Help with Parlor Floor Interior Paint
My parlor floor is fairly dark so I’m thinking of painting it white to brighten it up (something like the picture). Any tips on how to get this look? Decor will be a combination of modern and classic, not ultra modern so I don’t want it to look stark. Also, any idea what a painter…
My parlor floor is fairly dark so I’m thinking of painting it white to brighten it up (something like the picture). Any tips on how to get this look? Decor will be a combination of modern and classic, not ultra modern so I don’t want it to look stark. Also, any idea what a painter would charge? Not a ton of prep work or moldings. Thanks!
Actually, I think that if you have a low light north facing room, warmer colors will tend to be muddy. You would like a cooler palate, i.e. an off white that works very well in this kind of light is Benjamin Moore Marble White. It has a very fresh, cool creme tone. It is definately NOT white and contrasts nicely with white trim. Very nice.
I have to agree with BHS. All white is a bad idea because the room will look undecorated.
I thought you were talking about cream with off white and or palest green with off white, as in the photo.
In any case, if your furniture and floors are 65 shades of beige, try to relieve the monotony with texture and pops of color.
Hi MM212,
My Name is Martin Barazorda – owner of Inti Interior Finish. Looking at the picture I would suggest Benjamin Moore’s (BM) White Dove (#OC-17 – flat finish). White Dove is part of BM’s Off-White Color collection, it’s an elegant and discreet color that would work well on your parlor floor walls. It will also help in brightening up your floor color – framing the room. For the ceiling I would go with BM’s Decorators White (#I-04 – flat finish). The trims and doors should also be Decorators White but Semi Gloss finish (#I-04 – Semi-Gloss). Semi-gloss does not crack and is washable. You want to keep harmony throughout ceiling, walls, floor and furniture. Hope this helps.
If you are interested in pricing please give me a call and I’ll come out to actually see the space to give you an accurate quote.
Martin Barazorda
347-234-3597
intiinteriorfinish@gmail.com
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Latex is standard for both trim and walls these days. If your trim is already latex, it is easier and better to stick with latex. If your trim is oil-based, you can stay with oil or switch by priming. In any case, if you hire a painter with experience they will know what to use and most likely will be picking up the paint themselves if you are using Benjamin Moore.
If you are using latex, go with semi gloss for the trim and either eggshell or flat for the walls.
You can pick out any shade of white or cream for the trim and a slightly darker shade for the wall.
Alternatively, my favorite trick is to match the walls with the couch or some other object in the room such as a lampshade by finding that color on the color card, then using the lightest variation of that color, which will some shade of white or cream, for the trim, and the same color one or two shades for the walls.
Whatever you do, test it first.
That green they have used in the nearest room is a very very pale shade — about two or three down on the color card (if the color card has a range of five or six shades of the same color). The trim is off white. The walls in the far room are cream.
As for cost, a painter will probably charge $1 to $2 per square foot to paint one coat, including trim, and no prime, and minimal to no prep. When I say square foot, I mean the dimensions of the area, not the literal amount of wall and ceiling footage the painter will be covering.
I think it is a mistake to go all white in a low-light room. All white looks best in bright light, think Miami. In a narrow brownstone room it will look cold and unwelcoming, possibly unfinished. Try to imagine the above picture WITHOUT the bright light streaming through the windows. It would be an undefined mass of white.
I’d recommend warm whites for trim and a yellowy-cream for the walls. I used Farrow and Ball Dorset Cream in my north-facing, low-light living room and it works well. It looks almost like a deep orange color at night but isnt overpowering because it’s actually not a very intense color.
Thanks everyone. Very helpful. We will be painting the walls and ceiling (not the floor). The parlor floor is east/west – front windows are west, hence the need for brightening it up. Sounds like a bright white oil based trim and slightly off white matte walls are the way to go. I found the picture by googling “brownstone parlor bright” or something like that. Any idea how much a painter might charge? I’m debating doing it myself but I really want it to come out perfect and I’ve never done such a big painting job.
What is the color of your couch? That’s probably the most expensive piece of furniture, and least likely to be replaced before you paint again. I really like the BM whites. Crème fraîche is lovely, with delicate cold yellow undertones, and dark linen is nice neutral is a darker room. I like Alpine white for ceilings, and cloud white in eggshell for the trims.
Totally agree on using oil on trim, but I might go semigloss instead of satin (but satin is also nice). FYI, white oil paint will yellow a tiny bit and gives a nice effect. Whatever you do, stay away from gloss finish paint–it highlights every imperfection and looks plastic-y.
I would go for your whitest white on the trim and something a hair creamier for the walls, which should be in a flat finish.
BM has a brochure dedicated to whites. F&B is also great, but almost twice the price. I would tend to splurge on F&B for more saturated colors rather than whites, though.
Are you talking about painting the floor as in the flooring, or the floor as in the room? Two different questions.
I had a “pickled” floor once – it was soft pine with varnished white paint. It was probably done via an application of paint, which was then mostly wiped off after it had a little while to sink in, then covered with a gold-ish varnish. (I didn’t do the floor finish – it was like that when I moved into the place) It looked great briefly.
After a couple of years it grew hideous – scratched up and full of punctures from high heeled friends at one of my parties.
So go ahead and paint the floor white, but plan on a lot of maintenance. I wouldn’t do it – I’d keep the floors whatever color they are and use light colored rugs to brighten the floor up.