Painting your bedroom with dark paint

“Who is more foolish, the child afraid of the dark, or the man afraid of the light?”

Maurice Freehill

If you want to create an instantly dramatic room, consider painting it with a dark, moody color - nothing says bold and dramatic like a stormy midnight grey or a deep metallic charcoal! Dark colors are also a natural choice for a room that needs to have some masculine energy, and the strength of that deep, masculine color can be balanced with soft creamy fabrics if it’s a ‘his and hers’ room.

Did you know that it is much easier to make a room feel finished and anchored with dark walls and light accessories? Starting with white or light walls, most people just end up adding lots of clutter trying to make the room feel ‘done.’ A room with a bold color needs very little ‘stuff’ to make it feel complete. Yet many people hesitate to paint their walls dark for fear it will make a room feel small and gloomy. The trick is to pair that dark paint with bright linens, art and even furniture; the high contrast actually makes the white seem even brighter and draws your eye to the light things in the room!

If you do choose to paint with a deep color, I offer four suggestions:

1. Consider starting with a tinted primer. Primer is less expensive and can not only mean fewer coats of the higher cost paint, but it will also even out the wall imperfections so that your finished product looks better.

2. Try a little bit more expensive paint. I frequently use Aura by Benjamin Moore when painting a dark color because it never needs more than two coats.  A dark color will highlight a bad paint job, so make sure you finish the job!

3. Choose the least amount of sheen (how shiny the paint is) you can get away with in the room. If it’s an adult’s bedroom or guest room, go flat/matte. Dark paints look best with little sheen.

4. Be generous. If you are going to do just a single coat using standard paint, don’t bother. A poor paint job looks awful - if you are going to put the time in to decorate your home, put in the extra couple of hours you need for that second, or even third, coat - it’s worth it!!!

So take a risk, and as I remind all my clients, it is only paint. It’s not really much of a risk and might just give you incredible reward!

A primer on paint - what sheen should I choose?

Not only do you have to decide what color you will paint your walls, you also have to decide the sheen of the paint. The "sheen" is the shininess of the paint and has a big effect on the look and durability of the paint job. It also affects coverage (how many coats you'll need).

In general, the less shiny the finish, the more sophisticated the final look. However, the inverse is true for durability - in general, the more shiny, the more durable and washable. You should also know that the sheen can change how a color looks to your eye and may appear darker or lighter with a glossier finish.

There are four basic levels of sheen: flat or matte, eggshell and satin, semigloss, and gloss. With some manufacturers, they have both eggshell and satin (eggshell having slightly less sheen) and some also have a high gloss in addition to the standard gloss.

Flat Paint

Also called "matte," this finish is generally non-reflective (though many top quality flats still have a very slight sheen) and is the most forgiving in that it can hide surface imperfections, including scratches and small dents. A flat paint also has the greatest hiding capability allowing for fewer coats of paint.

Flat paint is a good choice for large interior ceilings and for walls in living areas that don’t get a lot of abuse. It is not recommended for areas with high humidity and water exposure. My favorite matte finish paint is Aura by Benjamin Moore - it looks like velvet in the darker colors!

Eggshell or Satin

Both eggshell and satin paint have slightly more sheen than flat, satin having more sheen than eggshell.

I use satin or eggshell on kid’s room walls, kitchen and bathrooms because they have better stain resistance than flat paints and can be scrubbed more vigorously. It also resists humidity well, though your bathrooms should still have good venting.

Satin can be a nice choice for trim if you don’t want it too shiny, and it is a great choice for exterior use since it readily sheds water and resists the effects of the sun.

Semi-Gloss Paint

The next highest sheen, semigloss, is even more resistant to dirt and scuff marks, and easier to clean. It’s traditionally used in kitchens, bathrooms and on trim, windows or doors. As satin paints have improved I don’t tend to use semigloss on walls any more because it looks a little too plasticky to me and really highlights imperfections in the walls, so I reserve it for trim, windows and doors. Still, it can be a smart choice for a kid’s bathroom.

