# Painter's advise wanted/needed.



## E-A-G-L-E-S (Sep 15, 2007)

I have decided to finally repaint my living room/media room.(PJ and tv)
It is off white and even though I get a TON of sunlight(if wanted) it makes me so depressed and it kills my PJ.

So, I'm lloking for advice on painting.
It is a 14.5' x 14' room, that extends into a kitchen that is 14' x 11'.
The far left wall extends from the front of the house to the rear.(from front of living room to rear of kitchen.
The opposite right wall ends short of the 14' length, which then is a hallway.
The ceiling is vaultd and goes from 9'h at the front to ~14'h at peak and then back to 9' at back of house and kitchen.

I was thinking of a chocolatre brown or something along those lines on at least the long left wall that runs the full house as an accent wall(*this is the wall my PJ screen is on)
Tryting to paint all four walls though, maybe a light pale blue shade on the ther walls?
*I definitely do not want four dark walls.
The ceiling above that screen wall goes like this \, but at a less severe angle.

Thanks for any and all help!


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## salvasol (Oct 31, 2006)

What other colors you have??? ... or is everything painted off-white???


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## E-A-G-L-E-S (Sep 15, 2007)

Every wall is off-white.


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## salvasol (Oct 31, 2006)

E-A-G-L-E-S said:


> Every wall is off-white.


That's good ... I thought that you might have some darker colors which will limit your options :yes:

I think you'll be okay with any dark color (browns, blues, greens, grays ...) it will be opt to you.

Did you use the color pallette from Lowes, Home Depot, Behr, etc. that they offer online where you can see how your room will look like??? ... I think is a good place to start to get ideas ...:yes:


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## E-A-G-L-E-S (Sep 15, 2007)

Yup, it's more that I'm looking for how to paint properly...as in which walls should get which color.
Also what secondary color works as I don't want all four walls dark.

So which is dark and which are light with regards to the PJ set-up.


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## salvasol (Oct 31, 2006)

E-A-G-L-E-S said:


> Yup
> 
> So which is dark and which are light with regards to the PJ set-up.


I don't use a PJ ... but I assume that the front wall/ceiling need the dark color (to avoid the light reflections), and the side walls can be two shades lighter ...:huh:

Let's see what other say ...:hide:


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## E-A-G-L-E-S (Sep 15, 2007)

Well, my ceiling is vaulted so it helps with reflections and also the peak is too high for me to want to paint the ceiling.
But you are right about the screen wall wanting to be the dark wall I'm guessing....but perhaps the rear wall is more important.
I have a 3" velvet border to the screen.


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## Anthony (Oct 5, 2006)

My theater gets some nasty afternoon sunlight that burns through the vertical blinds (cloth). To deal with this I did two things:

One, I used a high gain screen, which really did help a lot, but can still wash out.

Two, I painted the lower half of the room and the wall the screen was on a dark hunter green. The trick was that we used "Sandwash". The walls ended up having the texture of 100 grit sandpaper and no sheen. This really cut down on reflections, glare, and the overall brightness of the room.

Sandwash ain't cheap, though. At $50 a can and needing at least 3 coats to go on right, it overshot our budget, but the final effect was worth it.

Good luck.


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## Space (Jul 18, 2007)

While I won't pretend to know much about the effects of what paint does to a big screen, if knocking down sunlight reflections is the concern, you may also consider an eggshell or even a matte latex. 

Certainly you want to avoid gloss and or oils


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## E-A-G-L-E-S (Sep 15, 2007)

Well, I have started. 
Birdsnest Brown on the screen wall.(darkish brown)
A two shade lighter tan for the side walls.
Accent wall is still under consideration.......either:
A. Light blue or teal
B. Same tan as side walls.

What do you guys think?(black leather recliners and couch)


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## salvasol (Oct 31, 2006)

E-A-G-L-E-S said:


> Accent wall is still under consideration.......either:
> A. Light blue or teal
> B. Same tan as side walls.
> 
> What do you guys think?(black leather recliners and couch)


My option will be "B" ...:bigsmile:
(I'm old fashioned and don't like different colors in the same room)


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## akakillroy (Jul 9, 2008)

Darker colors seem to work best for HT rooms. However with that said if you went to dark it would off balance the rest of the house as you have adjoining rooms. What I have learned is that dark earth tones are good. A dark red or burgundy would go well in that area. Be sure to use FLAT paints and if you can even go with a textured paint that would not reflect light would even be better. (The stuff I am talking about is like a sand they add to the paint).

