Homes and Colors

[Anita F. Henck]

With our recent cross-country move, the task of choosing wall colors, window treatments, and (some) new furniture has largely been mine.

I'm noticing that my choice of colors is different than it was 28 years ago when we got married, or even 8 years ago when we last moved.

Do our tastes really change? Or are we influenced by designers, decorators and others as to what's "in style" and thus, our choices change that way?

When we got married in 1978, my favorite colors were a wedgwood blue and ivory combination for our bedroom and the dining room, with rust and other fall colors in the living room.

Now, our bedroom is taupe walls with a comforter in deep reds and a slight amount of blue, which is similar to colors I've used in a few other rooms in this house.

I guess I am noticing that one of the biggest differences is that I'm choosing more neutral walls and furniture colors, and changing things out with more accent colors (pillows, throws, etc.). But, there I'm going more bold that I used to do!

I wondered if anyone else had similar experiences.

==anita==

[Barbara Moulton]

I notice, when I look at old videos and pictures, that I have gone with more neutral colours for the walls with darker colours for furnishings and accents then I used to. My tastes have changed. That's noticeable in the picture here.

I am not sure how this change in tastes happens. I don't think of myself as being "trend" driven. But then again, I do remember a period when my kitchen was full of geese.

If I could change one thing about my livingroom, I would go with a richer coloured window covering.

But this is what was here when we bought the house and I haven't been able to find it in the budget to change.

I do know that my decor is not as cluttered as it used to be.

[Barbara Moulton]

If you want real evidence of how our tastes have changed, check out this link.

It's a satirical look at home decor from the 70's. Sometimes he is a little crude in his comments but it's really funny.

http://www.lileks.com/institute/interiors/index.html

[Marsha Gupton]

I think for the most part our tastes tend to change somewhat as we get older. I see things in other peoples' houses that I like and would like in our home. My cousin has a new house and has used sage green and cranberry in the dining and living areas. I love it!! She has collected some old dinner plates from yard sales and has them displayed on the wall in the dining area on a rack. One of the dishes is cranberry and cream and looks so nice. In her bedroom she has a cranberry toile bedcovering.

I tend to go for the blues and mauve's. Our living room is a Williamsburg blue and the dining room is a cream. The contrast doesn't make the room so dark and makes it look larger.

BTW, did you keep the lace curtains/drapes????

[Andrea Larabee]

Check out my living room... What do you do with "brown out?" We have too much brown paneling. It's lovely but you cannot hang pictures on it. It is all solid wood and custom done from the mid to late 80's.

Imagine dusting my house!!! Yes, this wood has to be dusted and polished.

[Andrea Larabee]

Do our tastes really change? Or are we influenced by designers, decorators and others as to what's "in style" and thus, our choices change that way?


==anita==

I think colors, like anything else are trendy. Reds, browns, tans, and ashy blue seem to be popular right now. I do think we are influenced by what is currently around us.

The current trendy colors seem to have more of a classic look to them. Maybe they will then stay around longer. But in our situation right now, we have had to base our color decisions on what the house already had. Tan carpet and brown walls. We arleady had the brown furniture and are not planning on getting rid of it just because of the brown walls.

My challenge is to add color and make it all flow.

[Anita F. Henck]

Beautiful room! When I was reading your post, I thought "well you can always paint over wood." In fact, I like the look of white or cream over the old style of wood paneling.

But, then I scrolled down and saw your picture. That wood is gorgeous and too pretty (and valuable) to paint!

How long have you been in your home?

[Andrea Larabee]

Thank you for the compliment. Sometimes I like the wood and sometimes I don't. Haha!

We have been in this home for almost 4 years.

[Barbara Moulton]

Yes, I was going to suggest painting panelling too (as we did in the parsonage) but then I realized it wasn't just ordinary panelling :-)

But is there no way you can hang pictures?

You can get adhesive hooks now that adhere to the surface strongly and yet pull off without a mark.

I use them just to avoid holes in the walls.

[Sara Sheppard]

I love the wood with the stone fireplace. I don't think I'd like living in a full blown log house all the time, but I think I would enjoy a "log" style family room such as you have.

Can you soften it at all with some small window coverings or maybe a throw over the top of that bench in front of the windows? Its hard to say with just one picture. But my initial feeling is that the room is relaxing and comfortable and inviting.

