what is too dark?what is wrong with dark?

alliekat

when I do a color consult,every once in a while (actually pretty often)I will have a customer thats says "isnt that going to be dark?" it doesnt matter that it isnt dark at all its just color..and what is wrong with dark anyway?? ..okay i have vented...its the mojito talking

lynne · Joined: 27 Jan 2007 Posts: 4960 Location: san francisco

i tell them if they need more light to turn up the lumens.
white ceilings only make the ceilings more visible.

show them some pictures of rooms that look nice and then tell them what paint was used in them.

Elena · Joined: 10 Oct 2006 Posts: 6283 Location: Murphy, NC

I couldn't have said it better.

ditto to Lynne.

I see dark walls receeding in front of my eyes, mostly when I hang (hung?) lighter pictures on them, or lighter pieces of furniture in front of them.

look at how many stores (mostly in malls) you walk in and don't see the ceiling, and look up to see it exposed and painted black...

leisu · Joined: 31 Jul 2007 Posts: 994 Location: Boston, MA

I love dark walls, even in small rooms... but I'm going to have to disagree with the ceiling thing: white definitely reflects light and therefore brightens up/ helps pass light around the room. i love painted ceilings too, sometimes IMHO it has to be one or the other.

sass · Joined: 14 Mar 2007 Posts: 2770

imho a room is too dark when you are unable to see what you are in the room to do otherwise its fine!

another dreaded typical question WONT IT MAKE MY ROOM LOOK SMALLER?

I say warm and cozy and 2 inches smaller is better than big n boring anyday

bring on the colors..... EMBRACE it people!

barrie · Joined: 29 Sep 2006 Posts: 432 Location: Mitchellville, MD

YOU KNOW THAT'S RIGHT!! People treat selecting paint color(s) as if they are making a life or death decision. Get over it --- its not that deep--- its just paint! Rolling Eyes

Sometimes, I'm not sure if I'm an artist or therapist when I'm doing a color consultation. The funny thing is in most cases they already have the color(s) scattered throughout the house.

mpg · Joined: 10 Sep 2007 Posts: 603 Location: Nebraska

lynne · Joined: 27 Jan 2007 Posts: 4960 Location: san francisco

LOL

*ahem*

when i do color work, i tell the clients i understand it's hard. color is very subjective. people react strongly to it. it can be daunting to pick from thousands of choices not knowing how that little chip will look in a whole room.
that's why they hire me.

Bren777 · Joined: 03 Aug 2007 Posts: 556 Location: SW Florida

lol Sis!
I prefer darker cozy rooms.
"Hollisters" is really dark...the only light they have is spotlights on thier clothing displays etc. I think its neat in there.
Very true about all the stress tho...its only paint...you would think they were getting a tattoo or something.

alliekat · Posted: Wed Apr 30, 2008 7:31 pm Post subject:

good answers people...I am having a very tiring week..

alliekat · Posted: Wed Apr 30, 2008 7:34 pm Post subject:

oh and i love that line" dark and cozy and 2 inches smaller..." insert joke here....

KathyFakesIt · Posted: Thu May 01, 2008 9:22 am Post subject:

Fauxho · Joined: 10 Jan 2007 Posts: 2466 Location: New York

I love when a client has a 40ft room with 14ft ceilings and is worried about making the room look smaller....a Maserati in the middle of the floor might cramp it a bit...but a deeper shade of off white wont be responsible for your new found case of claustrophobia

brendainkc · Joined: 05 Jan 2008 Posts: 322 Location: Kansas City metro

Oh, Bruce, sooo true. Had to chuckle!

Brenda

Linda Marsteller · Joined: 16 Nov 2006 Posts: 2282 Location: Winter Park, FL

It's too dark when I can't read the menu. LOL

I tell them "it's only paint", too.

ahurafarouk · Joined: 18 Nov 2011 Posts: 11 Location: Cairo

You should introduce such clients to the colour world. Dark colours on the walls no longer make one feels negative (which is what most of your clients might be assuming).

There is a flood of colours like violets, reds, maroons; you could try try showing them sample pictures (just like the ones attached below) and change they way they think.

Bonnie Lecat · Joined: 20 Feb 2007 Posts: 403 Location: Northbrook, IL

I always tell clients that something visually interesting on the walls always seems to make a room feel bigger and more important.

Ioana · Joined: 09 Apr 2012 Posts: 8 Location: United Kingdom

The difference between decorative painters and clients is that we are called in to paint the room and then leave. They have to live with the space for a while. People often find it hard to visualise, it's normal for them to be worried or hesitant. I believe part of our job is to share our knowledge and to educate clients about what colours would suit their space and why. It's not about imposing something and then getting frustrated if it takes them a while to make up their mind. At the end of the day, they are the ones left with a hole in their pocket.

Concerning ceilings, I'm very fond of off-white for homes. Of couse I love an ornately decoraed ceiling anyime, but for me the home is a place of harmony. Looking up a a black ceiling would't reflect positive energy in my opinion.

I recently decorated a room for some clents of mine. They were hesitant of the colour combination I suggested, but after much discussion gave me carte blanche. When I finished the project they were ecstatic and really loved the colours. Here's what I did for them;

http://www.ioanastoian.com/2012/keim-paints/

lisascenic · Posted: Tue Aug 28, 2012 2:47 pm Post subject:

You know what's too dark?

Your soul and mine, Allie!

cleta · Joined: 07 Dec 2006 Posts: 3232 Location: Chapel Hill, NC

Allie, I don't know how I missed this the first time around...I just loved the question "what's too dark?". I dunno...people are weird about color and money. That's all.

I love going to south america, central america, Italy, etc....no fear of color or pattern. and, sometimes, it's cringe-worthy....but it's just honest and out there.

Just for you - I have been toying with the idea of painting the powder room in our new house...black. shiny black. And now I will do it. so there.

paintchick · Joined: 13 Aug 2007 Posts: 779 Location: Canton, GA

Cleta,

I love the black bathroom! Apparently so did my mother and father, who before I was born (just a few years ago) painted the bathroom black, much to the amazement of my big brother who was about 2 at the time. Then I did the same thing in an apartment in Boston, much to the horror of my boyfriend at the time. (And that's where I learned that paint doesn't necessarily stick to fiberglass showers! That was fun.)

Go for the SHINY BLACK!!!!!! It won't be 'too dark', we can always bring a flashlight in with us.

Janie

cleta · Joined: 07 Dec 2006 Posts: 3232 Location: Chapel Hill, NC

LOL, Janie! I would like to get it to look like black lacquer, but not sure if I can pull that off. But I'm thinking gloss black with white gold leaf on the ceiling....dark, but glowing.

lisascenic · Posted: Wed Aug 29, 2012 2:10 pm Post subject:

If you do go in for an all black bathroom, be aware that the water in a black toilet creates a disturbing mirror effect.

Just sayin' ....

lynne · Joined: 27 Jan 2007 Posts: 4960 Location: san francisco

i'm with Lisa on this, Cleta! That whole trend in the 80s of black toilets-- it was just creepy.

I love the idea of shiny black walls though!

pntrgrl · Joined: 14 May 2011 Posts: 137 Location: Kentucky

I did a black bathroom- it was cool because it was under a stair and landing, so there were lots of angles (did the ceiling too).
(It also features monkeys in clothes on all walls and ceilings! )
I painted black with regular latex paint and then shellac for shine. I find this to be much easier and more forgiving than high gloss paint- my experience with getting a good finish with high gloss paint and no sprayer has been POOR to say the least. The client considered a black toilet but everyone advised her against it. The white one looks fine in there. It is what it is, you know.