Dear Annie: We’ve been in our house for one year. We painted the living room and I really like the color – though it didn’t do anything to pull the furniture together color-wise, we just liked the color.
We just invested a good chunk of change in having custom drapes made. I chose the drapes in an effort to complement the walls and tie the navy blue sofas in.
The fabric is pretty as a swatch – but I was not imagining what it would look like from ceiling to floor. The drapes are hung now and I am afraid they look awful. We can’t go back on the drapes because it was a big investment – so I am not sure what to do.
Can you tell me how bad things are and whether you can suggest anything that might salvage what was my favorite room?
– Amy (Color blind in Providence)
A: Oh, Amy, things are not that bad. Honestly. Don’t be taking those pricey drapes to eBay just yet, my friend. We have lots of options here.
First of all, I think the drapes are quite pretty. And I’m not just saying that. I could come up with thinly disguised ways of saying I don’t like them. “You must really love blue and white,” or “Wow, those drapes sure are floral, aren’t they?” But I’m not saying those things. Not even softly, under my breath.
You are correct: the wall color does not work with the drapes. That’s good news, actually, because painting a room is much cheaper than having new window treatments made. Here are two possible routes you could go.
SCENARIO #1: EXPENSIVE BEACH HOUSE
The loose pattern on the drapes with the crisp white piping on the navy sofas create a somewhat beachy, laid-back look. If you want to carry that through, I suggest a very light beige on the walls, such as Benjamin Moore’s OC-4 Brandy Cream or OC-12 Muslin.
With this wall color, I strongly recommend painting the insides of the shelves to liven things up and balance the dark navy sofas. Try a darker taupe, or, for extra cheer, a dark red, such as 2003-10 Million Dollar Red.
In this seating area:
a blue-and-white striped slipcover for the chintz-covered chair is worth considering. Check out John Robshaw’s blockprinted textiles for that.
While you’re at it, John Robshaw would be a good place to start for pillows, too. Please do NOT worry about matching the reds and blues exactly – and pull in other colors, too, like brown and dark green, through multi-colored patterns.
SCENARIO #2: INFORMAL FORMAL
If you cringed at the word “beachy,” then paint the walls a very light lemon yellow – not orangey – and leave the bookshelves white. Pack more books in there, though, especially on those top shelves. A nice yellow to try is 2022-70 Creme Brulee, or one shade darker, 2022-60 Light Yellow.
Upholstering both of the chairs in the separate seating area will keep the room formal (although I secretly wonder whether these chairs aren’t a bit big for the room? This is where pictures can take you only so far…)
Choose a refined stripe or a small, tight pattern, preferably one that has some dark blue in it. The patterns below are from Robert Allen/Beacon Hill. Here’s Dotted Strada in color Rain:
And Yang in color Persian:
Use throw pillows as the opportunity to bring in different shades of yellow – and other colors too, of course. The pillow at right is from Anthropologie, and the ones below are from Pillowhappy, at Etsy:
I hope this is helpful, Amy. Let me know what you decide, and then ask me about rugs :)