If you can't see yourself going with a real dark color, then try earthy tones like a darker tan or rust color. Finding colors that do not reflect light work the best, its not the fact they are flat or semi-flat color can reflect light as can the matte finish just because of the color.

I went with a very dark burgundy and black floor and ceiling, but my room is dedicated to HT. If I had to do it in the living room I probably would go with a darker tan or a dark red. Neutral colors go with just about anything.


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## akakillroy (Jul 9, 2008)

E-A-G-L-E-S said:


> Well, I have started.
> Birdsnest Brown on the screen wall.(darkish brown)
> A two shade lighter tan for the side walls.
> Accent wall is still under consideration.......either:
> ...


Good choice, now I wish I had read that before I posted the other message :thud:

Maybe a different shade of tan for the accents to add some depth. No Blue or teal they don;t go well together IMO.

Black and browns go together, black goes with just about anything. Be safe go black.


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## E-A-G-L-E-S (Sep 15, 2007)

Black wall is a definite no go, I don't want it.
The adjoining kitchen is being painted as well, accordingly to its' wall faces.

In home decor the most popular combo for a few years now is brown and light blue or light green/teal.....I'm suprised to hear both of you say you wouldn't go that route.
Isn't the accent wall supposed to be a brighter wall?


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## salvasol (Oct 31, 2006)

E-A-G-L-E-S said:


> The adjoining kitchen is being painted as well, accordingly to its' wall faces....


What color are you using???



> In home decor the most popular combo for a few years now is brown and light blue or light green/teal.....I'm suprised to hear both of you say you wouldn't go that route.


Like I said before I'm old fashioned ...:bigsmile: ... I painted mine (a couple of years ago) halls, living, family, dinning and kitchen got the same colors because they're connected to each other. 

Remember that you have the last word ...if you like that combination, go ahead, everybody has different tastes ...is your house and you'll decorate according your taste :yes: ...:T...:surrender:


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## E-A-G-L-E-S (Sep 15, 2007)

Well, the far wall is the birdsnest darker brown....the rest of it will be the tan.
Ahh, buut my quandry is color schemes...whether it be clothing or paint. Just npo taste for what's good. 

That is why I enlisted the help of my hot neighbor(who's engaged), she picked out the brown and tan and reccomended the teal.(I just see light blue as a popular choice on the net)


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## salvasol (Oct 31, 2006)

E-A-G-L-E-S said:


> That is why I enlisted the help of my hot neighbor(who's engaged), ...


Be careful there ...:bigsmile:

Please don't forget to post pictures when you finish painting ...I would like to see how everything came up :yes: . :T


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## E-A-G-L-E-S (Sep 15, 2007)

It's been a tightrope walk for two years now....but I behave myself. 

I'm going to try to get pictures of it right now with just the one wall painted(screen wall)...which could help others help me.
She has a camera I could get a few pics with to upload.


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## MatrixDweller (Jul 24, 2007)

You could do the screen wall in chocolate brown and then the other walls in a contrasting lighter brown (beige). At the paint store they should have color samples on paper that group dark and light together (on those pieces of paper they have). 

Ralph Lauren has some neat textured paint that can help knock down reflections. If you like blue, their suede or denim paint techniques are pretty cool.

What color is your flooring, trim and furniture?


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## E-A-G-L-E-S (Sep 15, 2007)

Already painted the screen wall brown....and already have a two shade lighter tan for side walls....just don't know what to do with accent wall.

Couch and recliner are black.
Flooring is a extremely light tan.
Trim is off-white.(at least for now)


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## MatrixDweller (Jul 24, 2007)

I'd either do it in the dark or continue the light brown on to it. You could also do two-tone (dark bottom, light top) with a chair rail splitting it down the middle. Of course if you have book cases or other tall furniture on that wall then it doesn't really matter. I'll respond better when I see the pics you promised.


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## E-A-G-L-E-S (Sep 15, 2007)

Lol, trying to get that accomplished.


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## E-A-G-L-E-S (Sep 15, 2007)




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## E-A-G-L-E-S (Sep 15, 2007)

The spots on the brown wall are from the overhead lights...it is two coated and finished.
The spots on the white accent wall are unsanded spackle spots.
The spots on the tan wall are fresh dabs to a dried first coat.


So where do I go from here??


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## salvasol (Oct 31, 2006)

Are you painting the ceiling too??? ... it will look odd if you paint the back wall and kitchen the same color as the sides and keep the ceiling white ....onder: unless you leave your kitchen white too.


