Wendy from Michigan hired me to help her with her very large and basically white house. Here is her entry/dining room which adjoins her kitchen. I don’t have all the ‘after’ photos yet but Wendy was kind enough to share the living room and powder room with us.
Before
We went through a few emails and 2 phone consultations to get the colours exactly right (total 3 hours). The main neutral (BM 1044) was immediately right for the space and since she has 3 floors there was lots of wall space to cover. Whether I’m in your house in person or choosing them via an on-line consultation, testing is still required.
Before
Wendy has lived in this house for over 30 years and was worried about a new colour being too dark. However, the right colour (even if it’s pale) still makes such a huge difference, and she didn’t want to be too “safe and boring”. The first area she had painted was this space (don’t have the after photo), Wendy’s email to me afterwards was “I had the dining room and foyer painted while I was away. What a wonderful thing to come home to the warm beautiful walls (BM 1044 Lighthouse Landing). Your recommendation is so perfect I couldn’t be happier with the colour.”
Her powder room (below) was dated and at the beginning of the consultation she just wanted a colour to replace the wallpaper however the more we discussed the options (not many: green, gray, brown or more pinky beige) with the very strong pinky beige fixtures, she decided in the end to do a small renovation to get rid of the pink toilet and sink and install a new countertop.
Before
At first Wendy was convinced that the Rich Coral BM 028 that I chose would be too dark but she trusted me and went for it, I received the after photo today with her note “I am very happy with the result, thanks for encouraging me to go for it”. What a difference, she chose the perfect granite to coordinate with the floor tiles (which had yellow undertones).
After
This is Wendy’s living room ‘before’ it was painted. It’s looked this way for 30 years and she wanted a change. I suggested we add some drama with a strong colour in the bookshelves. At the time of our consultation she was thinking of replacing the sofa and recovering the chair cushions but for now I have a few suggestions for a new area rug (in case the new furniture doesn’t come right away). The existing carpet is too small and pink, I recommend an 10 x 12 area rug.
Before
The 1044 for the rest of the walls really warms up the space without being too green or yellow as all her furniture has orange undertones. And the 028 Rich Coral was the perfect shade to pick up the wing chairs in the room.
After
These are my suggestions for an area rug. I would hesitate to buy them on-line for an existing living room. A carpet can change colour dramatically from just looking at it in the showroom but these are a few examples. The first one is more contemporary.
Traditional (below)
Or because there is already lots of pattern happening, one suggestion would be to select a solid, textured wall-to-wall carpet and have it bound in a chocolate brown banding to tie in her sofa.
Thanks Wendy for sharing our consultation with my readers! How many of you have actually purchased an area rug on-line? Did it work out?
If you would like your home to fill you with happiness every time you walk in, contact me for on-line or in-person consultations.
Related posts:
What Everyone Should know About Beige
A Happy On-line Consultation; Before & After
Insider Secrets to Testing & Selecting Paint Colours
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