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I am looking for a red or gold tone for my bedroom. I bought a bedspread with those colors please help me choose a color for my bedroom.
THANK YOU SO MUCH!

Posted by Ivette Valenzuela – July 9, 2008 6:54 PM

Monica,
I have my family room painted Behr's Rejuvenate. This room connects to my kitchen with no break in walls, so I painted above a chair rail the same color. I'd like a color suggestion for below the chair rail..honey oak cabinets that are in good shape, very light tan Corian counter tops and a light neutral floor. Also what would you suggest for the foyer and living room which can be seen from these rooms as well. Additionally, the laundry room is just off the kitchen. We are hoping to sell in a year or so.
Thanks.
Carole

Posted by carole – July 9, 2008 7:07 PM

Hi Monica
I'm not sure what color to use in my bedroom/sitting area. The room is abit dark- no sunlight coming into the room. Any suggestions?

Posted by Ellen – July 9, 2008 7:34 PM

The living room/family room are open. Living Room has a sage green wall and the Family Room walls are beige. What color carpeting would you suggest. Thanks for your help

Posted by joan roslauski – July 9, 2008 8:40 PM

The house I bought has dark emerald/forest green carpet EVERYWHERE. The family room has a blue/green tweed effect and is adjecent to the living room. What would be a good wall color that would fit both rooms, entry and hallway? I can't afford to replace the carpet, and when walking on it you can feel some uneveness under the carpet. I'm afraid if I rip it up, it will be a bigger mess than just refinishing the wood. So I need a wall color for now to go with the carpet. Any suggestions? Thanks, Robin

Posted by Robin – July 9, 2008 8:41 PM

Hi Monica,
I am in desperate need of you advice. My bedroom is in need of a serious makeover. Currently my bedroom is light blue and the bed frame is a light wood tone (birch, I believe). I bought my bed before I learned that dark brown was the way to go. Anyway, I need a color scheme for my room. What other colors should I introduce into my space? I want to keep the room bright and airy but I am having a hard time identifying a workable color palette.

Thank you so much,
Color Scheme Challenged from Chicago, IL

Posted by kim – July 9, 2008 9:00 PM

My house was built in the 50's. In the bathroom there is pink tile on the counter and floor. What shade of green would help minimize the pink. I am thinking of a sage but cannot find the shade that I think would look best.

Posted by Barbara – July 9, 2008 9:04 PM

Help Monica~
My whole house is beidge. I am trying to select a color other than beidge for a small powder room. Please help me add some warmth and spice to our new home!

Posted by Veronica Velazquez Manalapan, NJ – July 9, 2008 10:15 PM

Hello! how are you? having a sunny yellow day? I am having a dilemma with my color choices for a small living room (12 x 17). I found some beautiful fabric for curtains, a solid golden color that I am putting some antique Chinese pheasant bird panels on (delicate colors of gold, moss, and green leaves; the pheasants are in light colors of blue, dark & light orange, mustard, green, red; peach colored flowers are also on these panels; the background is a yellow, almost an antique color). I have a 1950's couch that has a tweedy beige/brown subtle stripe pattern, almost neutral, . A beige daybed/chair is also in the room. What the problem is - what to choose for the wall color. I would like a gold tone, but not really dark. I want the ceiling painted as well. Do you have any suggestions as to a color to use for the walls (and ceiling?)? I am not sure of the choice of gold. I want to use accent colors found in the pheasant panels to liven the room. Help!! Thanks so much, Sheryl Miller

Posted by Sheryl – July 9, 2008 10:41 PM

i have an open eat in kitchen.
honey stained maple cabinets/brushed nickel hardware. laminate countertops (taupe/white /grey ) small pattern. floor is high quality vinyl (resembles 18" tile) in shades of golden beige with grey.
I want a wall color to compliment my adjacent family room (cafe au lait walls) and draw you into the room. currently the wall color is a golden yellow. thanks for your help.

Posted by pat – July 9, 2008 10:50 PM

Hello Monica - I have a true dilemma. My daughter has a very nice black bedspread and black drapes (with silver & gray design in them). Her furnature is white. So we picked a very bright green for her walls. I'm not too sure we did the right color. Wow - how do I calm it down? My daughter is 22 - so she wants a modern look. Any suggestions?
Thanks!
Mary
Bennington, NY

Posted by Mary Cavalieri – July 9, 2008 10:55 PM

Hi Monica,

My husband and I finished our basement and we wanted it to look like a cozy ski lodge or cabin. The colors are a light cherry stained wainscoting on the bottom part of the wall and a deep hunter green on the top. We have no windows and I would like to lighten up the room a bit so that it's not too dark. Since I have two small children I'm afraid of going too light on the furnishings because of possible stains. Any suggestions?
Thank you
Kathy from York, Pa

Posted by Kathy – July 9, 2008 11:22 PM

Hi Monica,
My formal living room and family room are all open with just a partial open staircase in the middle. So both rooms share the two long continous walls. I have kept these walls a white eggshell color for the past 29 years because there isn't a spot where you can end one color and start another color. Would painting both rooms with the same color would be too much? Also I am at a lost for a color for both. I have a floral traditional sofa and love seat in the living room, and a large plum color sectional in the family room.
Thanks,
Cindy from Swansea, MA

Posted by Cindy – July 10, 2008 12:33 AM

Hi Monica:

I'm having hard time finding the right color for my living room. I just buy a nice sectional sofa, the colors for the sofa are stone,dark brown and beige. I'm looking for a nice color for the walls of my living room that could match perfectly with my new sectional sofa. Please provide ideas.

Mayra from Jeffersonville, IN

Posted by Mayra – July 10, 2008 12:42 AM

Hi Monica,

When choosing a paint color, for the living room, dining room, main areas of the home, I know that typically it is rule of thumb to choose neutral paint colors. I'm OK with this, but I have a vision in mind: I am really liking this new soft blue/brown/taupe color scheme that has become popular. I want to opt for a beautiful blue for the wall color but my better sense says "no! choose a neutral taupe". Have things changed? Can I still choose a color for the wall and have it still look rich, well-thought out, and updated? Or should I stick with my better sense to keep the taupe?

Thanks for your time!

tiffany

Posted by Tiffany Tijerina (tee-heh-reena) – July 10, 2008 12:46 AM

Hi Monica, I'm having such a delima. I bought a beautiful golden blond bedroom set, queen poster bed, triple dresser w/mirror, armoire, 2 demilune nightstands with black,grey & white marble tops. I also have an oriental red jewelery cabinet w/a small black laquer screen above it. There are copper colored fish & reeds on the screen. I have purchased several bedding sets that just didn't have that bang I was looking for until last week. It is paisley & patchwork w/red, gold, off white and has some tan in the design. I love it but would also like to be able to change off to a couple of other sets occassionally. One is solid teal and the other is a floral w/a background of soft green & glints of teal with roses in pink & deep red and some soft golden yellow worked in. I have an area rug at the foot of the bed that is tan & black. (not real busy)There is a bench also at the foot of the bed with a beautiful tan upholstery with tiny white specks in it.
My walls in my new home are white and the carpet is a soft tan.
I can't decide on a wall color. A tan that goes with the carpet makes everything so bla but David on Color Splash said it would make the room look bigger. Myles of Style had a room with light wood and she did grey walls and it was beautiful. I just think it would be too dark for my room.
Any ideas? I can send pictures if you like.
Thank you for any help.

Posted by Peggy Schneider – July 10, 2008 1:46 AM

My house has a floor plan that is quite open. I have beautiful arches in the doorways. I was thinking of painting all the adjoining rooms different shades of pale gold. Should i paint the darkest (the foyer) with the lightest color?
Also, should the breakfast area be the brightest? Looking forward to your new show.

Posted by Cindy – July 10, 2008 7:33 AM

I have a galley kitchen w/ almond appliance (soon to be upgraded to stainless steel). I have natural hardwood floors and light maple cabinets. I have a deep terra cotta granite countertops w/ black accents through it(the color of the grand canyon). The walls are a very light cream/yellow. What backsplash color and material would pull all of these together?

Posted by Sheila – July 10, 2008 9:28 AM

Hi Monica,

I really love my burgundy living room, but I am having trouble picking a color for the kitchen that doesn't clash with it. Any suggestions?

Posted by Melissa – July 10, 2008 10:12 AM

Hi Monica.
I just bought a house in Las Vegas.
There is one main room with the kitchen in one corner. The floor is Travertine and the tiles are a mixed shade of light cream to tan. The kitchen cabinets are honey pine. The counter top and backsplash are black and my appliances are stainless steel.
I want to keep the room light, and easy, while finding a color that will compliment the kitchen.