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## E-A-G-L-E-S (Sep 15, 2007)

I started painting but my original plan was put on hold because I'm not sure it would look good.
I was going to paint the back kitchen wall the same tan, along with the column...then a pale blue or a pale or dark teal on the accent wall.
But I'm open to your suggestions.
Also, the door, window area(inside/moldings) and ceiling and floor moldings I don't know what to do with.


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## E-A-G-L-E-S (Sep 15, 2007)

Anyone know of any sites that could help if I posted with pictures?
I posted on about.com and yahoo, but figured I'd ask if there were better places?


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## MatrixDweller (Jul 24, 2007)

If you paint the ceiling anything other than white you'll get a lot of funny looks and would have very low WAF I suspect. Best thing for ceilings, that's not hard to do is use the white orange peel textured ceiling wall paper (or an orange peel stucco but that takes a pro). 

I would paint the kitchen walls though. The contrast between the ceiling and the walls will make the ceiling look higher. I would just continue on with the lighter brown all the way around. Make sure to use an eggshell or satin paint. Too much sheen in the paint brings out all of the imperfections in the wall. You should also take off the HVAC return grill and spray paint it white to match your trim. 

Give the walls a good wash before you paint too. Are those grease stains on the one wall? TSP (trisodium phosphate) is pretty good for getting all kinds of stuff off a wall. That will help the paint stick better and stop grease or other stuff from coming through the paint.

Getting picky you could change out your switch/outlet plates for white to match your trim also. If you're comfortable with electrical, change the actual switches and outlets with white spec grade outlets (much firmer connection) and decora switches. That will modernize it a bit. 

Changing the baffle trim on your pot lights and using halogen bulbs will also make a nice improvement. The temperature of light given off by halogen bulbs is so much nicer than incandescent.

As for websites...how about http://forum.doityourself.com/


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## Space (Jul 18, 2007)

Color is a very personal part of your living area. It is in all you do from your vehicle to your choice of professional sports team  A current trend, feng shui( http://fengshui.about.com/ ) could actually help. But it could just as easily gray the otherwise bright edges of your selections. But it could help 

For me, I have several ways that I choose colors. Looking at the homes of friends or family is always a good inspiration. Nothing helps me to make a decision more then saying the colors out loud to my wife. Then she sets me straight about how wrong I can be


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## E-A-G-L-E-S (Sep 15, 2007)

MatrixDweller said:


> If you paint the ceiling anything other than white you'll get a lot of funny looks and would have very low WAF I suspect. Best thing for ceilings, that's not hard to do is use the white orange peel textured ceiling wall paper (or an orange peel stucco but that takes a pro).
> 
> I would paint the kitchen walls though. The contrast between the ceiling and the walls will make the ceiling look higher. I would just continue on with the lighter brown all the way around. Make sure to use an eggshell or satin paint. Too much sheen in the paint brings out all of the imperfections in the wall. You should also take off the HVAC return grill and spray paint it white to match your trim.
> 
> ...



I used flat paint so far and most likely will continue with that.
No, check the "spots" sentences in my original post....no grease or dirt.
Believe it or not that white with the cream grills and wall plates was how it came originally.

So you don't think I can/should do the accent wall in a thrid color?

I will paint the plates and the intake vent the same as the floor moldings.
Two of the overheads are incandescent and three are compact flourescent, I can paint the cans the same as the plates and etc if that is what I should do.

What do I do with:
front door
kitchen cabinets
window trim and molding

Thanks so much,
Matt


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## E-A-G-L-E-S (Sep 15, 2007)

Space said:


> Color is a very personal part of your living area. It is in all you do from your vehicle to your choice of professional sports team  A current trend, feng shui( http://fengshui.about.com/ ) could actually help. But it could just as easily gray the otherwise bright edges of your selections. But it could help
> 
> For me, I have several ways that I choose colors. Looking at the homes of friends or family is always a good inspiration. Nothing helps me to make a decision more then saying the colors out loud to my wife. Then she sets me straight about how wrong I can be


It's funny you say that, as this scheme(the original plan) was one I saw just recently at a friend of a friends home and I loved it, but my space is much more difficult and less straight forward.


