Help! What do I do with a white and red living room? :-(?

Question

Okay, Here's the thing....I have this open floor plan livingroom/kitchen area. It has a floor to ceiling fireplace in the middle of the room (which is brick~that has been painted WHITE!!) with a sliding glass door on each side. Stay with me now....the ceiling is vaulted with beams which is also ALL white. Just thinking about this makes me ill. Now, here comes the good part...The walls in the living area are painted a dark shade of red!!!! and the walls in the kitchen area are ORANGE!!!! I just wanna cry! I can't stand all the white...or the painted fireplace but I can see why someone would have done it...They were probably trying to bring the white from the ceiling down throughout the room. If you have any color ideas....I have no problem painting the walls. However, I can't imagine painting the fireplace...I say this because of all the white on the ceiling. It just over powers things. Any ideas maybe on a shabby chic look? Thanks

Answer 1

It sounds like you have a large room. I would paint the walls a taupe/sand color and choose natural fibres for the couch, cushions etc. different fabrics with different textures. Introduce baskets, dark picture frames etc. and some large plants and it should look great!

Answer 2

Wow! Someone was sure colorful! The walls, will need a good primer, then you can repaint those into more of a neutral color. Like beige, or candle light yellow something a bit lighter, and more mellow. The kitchen---please get rid of that ORANGE. asap. Again, a good strong primer, then a color of your choice that is lighter a light green, or blue, or something. The white--please work on that one too. Those, personally, I think, should be more of a natural wood tone-and the fireplace-please get it back to normal colors. If you can, please remove the paint from the fireplace. It needs to look more like a fireplace-as it should look. Please go to your local paint store, and get some of those color strips-the paper that has certain colors that appeal to your liking, different shades. Then, with those color choices you have in your hand, at home, please stand in each room, and think about what one(s) of those colors do you want in that room, and where, and how. Then, go into the kitchen, and do the same thing. Maybe have lighter shades of one color for the walls, and highlight those colors with brighter shades, and other colors that go with them. One idea, if you get the TLC station on cable, sattelite, etc., please watch on a Sat. morning-Clean Sweep/Trading Spaces for some ideas. Or, when you are in the paint store, ask a sales person there for some ideas. I wish you the best. Take care.

Answer 3

Well I was going to make an attempt here to be "cute" and tell you to add some dark blue and call it a tribute to American-- but I don't think with your present state of mind that that would have worked here !!

As the poster before me had said-- the fireplace has to be brought back to natural--- sandblasting is the only way-- it is not simple-- but the effects are going to be astonishing for you !! You can rent small, very effiecient sandblasters and supplies at the Home Depot !!
Then those vaulted ceilings will have to go to dark tones to lower them (visuallly) somewhat---and a natural tone would be a much prefered thing here---- once this is done--- the choices for the walls will be innumerable !!!
The orange in the kitchen has got to go---and go quickly--- it is no wonder that you are hyped out of your head here--- the kitchen of all places should be a place of relaxation and mellow moods--- orange does not only counter this--- it is a hype to your emotional balance !!!

Good luck with all this and once this is all done--- you are going to be SO pleased with yourself that you may go into interior design as a side-line and transform other people's lives into what will then be YOUR joy with what you've accomplished !!!

Answer 4

use paint remover and a stiff brush and scrub the brick, gives you a shabby part red brick part white look , like its really old. then paint the wood work weathered grey, and the walls can be red, slate blue, or just about any color you like as long as they go well with the room on the other side of the glass, orange and red,ick. or you can paint the trim brown and the walls tan and tone it down to a nice comfy warm look. chocolate brown also looks great with blue or aqua. if you get a lot of sun, you might want cool colors, if you get lots of shade all year you can go with warmer colors. good luck.

Answer 5

First, you will need to sandblast the fireplace and get your natural brick back. Then all you have to do is be creative with your paint and decorations.

Answer 6

I guess you have many ideas already.
Just make up your mind with the colors that lift your spirit.
http://decoration.com/p/decorating-tips/impact-of-colors/