of more help but I think if you stick to neutrals, light tans, antique whites, etc., you'll have a beautiful space. I understand about not wanting to paint the trim in a rental. Whatever you do will be gorgeous I'm sure.
    ~Michelle

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  25. Hi Jen,

    I have wood trim in my old house that my husband refuses to let me paint. The only color I have liked with the wood was called Kashmir from Behr, and was a darker beige color. I recently did a color called cottage white in my craft room, and wish I would have kept the Kashmir.
    Good luck! Anxious to see how you decorate around the dreaded wood trim!

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  26. I LUV your corner and that first inspiration shot is pure perfection, plain and simple.

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  27. I'm with you a neutral color would work best with your unpainted trim! I feel your pain, my house has dark kitchen cabinets and if you open any magazine you'll soon realize every single kitchen is white!! (I like your little corner!!)

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  28. Your little corner looks great. Very comfortable and cozy, I too have stained trim and I am getting ready to paint it, but I have had to live with it for a long time. What you have shown us already is beautiful. Jackie

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  29. I think you know what you must do....

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  30. Even though I don't have dark trim, I really do like it. I think it lends itself toward a warm and cozy feeling and that's perfect timing with fall right around the corner. Regardless, I can't wait to give my input in person - should I bring paint clothes?
    p.s. That last picture is beauteous.

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  31. I LOVE dark trim! But I don't have any suggestions for you. Helpful, huh? Can't wait to see what you decide. :)
    And I will soon be in "Painting Paralysis" as well. We're closing on our new house next week and every. single. wall. is white in the place. While it's nice to start fresh, it's very overwhelming for someone like me.

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  32. I feel your pain about the wood trim. Our house is also wood trim and it is hard to find paint that looks good with it (or that I like anyway). I have been tackling painting the trim white room by room and it is a chore to say the least. I have my office painted Bradstreet Beige (Benajamin Moore) and it looks good with the wood trim.

    Good luck!

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  33. Sorry, it's me again. I just came across this website when I was looking for my own decor inspiration. Saw the pictures of a living room with dark trim and thought of you. They used a pale green paint which I think looks nice. http://www.realsimple.com/home-organizing/decorating/living-room-dining-room-makeovers-00000000037098/page4.html

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  34. I feel your pain. The last time I choose a paint color, I thought I was getting a light khaki. I now have yellow walls. Lots and lots of yellow walls. I hate them. I don't dare tell hubby. He would kill me. You should check with Jennifer at The Old Painted Cottage. I can't remember the name of the paint. But I bought the color that she used in her home for a bedroom, and I love it. It's what I wish my entire interior was painted in. She mentions the color name somewhere in her post where she posts about her interior makeover. Hope this helps.
    Denise

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  35. I'm going through the same thing in my bedroom. Trying to find just the right shade of pal aqua/robins egg blue/soft pale turquoise/dusty turquoise... none of them are "just right". Too this or too that. Once I decide well then I'll get to obsess about the trim color, do I need drapes or blinds, a throw rug... it goes on and on.
    Chris

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  36. First I have to say that I love your blog and just became a follower! I too had the same "Painting Paralysis Disease" for my master bedroom. I just recently finished the upper half of the walls and am debating on going all the way or leaving the bottom half Navajo White. I have dark wood trim in my bedroom and love the color with the dark trim. The color of choice for me is a Brushed Pearl - base color is Olive Branch Gold and the top coat is Creamy Caramel. I am posting a sneak peek on my blog tomorrow morning, stop by and take a look. Good luck and let the support group begin!

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  37. I understand what your saying...I have two rooms that I have wanted to paint forever and I even know the color, but I just can't get around to it. My husband owns a building/remodeling company and we use Lenox Tan by Benjamin Moore a lot. It seems very neutral and works well with a variety of other colors.

    Best wishes :)

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  38. Hi there! I have been reading your posts for more than a year and am happy to finally write you a little note.

    While I don't have paint color suggestions for you, I do have inspiration suggestion to consider. One of my favorite movie sets from is The Holiday. Both homes have lots of exposed wood casing and trim. Maybe these images will help you?

    Best wishes for breaking through the painter's block!

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  39. wood can be lovely, too. here's some inspiration for you, jen. good luck. i know whatever you choose, it will be beautiful!

    http://blog.redfin.com/seattle/files/2008/05/ballard2.jpg
    http://hookedonhouses.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/img_9291.jpg
    http://205.196.138.20/DesignGallery/c5/c5c54f06-610e-43f7-a4b1-7571fe21dc18_493x693.jpg
    http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2677/4384933120_4a70d03f0a.jpg

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  40. hmmm ...

    maybe jennifer over at the old painted cottage / cottage 8 has some paint color names. you'll be fine though ... you ALWAYS are (ms. home depot DIY-er)!

    go, jen!

    xo
    elyse

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  41. Check out http://prettypetals.typepad.com/prettypetals/2010/07/living-room-redo.html

    Her blog is lovely, and in this room she is using Dolphin Fin by Behr. I'm really seriously thinking about using this in our next home once we move! I would have never considered a paint color in the grey family, but this room just says comfy cozy to me!

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  42. That is a fabulous little corner you whipped up! A month ago I would have suggested oatmeal by RL but mixed by ben moore. I've had it in my living room and kitchen forever, then I did my dining room in the same, and now I'm not sure...long story.

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