I started repainting the apartment last winter and in the typical fashion of a color coward, I kept choosing light colors because it is a small apartment. They say light reflects light and light colors will make the room feel bigger. So that’s what I do. O. says the house looks like a baby nursery gone wrong.
I’ve decided to shed my in-the-box thinking about light colors and go bold – beginning with the entryway. O. likes the idea of a citron color to greet our visitors and I’ve always liked the color of the inside of butternut squash. These colors in venetian plaster would look vibrant and alive, the opposite of the muddy color I attempted before (seen in this post -and here is the before before photo of the entryway). I am still enamored of the idea of adding big molding to the two doors in the hallway. But what color should the molding be? The opposite exposed brick wall will be filled with family photographs all in black frames. Should the moulding be black, white, grey or something else? And what about the metal door that leads outside, that is visible from the living room, what color should that be? These are questions, which I hope you; my designy friends can help me with by leaving your comments and valuable two cents.
my favorite yellowish citron is Frank Ochre from Malabrigo Yarns
Loisaida Nest 
Manon wrote: “Make sure to paint the CABINETS!!! they should be the same color then the door moldings…you could go for a metallic paint..Modern Masters…keep it light…and bring the citron tone.. into the living room (not the same but something in the same line) to keep it flowing..dont mix earthy tones and bolds :-D”
from Manon again via email:
to continue…..
this is the color palette of the Metallic Paint..
http://www.modernmasters.com/products.asp?mode=lp_palette&lid=3&gid=18
you probably need to order it since janovic does not sell much of it any more.
It takes some paint experience to bring it on …but i loooooooove the paints.
I think to keep it light warm and matching with the citron(what i would not make to acity, so it is easier to match with the brick and other colors)
i would go for …Snow Flake…oyster or Champagne
I like the paints and I like the colors you are mentioning.
Take a look at the American Clay paint line for your Ventian Plaster. It’s beautiful. Organic. Can mix pigment into in. Fragments of anything. Mica. String or shaped twigs. 😉 Or keep plaster smooth. Can add texture with trowel. Are you committed to keeping brick the same color or would you consider covering? Frees you up with your paint choices. A bright gold would probably work with the brick and you could carry into the room. Trim color in Oyster. Or or very light, warm putty color. Something like the lightest grout color.
I don’t want to paint the brick. I like your ideas about the trim color.
http://www.greenbuildingsupply.com/All-Products/American-Clay_2
Also, check out the color washes to go over. “O” will love this stuff!!
Mica flakes. http://www.greenbuildingsupply.com/All-Products/Paints-Coatings-Plasters-Pigments/American-Clay-Mica-Flakes#
I like the idea of mica flakes. I mix my own stucco veneziano and I’ve been thinking about what adding marble dust would do so maybe it is time to experiment with a little subtle sparkle. would it be too much with Manon’s idea of a metallic trim, I wonder?
Someone mentioned that they cannot imagine the yellowish colors with the brick and that I should just go for a dark color. I’ve tried a muddy color, if a dark color, what?
bright primary high gloss red, green. forget the muddy! forget the pastels. they are forgettable. my first choice–bright red high gloss keith
Just look at the bottom of your photo of the paint chips, look how great the lemon colors are against the black!!
I think something in a deep lemon with black trim around the door(s) can you give the actual door a unique treatment?
what about a decoupage of black and white photos (copies of course)? What is the light source or fixture?
xxx moi
Thanks for your ideas. Both the metal door that leads to the outside hallway needs to be painted and I’m trying to figure out colors for that. The 2 interior doors also can be painted a unique color if that makes sense. The light source will be a chandelier that I got on sale at PB teen. I will include a photo of that in my next post.
I think the citron + brick combo would be amazing!
And I’m so glad you stopped by my blog so that I could discover yours!
I’m completely fascinated by this whole homesteading business…do you have more specific posts about it?
Hi Tabitha, thanks so much for the input. Yes, I have a post called Pigeon Wars that is a story about the time when we started the homestead when drugs were rampant in the community. And a very short post called Venetian Plaster in my Hallway. I plan to write a lot more about it. My friend Marlis Momber has been photographing the neighborhood for over 30 years, so if you are interested in seeing more visuals, go to http://www.vivaloisaida.org.
Good blogging!
Thank you so much for your vote of confidence! Thanks for reading.