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Design Dilemma: Unusual Interior Paint Choices

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More of us are eschewing traditional paint choices at home to go for something a little unexpected. This might mean exchanging basic white ceilings and moldings for ceilings and moldings splashed with bold color. Or it might mean choosing darker colors for walls or going for high contrast paint between moldings and walls. This post is dedicated to the expanding vocabulary of interior paint.

 

Colored Ceilings

Above, a homeowner has chosen a soft blue for a ceiling instead of the traditional white. The choice, which picks up the blue of the ocean right outside the window, gives this room a soothing yet warm and vibrant quality. If the owner had opted for blue walls, it might have been too much.

Below, another colored ceiling, this time in a soothing yellow ochre, gives a basic, traditional bedroom an edge:

And here, a canary yellow ceiling in a kitchen provides a pop of vibrant color as a relatively cheap and easy alternative to painted cabinets or patterned tile.  The look can be achieved with a $50 gallon of paint over the course of morning.

If you’re interested in the painted ceiling idea and you also happen to have ceiling moldings, consider a high-contrast paint job to highlight moldings. Something like this:

Or this:

Or this:

Moldings Painted Same Color as Walls

Are you looking to create a modern flare in a traditional space? Painting wall moldings the same color as the wall can help your home feel sleek and modern, but with a traditional twist. The look is cleaner than moldings painted a contrasting color, and the eye takes in the entire space at once, which can also make a space feel larger. For example:

Or this:

Or this:

And below,  painting the moldings the same color as the walls actually makes the ceilings feel higher:

Very Dark Walls

In the last few years, dark gray and black walls have been in vogue. In 2015, we’ve heard that blue is the new black, but the idea remains the same. What do dark walls do for a space? In the right room, they can look very glamorous, moody and sensual. We recommend using dark colors in rooms that get lots of light. If you paint a darker room a dark color, you might want to target an area that is used primarily at night — a bedroom or perhaps a TV room.

And this:

And this:

And here, this year’s dark blue:

High Contrast Look

Finally, another bold painting choice is choosing moldings that contrast starkly with wall color. This look highlights architectural detail and provides added interest. For some, the look may be too busy, but when done right, the look can be crisp and classy. For instance:

 

And this:

And this:

And this:

So if you’re thinking it’s time for a new paint job at home, give some thought to mixing things up. There’s no reason to stick to the tried and true with so many other options out there!