To The Window, To The Wall

Long before you get in cahoots with a furniture store, art dealer, carpet layer, decorator, and whatever else, there is one place/person you absolutely must consult. When you move into a new home, there are at least two givens (assuming you’re not taking on a massive remodeling project): the number of rooms, and the color of the walls. Of those two, the latter can be changed with relative ease. You must determine if you, a) like the color of the walls already, and if you don’t, b) what you want to repaint them with.

A wall’s paint has the ability to effectively convey the mood and theme of a room far more than any piece of furniture you’ll install. Additionally, the sheen of a paint color will determine the reflective quality as light plays about the room. As you survey the color of the walls, consider the ceiling as well. Ceilings can be painted white for a more open, airy feel, or the same color as the walls for a more cozy feel.

It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know that walls and ceilings have different needs when it comes to paint, however. One surface is often touched, the other is never touched. This is why you’re safe to choose a matte paint sheen for the ceiling, as matte is much harder to clean and touch up than a standard gloss or eggshell.

According to Tim McKeough of the New York Times, “Baseboards, moldings, doors and other trim can be painted the same color as the room to make them visually recede, or a contrasting color — usually an off-white in a room with colored walls — to make them more of a feature.”

If solid paint colors simply aren’t your style, patterned wallpaper or wood paneling are great alternatives.