Custom paint color conquers lighting issues
DEAR DESIGNER: Could you please suggest a Sherwin-Williams off-white paint for my very small, poorly lit, 11-by-10-foot bedroom. The room has one 48-inch southwest facing window. The wall-to-wall carpet is a neutral beige. The Pottery Barn pin-tuck comforter, which I keep turned down to expose a white Pottery Barn pick-stitch quilt, is an unusual shade of bluish-green. The quilt noticeably looks different shades throughout the day. The curtains are white. I plan to remove the table lamp and hang a chandelier.
Due to the poor lighting, Sherwin-Williams' color Rainwashed, whose color chip looked turquoise-like, was too blue. Kestrel White is too gray and Fragile Beauty is too rosy. At this point, I am so thoroughly confused. Am I correct in thinking a creamy/ivory yellow-toned color would work best in this small, poorly lit space?
Thank you in advance for your advice. -- Janine
DEAR JANINE: You are correct in thinking that a creamy, ivory or yellow-toned color in a small and poorly lit area will make it feel lighter and larger, but unfortunately, it doesn't sound to me like your current color palate would look good with yellow undertones.
The good news is you are not limited to the premade swatches that a paint store sets out. You can have the paint store mix up a custom color to match your spread. Don't expect it to be a perfect match, as you are dealing with two different surfaces: fabric and drywall. However, the undertone of the paint should then complement the bedding. I would tell the paint representative that you want the paint about three shades lighter than the bedding. You should receive a light, off-white color that has hints of the correct blue.
Another option is to take some strands of carpet to the paint store and see how closely you can have that matched. Make the wall color a shade or two lighter than the carpet, since the room is small. The color will look differently on the walls than on the horizontal surface of the floor, but you will have the same undertones as your carpet.
The elements that limit my help from afar is your lighting (or lack of) and the other colors in your room that reflect onto the painted surface and change the wall color. Every element of a room, including light, will reflect on your walls and will change your perception. This is called perceived color. This is why your color sample looked differently on the wall than it did on the swatch. And most assuredly it looked different at the paint store than it did in your home. Just as your quilt looks noticeably different at different times of the day, so will your wall color.
Although paint samples help to direct us, it takes trial and error to get the color right. I think you will enjoy the benefits of having custom colors mixed to coordinate with your décor.
DEAR DESIGNER: I have a question about candlestick lamps. I know they look like a candle but when did they originate? Where are candlestick lamps most used? I inherited some that are quite old and want to use them appropriately. -- Jean
DEAR JEAN: In the early 1900s many homes were still using candles and gaslight for lighting, while businesses began using electricity. Sometime near the 1920s, most cities had electric companies and made a limited amount of electric available to homeowners. I can broadly assume the electric lamps were made sometime in the early 1900s.
Candlestick lamps are most often used on a buffet and are sometimes called buffet table lamps. Their tall and slender body not only replicates a candle but allows more room on the service buffet. Today, these slender lamps can be appropriately used anywhere in your home. They fit perfectly on narrow consoles and small end tables. They can look stunning on large nightstands or end tables when you fill the extra space with a large accessory or two.
Fortunately, these classic lamps are always in vogue. Place your inherited lamps in a place where you will enjoy the benefit of cherished memories every time you see them.
Cindy Payne is a certified interior designer with more than 25 years of experience, a member of the American Society of Interior Designers, as well as a licensed contractor. E-mail questions to her at deardesigner@
projectdesigninteriors.com or send them to her at Project Design Interiors, 2620 S. Maryland Parkway, Suite 189, Las Vegas, NV 89109. She can be reached online at www.projectdesigninteriors.com.