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## MatrixDweller (Jul 24, 2007)

You can't really paint outlets and switches. Cover plates are really cheap (like under 25¢). You can't paint the baffles, but the trims should be ok to paint (with high heat paint). The housing would get warm and paint could pose a fire hazard. It would probably be more effective to replace them all together. A baffle and trim could cost any where from $4 to $40 depending on how fancy you want them ($7 to $15 average for something decent). The cans stay in place, it's just a plastic or metal insert and trim ring that get replaced. 

The lights that are in there are probably just a hodge podge mix maybe to save energy yet have some lights that go fully on quickly (CFLs take a while to reach full brightness). They would all have the same standard E26 Edison base (aka type A). Replace them all with the same type of PAR halogen bulb and you should have more even light distribution. You can adjust the depth of the bulb inside the housing also so that it doesn't extend too far below the lip of the trim.

Spray paint the HVAC grill white.

If you don't like your kitchen cabinets but don't want to replace them all, you can reface them. Basically it's just new doors and drawer fronts. If you are handy you could reface them yourself using veneer.


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## E-A-G-L-E-S (Sep 15, 2007)

I put the 3 CF's in, just haven't gotten around to changing out the other two as they aren't exactly easy to reach.(I'm 5'8")
These actually do not recess back up into the holding, they can only be swiveled.

If I do the intake "white" then I need to paint the molding and outlet covers the same correct?
What of the door and ceiling?(color-wise)

I don't dislike them and if possible I'd like to avoid doing anything to them., is that o.k.?
(kitchen cabinets)

Thanks for your help,
Matt


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## MatrixDweller (Jul 24, 2007)

If you take the baffle and trim off there are probably wing nuts up in the housing that, when loosened, allow the socket plate to raise or lower. Inside the housing it should also say what the maximum bulb wattage should be for different types of bulbs.

I should add that the benefit of using a PAR type bulb will be that the light will be focused downward so you will have less illumination of the ceiling. Regular bulbs shine light all around them where as PAR or BR shine it in a beam with less light wasted going in directions that do not need light. Regular A type bulbs should only be used with reflector baffles.

Looking at the spacing and height of your lights you'd probably want a beam spread of 25 to 40 degrees. You could use a BR type bulb also, but they don't provide as nice light IMO and are subject to humming if dimmed. A nicer BR light is the daylight type. They have a purple tinge on the glass which filters out some of the unwanted light spectrum. I find that they make everything in the room look nicer.

I would leave the door and window trim and baseboards white because the vinyl window is white and you can't really paint that. Are the baseboards and mouldings around not white? It's hard to tell in your pictures. 

I can see that your wall plates are that yellowy beige colour. Don't paint receptacles and switch plates. You can buy plates for under 25 cents each and won't have to worry about the paint peeling off them. The wall plates and vents in your room should match the trim colour for best effect. You might be able to find a white replacement cover for your door bell. You could spray paint it as it won't be subject to wear. Most paints will peel off plastic. There are special paints however meant for bonding to plastic. 

If your door trim is white and the door is off white you should paint the door white. You could use some TSP on the trim also to clean it up and repaint it to give it a fresh look. IMO if you were selling your house these would be things that you would do to get your asking price. Therefore doing those things any other time will just make your home look more polished and cared for.


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## E-A-G-L-E-S (Sep 15, 2007)

I will do all the extras plus the door in a new coat of white. They are all white or off white now.
I got the back wall in the kitchen wit hthe small slifing window painted in the tan today and the column's kitchen side wall. Also got the second coat done on the other side wall with the bigger window and front door.

So the ceiling needs to be done what with as well as the last long/accent wall?

Thanks so much!


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## salvasol (Oct 31, 2006)

E-A-G-L-E-S said:


> I got the back wall in the kitchen wit hthe small slifing window painted in the tan today and the column's kitchen side wall. Also got the second coat done on the other side wall with the bigger window and front door. So the ceiling needs to be done what with as well as the last long/accent wall?
> Thanks so much!


:T

Don't forget ...pictures :whistling:


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## MatrixDweller (Jul 24, 2007)

Your wife...if you have one...will be so pleased. If you don't have one then consider your bachelor pad a chick magnet now.

If you are looking for a blind to fit your arched window here's a cool one. 
http://www.yourblinds.com/products/arches/yb/ybar0601.asp
You can also get venetian blinds that fan out.


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## E-A-G-L-E-S (Sep 15, 2007)

Thanks for the link...I looked several times in the past with no luck in person to find something suitable for that arch window.

So you think the tan on the accent wall and just fresh white on the ceiling, moldings and door?(no third color on accent wall nor ceiling??)


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