This blog post has a very happy ending – which is a very good thing as I was the one who kinda forced my best friend to invest in painting (which wasn’t cheap) and I got a lot of pushback from readers (which I don’t mind, but at times doesn’t help with the self-doubt). Well, I have news for the doubters – I’ve never felt so good about a paint color decision in my life, which could be an exaggeration or untrue as I’ve had a lot of great paint decisions, but I’m telling you when we walked in after it was painted, both Gretchen and I sucked in our breath and said: “it’s perfect, just perfect”. I think the pressure to get it perfect felt higher than usual because it wasn’t my house – this was my best friend’s living room and they had just moved in and the white was fine! It just felt boring to me, but painting it needed to be professionally done and cost $3k – aka they weren’t going to “just repaint” if we got it wrong. Also, choosing a darker color is harder and riskier, often with undertones you don’t pick up til it’s a larger portion of a room (not just a little swatch). So PHEW, here we go.
They had just moved in in these photos and brought their furniture from their old house in here – mostly starter pieces which didn’t help the blandness of the neutral color palette. This room needed a design direction (which we came up with – PNW Library Lodge), but with that came the need for color and pattern. While we debated painting the walls instead of the shelves and fireplace, I pushed hard for these as I knew that they would anchor the wall, pull you into the room as well as minimize the black firebox. Additionally, the rest of that floor, including the kitchen, has this neutral airy feeling and we didn’t want all of a sudden these two rooms to be dark and make the whole house feel off balance. I didn’t mind the dining room being dark and cozy, but the living room (also their TV room) needed to walk that line – cozy, but not dark.
The built-ins continued through the dining room with this sideboard and flanking desks. We decided not to paint any of the window moldings or trim work, hoping to make them work. For now, we’d start with the built-ins and once we started to get quotes, the sticker shock helped solidify that decision. The first quote for painting just the shelves, fireplace, and dining built-in was $4,500. The second was $3,200 – which is who they went with and still felt high, TBH. But they had to tape off the whole room, sand, prime, spray, sand, spray, sand, spray, fill hardware holes, touch up, etc. My advice was that it was still high, but honestly, we didn’t want to hire someone who didn’t know what they were doing so they bit the bullet.
How We Chose The Color
We knew that we wanted really dark but we didn’t know if it would be in the blue or green realm. We also didn’t want it to be so dark that it would read as black, nor so saturated that if the sun hit it it would look teal. It needed to have undertones that worked with the rugs, the wallpaper, and the overall color story.
We debated a lot, per usual, but felt about as confident as you can choosing Mount Etna from Sherwin-Williams. It was dark, but when the light hit it it had so much blue and green in it. It was powerful, but still a color, and not a super bright saturated color – just a moody tone. Again, I can’t say that it will look good anywhere and everywhere you put it – this room is a medium light, no direct light room that can handle this darker tone so well (but if your room gets a ton of direct natural light it could read like a really saturated dark teal). But I was so afraid that you’d walk in and it would just read as almost black, which felt too intense for them and just not what we were going for.
We looked at it with both the rug and the wallpaper, even reading as different tones in those different lights. It was a bit of a gamble, but like I said I felt about as confident about it as you possibly can. You truly don’t know what a bold paint color is going to do for a larger area when you are choosing it from a sticker or a paint deck. A good rule of thumb is that whatever it is, it’s just “more” the bigger it gets. ie. you see more of the color, it has more of an impact and this is the mistake I HAVE made a few times (my bedroom is a good example – I love the color, but with the direct sunlight it’s just a lot and the saturated colors come out and play in a really bold way – which was not my intent).
Painted Before Styling!!
There she is!!! We chose a satin finish, BTW, which is typical for durability without a ton of shine. Oh, it’s so happy but not bold. A color, for sure, but not crazy saturated – still subtle enough to work in our color palette.
The dining room is RIDICULOUS. I’m so excited to show you the reveal but for now, you can see how Mount Etna reads far bluer than black, which we are so glad about (but not so blue that it looks “BRIGHT”). It’s absolutely perfect.
