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October 15, 2008
Paint color scheme help
We am struggling to pick woodwork and wall colors for the common areas of the house. We have tackled all the tough renovation subjects but are paralyzed on this one.
Can anybody recommend an interior decorator who can come to the house and in one sitting help us commit to a color scheme so we can complete the renovation?
We have preserved most of the original detail and are looking for classic, if not necessarily historical colors.
The on-line schemes are helpful, but the choices are overwhelming and after so many months of work, we really want a self-assured consultant to spend an hour or two with us on-site.
Comments
Can't recommend a decorator, but highly recommend Farrow & Ball for historic interiors. The flat latex just looks fantastic on old plaster. (It has kind of a chalky, dusty texture.) They are also natural so the fumes won't kill you. The sales assistants are very helpful with suggestions, the samples are boards with paint on them, and they sell $6 sample pots of every color so you can try it at home first. They have a retail store in Soho, and the paint takes one week to arrive although you can pay more for next-day delivery.
I've painted four places and strongly recommend using cream, not white, for trim. It just looks richer.
You may be able to find a decorator for a one-hour consultation through the D&D (Design & Decoration -- wholesale) building in midtown.
Posted by: mopar at October 15, 2008 5:04 PM
P.S. The color line is more limited than what you would get at, say, Benjamin Moore. It is historic. But the colors are not muddy like Benjamin Moore's historic line. By "historic" this English company seems to mean 1790 to 1830 or so. So they have lots of those light pretty neoclassical pastels you may remember from Kate Greenaway illustrations. If you want something more Victorian, you may have to look elsewhere.
Posted by: mopar at October 15, 2008 5:09 PM
Check these two sites:
http://www.interiorrefiners.com/
http://www.jillvegas.com/
Posted by: vinca at October 15, 2008 5:25 PM
Hi,
I would also recommend Farrow & Ball. I'm working with their colours on two projects at the moment, and am very happy with them. They have more depth of pigment, and more subtlety than the BM paints, and although as mopar says, the colours are more limited I think they work very well in Victorian homes.
If you are interested I would love to work with you on this project. If you would like to send me your contact details - to elizdoughty (at) gmail.com I would be happy to discuss it with you further.
Good luck!
Posted by: zil at October 15, 2008 5:44 PM
Thanks everyone for the feedback and advice. I will be checking out Farrow & Ball. I am not possessed with restoring to a period look or color, but am highly motivated to pick colors and textures that we will love.
Mopar, we painted some of the trim with an almost pure white and have come to believe that a cream would have been better. Only one pint of oil-based paint. Worth the experiment.
Vinca, the links were eye-openers and gave me some good ideas of what some viable options are.
Zil, the search starts with you.
Posted by: renomandru at October 15, 2008 11:37 PM
Very interesting. Good luck with the project. I hope it turns out wonderful.
(Also, another recommendation: Latex is much easier to work with than oil. But whatever you choose, use a slightly shinier finish on the trim. So, for example, flat on walls, eggshell on trim. Or, another example, eggshell on walls, semi-gloss on trim.)
Posted by: mopar at October 16, 2008 1:24 PM
Hi,
I had the exact same problem. I posted on Brownstoner and was contacted by a woman who helped me as a color consultant. She has a design background and was very helpful presenting entire palette ideas. Her name is Rebecca, and her email is rcaindc@aol.com. We are just finishing a year long renovation of an 1850s house in Chelsea. I knew the types of colors I wanted, but she really helped me put it all together, and it was not expensive!
I recommend you contact her.
Good luck.
Posted by: homey at October 16, 2008 11:25 PM
Try Clare Donohue at 121studio.com. Color consultation is one of her areas of expertise. She gave me some great ideas for room colors in my brownstone.
Posted by: keep at October 17, 2008 1:10 AM
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