Posted by Paul – July 10, 2008 10:26 AM

In a few weeks I will be moving into my new house in Casa Grande, Arizona. This is my first SW house that has 'bump outs' that will allow me to paint different colors in adjoining rooms. YIPEE!!!! Now what do I do with the 8 inches between the rooms ? It's sort of like a wide door frame with gently rounded corners. Do I leave them white or paint them the same color as the larger room? Also, my foyer takes off in 4 directions, I considered painting my foyer and 'door frames' the same color. Help !

Posted by Linda Lane – July 10, 2008 12:39 PM

Hello Monica,

I NEED HELP!!! I painted my living room orange yes orange, and it's okay now that I have toned it down with accesories. My kitchen is white with oak cabinets and green marble counter top.
Please tell me what color to paint it these rooms are open to each other. PLEASE HELP ME IT HAS BEEN THHIS WAY FOR 2 YEARS AND I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE.

Thanks in advance,
Donna Mulllin

Posted by Donna Mullin – July 10, 2008 1:17 PM

Hey Monica,

The layout of my house is the living room and the dining room are one room, and its a pretty small space. I would like to paint the walls a toupe color, and was thinking about doing a stripe. Would this help make the room feel larger? What color of stripe would work best? Should I make one large horizontal stipe, or do vertical?

Posted by Nikki – July 10, 2008 2:31 PM

Hello Monica,
I have a royal blue bedspread with a gold fleur de lys design on it. What color would you recommend for the walls? Hope to hear from you!
Thanks!

Posted by Claudette Zeigler – July 10, 2008 3:26 PM

I recently painted 3 walls in my bed room a medium/ deep shade of lavender. I added dark brown silk curtains and i like it but it has made the room so dark. What can i do to lighten up the room and give it some life. I want it to look mature and sophisticated

Posted by Felicia Thomas – July 10, 2008 3:27 PM

Hi Monica,
I live in a mobile home and the kitchen and living room are one and and i have kept the walls white for years and the color palatte yellow and blue in the kitchen and mostly blue and some burgandy and mauve in the living room i am trying to get rid of the rose or rather mauves, my question is i would love to do yellow and red in my kitchen and maybe blue and yellow in the living room, will this clash? or do i need to just do contrasting colors since these two rooms are small and only divided by a bar down down the center, also what would be a good color for the walls im so tired of boring white!!! Thanks for your advice.kim

Posted by kim robertson – July 10, 2008 3:58 PM

Hi Monica,
I don't know where to begin! My husband and I just bought our first house and we want to paint the living room, master bedroom, and our children's rooms. We have no idea where to begin!! Can you give us some pointers on getting started?
Thanks!

Posted by Alison – July 10, 2008 4:11 PM

Hi I purcharsed a new apartment, is complete color white I need help to how match the correct color for different areas I have pictures if you need, thanks

Posted by Radames Flores – July 10, 2008 4:48 PM

I am in the same situation as Barbara (above). My house was also built in the 50's and has the original bathroom. Mine is almost ALL bubble gum pink-the walls and the floor-with one row of white tiles and one row of black tiles on the upper part of the tile work. I originally tried to just "go with it" using floral accents. I wasn't happy with that and went to all black accessories. It looks much better. Now instead of the cream color walls I would like to try a shade of gray. How should I go about choosing the right shade of gray? I don't want it to look depressing. Would you have any other suggestions, aside from gutting the room which would be my preferred option but my husband is not on board with that. Thank you! I think you are terrific!

Posted by Sally – July 10, 2008 5:24 PM

Hello, I first want to say I love all of your designs!! My question is for the exterior of the house... I know I have seen you choose a color for the front door and the steps leading up to the front door on your show before... I am having some trouble deciding what colors to choose. The exterior color of the brick is butter yellow (not painted just the bare birck). I would like to choose black shutters for a window right next to the door and am unsure what color to paint the door and the steps. I like black or orangish-red for the door... but don't know what color to paint the steps that could coordinate with those colors. Also, the trim work needs painting so I could change that too, right now it is white. My house is sort of a small 1950's traditional ranch style... with lots of corner windows. Thank you so very much!!

Posted by Marisabel – July 10, 2008 6:24 PM

We just bought a house with original peach color tile in the bathroom. While we don't like peach, we love the original tiles. What color of shower curtain can we get that would tone down the peach color? Thanks!

Posted by Melissa – July 10, 2008 7:06 PM

Hi Monica, My wife and I purcharsed our first house two years ago,it was a new construction, which means all the walls are white, please help us. we are tired of waking up everyday day and see all white.
thank you
P.S. Congratulations on your new program.

Posted by Leopoldo Carbajal – July 10, 2008 7:46 PM

Hi Monica,
I recently took down a wall in my home so now the living room, dining room and kitchen are one big open area. I want to bring some color(s) into this big room, but my problem is finding a paint color that will go well with my dark blue leather couch, love seat and recliner. Currently all the walls are white with the exception of the kitchen area where I do have a chair rail and below the chair rail the color is a reddish/wine color. The reason for this color is that my husband and I are wine lovers and this is a color I would like to keep. I would like to have the entire room represent a tuscany color look and feel, just not sure of what colors to use and again, what colors would match with the dark blue furniture that I have. This large room does have white crown molding. Please give me some ideas of colors that would go well with dark blue furniture. Thanks! Your great!

Posted by Chris – July 10, 2008 7:46 PM

I just sent an e-mail to you, but I forgot to include my city and state. It is noted above.

thanks again,
Chris

Posted by Chris from San Antonio, Texas – July 10, 2008 7:50 PM

I am designing my guest room. When you walk in the door, the room extends in front of you and to the right. We will be building a murphy bed cabinet on the wall the door is on and the opposite wall and the right wall both have windows. Right now the room is painted cottage white. I'd love to add another color, perhaps on one wall. Which wall, though, would be the focal wall? The one opposite the door and the murphy bed? Or the one to the left, which is the biggest expanse of wall, but has a closet door at the far end, away from the entrance to the room? I'm confused!

Posted by Krys – July 10, 2008 9:46 PM

Hi Monica!!
I could REALLY use your help. I want to paint my front door and I can't decide what color would be best. Our house is dark red brick and white vinyl with dark red shutters. The porch is dark red painted concrete with white vinyl railing. The door is currently white, but I would love to give it a punch of color. Please let me know what you think.
THANKS so much!
Shannon from Gadsden, Alabama

Posted by Shannon – July 10, 2008 10:59 PM

Hi Monica I have a bit of a problem. I have a bathroom with a blue tub yellow tiles on the bottom half of the walls.and a yellow tile floor.What color would look nice on the top half off my bathroom wall?I thought about grey but I'm not sure.Please help.Don't say white.

Posted by Barbara – July 10, 2008 11:08 PM

Hi Monica,

We are finally ready to break out of our "Beige Stage." We have small splashes of colors in each room, blue in the kitchen, purple in the master bedroom, RED in our boys room, and now we are ready to paint our office a tuscan orange. All of our walls are beige, which is what ties the rooms together. How do we add color and coordinate the entire house? Do we need to coordinate the entire house? This dilema is the reason that we have remained in the "Beige Stage" for the past 10 years. Thanks!

Posted by Kristine Branon – July 11, 2008 1:28 AM

We're decorating our family/dinette/kitchen area in our new home and I have a wall color dilemma. I was immediately attracted to beige fabric with seagrass green and a “blue-green” blue, which I intend to use for drapery in the family room. My furniture is a combination of brown and stone/beige. I’m going for a casual-chic look and I’m wondering if I should choose green for the wall color (I have been having trouble finding a green that isn’t too casual or too deep) and blue as an accent color or use a blue-green hue for the wall color and the seagrass green as an accent color.

Thanks,

Suzanne from Minnesota.

Posted by Suzanne – July 11, 2008 2:26 AM

Hello Monica,

I have a dilemma about choosing the right color to paint our basement. It currently serves as our family room slash office. My husband states that it has to stay white because he doesn't want it to be a dungeon. I on the other hand know there has to be some colors out there that are not sunflower yellow, etc. I would love to find a warm, realxing color that is certainly not white and makes you feel happy and comfortable as a blankey when you step into the room. I would appreciate your suggestions and expertise on this subject. Thank you and have a wonderful day!

Posted by Effa – July 11, 2008 9:52 AM

Hi Monica,

I have a small entryway that angles into the great room. Right now it is SW mannered gold, too dark because I have a covered porch & the door is solid wood with very narrow sidelights. Would it be too much of one color if I repaint the entry a lighter version and then go with other shades of gold in the great room? I love country colors and would prefer the entry to be a different color but it seems easier when you are "color challenged" to go with a monochromatic scheme!

