Go ahead and use gray on those walls
Use bright colors for accents
By MARC ATIYOLIL Special to the NEWS
Color can bring forth emotion and passion and turn a dull space into a wonderful cheerful room with the use of certain hues.
Dear Marc:
My husband has horrible
taste in design. I have been
begging him to upgrade our
colors and furnishings in
our living room for years
and he has finally agreed
to the renovation, which is
great but he is insisting that
we paint our entire living
room in dark almost black
gray, which I think will look
too dark and depressing.
Help! Helen
Dear Helen:
Congratulations on your recent venture into the world of design. I tend to look forward to color selection in all my projects. I love how color can bring forth emotion and passion and turn a dull space into a wonderful cheerful room with the use of certain hues. Gray has been seen for years as a “faux pas” when trying to create a warm and inviting space but in 2010 that is no longer the case.
To create a designer space, you can use your husband’s color selection in your living room but I would suggest going for a more middle range shade of gray such as Gray Shower (2125- 30) by Benjamin Moore. This particular shade of gray is dark enough to please your husband’s taste but will not overpower the room’s design. I would also suggest choosing your favorite color out of the following hues, bright red, deep violet, lime green or bright orange and using your selection as the room’s accent color. The accent color can be applied to pillows, a throw, window coverings, or in an area rug. Be sure to also consider upgrading your lighting since darker colors, such as gray, tend to absorb light, which is why gray has gotten a bad reputation for being “dark and depressive.” As for the room’s atmosphere, the use of a larger light fixture exuding more light will uplift the overall mood of the space by offering more light in proportion to the color’s light absorption. With this recipe for success, I foresee you and your husband enjoying your living room’s design for years to come.
Marc Atiyolil, home trend
expert, is the editor-in-chief
of Home Trends Magazine.
