Now that Jim completed the tables for our basement (see my previous post here), we’ve turned out attention to the dining room, whose striped wallpaper always made me feel like we were eating in a jail cell:
We had already updated the window treatments and seat cushions with a great Brunschwig & Fils pattern — the cushions are the reverse of the curtains, and we installed the Lotus Chandelier from Viva Terra.
But the wallpaper had to go, and we had to choose paint that would complement the chandelier and the fabrics.
Jim stripped the wallpaper, but he let the kids go wild before it came down. I think the art adds a certain something, don’t you?
Meet the artists:
Henry, 8, is in the foreground, with Chal, 5, behind.
We were able to come up with a color scheme for beneath the chair rail, which complements the wood of the table, and sort of disappears at night: Java by Sherwin-Williams.
Benjamin Moore’s Amherst Gray is above the chair rail — a deep gray that gives the room a colonial feel. And we settled on Farrow & Ball’s Elephant’s Breath for the rail and crown molding.
So here’s the conundrum: We know we want to paint the ceiling, too, but what? You see the Amherst Gray on the ceiling in the photo above, but Jim wants something darker, a neutral that will disappear like the night sky and make the chandelier truly pop at night.
He likes Farrow & Ball’s Tanner Brown, and I’ve cropped this picture below so you see just the paint sample and none of the white ceiling:
This was taken during the day, of course. It looks much blacker at night.
I’m arguing to go with the Amherst Gray first, and if we hate it, or if all that gray seems too drab, then try the Tanner Brown, which, at $120 per gallon, is not a light decision.
Or maybe you don’t like either choice? Here’s what I’ve been staring at each morning, which kind of makes me shut down:
I’m really hoping there are some color experts out there who can advise. Thank you!
Jennifer Sergent. Native Washingtonian. Former editor at Washington Spaces magazine and HGTV. Currently searching for – and writing about – DC’s design voices. Write to me @
Jennifer,
Albeit harder to tell on a computer screen than in person with samples, lighting etc… I’ll wager a guess. Have you tried Benjamin Moore’s “Soot”? It’s a deep, dark, midnight blue to gray.. I painted my tiny kitchen in Soot including the ceiling and LOVE its richness. It’s neutral, has blue undertones in the right light and works with gray. Might be worth a go… fun project! Liz
Seeing that UVa made it into your boys’ work made me smile.
Liz, we will definitely check out “soot.” Jeannine — yes, my sister went there and we are in the Va. 529 plan, so we are trying to indoctrinate them early!
Well first let me say the chandelier is killer…who cares about the paint!
Alright, now to be serious. Without seeing the “possible” color choice in context, I can’t say if it works or not. But, what I think will help immensely is ditching the little color chips and get the paints that you have onto posterboard,tape them up, and review them…especially at night. Kids project?
Now that is a conundrum. I do love the chandelier! Such personality – very flirty and fun. I am hesitant to suggest a 3rd color, but if you were to take the Amherst Gray one shade darker and do it in high gloss you bring in drama and sparkle that appears to expand the sparkle of the chandelier up and across your ceiling. You have avoided a 3rd different color that could distract the eye. AND, it would be a great bridge between a traditional room with a less than traditional lighting fixture.
What a fun problem to have!
Hi Jennifer,
Yay for getting rid of the wallpaper! My question to you is, how high is your ceiling? I’m guessing (based on the photos) that it’s a standard 8′-0″. Is that correct? I’m with you- I think you should try out the Amherst Gray on the ceiling first and live with it a bit to see if you like having a dark color on the ceiling. It could feel oppressive and bring the perceived height of the room down. To give it a color that coordinates with the rest of the room without going darker, you could try carrying the trim color, the Elephant’s Breath, onto the ceiling. Matching the crown molding color with the ceiling would help to draw the eye upward and increase the apparent height of the room (a little bit anyway), and it will diminish any imperfections that may exist where the ceiling and walls meet. If anything is crooked or you have any ripples in the drywall, a dark color will point it out like a big neon sign. Good luck with the room! The colors you’ve chosen are really rich, and the chandelier is AWESOME.
Love the fact that you let you boys “go wild” — before they get to that college age. My older one is at UVA.
I actually do color consultations but hard to say from a computer and backlighting. Since you have such a fantastic chandelier, have you thought about using maybe a copper metallic over the bottom paint color and a silver over the gray? This will add interest away from any concerns of drab but create a subtle light sheen where light hits it during the day and add sophisticated sheen from your chandelier at night. BM makes several colors that are meant to top coat their bases. Just a thought.
Tammy and Ashley, this is great advice. We actually tried Elephants Breath on the ceiling, and because the ceiling gives everything a darker cast, it actually turned a khaki color, which was really weird. So we eliminated it from consideration. I love the idea of something sparkly on top!
Love the transformation your dining room is going through!! the paint choices are beautiful–may I suggest a totally different direction for the ceiling? What about a deep bronze mettalic color from the Ralph Lauren line? I think the chandelier would look glorious off a mettalic ceiling–I will try to get an image of what I am suggesting if you’re interested–however whatever you decide to do–your colors and that chandelier are the perfect foundation-
Cool! If you go with it, let me know. I’d love a follow up — heck, I bet we all would.
BTW, continuing with Tammy’s thought about the ceiling. One little trick, if you are concerned about perceived height, is not only to paint the upper molding color the same as the ceiling or wall — making it disappear — but continue the wall color up onto the ceiling by adding it into a light white or cream. This gives the appearance of lightness; won’t cast a weird hue onto your walls, and gives a hint of similar color from the walls continuing upwards but just lighter. This fools the eye into thinking that your walls appear higher and at the same time won’t make the ceiling feel too heavy. It might even add balance with your trim. You’ll have to try some color experimentation with tinting here. Go low, 10 – 25% at first, like salt to a good recipe. Good luck. Sounds like a good family activity.
I’m not sure about the bronze metallic — seems like that would be too many colors with the brown and gray below, but I do like the idea of adding shimmer on top of the Amherst gray, and adding that gray to a Linen White or something like that is an interesting idea I had not considered. Jim had wanted to get the painting finished this weekend, but now we have so many more things to think about!
If he wants it dark, I think I’d pull in a gray with alot of brown in it to pull the two other colors into play. I didn’t pull the other colors out to study, but a suggestion might be something in the family of “Urbane Bronze” from Sherwin Williams or possibly “Rock Bottom”. I think it’s a great idea to do the dark color….what if you painted it the dark gray and then glazed it with a brown/bronze metallic…Like English Brown from Modern Masters….ooooh…that could be fun!
Love the kids art work, happy to see the jail house them go
Love that chandelier.
I see some sort of metallic as a possibility too. Color Wheel carries a fabulous paint by Modern Masters that has some great options, opaque and translucent products available.
Also check out my blog on ceilings:
http://developingdesigns.blogspot.com/search/label/Ceilings
There are 2 metallic ceilings, something like the one by Elizabeth Hague I think would be great.
Definitely keep us updated on what you decide.
xo
I metallic ceiling would be very pretty too.. we’ve employed that in powder rooms with a nice jewel box effect!
How about keeping the striped wallpaper with the fantastic artwork by your two eager and adorable artists? Then you’ll really “Live like You”!!