Yuck. Loved the Wall Color Before The Furniture Arrived!

Hi Laurel,
 
I received a new sofa this morning that I’ve wanted to get for years and in a color I really love a dark graphite gray in the most beautiful Schumacher velvet. I love gray moody interiors and lean towards liking cool tones with mixed metal accents in traditional style with few modern touches.
 

I love the sofa but against my current gray-blue walls and faded gray rug I feel it’s all a bit too dark and cool. I am mostly home in evenings and in my east facing tiny living room this tends to be on the darker side. I’ve been reading all your blog posts about color and light and I’d like to get your thoughts on a suitable new paint color for my wall. I was thinking something in the lighter gray or cream tone but open to all suggestions.</s

 

I am a photographer as well so i understand light and how it impacts tone especially in different directions.

 

I know my eastern facing room isn’t the best but looking to find what works for my space.

 

The photos attached were taken this morning after my sofa arrived without any other lights turned on so is the brightest it would get with natural light. My coffee table is reclaimed wood. Oh and art work is all changing!

 

Let me know if I may be able to provide any more info! I look forward to hearing your thoughts and am an ardent fan of your blog and designs.
Sincerely,
Tara
{note: I’ve done many “dear Laurel” posts. They are all amalgams of different situations and not actually real people UNLESS otherwise stated. This one’s real – and a lot of fun too!}

 

This is a fabulous, sophisticated room. Tara had paid for a paint consult, so I gave it due consideration and then sent her back this message.

***

Hi Tara,

Wow! What a handsome room! I don’t think the walls should be too pale. I love them fairly dark, but more art work with light/white backgrounds and/or mats would be great. Maybe even a really big mirror, maybe with a black frame. Or a mirror over each chest. I think that’s a matching chest on the other side of the sofa.
A very beautiful warm deep gray is Benjamin Moore Ashley Gray HC- 87.

Another color I bet you would love is Farrow and Ball Down Pipe 26. It’s a very rich sophisticated color that some aficionados go totally ape over! It is quite deep, however.

For a cool gray going more blue but  lighter than what you have, you might try Benjamin Moore Coventry Gray HC – 169. It would provide more contrast than your current color.  It’s a steely blue-gray. Not dark, but not light, either.

As for lighting. I don’t see any! I’m sure it’s there, but I would put a lamp on each chest. But, wait. I’m preaching to the choir. haha!

I hope that helps. Please let me know how it goes. Love the sofa!

One last thing. Live with it for a week or two before rushing out. Sometimes things just need to settle in a bit. I don’t think it’s terrible the way it is, but with more and different art work and a mirror or mirror will be smashing. However, if you still feel after a time that you need to tweak the wall color, that’s fine too.
best,

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Truth be told, I wasn’t sure if any of the colors I suggested would be better than what she had, but again, it’s not always easy to tell in a photograph.

Two days later…

I received another email from Tara. More truth. I suck with names. I have to hear someone’s name about 10 times before it sinks in and I hear from a lot of people so it didn’t register at first. I opened up the email and the first thing that hit me between the eyes was this beauty.

How nice.

Someone sent me a photo from Lonny or Domino.

But then… I did a fast double take and realized that this was from TARA!

OMG!!! I couldn’t believe the transformation!

 

Here’s what she said:

Hi Laurel!

Thank you so much for the feedback. You were totally right haha even after two days I kind of love the existing color with the sofa. I went out and bought a huge canvas and painted a black white piece which is more graphic than I’m used to but I think it helps the space. I have another canvas I want to experiment with as well in black white and caramel tones. 

I definitely hear you about the light fixtures. I have a modern one now on the chest near the window but I have more traditional library style lights on the other side of the couch. I’ll have to play around with that. Also thinking about brass sconces next to the painting to anchor it and warm it up and give more light. I’ve attached a photo of the bar cart opposite the dark blue-green chest so that side of the room does have some warmth as well. Ha I should just ask if you do room consultations? This is a rental so only so much i can do I guess but hopefully that’s a lot! 

Thank you again for your feedback. Most helpful and appreciated. 

Tara

I love it all! It’s the perfect apartment for a young couple in Manhattan with elements of masculine and feminine. I wrote Tara back that she doesn’t need my help! It’s the other way around! Not only is she a wonderful photographer, but her styling is way cool!

Tara was kind enough to let me use her photos. Please check out Tara Sharma’s gorgeous photography website! Total badass!

The moral of the story is…

Painting your walls first can be somewhat of a risk, however any time you get something new, live with it for a while before jumping in and making a drastic change. I’ve seen it happen time and again with my clients and myself. Something new takes some getting used to sometimes and sometimes what we don’t love at first sight, we grow to adore as time goes on…

***OH! Please check out the new items in the shop!***

In honor of this post, I did a section on side, end and coffee tables.

xo,