Posted by Jackie – July 11, 2008 10:12 AM

I wanted to do my bathroom kinda retro, black and white tile in the shower, white vanity, and pale pink walls. I saw that you did white bead board in a bathroom on one of your shows which looked very nice. Would all that be too much, like the white vanity and bead board.

Posted by Julie Baltz – July 11, 2008 10:20 AM

Hi Monica,

I have a 1200 sp ft row home. I am decorating and fixing up to stage to sell. I want to bring the light into and look nuetral. The kitchen cabinets will be white with butcher block counters and butter yellow walls including the dining area. What colors do you suggest for the living room, up the stairs and the hall way? I have a forest green sofa and love seat and the living room is not very light. Thank you.

Posted by Rebecca – July 11, 2008 10:58 AM

Monica,
This is an exterior question. I live int a large two story colonial. It sided white with dark wine colored shutter, charcoal roof. Oh, and there is orginal black wrought iron on the porch stoop & around a balcany. My question, what would be a good color to paint my front door. It is a six raise panel wood door. I have striped the wood, so the panels are a med. wood finsh color and the surround is all wine. there is a brass knocker & brass welcome sign, . I was thinking of a pear green color. What are you thoughts. I want it to pop, but not look stupid.
Thanks,
Karen

Posted by Karen – July 11, 2008 11:01 AM

Hi,
My kitchen and dining room are connected and the living room, which is a sunken room, is connected to the dinig room. We have white cabinets and light oak wanscoting and trim in the LR and DR with a brick fireplace. I wanted to paint the kitchen one color and go darker in the DR and LR. But what goes with brick and still keeps it light?
Thanks, Kathy

Posted by Kathy Bellefontaine, Ohio – July 11, 2008 12:29 PM

My living room sets is chocolate brown w/gold&brown accent pillows. The carpet is milkshake color, the drapes are cream color. Please tell me what color for the walls.

Posted by Cheryl – July 11, 2008 2:52 PM

Hi Monica,
I love Designed to Sell. I think YOU are wonderful especially with fabrics. My questions is -- Has Alaska even been considered for one of your shows?
Donna
from Alaska

Posted by Donna – July 11, 2008 3:14 PM

I have purchased a bedspread with gold greens, Iwould like to paint my walls the one in back of bed and facing the bed and the other two a differnt color help me choose, the room is longer than wide.

Posted by enola – July 11, 2008 3:40 PM

Hi Monica
I am trying to find a color carpet for our living room, formal dinning and Master . All three rooms are join by a cream/camel and greyish tile walkway and hall. It is a large three rooms and the carpet color is going to be a big part of the space. These rooms get both east and west sun exposure which changes the light and the room colors durring the day. The current color is a shade of grey/moss green which I have never liked but does act as a nuetural. The other colors are brick,gold,tans,cream with some navy accents. The wood in the house is mostly dark and mohongoney. There is also a guest room off this area with wood floors. I am generally good with colors but this one has me stumped your help would be truly appreciated. Thanks Jackie

Posted by Jackie – July 11, 2008 4:02 PM

Dear Monica,
We painted the entry, the walls up the stairs and the landing (with vaulted ceilings) in a green that looks like green sherbet to me (I hate it), but it's such a large area to repaint. Is there a way to tone it down, or a way to add an architural feature or paint treatment to distract and/or make the sherbet green to the eye of the viewer less pastel in appearance?
Any help or suggestions would be appreciated!
Christine Grissom

Posted by Christine Grissom – July 11, 2008 7:34 PM

The simplicity of true blue is not so simple! Oh my! I love blue but cant figure out a way to make it work in my wanna-be contemporary living room (it's not there yet). The living room is also joined to the dining room and kitchen. I've blue curtains (royal to true blue hue) interlaced with white curtains in the living room and dining room but the problem is my walls are a starke white and my couches are the standard neutral tan (I should've gone for dark brown couches for a richer look but cant change that now). The problem is I cant wait to paint the walls but have no idea what color walls go with blue, white, and also dark brown & black accents/furniture? I dont want a country look, and I'm not going for French, or Americana either. I was thinking gray but I'm scared I'd pick the wrong hue (end up looking cave-like). I'm contemplating a warm gold-like color, but I've no idea which paint color would give that effect. Was also thinking a light blue, but dont want to overwhelm the room with blue. In addition to all that, I need a paint I can pretty much apply with ease as I dont have a lot of time as a parent, working midnights, and going to school. Any advice and suggestions would be dearly appreciated! Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Posted by Bellamiio – July 11, 2008 9:03 PM

Hey,
Ok i have a major problem on choosing colors i want my room brown wiht pink i was thinking of borders and stripes...maybe a border seperating it in half then the tops half wiht brown ( what color brown u can help wiht) and pink think strpies in it (dunno what color pink need help with that too) and the lower half i dont have a clue and i need ur help and i need a suggestion for the ceiling also!!
Thank You,
Tanesha M.Little

Posted by Tanesha – July 11, 2008 10:33 PM

Hi Monica. I am having trouble deciding on a color for my master bath. It is currently painted cream (boring). The master bedroom is painted SW Samovar Silver which depending on the light of day/night has a blue-gray appearance. The cabinetry in bath is white with beige marble tops and beige tile flooring. What are your thoughts?

Posted by Sharon – July 11, 2008 10:42 PM

Hi Monica,

I purchased a "very red" sectional sofa for my living room. Now I am afraid that this was a mistake! I am at a loss for a color palette that will tone down this sofa. Although I love black and white with red, this is not the look I want. I prefer a warm and inviting room for my grown children and grand children when they visit. My style is french country with a modern flair. We want to have our grand children over to watch movies and play board games with us and don't want a formal space. We are installing hardwood flooring in a warm tone. I purchased a beautiful red and cream fabric to make window treatments and I am stuck with a choice for wall color, trim color, and ceiling. The room is flanked with a very open columned wall into the breakfast and kitchen. Both rooms are being updated and we will carry the colors from the living room into the kitchen/breakfast and formal dining room as well. Please help! Thank you for your suggestions.

Posted by Denise – July 11, 2008 11:19 PM

Hi Monica,
My husband and I are remodeling his childhood home. It is a 50's split level ranch with lots of knotty pine. Even the ceiling in the kitchen is knotty pine! Uugghhh! My husband refuses to let me paint it! What colors will go with this to brighten it up? I thought a pretty red plaid would help, but it "disappears" against the wood walls. Help! Please Help!
Sincerely,
Jan

Posted by Jan – July 11, 2008 11:38 PM

Hi Monica,
We just purchased a new home that we love BUT the outside color scheme is very drab. It is a new construction large two-story center hall colonial in a wooded setting. It has light gray siding (have to keep it), gray shutters, and a blue-gray front door. BLAH! We need something to make it pop. HELP!

Posted by Sue – July 12, 2008 7:29 AM

Seeking Expert Advice. Let me first state I am driving my husband crazy. I have purchased approx. 20 small cans of neutral color paint. Which sounded like a great idea versus purchasing the quart or gallon size. However, for me I think it was worse because it gave me more options... I am drowning, who knew there could be so many options of taupe. I have a townhome. Like some I am trying to choose a neutral color so when we decide to sell in the future I will never have to paint again. My floor plan is very open, connects to other rooms and is dark due to no recessed lighting and few overhead lights. There is one wall of windows on one side of the living room and in the kitchen there is another window. Inbetween is the dining room, staircase, and finally the living room. I have changed the little lighting I have with Brite Light bulbs because everything had a yellow tone when the lights went on. The colors on the swatches do not look the same once painted on the wall due to the limited lighting. Would love any suggestions. Thank you.

Posted by Lynn Marcilla – July 12, 2008 11:28 AM

Hello Monica,
I love your design ideas and colors, you are my favorite designer on HGTV! I am having a hard time picking a color for the walls in my family room. I have posted my room on Rate My Space (monica8664) to obtain ideas from different people and have not had any luck. I have a Camel color leather sectional and would love to use brown paint somewhere in the room, I do not like AZTEC design, I like the more traditional even modern designs. Please help!
Kind Regards,
Monica

Posted by Monica Cook – July 12, 2008 1:53 PM

Hello Monica,
We have a large, cathedral ceiling master bedroom that have white walls and white ceiling. We are going to paint soon a neutral color and should we paint the walls and ceiling the same color or leave the ceiling white?

Thank you a lot!
Sharon

Posted by Sharon – July 12, 2008 1:55 PM

Hi!
We just started remodeling and updating our new home. It's our first and it's very small. We put a beige tile in the kitchen and bathrooms. We intend to put a medium-tone wood floor in the other rooms. All of the walls in the house are a tannish grey color (VERY BORING!) and I would really love to bring lots of color and life into the house without overwhelming the small rooms. Any suggestions for the wall colors? PLEASE HELP! Thanks so much!

