Decorating Color Schemes

by Barb

Maroon And Gold Living Room

We are in the process of choosing wall colors and cabinet hardware.

Our two storied family room adjoins our kitchen.

The furniture in our family room is as follows: one maroon over-sized chair, gold toned couches, dark walnut blinds and entertainment unit, tables and our carpet is a beige tone.

What color would you suggest for the walls?

And what should we paint the kitchen in order to have a flow between the rooms? I would like the family room to be warm and cozy while the kitchen appears lighter and open.

Also, in our kitchen we have black/tan marble laminate countertops, cocoa glazed maple cabinets with a dark accent in grooves, stainless steel appliances, and chandeliers which are dark bronze toned and mocha colored lights (they match our countertops and cabinets).

Should we go with brushed silver or a dark bronze for the hardware?

Thank you for your help!

Andrea's Response:

Hi Barb

Given that you already have gold and maroon in your family room I would suggest that you opt for shades of gold for the walls.

As you want the family room and the kitchen to flow together well, using different shades of the same color will look good and allow you to have a warmer look in the family room and a lighter look for the kitchen.

One wall paint choosing tool I really like when planning color schemes is ColorSmart from Behr Paints.

From there, choose the 'yellows' palette and having chosen the shade of gold you like for the lounge - Wildflower Honey for example - you can, using the 'Fine Tune' option, click to lighten two shades which will give you Lemon Souffle as a suitable color for the kitchen.

This is a really useful free tool if you are choosing colors for two adjoining rooms as it allows you to select different shades of basically the same color.

As for the kitchen hardware, I would definitely choose dark bronze to match the chandeliers if I were you.

Kind regards,

Andrea