Paint/color advice for a loft

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Paint/color advice for a loft

by Lorraine
(Pennsylvania)

Am wondering about whether the focal and knee walls should be different colors and whether the side walls should be the same color as the ceiling.

I've also seen it suggested, as far as color choice, to select a paint color opposite (on the color wheel)as your flooring.

Any thoughts and/or suggestions would be great!

Thanks!

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Paint/color advice for a loft

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Mar 01, 2010
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Lofty ideas!
by: Charlotte

Hello Lorraine

Your loft conversion looks like a great project! Some all-important added space and it looks nice, light and airy!

The important thing for rooms with sloping ceilings is to keep them feeling nice, light and airy. With the sloping part ending so low, it is all too easy for ceilings to become oppressive, making your room feel dark and small.

For this reason it is best to keep ceilings as light and bright as possible - bright white is a common choice.

Awkward shaped rooms, such as this, with lots of corners and angles, can also be made to feel larger and more spacious by using one color all over, including walls and ceilings. This helps to draw attention away from all those angles, and instead the eye just sees one expanse of color.

It helps the room to feel spacious and airy if this one color is a pale color - it needn't be white though - cream, pale sand color and pastel colors are all good and effective options for this.

Cool colors such as blues and greens will do the most to help your room feel light, bright and more spacious.

A focal wall is a good idea for any room (notwithstanding what I have written above about all one color!). A focal wall helps to lend 'focus', personality and impact into a room. It also lets you control exactly where attention should fall.

It is common to decorate a focal wall in a strong, bright or contrasting color (opposite on the color wheel), as these are good ways of attracting attention to this area. If you don't want to go so dramatic you can choose a 'harmonious' color choice (adjoining on the color wheel) - More about the interior design color wheel, here....

You might also choose to create your focal wall, though, with attractive wallpaper, wall art (stencils or stickers), artwork/paintings, fireplace or by making a feature of window treatments or pieces of furniture that are in that position.

Choosing a strong color for the focal wall would also emphasise and make a feature of the wall shape and any unusual angles, if this was what you wanted.

This would also apply if you chose to paint the short walls in a contrasting color to the ceilings - and this may also make your walls feel very short, and your ceiling low.

Continued on next comment....

Mar 01, 2010
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Continues from above comment...
by: Charlotte

...continued...

Choosing flooring of a contrasting color (opposite on the color wheel) is one option you have. This can tend to be a very dramatic look, but can be a little unsettling, both visually and emotionally, if the area of contrasting color is large.

This is likely to be the case for an area of flooring, so in this case, accent colors such as this, would perhaps be better kept in smaller doses, such as an accent/focal wall, and/or other accents and accessories.

A light wood or wood effect flooring, such as it appears you have already started with, looks a great choice for your room. It is light and will reflect light around the room, helping it to feel light and spacious.

It is quite a neutral color, so should look good with many/most decor choices, and you can also factor in this color in your color wheel decisions, should you wish.

Of course, if your tastes run to the dramatic or very cosy, you may choose to use much darker and stronger colors in your loft conversion, and/or make a feature out of unusual angles. This can give you a strong, stunning look - very unusual, dramatic and likely to be very personal in taste.

I hope this is helpful in helping your make your choices. (See more decorating tips for awkward shaped rooms, here...)

Good luck with your loft conversion - and don't forget to come back and post pictures of your finished project here - I'd love to see it!

Best wishes

Charlotte

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Paint/color advice for a loft

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Paint/color advice for a loft