What color should I paint my living room?

[CollinsMom]

I am so torn -- HELP!

First of all, the room is a decent size, not huge, and not tiny. We have a large entertainment center that is a rich wood. The furniture is a taupe color. There is a decent amount of natural light in the room.

The first color, "emotional", is very different from what we have in the rest of the house. The second choice, "composed", is fairly similar, especially to what we have upstairs in our bedroom and bathroom.

I just can't decide, I love them both!

 

[meowracer]

Oh - ha ha! I thought you had made those names yourself! Emotional being the name for a color you had in mind that was different, a bit scary b/c something bold, and therefore an emotional choice. Composed b/c it is similar to what you already have and therefore the saner, easier choice! I get it now I would be too afraid that composed, with the wood entertainment center being a rich color, would be too much. Of the two, I voted for Composed, but hard to know without seeing the room. Any way you could take a pic and post what it looks like now, furniture and all? Either way, buy the smallest amount of paint you can get, and get one of each if it comes down to these two, and try them out in a small patch, maybe one on either side of the entertainment center. It is worth it. For one, you can get a nice idea of the color in a larger area than the sample, and two, you can see what it looks like dry.

 

[jodijodi]

Given the names of the colors, does our preference reflect upon us personally? Hmmm....I am definitely more "emotional" than "composed", LOL!

 

[DeanaMax]

i think composed goes better with taupe. it will also coordinate well with rich wood. but it's hard to tell for sure without seeing the room and wood color. if email me a pic of your room i'll be in a better position to advise.

also, i find emotional more soothing, softer. the emotional is a little more excitable.

but it's really a personal decision.

 

[meowracer]

Exactly - that's what I meant by too much - the furniture would all blend into the walls, I'm afraid. Plus, Composed is sort of beachy - it would be a happy color for your newly married selves We got married in Seaside, FL and I made our entire bathroom a Seaside retreat. Even when I'm furious with my DH, the bathroom still makes me happy

 

[chefkate]

Katie, the composed reminds me of your wedding on the beach! I voted that one!

 

[LaughingWater]

Ooo, I'm going to vote for "Emotional." I love the rich tone. Not that "Composed" isn't beautiful, but "Emotional" speaks to me.

Of course, it could look really different once on the walls. Have you considered just painting one wall and living with it for a week? It sounds like a pain in the butt, you get a more accurate picture that way (how it dries, what it looks like daytime vs night, does it close the room too much). Plus if you hate it, you just have one wall to repaint.

 

[lynda]

I like them both, but I voted for Composed because I think I like that one a bit better. If you go to www.bhg.com, you can easily create an account and they have a "Color-A-Room" feature, where you can select a room similar to your own and then simulate your own furniture, accessories, flooring and paint colors. It's not an exact science, but it gives you a better idea then a one inch paint swatch.

lynda

 

[Nadja Z]

Oh, I'm in love with the composed. Although maybe a similar color with a more neutral/sage-y/less aqua tone would be more versatile with the seasons. It's hard for me to picture a Christmas tree next to the composed, but then again I have no idea whether you guys celebrate Christmas But do you know what I mean? Anyway, since someone said "beachy", I have that in my head now, it seems distinctly summery to me.

 

[Sunshine 1528]

I voted composed because I think it will look awesome with taupe an rich wood, BUT mainly because I am a huge San Jose Sharks fan, JK!:+

I love tealy types of colors and just am not a fan of the orange hues, but then again I was a beach baby growing up in Santa Barbara, CA. The beach is my solace in life.

 

[L Sass]

I like the emotional, but think either would be really nice. I honestly don't like SW paints at all though! Sorry. When we moved into our home it had never been painted so we had a giant paint party and used all SW. It didn't hold up well at all, and the more painters I talk to the more I learn they don't like SW for that very reason. I'm a Benjamin Moore gal all the way now! But I do like both of the shades you've chosen.

Lorrie

www.picturetrail.com/lsass