LAMORINDA WEEKLY | Three ways to wow your walls


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As a designer I obviously love adding beautiful furnishings to a home, but beautiful design starts with the four walls that surround the room. You can place the most amazing pieces in a room but if the walls are the wrong color or are bare, the entire space will feel off. So today I want to share three ways to wow your walls.

Paint

Never underestimate the power of a can of paint. It is the least expensive way to make an immediate impact in a space. When selecting paint colors I like to look for the "muddy" more "muted" colors in the paint deck versus the bright-saturated ones. And here is a little designer secret - we choose paint last.

It is much harder to match a fabric or piece of furniture to a wall color; there are more paint colors in the world than there are people! So pick your paint last. If you are using existing furnishings grab your paint deck and fan out the colors on your fabrics and look for a hue that picks up the color in the fabrics. Also make sure your paint selection plays nicely with your flooring. And when in doubt go neutral.

Some great neutral go-to's: Benjamin Moore Swiss Coffee, Sea Pearl, Revere Pewter and London Fog. And don't forget the fifth wall: your ceiling. Ceilings do not need to be white. Try painting them the same color as the walls or paint them lighter or darker than the walls. We recently did that in one client's dining room and it added a wonderful dramatic effect.

Wallpaper

Wallpaper is making a comeback and it is here to stay. If you are afraid to commit to a patterned paper I would suggest textured wallpaper.

We have been using lots of these papers like grasscloth, vinyl, and silks. In a recent client's dining room we did this beautiful blue grasscloth to not only added color but interest to the space. If you are not ready to commit to a large room in your home, powder bathrooms are the perfect place to create a big experience in a small space.

Art

Art is another great way to create the wow factor in your home. Especially pieces that have meaning or you have collected over the years. Large-scale art is a great way to cover a lot of space and make an impact.

If original art is not in your budget, there are lots of great online resources for inexpensive art like www.art.com. We also like to use Minted (www.minted.com) for inexpensive prints of original art.

If you have a collection of smaller art pieces, I would suggest placing them in a gallery style versus hanging on individual walls.

One of our clients had a collection of art from her travels and we had them framed in the same finish to create a cohesive feel. If you prefer a more relaxed, casual look, then you don't necessarily need to match the frames.

Now go add some wow to your walls! Until next time dear friends!