Gloss Paint

Gloss paint it highly reflective, very tough, more stain resistant and easier to clean than any lower paint sheen. Because of its highly reflective nature it will really highlight surface imperfections. Gloss paint can be used on trim, doors and windows, but choose it carefully as this type of paint will produce a "plastic" coated look on smooth trim and doors. That can be great if it is the look you want.

Other notes

This information all refers to water based paints. Some people really prefer to use oil paint for doors, windows and trim as it is more durable and because it dries more slowly, brush marks have time to even out. Bear in mind that oil paint is much more toxic and must be used in a well-ventilated area, and that it must be cleaned up with spirits instead of just water. Anther option for that higher durability is to choose a latex "enamel" - these have more binder content than other types of finishes and so are harder, more stain and scuff resistant ,plus are more washable than other interior finishes.

This information is also meant for guidance on painting the interior of a home, but each paint sheen is also available for exterior use. I recommend a satin sheen for exterior walls because it sheds water well, but still looks sophisticated. Just keep in mind that the shinier the paint, the more it will shed water and resist dirt pick-up. For exterior trim you can stick with satin, or go to a semi gloss or even a gloss.

The ability for a paint to hide an existing color is directly affected by the sheen of the new paint. In general, flat paint covers the best, gloss the worst. So, say it takes two coats of flat paint, you’ll want three or more coats of semi-gloss or gloss for perfect coverage.

Remember that every manufacturer will have a slightly different definition of each sheen, so be sure to look at the samples for the specific brand you are buying before committing to a given sheen. The samples on paint chips are usually given in a flat sheen.

Happy painting!

Someone's going to love your stuff!

“How many things are there which I do not want.” Socrates 

After my divorce a good friend gave me some wonderful advice when I was trying to decide what to do with my wedding ring. She said that I needed to get it out of my home in order to make room for all the good things that were waiting for me to make space for them.

That really hit home because without realizing it, by holding on to that token of my past I was keeping myself from opening to new love.

Now I work with clients trying to make fresh starts in their own lives, and I always share that wisdom with them. Every time we start I hear the list of excuses why they CAN’T get rid of Aunt Ann’s chair, the second set of dishes, the broken mirror, the dusty records in the attic, etc... At this point, after reminding them that they are trying to move FORWARD in their lives, I gently remind them that instead of hoarding the stuff out of fear and guilt, they can let someone else use and enjoy it! Not only will the stuff have a new life, but there will be room in their home and heart for things that will bring them joy to look at and use.

If you are ready to tackle your home and lighten its load, here are five helpful tips to focus the project:

1. 1.Contain the project. Choose one half of a closet, one quarter of a garage, or one box of papers. Make it an area that you can finish in an hour or two.
2. 2.Get comfortable and prepared. Have a chair or pillow to sit on, have water on hand, and have boxes ready for the things you are keeping, the things you are letting go, and the things that need further consideration.
3. 3.Set a timer for one hour. During that one hour do not answer the phone, wander to the fridge, or otherwise get distracted. When the timer dings, take the box for Goodwill to the donation station immediately. Move the Craigslist items to a corner and post them within 24 hours. Action is the key!
4. 4.If you are going to sell your items through Craigslist, decide how you want to use the money you make. Write down that goal or post of picture of it in the workspace you are organizing. By posting a picture nearby of what you DO want then as you hold each item you can ask yourself if it supports the life you WANT or the life you have.
5. 5.Unless you are focussing on paperwork for the hour, NEVER read, sort or file the papers you find while decluttering. You’ll NEVER finish because either you’ll drown in nostalgia or get overwhelmed. Instead, have a small box on hand, toss the papers you find into it, and make that a separate organizing project.

Once you finish an section, celebrate. Imagine how much closer you are to having the life and home you want, and smile!