Really dark bedroom paint

[joe]

We recently bought a mid 1920's home and are contemplating various colors for 3 rooms -- the previous owners *loved* green. We're kind of stumped with the master bedroom. The mop boards are white 8-inch. Trim for the doors and windows are also white and about six inches wide. The walls a plaster and painted flat, hospital green.

I think we want to keep all the white stuff and just paint the walls which is where we hit a disagreement. The wife is dead-set on a really dark color. Especially one of the chocolates by Behr: Thick Chocolate (750B-7).

Now I'm not nessarily against this, I just don't recall ever seeing a room painted this dark

Any suggestions?

[ronm]

Listen to your wife or you'll never get to sleep in the room anyway. I have several walls painted a dark color and they look good.

[Doug Kanter]

In situations like this, it's usually best to give one's wife all the rope she needs to hang herself. Say "Well, I think it's hideous, but if you'd like to try it, I'll be glad to help with the work, assuming the work doesn't interfere with your study of mortuary science, in which case I'll do all the painting while you're hitting the textbooks". You've now registered your disapproval, and if she wants to go ahead with that color, the disaster has her name on it.

Another option: Where is she in her menstrual cycle? Is it possible she's craving chocolate in ALL forms, even walls? You could ask her to think about the paint color for a week or ten days and then see if she still likes it. Or, find a fancy restaurant where they sell outrageous desserts like "death by chocolate cake". Bring home two pieces for her every day for a week. She'll get over that color REAL quick.

Or: Tell her that because of the dark walls, you'll probably need over 1000 watts of light bulbs in order to read or clean.

Or: Give up. Make a deal. Tell her she can have the room in that color, but you want some other room to be more neutral.

[montana wildhack]

The shows on TLC & HGTV have been big on brown walls for about 6 months, which is my approximation of how long you'll have deep chocolate walls. Dark colors come in & out of fashion. If you don't do the woodwork, I think you'll be really sorry, no matter what color you paint the room.

My DH & I disagree about paint colors pretty regularly. We look at pictures in the paint store or in magazines until we can come to an agreement. That's usually a better process than anything else we've found.

[Jim Tiberio]

and buy lot's of primer, when she doesn't like the dark color she'll blame you and make you re-paint it. I have had several dark rooms and liked them just fine.

[Joseph Meehan]

Rule one is to let the wife decide. If you don't she will never let you forget it. Just remember, you are going to spend most of your time there with your eyes closed anyway so who cares.

BTW my bed room is a very dark blue. I like it that way because when I was working and daylight saving time came along it was still light outside. The dark walls made it easier to make the room dark enough to sleep.

[NoOne N Particular]

I agree with the other writers. Bed room?? Wife wins. If you argue too much, the only thing you will be doing in that room is sleep. :-) Let her have the bed room and you get another room. Maybe. . .the KITCHEN! Or maybe a workshop in the back yard so you don't have to look at it.

But personally, I don't like colors that dark. It really takes a lot to light them up. Dark colors like that also seem cold and un-inviting to me.

Wayne

[Jim Sullivan]

I've had rooms with dark paint and white trim, and have enjoyed them. Of course, you decorate the room so everything isn't just dark walls, and it will look great. If your unsure, take the cheap investment of a quart of paint and some poster board (or not), and put the paint on the wall so you can get a feel for it. It's cheap and easy to do and will give you the confidence you need to either go forward or to pick another colour.

One thing my wife does is cut out the various colour samples and tape them to the wall next to the switch, so I get to see them every day in every light. Eventually, I indicate my preference (or put one up myself). We've had situations where those patches have stayed on the wall for months, but never a bad final colour choice.

[Wayne]

[e-mail] wrote in news:cbpnpl$sr0$ [e-mail]:

In the end it's all just a matter of preference. Until we moved to Arizona, every home we owned (and apartments before that) were either painted or papered in very dark colors. Simply put, we like them and we find dark colors peaceful and restful. Dark walls with light trim can be very nice, although we usually matched woodwork with wall color. Here in Arizona the house interior is entirely white. I've adjusted to it, but I'm still not sure I like it or will keep it.

Perhaps the strangest dark room we ever had was a relatively small kitchen. Every surface including walls, ceiling, and cabinets were enamelled in charcoal gray. The contrast was white appliances, white marble counters, and white marble tabletop on the eat-in table. Lighting was high intensity point of use pin spots except for a the hanging fixture over the table which was chromed with a mirrored ceiling escutcheon. We feared that visitors might think they were entering a cave, but almost everyone loved it.

[Doug Kanter]

Kitchen?!?!? Ha!!! My ex wife & I debated the kitchen for 10 years and got nowhere. The existing kitchen had a through-wall exhaust fan which, other than being ugly & needing replacement, worked great. She kept finding kitchen "experts" who told me that such fans were obsolete and that hoods were the right way to go. One even said through the wall fans did not work. Huh???

Kitchens are a bitch.

[Phisherman]

[Jim Tiberio]

I don't remember what my house looks like without those patches somewhere or another. Eventually we'll get it right.

[joe]

All righty.... y'all have convinced me completely. I'll just make sure to have plenty of primer around for the next change :)

I've only been married for a few months, a buddy of mine with much more experience says this alot on the phone:

"You're right, I'm wrong, I love you, good bye"

It almost sounds like one long word

Thanks for the advice everybody

[Doug Kanter]

Your buddy's line might get in trouble one day. I'd suggest: "Some decorating ideas don't need a committee. I'm sure whatever you do to this room will turn out fine. I trust you". Sorta hint that you're talking about THIS room, not ALL future projects. Meanwhile, what's the worst that could happen? A bad color choice isn't like something shooting you in the head. Usually. :-)

[Doug Kanter]

Your buddy's line might get him in trouble one day. I'd suggest: "Some decorating ideas don't need a committee. I'm sure whatever you do to this room will turn out fine. I trust you". Sorta hint that you're talking about THIS room, not ALL future projects. Meanwhile, what's the worst that could happen? A bad color choice isn't like someone shooting you in the head. Usually. :-)