[ad_1]
Right this moment, we’re going to sort out a reader query from Ellen, who’s having bother deciding easy methods to deal with her den/household room that has a extremely darkish brown brick fire and wooden paneled partitions. Right here’s her adorning downside in her personal phrases…
Ellen’s Query:
My downside is my den/household room. We purchased this Sixties ranch nearly a 12 months in the past, and the room has partly of a mid century really feel, but all of my furnishings within the room is conventional. As you may see, the partitions are utterly paneled, apart from the massive darkish brick fire. There may be numerous good mild from the entrance home windows, however the fire simply dominates the room. I’m attempting to resolve easy methods to deal with the partitions and hearth. Paint each? Paint one? Cowl the brick with drywall? Assist! There are too many choices! The room is sort of giant and we spend nearly all of our time in right here within the night, so I might like to get it finished and never must redo! Thanks a lot in your assist!
The Present Den/Household Room:
Let’s check out the household room that Ellen is working with. First, right here’s a closeup of the 2 finishes in query — the wooden paneled partitions and the darkish brown brick fire.
And right here’s a wider angle view of the entire fire. It’s positively giant and at the moment seems to be very dominating on that wall and within the room.
And a fair wider view of the realm, together with that wall of home windows with all of that pure mild pouring into the room.
And right here’s a fast have a look at how the remainder of the room is organized…
My Suggestion:
Individuals who have identified me the longest are most likely going to fall out of their chairs after they learn my response, however I really love your paneling. I’ve seen numerous Sixties paneling in my life, and I dislike most of it just because through the years, most of it has modified in colour and is SOOOOOOO unbelievably orange. And whereas yours positively has an orange tone to it, I don’t discover it offensive in any respect. I believe the wooden provides lovely heat to the room.
Now the partitions could look completely different in individual, and so they could look method too over-the-top orange in your style whenever you’re viewing it in individual. If that’s the case, and if this room had been mine, I believe I’d nonetheless attempt to hold the wooden, and perhaps tone down the orange (if it’s an excessive amount of in your style) by utilizing some wiping stain in a extra impartial brown excessive. Simply be sure it’s not too darkish (you don’t need to flip it right into a cave), and be sure to’re not attempting to make use of a penetrating stain on these partitions. A wiping stain is thinner than a gel stain, however thicker than a penetrating stain, and I discover it the simplest to manage.
All that to say, if this had been my room, I’d hold the wooden partitions and work with them. One factor I don’t like about how paneling was finished within the 60s and 70s is the entire small (and stained) trim that was used with it. So to be able to modernize the look a bit, I might add new trim or paint the prevailing — a bigger crown molding painted in a heat white, heat white door casings, heat white baseboards, and many others. However that’s a private choice for me (I like substantial trims and casings, and I like them in a heat white), so that won’t suit your style in any respect.
So the place I’d put the majority of your funds and energy is the fireside. I don’t assume that you must drywall over it, until you’re going for a extra trendy really feel. However I’m guessing you’re not wanting a contemporary really feel because you talked about that all your furnishings is extra conventional. And I don’t assume that you must do any main renovation, like tear out what you’ve and begin over. I believe you may work with what you’ve, with some modifications.
If this had been mine, I’d put cash into buying stone (one thing mild like limestone) only for the fireside, after which I’d paint the brick in a coordinating (nearly matching) colour to the stone fireside. The aim of bringing in a light-weight limestone coronary heart is simply so as to add extra pure parts to enhance the nice and cozy wooden partitions.
That is clearly an out of doors fire, however it offers you an thought of what I’m speaking about once I say that I might cowl the fireside with a light-colored stone like limestone. I’m simply speaking concerning the horizontal airplane of the fireside (the half you’ll sit on), and depart the remainder of the brick exhibiting.
And as soon as the sunshine, pure stone fireside has been chosen, I’d counsel portray the brick to intently coordinate and even to match as intently as doable. To maintain the brick wanting pure, and never prefer it’s been painted with semi-gloss latex paint, I’d counsel a breathable mineral/limestone paint that’s made particularly for portray brick. That gives you probably the most pure look doable with out leading to an apparent “painted brick” look.
I might hold the stone/painted brick colour a heat, pure, however mild colour. Remember that the nearer to stark white you get, not solely will it defeat the aim of attempting to make the fireside much less of a dominating characteristic within the room, however it can additionally look far more trendy than what you appear to gravitate in the direction of. Right here’s an instance of the stark white with the stained wooden partitions.
You possibly can see that the stark white fire is a positively consideration grabber, and mixed with the stained wooden partitions, it has a definitively trendy look to it. So in the event you resolve to color, simply hold that in thoughts. A colour that’s mild and pure, however with some heat to it, could be very best, in my view.
In order that’s what I might do with the “backdrops” of the room. As soon as these are in place, there are another adorning solutions that I’d make to carry the entire room collectively. For instance…
If you happen to do hold the wooden partitions, this bookcase is a chance to herald colour to maintain with the nature-inspired backdrop parts of the wooden partitions and the pure “limestone” fire.
In its present colour, I don’t assume the wooden colour of the bookcase complementing the wooden colour of the wall because it ought to or may. I believe portray that bookcase is a good alternative to herald a colour that might complement the wooden partitions. I don’t know what nature-inspired colours you want, however my thoughts goes instantly to inexperienced. I believe one thing much like this grayish inexperienced would look so fairly sitting towards a heat wooden wall.
Or in the event you like a bit extra colour, and a more true inexperienced, that is one other inexperienced that might look nice towards a heat wooden wall…
When you’ve introduced colour into the room on an merchandise like that, then you may scatter that colour, plus one other complementary colour, by the room with some pillows, throws, and many others. in your couch.
You can additionally take the chance to carry that colour (these colours) into the room with both one giant piece of art work over the couch, or including a gallery wall comprised of 9 or twelve coordinating photos/work over the couch to replenish extra of the wall.
Alright, people! What solutions do YOU have for Ellen?
(Are you caught with a DIY or adorning downside and wish enter? Click on right here to submit your query. I submit/reply the questions within the order that they’re obtained, so please don’t ship questions in case your contractor is on the best way to your own home proper this minute and also you want instant recommendation. 😀 )
Addicted 2 Adorning is the place I share my DIY and adorning journey as I transform and adorn the 1948 fixer higher that my husband, Matt, and I purchased in 2013. Matt has M.S. and is unable to do bodily work, so I do nearly all of the work on the home on my own. You possibly can be taught extra about me right here.
I hope you’ll be a part of me on my DIY and adorning journey! If you wish to observe my initiatives and progress, you may subscribe under and have every new submit delivered to your electronic mail inbox. That method you’ll by no means miss a factor!
[ad_2]
Source link