Sara

[Andrea Larabee]

Thanks Sara! Yes, I agree it needs some more 'softening'. And I am so thankful the rest of the house is like that. One room is plenty. I love color but am afraid of it too. That's why we have not done much for window dressing yet. :basic03 I do have throw blanket but did not think to throw it over the wooden rocking chair. I'll definitely try that!

I'll try to take a new picture of this room soon. This was taken a couple months ago.

:basic01

[Anita F. Henck]

I'm generally pretty neutral on "semi-permanent colors" -- paint on walls and upholstery. But, I'm going bold this time!

My home office will be a deep red, our media/TV room will be a deep golden tan, and the upstairs hall bathroom will be a medium yellow. The rest of the house is more subdued -- a taupe (think coffee with 2-3 creams) in the main areas and a pale yellow in the guest bedroom and guest bath.

With sunshine year round, I figured I could go with bolder colors as it would never be particularly dark in a room except at night. No overcast skies, or so I'm told.

We'll see if I like the choices long-term. Right now, we have 2 ft by 2 ft swatches of these colors on each wall so we can see the colors round-the-clock to see how they look in different light. I have until next Monday when the painters arrive to firm up my choices.

Colors are interesting backdrops to our lives, aren't they?

[Andrea Larabee]

I'm generally pretty neutral on "semi-permanent colors" -- paint on walls and upholstery. But, I'm going bold this time!

My home office will be a deep red, our media/TV room will be a deep golden tan, and the upstairs hall bathroom will be a medium yellow. The rest of the house is more subdued -- a taupe (think coffee with 2-3 creams) in the main areas and a pale yellow in the guest bedroom and guest bath.

With sunshine year round, I figured I could go with bolder colors as it would never be particularly dark in a room except at night. No overcast skies, or so I'm told.

We'll see if I like the choices long-term. Right now, we have 2 ft by 2 ft swatches of these colors on each wall so we can see the colors round-the-clock to see how they look in different light. I have until next Monday when the painters arrive to firm up my choices.

Colors are interesting backdrops to our lives, aren't they?

That sounds really nice Anita! I love the colors you've chosen. It is amazing how color can really change a room's looks and mood. Paint is the least expensive way to really over haul the look of a room. Have fun and let us know how it goes. Thanks!

[Marg Webb]

Check out my living room... What do you do with "brown out?" We have too much brown paneling. It's lovely but you cannot hang pictures on it. It is all solid wood and custom done from the mid to late 80's.

Imagine dusting my house!!! Yes, this wood has to be dusted and polished.

I WOULD NEVER, NEVER CHANGE THAT ROOM.I LOVE IT. IT IS MY DREAM ROOM
We have a Condo now and it is so hard to decorate .Your room is some of what my homes have been, but with everything so placed just perfect here I feel all mixed up.
In fact I have taken ALL of my pictures down off one wall that has large windows to the ceiling and piled tham up. I am just going to sit back and look at that wall until I come up with what I want. Of course ALL is white here. But it cost a thousand dollars to have all painted when we moved and I made a bad mistake, but a thousand dollars, MERCY. I have ALWAYS done our painting, but no more. Just think the money I have saved all of these years.:)
I AM SO JEALOUS OF YOUR ROOM:) Just maybe I will get so taken with it I will call the painter back and also purchase some leather. Will let you all know.

[Andrea Larabee]

Oh goodness, you crack me up Marg! LOL!!

What color is your furniture? You have texture done with paint on your walls. I've seen rooms with walls that look like suede or leather. It really warms up a room and gives it a richer look. Or hang all your pictures in a shape on the wall. Like in the shape of a rectangle, square, or oval....

Just some thoughts for ya!

I promise this wood takes a lot of work to clean!

P.S. Here's a link that shows how to hang photos. There are two nice examples at the bottom of this page. Not sure if this will help but maybe it will stimulate some new ideas for you. This would work even in casual living rooms. http://www.kodak.com/eknec/PageQuerier.jhtml?pq-locale=en_US&pq-path=405

[Gina Stevenson]

Another "softening" effect would be some pillows on the seating ... in just about whatever coordinated colors you might like/choose, since wood goes with a lot (tho' it tends towards the reddish tone), and your furniture is rather neutral. ;)

I love the wood with the stone fireplace. I don't think I'd like living in a full blown log house all the time, but I think I would enjoy a "log" style family room such as you have.

Can you soften it at all with some small window coverings or maybe a throw over the top of that bench in front of the windows? Its hard to say with just one picture. But my initial feeling is that the room is relaxing and comfortable and inviting.

Sara