Posted by Kristin in Plaquemine, LA – July 12, 2008 1:55 PM

Hello Monica,
I am looking for the right colors for my great room walls. I have wood floors (kind of a honey oak), rock fire place (slate), couch is a dark brown leather, the room is huge and the dining area is part of it. We are in a VERY rural area and are simple people. Our we love the outdoors and anything to do with nature. My husband is a hunter and therefor we have animals on the " living room area" walls. I like traditional and some colonial styles. As of now I have the fireplace wall painted a light blue and the wall beside it a light creamy tan. We have a cathedrial ceiling with one small looking ceiling fan w/ light. There are several large windows and double doors to the back of the house. I have lots of real plants and other natural nature through out the room. I don't want the room to look like a lodge w/ dark colors. I fell in love with a small rug years ago and it has the complete color pallete I love. Green (plants), like an old barn red , blue, dk. brown (couch, dining room furniture) yellow gold (wood floors, accents in rock fireplace), soft pumpkin (kitchen area,accents in rock fireplace) cream (wall, accents in dining room furniture). I know it sounds like a color wheel but I have associated the colors with the natural things already in the room as shown. It's really not as bad as it sounds. There is a LOT of wood and shades brown. Should I just paint the whole room in light blues or just throw everything out and start over. I am disabled now so if you could just help me with wall color ideas it would be great. Thanks sooo much for your time

Posted by Diana – July 12, 2008 3:01 PM

Help, its so hard to find a round rug with a splash of sea green color (which is the fabric color on the seats) for a two tone java round dining table and go with the interlocking rooms in our townhouse. The living room has a tradition rug and furniture with tan and red colors. There is also a variety of woods, from the oak floor to the maple coffee stained kitchen cabinets. Any suggestions? Thank you, Tammi

Posted by Tammi Abbey – July 12, 2008 3:46 PM

Monica: I just had my office loft painted licorice red (Behr). It turned out a little too bright and shiny. How can I cut down on the shine?

Posted by Phyllis – July 12, 2008 5:13 PM

Monica,
When is a good thing too much? I really want to put some color on my bedroom walls- a plum color specifically. My bedspread is full of plums, greens and golds- but my furniture and built-in are a dark cherry. Should I go with a light or dark plum color and should it be on all 4 walls or only an accent wall (and if so, how do you pick which should be the accent wall?)
Valarie from South Padre Island, TX

Posted by Valarie – July 12, 2008 5:17 PM

Hi Monica,
We have a family room that has a Santos Mahogany floor and a really cool pine 'Barrel' ceiling that is stained light cherry. I have no idea what color to paint the walls. One end of the room is pretty much all glass doors and windows so the room gets a lot of natural light.
Kim L.
North Carolina

Posted by Kim L. – July 12, 2008 6:10 PM

How do you know you are picking the right color paint for a room when you are going into a new home,the builder wants colors picked and you have not chosen fabric but know what color you would like to use. Do you choose paint or fabric first? How do you know what hue to use on the color fan?
My family loves HGTV
Thanks

Posted by joy – July 12, 2008 8:24 PM

We need help choosing color for our master bedroom. It's 18x20 and rather dark with only a patio door for light. We have a small toilet/bath bathroom. We'd like color and I know I like the light blue/chocolate/beige combo. Please help with a color palette/design.

Posted by Christine St Michel – July 12, 2008 10:01 PM

Hi Monica
My husband and I just had a beautiful mahogney door w/3/4 frosted glass installed. Our siding is light gray with deep brown burgendy shutters. My delima is what color should the door jam be. Help!!!!. Thanks Joyce

Posted by Joyce – July 12, 2008 10:19 PM

Hi Monica!
I am definitely not afraid of color, I have lived in my new home for 4 months and have already painted most of the walls! My problem is my large master bedroom. I want a restful color scheme and have been considering a dove gray accent wall with ivory walls for the rest. Where do I go from there as far as adding some accent colors for curtains, bedding, etc.? Thanks for considering my room!

Posted by Lisa C from Florida – July 12, 2008 11:32 PM

Hello Monica
I recently purchased a 2500 sq feet home in Charlotte, NC with an formal living and dining rooms. I have a dark grey sofa from my previous home. I would like to use it in the formal living room what color combinations would you suggest. I would like something classy and formal. Thank you Sheila from Charlotte.

Posted by sheila – July 13, 2008 12:15 AM

Hi Monica,
We are currently remodeling the kitchen of our home and installing hardwood floors through out the first floor. We have lived in our home for twenty years. One thing leading to another, we've decide to purchase new living and dining room furniture. My question is regarding a color pallet for our living and dinng room. They share a common cathedral height wall. That wall is painted a brick colored wall with colonial ivory adjoining walls. What colors would you suggest for a sofa and possibly two chairs?
Thank you,
Terry

Posted by Teresa M. Murphy – July 13, 2008 1:00 AM

Hi Monica,
We have a family room(painted white)that use to be an outside porch, so I have 2 large openings that use to have sliding glass doors. 1 to my dining room which is painted Robins egg blue and the other to the kitchen, painted french blue.The family room has burgandy leather furniture with a sage, burgandy and cream chair. Please help me blend these 3 rooms together.
Thank you,
Laura

Posted by Laura – July 13, 2008 8:32 AM

Hi Monica,

I live in a small townhouse. The dining room and living room are really one big room, with a slider off the living room to an outdoor patio and a hallway that leads to the front door at the other end of dining room.

Currently the flooring in the hallway leading up to the dining room is tiled and then the living room and dining room are carpeted in a burgandy carpet. I want to replace the flooring with a pergo floor in "butterscotch". I am trying to figure out what color would work on the walls. Currently the walls are a Benjamin Moore White Dove. I have swatches of ligt sage green (BM Crystalline, beige on the yellow side (BM Flawless) and more of an offwhite (BM Subtle). none of them are jumping. How do I pick a color that isn't just white/offwhite and blah, but also doens't make the space seem smaller?

The other challenge is that the "hallway" walls are connected and take you upstairs to a very small area that leads to the bedrooms and bathroom. The carpet follows that and I am currently not planning on changing the carpet in that area.

Any advice would be great.

Thanks
Lisa

Posted by Lisa – July 13, 2008 10:58 AM

HiMonica, My husband and I need your help. We have Tera Cotta tile in our kitchen,dining and down hallway. My cabinets and counter tops are cream. I want to use a warm yellow-gold color on the walls. The person at Lowes suggested a dark peach color. What would you suggest? Thank you Sue Anne

Posted by Sue Anne Browning – July 13, 2008 11:01 AM

Monica,
I am having trouble choosing a color for my bedroom. Right now it has 3 colors and friends call it the "Neopolitan Room". I would like something earthy, bright and relaxing. Thank you.
Debbie
Springfield, MO

Posted by Debbie – July 13, 2008 11:11 AM

hi, Monica

I have painted the master bedroom three times. Still have not found the right color for this room. I also have bought curtains and comforter sets to pull colors from. Help!

Posted by Lisa – July 13, 2008 1:03 PM

Hi Monica,
My living room is knotty pine with a vaulted ceiling. There are 2 skylights in the ceiling, a fireplace with cultured stone surround and 2 small windows. I would like an idea on a ceiling color if we keep the knotty pine. I'd prefer to paint over the pine but don't know if that is feasible. Any suggestions?

Posted by Maryanne – July 13, 2008 2:18 PM

I have just painted one of my extra bedrooms Toasted Coffee (from Lowes). It is an orangey color but I thought it would dry a warmer than what it actually did. Now, I'm stuck with a pretty bright orange room. I don't want to re-paint. Is there any way to warm up the tone a bit? I've heard about color washing a room but I'm not that savvy in regards to picking the right color. Obviously!

Posted by Sophia – July 13, 2008 3:42 PM

I've just gotten a new job after being unemployed for 9 months and now I have to move, which means move out of my rental condo, and need to freshen up the white walls QUICK - I do not have the time or the money to paint every wall (1400 sf), so am looking for a quck way to REFRESH the walls. I've already patched the holes and used the magic sponge everywhere possible. THANKS I will gladly take an answer off line.