Color Palette
Ok, here is our color palette to give you a better idea of the direction (which honestly I’m jealous of). So many warm tones, mixed with the ever-popular blues and greens. Again, I’m so excited to show you the reveal! Stay tuned. xx
*Photos by Kaitlin Green
It looks perfect! Can’t wait for the reveal.
It is beautiful! Can you list the names of the color palate? What white did you choose for the walls?
Would also love those paint color names, if you’re willing to share. I realize some may not be paint colors. Either way…it’s a beautiful palette!
Looks great! Do you know what color the walls are (or what would be a close enough match)? Looking to do something similar in my living room!
We have had a lot of major renovations and painting done over the years in a large metropolitan area. Honestly, $3200 sounds like a fair price for the significant labor involved. I’d happily pay that to get it done right.
This seems a reasonable amount for painting. Walls can be quicker but this type of involved painting, prep, etc. needs to be done right to have the durability for use. It seems a disservice to painting professionals not to consider the time, labor, materials, equipment, and overhead for this task. Maybe phrasing it as a stretch for the project budget vs. ‘too high’ would be a more respectful approach. With two bids that is obviously the going rate. Looks like they did a fabulous job. Keeping the trim lighter makes it feel like furniture, and goes so nicely with the fireplace surround. Look forward to seeing the styled out space.
I completely agree with you, Jen. I sometimes feel like trades people get a bit vilified here in how they price their services. They are skilled professionals running businesses.
I had no problem with how Emily described things and her perspective comes from years of experience that would take into account what you outlined. Seems a bit presumptuous to suggest he should describe the situation differently.
Oooo! That “Painted Before Styling” shot is giving OG Em Henderson vibes: the blue, the wood, the brass, the hit of black. It’s gorgeous. And the sneak peek of the dining room–be still my heart! Can’t wait to see how the rooms come together!
I have a very similar fireplace situation in my living room. And honestly it bugs me that the build-ins stick out and there’s not enough weight to the fireplace. Darker color shifts attention away from this. I look forward to seeing how you style the entire wall and balance the small windows with wide bookcases.
Beautiful! Where are the wall sconces from??
The Ford’s Mill Sconce from Rejuvenation.
Wow! Way to bring those tired 90s spaces to life!
I love the color palette and it’s similar to what I’m going for in my living room. Can’t wait to see the reveal and hopefully get more info on the colors!
Under duress a few days ago I paid 3K for a new water heater+install. Would MUCH prefer to have paid that money toward a beautiful design impact in my home.
GAH!
To the entire EHD team -thanks so much for giving me something to anticipate with enthusiasm…
(Also, in the “Designers, They’re Just Like Us” category: I also taped cafe curtains to the window trim (there was even a blue stripe that perfectly matched the painters tape ; )
Paint/tint the fireplace grout? It stands out now a bit….
Love it in the dining room! Still a bit unsure in the living room but looking forward to seeing the end result!
GASP! That is gorgeous!
Love the color palette! Please let us know!
Love it! Can you share where the brown printed curtain fabric is from? Can’t wait to see those1
Love it!
I have been visiting the blog for years and appreciate all I have learned from you and all of the wonderful contributors.
I’m to say the new pop up ads make it almost impossible to follow. The general tone of the blog is so personable, I felt comfortable expressing my opinion on the ads.
I still appreciate the blog and will continue to visit.
This color took both spaces to the next level! I can’t wait to see them styled in the reveal!!
Tantalising! Is this a follow-up to an earlier post? I can’t find the earlier post to see what everyone suggested at the time. Please could we have a link?
Was it this post? https://stylebyemilyhenderson.com/blog/no-reno-pass-through-living-and-dining-room-design-plan
I wonder if it was this post? https://stylebyemilyhenderson.com/blog/no-reno-pass-through-living-and-dining-room-design-plan
Love the blue. Not a fan of the walls or the white ceiling.
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I have been eyeing some dark blue office shelves, but had some doubts about the dark blue… this post might just have convinced me it is the perfect colour!