AT:LA reader Dean writes us this question: Since we're in the middle of the Color Contest, I thought now would be the best time to enlist AT to help me find the perfect blue paint for my living room! I really want to paint my living room a rich navy. I am totally freaked out at the thought, but I'm taking the advice of everyone who's entered the Color Contest and "just going for it"!...
My couch is sort of an avocado green and I've got a large white Expedit shelf, Danish walnut chairs and a walnut credenza as the other key players in the room. I plan on buying a large flokati for the room, too...
I've been thinking about navy for a while, after I saw a living room designed by Philip Gorrivan (top right). But I got totally excited when I happened upon an old issue of Domino that featured Nick Olsen's apartment...his walls are the same color as my couch...and his couch is nearly the exact color that I want my walls!! (top right)
Anyway, my keywords when trying to describe this color are: rich, jewely, Indian, Moroccan, dusty (if that makes sense?)...Any ideas???
(Or i was thinking of going grey, as seen in the 3rd photo...I'm torn!)
Well, Dean, we say: go navy! With your white Expedit shelf, it will pop out and create a breather from all that dark blue. (Depending on how dark you go, it could also be very high contrast and dramatic). Plus, we are big fans of walnut wood with rich, jewel-toned navy blue--it's classy in a very Audrey Hepburn kind of way.
Anyone else want to pitch in?
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suggestions on paint colors and brands would be awesome!
thanks, AT!
(also, i just picked out wallpaper for my kitchen, check it out! http://mylittleapartment.blogspot.com)
view my little apartment's profile
i think the trick to make it pop is lots of white and a bright accent color. Notice how the room you liked had the bright yellow pillows in the foreground? I think that makes it 'sing'. I had a navy blue bedroom in my old apt with navy blue everything -bedcover, headboard, and then stark shiny white trim and sheets - but then my pillows were a brigiht celadon green - it made everything just POP
view shurraycmu's profile
YES!
I had been thinking about painting my living room navy for more than a year and (after trying to talk myself into other colors) I finally just did it. I love it. Similarly, I have dark wood furniture and white shelves. I'm accenting with pillows in jewel tones--ruby, sapphire, emerald, etc.
It makes me happy every time I come in the door. :)
view rivkie100's profile
rivkie, what color did you use?
i'ev already convinced myself to do it, i just wanna get a good navy!
view my little apartment's profile
Weird - I just painted my living room wall a deep navy last weekend. And I have a white sofa with bright turquoise and white pillows, and I'm loving the navy :).
I used Ralph Lauren's "Modern Loft", and was really happy with the color.
view calihoya's profile
Hey Dean, I LOVE the idea of navy. I painted my little 12 x 11 ft bedroom BJ's grape gum (2068-20) - three walls. I left the window wall white to give it some relief. It's not the navy that you want, but a dark deep purply blue color. I love it. It's a cool as opposed to warm tone, but it looks nice both in daytime and at night. The walls seem to recede, and the darkness of the color doesn't make it seem smaller. I mean, it's a small room to begin with, so maybe I'm celebrating the minimal size, but I feel really comfortable in that room and it never feels like the walls are closing in. I say, go for it! I find that the richness of the color lends my humble room a little more posture that the cheap Ikea wardrobes tend to rob. And while the spare accessorizing makes it seem simple and spartan, the color makes it feel like the spartanism is intended and not due to my limited finances... :)
view summerinbrooklyn's profile
With a dark color like navy, save some budget for increasing the amount of lighting, mirrors, and shiny things in the room. The dramatic, sophisticated look you're aiming for requires them, and the way dark colors eat up your light really requires them.
view wende in the twin cities's profile
I painted a client's living room a gorgeous navy, but made sure to really make it pop with bright white trim. It looks modern and classic at the same time-perfect! I used Benjamin Moore's Blue Note in an eggshell finish.
view nestinteriors's profile
thanks, guys!
im keeping the ceiling white and putting a white flokati down over the blonde wood floor...hoping that should keep things light.
view my little apartment's profile
I say go for it! I recently painted my living room a dusty grey colour and then had an accent wall of a khaki. Additionally, I went for dark brown and/or black wood and a camel colour couch - it's very wonderful!
Here's a link from when I first finished painting so it's kinda dirty and nothing else is up... but it's just to give you the jist!
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v665/ennytko/photo1189359886110.jpg
view emily!'s profile