Posted by Deb – July 13, 2008 4:06 PM

Hello, my husband and i are both having a tough time deciding on a color or scheme for our bedroom. It has 4 large windows in it. We both like the color yellow and i also like the brown with blue. We have nothing right now that we are attatched to. How can we pick a scheme/color palette? it is driving me nuts that our room seems so unfinished. Thankyou for any help you can give us. Becky

Posted by Becky – July 13, 2008 6:22 PM

All our woodwork is painted a bluish grey, and the walls are white. This includes a built in bookcase and a center hall staircase.The outside of the house is white and stone with a darker blue trim that works well with the interior woodwork. Now I am dying to get some color on the walls, but all the design samples I see are using white or off white woodwork. Repainting all the woodwork in the house is a huge job, but I am wondering if it is the only answer! Is there any way I can make this blue gray work with anything but white?
Thanks!
Melissa (New York)

Posted by Melissa – July 13, 2008 6:52 PM

Hi Monica,

In my new bedroom, all I have so far is a black and white comforter. I want to add some black and white art to the walls, but need an accent color for the window treatments, accent pillows, etc. It seems like red is the most common accent to black and white, but I'd like a more calming, serene color. Can you suggest a more mellow compliment to black and white that still adds great color to the room?

Angie from Marquette, MI

Posted by Angie Balbierz – July 13, 2008 7:31 PM

Hi Monica,
My family room carpet is a dark aqua color. My
walls are a light tan. My sofa is chocolate brown.
I would like to know what other colors I can use
in the room without getting a new carpet.
What kind of of rug can I put in from of the sofa?
Thanks Joyce

Posted by Joyce – July 13, 2008 7:48 PM

My problem is my bedroom, we have bought different colors and hate them after its painted. We have a light maple king poster bed and matching tables. The bed is located in between two flat pillers and I would like to paint the wall behind it and the inside of the tray ceiling the same color. The bathroom is connected and has to coordinate. There is only a sliding door for light. The carpet is light beige. We have a camel colored bedspread with green palm trees. Please help!

Posted by Linda from PA – July 13, 2008 7:53 PM

do you do personal consults...i live in l.a. and I have a Paul Williams house. The house is white with black trim. I would like to change the color without losing it's architectural Georgian integrity.

Posted by Marci Glousman – July 13, 2008 8:46 PM

I painted my living room Pooh Bear Yellow and have used camel-gold, red, hunter green and cobalt blue for accent colors. The carpet is still a neutral "tan". My problem comes in with my diningroom and kitchen. It's all open. I have carried the color scheme into my diningroom with the paint on the walls as well as curtains, tablecloth, vase w/flowers, etc. Now, I have a dark little kitchen which needs rescuing. How much color can I use in a space about 10' x 8" (including counters!). I am considering using a paint that is almost a honey tone to repaint the dark cupboards. The counters are almost white and the appliances are white and black - fridge and dishwasher are white, stove and microwave are black. The flooring is "red brick" vinyl which I hate but can't replace right now. I want to brighten up the space with the honey color, but I don't want to overwhelm the small room - it's small enough as it is! I already brought in red cannisters, towels and such. My window treatment is a natural branch (fairly thin) dripping with blue teardrops. I brings in both light and color without adding more fabric to the space and feeling heavy. Can you help me without coming to tea?
HELP! Judi

Posted by Judi – July 13, 2008 8:53 PM

Hi Monica,

In my laundryroom, I tore off wallpaper. Now I need to paint over wallboard. I made a stained glass window for the door leading to the garage. It is a pink iris with green (light in color)leaves and a dark pink waterglass for part of the background and the rest of the background is clear glass. I have a chair rail and under the chair rail is paneling that looks like tile which is gray and white. The floor is gray tile. I would like a color that would enhance the window. I'm am not good at picking out colors. Your help would be appreciated. Thank you.

Dory

Posted by Dory Alger – July 13, 2008 9:42 PM

Hello Monica,

My house was build in 1923. I have a natural fireplace in my living room made on brick, a light wood mantle and wet paster walls. the wall over the firepalce is painted purple and yhe surrounding walls are a lighter purple. what can I do with the brick? Paint or cover?

Help a sister out please!!!!
delores

Posted by delores goodson – July 13, 2008 10:35 PM

HELLO MONICA,

I HAVE A LARGE PICTURE WINDOW FLANKED BY TWO GRAY AND BLACK SLIPPER CHAIRS. MY CARPET IS GRAY ALSO. I WAS THINKING OF BUYING CHOCOLATE BROWN DRAPES. THE PICTURES ON THE WALLS ARE FRAMED IN CHERRY WOOD. WHAT COLOR SHOULD I PAINT THE WALLS? SHOULD I USE A DIFFERENT COLOR FOR THE DRAPES? i NEED HELP!

Posted by LENORA TUNSTALL – July 13, 2008 11:40 PM

Hi Monica,
We're having a hard time finding the right color for our front doors. Our contemporary house is barn red with dark brown trim/gutters/deck. We have 2 front doors; an above ground basement entrance that is used as the main entrance and a 2nd level door above it that you enter from the 2nd floor deck. Can you please help us pick a color?

Posted by Diane – July 14, 2008 10:33 AM

I have an old farmhouse kitchen with red painted kitchen cupboards, knotty pine walls and white/black appliances. I do not want to go with a wood floor because I think it will be too much with the wood walls. I thought maybe a tan color laminate flooring. We are also replacing the counters, back splash and sink. We are on a budget, so the only counter top that I can consider would be laminate. I thought possibly the look of soap stone or I don't know if I should go with a brighter look. There are only two windows, so it does have a tendancy to be dark in the kitchen. Any suggestions for the floor,sink,counter and back splash?

Posted by Betty – July 14, 2008 12:51 PM

Hi Monica,
We are having color issues in the master suite of our new home. The bedroom is a very light beige, almost off-white (as is every other room in the house). However, the master bath was painted a burnt orange color by the previous owners. The color is beautiful and we bought bedding to go with (the bedding has the orange along with chocolate brown, and some gold tones), but I am not so sure about repeating the color in the bedroom. I think it would be very overpowering and not the relaxing retreat we are going for. Any ideas?

Posted by Porsche – July 14, 2008 2:42 PM

Terrace from Richmond, VA

Monica, I have 15' x 12' office space. What's a good color for an office? I thinking of buying a small dark wood desk and media stand and painting the main wall a bold shade of lime green.

Posted by Terrace – July 14, 2008 8:03 PM

Monica,

I waited 27 years to build this house and boy have I had a hard time with color. We have been in here for 8 years now and I'm still not happy with the colors. My walls in the main living room are 17 feet tall and I have color on only one wall it is a soft sage green. My question is should I paint the other wall a darker color? And if so what color? Thanks for your time.

Posted by Theresa – July 14, 2008 8:16 PM

Our rectangular living room has a 52" LCD TV on a smoked glass stand, beige sofa and loveseat and a solid taupe area rug in the middle. On one end there are two taupe swivel club chairs and on the other end is our dining set - a smoked glass table for 6 with dark wood chairs that have beige microfiber seat cushions on a beige area rug with a black border. There are large sliding windows on two of the four sides, bringing in some afternoon sunlight. The 84" curtains are a lighter printed taupe design. Our style is a comfortable contemporary. We are looking to bring some warmth and a peaceful sense to the walls. We were thinking about a shade of taupe such as Benjamin Franklin's tapestry beige but wondering if we should go darker. For an accent wall next to the dining set (which is furthest from the entry door), we were thinking about a green such as vale mist or october mist. We have not bought accent items but are thinking about a deep red for pillows, an ottoman and a few decorative items. We have some photographs on the wall - all with a black frame. Are we on the right track? Please help us pick our colors. Thank you!

Posted by Jan – July 14, 2008 8:52 PM

Hi Monica
We just bought our home in Vero Beach Florida. I have so many ideas and can't seemed to put them all together. I love earth tones and want it to be relaxing, but with style. I would love our home to refect a beach Floridan home, don't know what to do. Help.. Love your ideas

Posted by Maribel Young – July 14, 2008 8:54 PM

Hola Monica,
My daughter (16) wants to paint her room gray, red and black with circles. She dosn't know how to combine this colors. She wants a red wall but I think is too strong, her room is 15'x10' with 1 window 50"x50". I been trying diferent wensites for design but I cant find anything.
Can you help her please.
Thanks

Posted by Nancy – July 14, 2008 9:08 PM

Hey Monica,

Just moved and am having a difficult time integrating all the earthtone/tuscan influence furniture from my one story Tuscon, AZ home into our 4 story urban Baltimore, MD townhouse. I still need neutral colors for resale appeal since we tend to change states every few years. - I would love a contemporary feel/aspect to our current home.

