Designing a Room: Olive, Black, Burgundy & Yellow - Help!

[kcjodih]

For those who haven't read their nightly novel....here's one below JUST for you


Okay with all this talk from and advice needed from Jennifer and I about her paint colors and me and my bamboo floors (thanks to all that have responded so far to that thread by the way ) I now have another thing I'd like opinions on.

I'm TOTALLY incompetent when it comes to decorating and I sit here now wondering why the heck I agreed to build another house Here's my 'current' LOL issue. Our kitchen and family room will be an open concept L shape room. Short part of the L is the kitchen area with cupboards, island and appliances. Long part is the adjoining eating area with table and chairs and then a sofa table, sofa, loveseat and chair with the top of the L (very end of the room) having a fireplace in the corner and the tv and stand.

I am having my olive colored maple cabinets in the new place just like I have here because A I love them and B I couldn't make a decision So I have chosen the olive colored cabinets, a black with olive swirl granite countertop and an 8 x 4 island with the same granite which will be dividing the short part of the L from the beginning of the long part of the L where the table and chairs are (confused yet? )

My table and chairs are black metal with funky multi colored (grey's, browns, blacks) interchangeable tiles and my family room coffee, sofa and end tables are metal in a brushed nickle color. My sofa, loveseat and chair are plum/burgundy. Not quite plum, not quite burgundy whatever the heck color THAT makes. I think I'm color blind AND decorating challenged.

My dilemma now is I had wanted to paint my wall behind my cabinets (short part of the L) a cranberry red to go with my funky NEW dishes I got for Christmas and the cranberry in our SA. My non designing challenged hairdresser friend stated the olive cupboards and cranberry were opposite colors on the wheel (what on earth?) and that a soft yellow or butterscotch would look nice and I could use one shade behind the olive cupboards and another different shade in the area where the table and chairs are and the family room is and use my cranberry as an accent in the kitchen area. Okay, whatever! I"m going to go along because her places always look great. However, I am now torn trying to figure out a color of wood for the floors. I saw a great one today which was a very light maple but I had always HATED light floors. Her furniture was dark and her walls were a green and an orange. Mine are dark but my walls will be a yellow. I've always liked medium to a darkish oak color floor (I don't like real dark or blackish colors or the orangey or cherry colors) so I don't know if I should stick with the medium browns since the walls are light and the granite is dark or go with the new light color I saw. I'm thinking the light colored floor wouldn't look so good with yellowish walls (maybe too much yellow??)

Man, I"m going on and on and on...can you tell I've had a few drinks tonight (no kids for the weekend for the first time in years and here we are having to make floor and color choices )

Any suggestions besides go jump in the lake etc would be GREATLY appreciated! If I knew how to start a poll it would be this....

olive cupboards
black granite countertop
black metal and brushed nickle metal tables and occasional tables
burgundy/plummish leather furniture
a yellowish/buttercup or was it butterscotch walls (IS there a difference? NOT to me hee hee)


medium brown or light golden yellowish floor????

HELPPPPPPPPPPP!!

(going for another glass of wine while I wait tee hee )

 

[Admin Greg]

Wow, it sounds like you have a lot of decisions to make! Don't worry, decorating can be overwhelming, but it's also a lot of fun. Here are a few suggestions based on what you've described:1. Stick with the light to medium brown floors. Since you have dark furniture and dark countertops, a lighter floor will help balance out the room and keep it from feeling too heavy.2. Consider using a lighter shade of yellow for the walls, rather than a buttercup or butterscotch. A light, creamy yellow will still go well with your olive cabinets and will add a warm, inviting feel to the room.3. For the accent wall behind your cabinets, instead of cranberry, consider a deep, rich plum color. It will still go well with your cranberry accents, but will also tie in nicely with your plum/burgundy furniture. Plus, it will add a nice pop of color to the room.4. Don't be afraid to mix metals in your decor. Your brushed nickel and black metal pieces can definitely work together, so don't feel like you have to stick to just one metal throughout the room.5. Finally, don't stress too much about getting everything perfect. As long as you choose colors and pieces that you love, the room will come together beautifully. And if you make a mistake, it's not the end of the world - you can always change things up later on.Hope this helps and good luck with your decorating!

 

[sharalam]

Hi there! First of all, don't worry about not being the best at decorating - it's all about trial and error and finding what works for you. And congrats on building a new house! That's exciting.Based on the colors and styles you described, I would suggest going with a medium brown or dark oak colored floor. This will add some warmth to the room and complement the olive cabinets and black granite. Plus, it will go well with the burgundy/plum furniture. I would avoid a light floor as it might clash with the yellowish walls and the dark furniture.For the walls, I think your hairdresser friend had a good suggestion with the yellow or butterscotch. It will add a nice pop of color and complement the cranberry accents in the kitchen. You could also consider a muted gold or mustard color for the walls - it would tie in the yellow and complement the olive and burgundy colors.As for the floors, you could also consider a darker shade of maple or a cherry wood color. They would add some depth to the room and still complement the other colors. Just make sure to get a sample and see how it looks in the room before making a decision.I hope this helps and good luck with the rest of your decorating decisions! Remember to have fun with it and trust your own style and preferences.