Should Gail Go Green?

Q: I am renovating the kitchen of my Manhattan apartment and cannot decide what color to paint the walls. Really, it is one long wall (across from the windows, so it gets a lot of light) and a bit of wall between the two windows, as well as the window frames and the windowsills. All the rest of the walls (under the cabinets) will be covered with the tile you see in one of the photos on the sample card. The day that I took the photos was very overcast so the light is very blue. On sunny days, it is more golden, especially in the early morning, but the windows face north, so most of the day it is a cool light. The kitchen is usually very bright because there is open sky in front of the windows, as you can see from the photo. I thought of going with a very light green, and someone told me that that would look like a hospital. So I tried darker greens but I am afraid to have an enormous green wall. I am afraid it will reflect and make people look sickly. I haven’t tried a really grayed green yet. But it also occurs to me that possibly green is not the only color to try. The tile has green highlights and a greenish cast, and since I also have a black granite countertop and chestnut brown cabinets, I thought I should avoid introducing yet another color. The appliances will be stainless steel. The flooring throughout my apartment is red oak with a clear, satin finish. The adjacent living room is painted white. Lighting for the evening is a mix of dimmable incandescent overhead and 3100k fluorescent tubes under the cabinets above the counter. Of course there is also the ceiling, which I thought I should leave white. And I wondered whether I should paint white or a lighter version of the wall color on the window frames and sills. Finally, I won’t be able to afford a very high end paint job, so the many bumps and imperfections on the walls and door frames from years of bad paint jobs will remain for the most part. I thought that possibly a less dramatic color would minimize the imperfections more than a dramatic (dark green) one. Please help!
-Gail Burk, New York City

A: Dear Gail,
I must say, you win the "incredible amount of information for picking one color" award. First, judging from your pictures, you are being a little (make that a lot) heavy handed with the depth and intensity of color for the space. Remember that the wall color is a back drop for the room and it's contents and since the cabinets and the counters are strong, lets lighten up. I do think green is a fresh breath of color to soothe the red wood tones and the black counters. Try finding the palest green shade in your tile back-splash and go a shade lighter and grayer/more neutral - this will also work with the white living room better. It is hard to judge exact shade when not in the space but choose a level in depth and neutrality like Benjamin Moore's Vapor Trails #1556. Once this is accomplished take a chip and tape it to the wall and see if it looks good in all the various light situations - remember color can reflect the color around it so adhere it to a neutral area. In a space like this I would paint the trim and the walls the same color. Paint the trim in a semi-gloss and the walls in an eggshell. The eggshell finish won't be as wipe-able as a semi-gloss finish (usually recommended for a kitchen), but will hide the wall imperfections a bit better. Good luck going green Gail and Bon Appetite!

Bedroom Paint Color Dilemma!

Bill Baccini, Modernism's trusty color consultant, recently received this question from a reader. If you have color questions, please send it with your snapshots to jen@modernismmagazine.com. Ideas for this reader's color dilemma? We invite you to post a response!

Q: I have a color dilemma that I’m hoping you can help with. Please take a look at the attached photos of my master bedroom. The walls are painted a very pale purple. I think the color is called “American Beauty.” (I bought the paint from MAB a few years ago.) The color is so pale that in some lights it looks white and other times it looks blue. I like that it’s got some life to it but doesn’t compete with my modernist furniture. The problem is that I recently got married and my husband thinks the color is too boring. We live in the Pocono mountain area of Pennsylvania, and I’ve tried to go with light colors and earth tones. My husband prefers bolder colors with more pop. Can you suggest a new “compromise” color that would work for this room? FYI, the adjacent hallway is a light brown called “Irish Cream”. I’ve attached a photo showing the bedroom, looking from the hallway. We can’t afford to change all of our accessories, such as our purple duvet. Do you think a medium brown might work well in the bedroom? Would a darker purple be too overpowering?

A: Dear Perplexed Pocono Dweller,
While I believe marriage is all about compromise, this may be a battle neither of you has to pick. Though the design community is presently really hot for accent walls whether wallpaper or paint, I choose to be judicious on its recommendation. Your space and situation, however, lends itself perfectly to this solution. Lavenders with taupes and browns are wonderful and chic combinations. I would paint the wall behind the bed a grayed milk chocolate - not too deep, more of a mid tone. This would be a beautiful backdrop for the wood headboard, a nice contrast with the window above and add an inviting warmth that presently is a bit stark. You could then leave the rest of the room its present color or paint it (ceiling too) a shade deeper lavender, still keeping it light but with a bit more personality. In this case I would keep the purple shade fairly neutral (not too red or blue). I would also recommend a smattering of another accent color for room accessories in perhaps a dusty apricot. I do however have one last thought - why no rug? Move away from that wood heavy gymnasium look and throw down an area rug with a range of plush brown and lavender stripes. Sweet dreams!

Ever have trouble Picking the Perfect Paint Color?

I met Bill Baccini (pictured left) this past fall when he gave a presentation on “picking the perfect paint color” at Twist Gallery in Philadelphia, during the weeklong DesignPhiladelphia event. Bill is a professional color consultant and has kindly agreed to answer your color questions!

Have a question for Bill? Email info@modernismmagazine.com or join this blog! You can send questions, photos, your own thoughts on color…whatever you want.

Here is the first question Bill received:

Q: I live in a ranch house in Ft. Collins, CO, where we receive a considerable amount of snow. My living room has large expanses of glass and all of my furniture is white. The walls are currently painted white and combined with the furniture and snow, I’m starting to suffer from sensory deprivation! Can you suggest a color that would complement my all-white modern furniture, while not competing too much? The flooring in the room is a gray slate, and I have shag white area rugs. I have one large abstract painting that contains mostly whites and blues.

-Jenny Johnson, Ft. Collins, CO

A: It sounds like it may be a bit cold inside as well as outside! To warm up the space but still stay somewhat neutral (allowing you to stay in your comfort zone), I suggest a pale butter cream yellow or a light dried parsley color. Both of these directions would coexist nicely with gray floors and the blue in the painting, while also creating a sophisticated backdrop for your white furniture. As a final note, if the majority of the light in the room is northern light, which is a cool light, you would want to go with a bit warmer shade.

General thoughts on the color white…White or Not?

White is a strong choice and not the noncommittal choice that some think it is.

Whites can be very tricky but should follow the same rule of thumb as above - choose warm vellum whites or cool-cast whites (such as chalk) depending on the space, what it holds and its end use. Using a variety of whites in one space can be subtle but complex. This could be influenced by how light enters the room and what will be on and in front of specific walls.

Got a question for Bill? Send it to info@modernismmagazine.com!