Desperate for Direction - Thanks

Sydnee

Posted by Sydnee – July 15, 2008 8:42 AM

Hi Monica,
we recently purchased home with all brick walls and stained wood ceiling/exposed beams. Our existing furniture rather matches it all, and the overall effect is rather dark. When choosing a palette, how much do we need to consider the color of the ceiling/brick?
Thanks so much, I love your design!
--Mary

Posted by Mary – July 15, 2008 11:11 AM

Hi monica, Iam having a really hard time finding the right color curtains for my living room.I do know I want sheer panels. My walls are painted a beige color but is almost more of a cream or buttercream color, all trim is white and my couches are a sage color, along with a green and beige area rug. The only thing that looks best to me is white sheers but Im really wanting a nice casual color to brighten it just a little. Any help would be very appreciated. Thank you

Posted by Ashley – July 15, 2008 12:32 PM

My house is a cream color with brown shutters, brown trim and a brown roof and my front door is the same color as the house. Could you suggest a paint color for the door and the shutters that isn't brown but would match the brown roof and brown trim. Thanks for your help.

Posted by Susan from Allentown, NJ – July 15, 2008 12:50 PM

Hey Monica,

I'm moving into a new apartment and I can't paint the overwhelming abundance of white walls. What is the best way to develop design and color into my new bland place??

Thanks for the help.
-Melissa :)

Posted by Melissa – July 15, 2008 1:51 PM

Monica,
Hello. I just purchased a new home and I'm not sure what color to put in my living room. My sofa/loveseat are a chocolate color and my end tables/coffee tables are a light color. The carpet is beige. What colors would look good for the walls? I would atleast have one wall a color and maybe the rest a neutral color. Any help with this will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks for your time!

Posted by Lula – July 15, 2008 2:38 PM

My new dining chairs just arrived and they are the color I chose but they are too green. I thought they were grey from the swatch. They are Parsons Chairs. Micro fiber; can they be dyed another color?
923089

Posted by Barbara Habibb – July 15, 2008 3:34 PM

I am redoing a spare room into my home office. The walls are painted Smokey Slate and Valley Mist (both Behr). I plan on using white wood furniture with deep walnut work spaces. What color fabric would work on my desk chair? I have the seat and back of the chair to cover. I'm looking to add some slash to the darker wall colors.

Posted by Julie – July 15, 2008 4:14 PM

Hi!
I would like to know how you have done to become a better designer.
Thank you
Answer me please

Posted by Godson – July 15, 2008 4:42 PM

Hi Monica:
We recently added on to our church sanctuary and now we are faced with a white rectangle! The space is approx. 60' X 28' all white walls & ceiling with blue pew cushions and blue industrial carpet. The wood furnature in the room is cherry. I have been ask to check on what we can do to make the space look more warm and inviting and less long. The windows are long and narrow along the out side walls. Please help.

Posted by Judy Parks – July 15, 2008 8:16 PM

Hi Monica,
I'm having a hard time deciding on a color for a small children's bathroom. Right now it is white. And by white I mean, white moldings, toilet, tub, countertops, doors, cabinets, and tile. It really could use some color but I'm afraid of closing in the space. There is a little gray (very little)in the white tile so that is the way I'm leaning. Any other suggestions would be great.
Thanks,
Wanda

Posted by Wanda – July 15, 2008 8:45 PM

Hi Monica (please help me :-),

I have 2 bathroom dilemmas! I don't have the money to rip them out and start again, so I figured I'd ask the expert.
Here's the first one: My hall bathroom has blue tile, blue toilet, blue tub and sink (including the cabinet the sink sits in). I'd like to decorate using the blue/brown combination that is so popular, but I'm not sure about the color I should use on the walls.

Here's the second:
My master bathroom is burgundy and pink (it's so 1950's!!) The walls have burgundy tile, the shower has pink tile, and the floor is a combination of them both. The sink and toilet are also pink. I have no idea at all what to do to make this bathroom look jazzy.

I'd like to consider myself a hip person, but these bathrooms are not a reflection of my style.

Please help me!
Orien
Abington, PA

Posted by Orien – July 15, 2008 8:45 PM

Hello there,
My husband and i just bought a new house and the colors are awful! Were excited to paint but are getting ourselves stuck with sooo many options. We have a chair rale and my husband suggests that we paint the top bottom and rail a different color but im not sure so many colors will look so good. Please help!

Posted by becky – July 16, 2008 12:41 AM

My living and dining room space is 16x38, floors are brazilian cherry hard wood. I am going for a Tuscan look. There are 4 windows, one on the east corner, and three on the long south wall. With this exposure and window placement, it's not very bright. We painted the walls in the Sherwin Williams, Blond (light gold.) I love it and hope that since it's the color of the sun it will be bright enough not to be too dark. Should I paint one wall in a contrasting color? I want to use my white (electric)fireplace and put a TV built-in above it on the far east wall, with built-in white book cases cabinets on each side, with the wall behind it the contrasting color. I will keep my square heavy cherrywood coffee table, a cherrywood sofa table, and maybe two high back chairs (will recover.) I have a large gold and green background vinyard picture that's matted in dark olive green in a gold frame, and a barrel wine rack. What colors would you suggest for the chairs and couch. I want to put two love seats facing each other in front of the fireplace with the square coffee table in between them. What do you think of these ideas, will I get the Tuscan look? What suggestions would you make?

Posted by Fran – July 16, 2008 1:33 AM

Monica,
I recently redecorated by living room. I painted the walls a medium brown. My sofa is about the same brown shade, and I have four chairs in a dark red and tan fabric, along with a brown leather recliner. The floors are hardwood with 2 area rugs. I'm happy with the room except it appears pretty dark if I don't have several lamps turned on. I don't really want to repaint. What else can I do to lighten or brighten the room up a bit?

Posted by Marsha – July 16, 2008 11:18 AM

Hi Monica. I have a dining room with windows on the south wall only. Since the room doesn't get much natural light and I am planning to repaint the room, I am trying to remember the rule of thumb for color choice. I am planning to paint it a light green but do I want a yellow base due to the lack of natural light or a blue base? I can't remember what I have heard. Thank you.

Posted by Cyndi – July 16, 2008 11:49 AM

Hi Monica! I have a kitchen dilemma! I recently purchased a home where the kitchen is a boring combination of off-white painted cabinets, bright white appliances, and 12x12 beige tiling on the floors, counter tops AND back splash. I cannot afford to completely overhaul the whole thing, so I'm wanting to paint the cabinets and walls, while leaving the beige tile work. What color combinations would you suggest to bring this "blah" kitchen to life?

Posted by Talia – July 16, 2008 2:37 PM

I need help deciding on what color curtains and accents I can bring into my living room. My walls are a cream beige with all white trim. my couches are sage and we have an area rug thats different shades of green and beige. Im not real big into bright colors I like subtle earth tones, I have tried green and beige curtains already and I just didn't like them. Right now I have white curtains up b/c I like them best but Iam dying for some color in there. Any help would be greatly appreciated..... thank you
Fairview hgts, il

Posted by ashley – July 16, 2008 3:37 PM

Our house is so open I don't know where to stop the color from one room to the next or what colors I should use - it is also open to the upstairs, so there's another area involved!! Help, please! Thank you!

Posted by Charlotte Christensen – July 16, 2008 4:12 PM

I wanted to paint my living room a bright color because I have always liked color and I have a lot of light with floor to ceiling windows. However, looking at the living room now which is open to the kitchen and entryway, there is no way to easily divide it and make the color blend with appliances, etc. So, I was thinking painting a grey color. Even this is confusing. Do I go light or dark? How do I not make it too drab with the furniture? Can dark wood work well with grey?

Posted by Ana – July 16, 2008 4:48 PM

Hello. I have a small second bedroom I'd like to decorate, but with very little funding. Currently, I have grey carpeting. I also took a quiz on the HGTV website which said that my personal style is rustic. What color should I paint my walls? While I was out looking at homes that were for sale or newly constructed homes, I saw one house that had three levels of grey in a darkening hue separated by two white lines. Would that be something that would work, or is it too much for a small room?

Posted by M. Terry – July 16, 2008 5:22 PM

Hi Monica,
I have a 4 poster bedroom suit in a rich Mahogany. I was wondering what color palette would look best with it. I like tradional, cottage and also tropical. Would like colors that would go either way. I hope this is not asking to much.

Posted by Gloria – July 16, 2008 6:24 PM

I need help choosing a color to go above a chair rail in my living room, which has a rust faux suede finish on the bottom. My problem is that the color I choose also has to go in my foyer, because of a vaulted ceiling that crosses over a catwalk into the foyer and also goes down the upstairs hallway, which connects to our back stairs into the kitchen, which is tan and brown. The current color is just an off-white and needs to be warmed up. I've been thinking of going with gold, but not sure if that would look good when it meets the tan and brown in the kitchen. Please help!! I'm tired of putting this off due to indecision (my husband even more so) and I know with your expertise we'd be able to get rid of the off-white that's been on the walls since we moved in 7 years ago.

Posted by Linda – July 16, 2008 7:22 PM

Hi Monica,

I just painted my den walls a gray/taupe color. My sofa for that room is a moss green with a tan nubby background and it sits in front of a rather large white french window. I have a rustic wooden entertainment center (medium wood color) which sits across from the couch. My carpet is silver/beige. What are some accessory colors that I can use to pull everything together?

Help!

Posted by Laura – July 16, 2008 8:18 PM

Help! We bought this house 3-1/2 years ago and the master bedroom has mauve walls, white trim, with an accent of burgundy on the tray ceiling angle. Carpet is an off-white. My husband does not wish to repaint!

I have been unable to find bedding and curtains to work in the room (we are living with the previous owner's set). How do I dress a tall cherry bed with low headboard, a set of triple (semi-narrow) windows that act like one large window an east wall, and a single normal size window on a south facing wall?

I would have NO problem finding something that would also eventually work should I finally convince him that I am "SO over mauve"! But I don't know how to begin!

Posted by Gail_D – July 16, 2008 8:21 PM

I painted my two year old daughter's room Aruba Pink (Ralph Lauren),a very brigth red-pink. I love the color but I am afraid that my love for the color may detract from the whimsy elegance that I want. Should I change the color or should I just add some white modling to break it uo? Am I being too bold?

Posted by Sandy Conway – July 16, 2008 8:46 PM

I am just now trying to decide on the exterior paint color of my 1957 ranch house. It is now a painted beige (yuk) redwood siding, with yellow brick halfway up the side. The new roof is going to be a driftwood color. The orginial color of the house was a bright green. I would like to bring the house back to a 50's look but the not sure about the bright green. What do you think? I have heard that a darker color on the bottom of the house gives it weight, but I'm working with the yellow brick. I also live in Morgantown, West Virginia which has big season changes and color changes, it is lush and green in the summer, beautiful fall colors, but cold and white snow in the winter. How can I pick the right color that will work with all the colors of the seasons with the color of the house? Hope you can help please, Sally

Posted by Sally Kremer – July 16, 2008 9:31 PM

Hi Monica, I need some guidance! I finally got bedroom furniture after 2 years yea! The wood tone is dark cherry and the hardware on the dressers is a brushed nickel. I did some design on a dime shopping and found a comforter set that has a grayish blue background and stripes that are all different warm shades of taupes and browns for a really great price! The walls right now are kind of a sandy beige and it just isn't working. I am not sure what type of color to even put on the wall. Help!

Posted by Jennifer – July 16, 2008 10:19 PM

Hi Monica,

I watch all the design shows and read, both on the web and mags/books about design. I've been considered by others to be very good at choosing color, but something happened this time that I don't understand! A little background first will help you get the picture. It's a 4000 sq.' house in Florida, and we tend to like brighter colors because of the sun here. We are planning to sell the house in 3-4 years, so when I looked for colors, I wanted something nice, but neutral. I picked the wall color from the tile, and chose a medium tan, with VERY light tan trim. The ceilings were chosen after seeing the HGTV dream home, where they had blue ceilings on the porches and other rooms. We fell in love with that, and decided to do it here. IT'S AWFUL!!! i saw it for the first time today, and the tan looks orange, and not a good orange, more like a bad spray tan on your skin. We think it has something to do with the light being bounced off the blue ceiling, and because the skylight box that goes to the roof is the same blue. It will be painted tomorrow back to white, but we'd love to keep the blue, it's wonderful! What can we do to rescue the tan? Please help me!!! I love color and blue/tan combos are one of my favorites, classic and casual, like this house. How can you forecast what light will do to colors before making this kind of mistake? I stuck my swatch under the 3 different light bulbs at the store, and made sure it didn't have any yellow in it, so I thought I was safe. Now I can't stand to look at it and my hubby says we don't have time to repaint before moving in. We have inspections coming up all this week and next, and all the finish work is happening. Can you help me please??
frustrated color 'expert'
Renae

Posted by Renae – July 17, 2008 1:04 AM

Hi Monica, We need advise! My daughter just purchased her first house in Maplewood NJ. It is a craftman colonial built in the 1920's.As you can imagine it needs plenty tender loving care. Our problem that we are dealing with now is that the previous owners painted all the beautiful wood work with dark brown semi gloss paint. It makes the interior seem so dark.Striping all the paint would look beautiful but our time is limited and she cant' afford to have it done professionally. What do you think about painting all the wood work white? Then the question is what shade, a bright white or a cream or linen white. The walls throught out the house are a traditional taupe. Please help us!!! Ginny

Posted by Ginny – July 17, 2008 5:35 AM

Hi Monica
I have a burgney leather sofa and 2 dark green chairs with just a hint of burgeny in them, I don;t want my front room to be darker than it is. Have a brick floor to sealing fire place and a patio door and a small double window. What color should I paint my front room? Have no idea.

Posted by Addie – July 17, 2008 7:05 AM

What wall color would go with an olive green couch and loveseat? I have a chair rail throughout the room and don't know if I should stick with a solid color (top and bottom) or go with two hues.

Posted by Jennifer – July 17, 2008 10:01 AM

Monic, help!!!
I have teal carpet in my home. I am desparate to find colors that will coordinate with it. I'm trying to do an accent wall in the bedroom behind the bed and in the living room and then a neutral color for the rest of the walls. The bedroom has two windows and a patio door that face south and west. The living room has two tall windows that face north, but the room is open to the dining room that also has two windows that face south. Please end my teal nightmare.

Posted by Julie – July 17, 2008 1:17 PM

Hi Monica,
We lived in our house for almost 11 years now & still have not come up with the perfect color palette for the house. Last fall,I finally had the entryway & family room painted a Sherwin Williams Belivable Buff & Camelback on upper walls in family room. I painted the future formal dining room a Ralph Lauren red & think I made a big mistake. I think it makes the room look too dark & small. The rest of the house is in desperate need of color but I can't seem to come up with the right choice of color or colors. Master bedroom,guest bedroom,& future office all have white walls because I can't decide on what is the right color &/or right shades. How do you decide or know what color to paint. I hate to go through all the trouble of painting only to have to repaint again. I would like colors that flow through the house & not look choppy or hard on the eyes. My hushand has been getting on me to paint the office for the last year now but I need help. We haven't purchase office furniture yet because I haven't decided on a color. I thought maybe a green but husband wants dark green I think it would be too dark & than thought of a beige color but think it may not be enough color. Any advice/help would be greatly appreciated. Betty, Cary, NC

Posted by Betty – July 17, 2008 1:27 PM

Hello Monica,

We would like to add color to our walls because they are all off-white and boring. We love seeing the different colors used on the HGTV shows but are having difficulty in selecting the right combination. We have some interesting architectural features in our house such and multible arches and extra high ceilings. Do you have any suggestions for picking the color combinations?Thank you for your attention.Regards,

Al from Eugene, OR

Posted by AL Larson – July 17, 2008 1:50 PM

Do you do any landscaping, backyard, or patio work?

Posted by Pam – July 17, 2008 3:27 PM

I am at a standstill in choosing a color for my kitchen. I've tried various yellows... My cabinets are sort of a pine not too dark not too light. Should i put a dark color on walls. My floors are read oak (sort of light almost matches cabinets). I was thinking something Tuscan like terra cotta or something. Please advise. Thank you.

Posted by Donna – July 17, 2008 3:59 PM

I rent a house, the carpet in my bedroom is a deep wine color; what color scheme goes with the deep wine so that I can get curtins and bed covers to complement the carpet?

Thanks,

Posted by PATTY – July 17, 2008 4:14 PM

Hi Monica,
My color delima is with the color Orange. I love this color but am having a difficult time coordinating my room around this color. My shams and coverlet are deep orange. My furniture is a orange-brown and so are the floors. With all this orange around me, what color other than green would be best for the walls?

Posted by Sharon – July 17, 2008 4:42 PM

We are redoing our very small Master Bath and my question is, will a dark floor with light walls make the room look smaller.There is no natural light in this room.

Posted by Kathi S – July 17, 2008 6:52 PM

Hi Monica,
I have a dark purple sofa that was a hand me down. A new sofa isn't going to be possible for awhile so I was wondering what colors I could use to accent the room that will lighten the purple.

Posted by Jenn – July 17, 2008 7:24 PM

Hi Monica,

I have an open floor plan with a great room, dining area, and kitchen that flows from one to the other. Varying ceiling heights and angles in the walls define each room. I recently painted the great room tan. The dining area is next to the great room, followed by the kitchen. Both rooms are boring bone white. What color do you recommend for the dining area and kitchen? The dining room furniture and kitchen cabinets are a warm maple. The floors are a mahogany red. Should I use the same tan color or choose a lighter/darker shade or ??? The two rooms do not have a lot of wall space but it still gives me a headache trying to decide.

Thanks,
Karrie

Posted by Karrie Q – July 17, 2008 9:09 PM

Hello. I have a very small bathroom. White tolet and sink and tub. I am redoing my floors and puting in wainscott on the half bottom of the wall that has a light wood tone. What color would be good for wall and floor. Thanks Wilma

Posted by Wilma – July 17, 2008 9:13 PM

Hi Monica, I have been searching for a color for my bedroom for 2 years now. It is currently a green with a blue hue and it is not soothing at all. I now have dark wood furniture and have used a chocolate brown coverlet, gold bedskirt. I recently painted my master bath a gold with orange tendancy. Can I do one wall with the strong gold and the others using 2-3 shades lighter or is this "out of style"? It is driving me crazy with this decision.

Posted by Sally – July 18, 2008 12:33 AM

I have painted my bathroom a bright pink, for the bottom half is white ceramic tile trimed in black. My bathroom is full of Marilyn Monroe pictures. I want to keep that old HollyWood feel. What colors will go good with the pink, and all my Marilyn pictures is B&W.
Thanks, Jaleesa

Posted by Jaleesa – July 18, 2008 10:36 AM

My sister and I are wanting to suprise her "husband" by redecorating their bedroom with his fave. football team colors(The Chicago Bears). He can't seem to let go of making everything in the house brown. So this leaves us with dark blue, orange and brown. My sister has to live with this as well. Is there anyway to incorporate these three colors in a modern yet eligant way that both my sister and her man can live with and love?

Posted by Gabrielle – July 18, 2008 10:56 AM

Hi Monica,

I have choosen a nice green color for my living area and wanted to do a pumpkin, spice sort of color for the dining area but I am having trouble finding the right color and concerned that when I do it will not flow with the green. Do you have any suggestions?

Posted by Thalia – July 18, 2008 11:22 AM

Hi Monica,
I have a living room with Arizona White walls, beige colored carpet, white trim, four 6 foot windows with oval shaped tops covering one entire wall, a 2 story sloped ceiling, and sky lights. I would like to create a warm inviting space with color that would compliment an old world or tuscan style. Please suggest a color pallate for this very bright but boring room.

Posted by Colleen – July 18, 2008 11:43 AM

Hi Monica,

My color delima is with my kitchen. My cabinets are sort of blond, maple. Bland I would call them & the walls are a soft yellow. Problem is the trim around windows (over the sink & a bay window) is stained medium oak). The floors are a dark gray slate and appliances cream color. For the life of me, I cannot come up with a color to paint this room. I love greens, browns, and earth tones. I just do not want the room to look dark. Please can you help me with some ideas. If I could I would sent you a picture. It's so depressing.
Tammie

Posted by Tammie – July 18, 2008 11:43 AM

Hi! My color dilemma has been going on forever! We have a house that we built 14 years ago. The kitchen, dinette, great room and dining room are all very open. Our wood throughout is oak. Right now our kitchen is yellow, while the dinette and great room are a dark clay color. My dilemma is two-fold; 1) I love the look of white wood but I don't know if it is practical to paint our oak wood white. And if not, does it look bad to mix white or cream colored furniture in a home that has oak wood? I am also leaning toward painting the entire space a mellow sage green because I would like to have accents in a light yellow and raspberry. My style is pretty much rustic, country and shabby-chic. Any help would be appreciated:)

Posted by Linda – July 18, 2008 12:38 PM

Hi Monica,

We remolded are kitchen on a very small budget so we kept are fairly new white appliance. We did get new maple cabinets, natural wood floor with granite countertops (yellow river) tan with black fleck. You see where I’m gong with this; we now see a sea of tan. To be fair we our drawn to earth tone colors, but the kitchen was our one chance to make a so so room great. The kitchen opens to our dining with a new maple table with a glass top. We are not afraid of color just unsure how to spice up a monochromatic scheme by using different textures, patterns and fabrics as accents, with a comfortable dining area. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Stuck in a color vortex
Danielle
Sacramento CA

Posted by Danielle – July 18, 2008 1:16 PM

My upstairs bathroom has blue toilet, tub, sink and baby blue ceramic tile on the counter. The cabinetry is ash stained dark walnut. The floor is a solid vinyl brown square tile design. What do you suggest for wall color and accents? Thanks.

Posted by Patsy from Lake Charles, La. – July 18, 2008 3:17 PM

Hi Monica, I'm very excited about my new loft with huge windows and 14 foot ceilings. However, the apartment has gray carpeting throughout. I usually prefer warm tones of browns and oranges but with the cool gray carpet, what are some of my sofa and accent color options?

Posted by Jen – July 18, 2008 9:49 PM

I have vintage deep turquoise leather office chairs and a huge old mahogany country table that I love in my dining room. I also have a broken pedestal corner curio, royal blue carpet, a rustic metal wine rack, and an oriental screen to divide the room from the living room. I love these pieces but the room doesn't work because I have my computer desk in there, and a boring light. It is 12 X 12, and the walls are yellow, the and so are the curtains, the ceiling is white. Thinking of painting it white because I love the contrast of white/turquoise and white/royal. How can I fix this room?

Posted by Terrie Collins – July 18, 2008 11:16 PM

Monica,

We are having trouble picking a wall color for our den. The room is dominated by a mauve sectional, and the carpet is white, forrest green, pick, and baby blue. The room also has a great source for natural light. What color do you suggest for the walls?

Posted by Chris – July 19, 2008 12:05 AM

i have dark mahogony furniture in my bedroom, i was wanting to now what color paint would go good with it. i don't care for bright or colors that are to dark. i'd like for the room to feel refresing. any suggestions would be great

Posted by tiffany – July 19, 2008 1:08 AM

Hi Monica,
I am building a new home. The brick color is predominately red. I have white windows installed. I would like to have a black front door. My question is this: Can I have a white garage door? The garage is in the front of the house. I have been told that I need to make the garage door a similar color of the red in my brick.
What do you think?

Posted by GIANNA – July 19, 2008 10:29 AM

Aloha Monica!
We just moved into our house in Hawaii. The main level is the kitchen, dining room & living room in an open design and painted shades of mustard yellow, pale pea green & barely cream...love the design, but not the colors. The yellow causes our contemporary light-wood dining room set to blend in blah & our new sectional sofa is black with white fabric. I want a color palette in shades of blues which will show off the furniture without being too bold, as my husband is a fan of neutral walls & I of color...but we agree we both like blue! Where do I start?

Posted by Sheryl – July 19, 2008 2:04 PM

Hi Monica!

My bedspread is black and tan and i'm trying to pick an accent color(s) to go with that. I was thinking red and chocolate brown. Do you think that would work?

Posted by kristen – July 19, 2008 4:16 PM

Hi Monica,
I just painted my living room with a faux finish in a caramel color, I have plum colored couches and the theme in the room is wine/ tuscan...i need an area rug and I am having a hard time trying to decide what color or even style,,, can you help me???

thank you
maria, new jersey

Posted by maria – July 19, 2008 4:19 PM

I need help on deciding a color for my front porch furniture. I have a front porch (40' long) than goes across the front of my house. I recently repainted the house with Sherwin Williams paint. The front siding is Bunglehouse Gray, the shutters are Roy Croft Bronze Green and the front door is Sundried Tomato and all trim is white. I have swings (one on each end of the porch) and adirondack chairs. Can you please help me to decide a color for the furniture. The swings are white now and I would really like to change the color, but not sure to use one of the existing colors or something different to add to the mix. Thank you for any help you can give.

Posted by Sheree Kinghorn – July 19, 2008 4:40 PM

Hi! I am having trouble picking a color for my living room walls that will coordinate all of the elements in it. There is a large fireplace with pink-beige sandstone. The carpet is sage green and the upholstered furniture is a loud blue, green plaid, plus one chair in a yellowish tapestry. The dining table, chairs, etc are old fashioned mahogany from the 30s. I chose a beige with pink overtones because of the fireplace, but it doesn't look right with the other stuff. Suggestions please. Thanks.

Posted by Judy Smith – July 19, 2008 6:25 PM

we have a new addition/great room...the hearth (terra cotta octogonal tile) opens to it as does the kitchen (cherry hardwood floors/cabinets) what color/floors can we use to flow into the new space and have a tuscan feel?
thanks!
terri hershey, pa

Posted by Terri – July 19, 2008 7:14 PM

Hello Monic