We asked interior designer Ashley Phipps from Simply Designing — what paint colors should I use to complement wood furniture?
Q: I tend to stick to wood furniture in my house. My space looks a little drab, and I want to paint the walls. What colors would you recommend for paint that will complement wood furniture?
A: Honestly, the sky is the limit when it comes to designing your personal space, and each space and personal style will call for a different answer. However, some paint colors definitely do work best with particular wood tones. The key in all design is to know your style. If you want items to pop and stand out, be sure to add contrast to your space. If you prefer a monochrome space, then go that route.
Generally speaking, I prefer to incorporate both light and dark colors into all of my spaces, in moderation. Dark colors help spaces to feel grounded, while light colors help to create an open, airy and inviting space. I prefer to combine light paint colors with darker wood tones and a mix of dark and bright paint colors with lighter wood tones.
For example, if you have mostly dark espresso-colored furniture, add light paint colors to your room to help keep your room light, bright and inviting. Too much dark color can feel dull and dreary. I would incorporate light colors such as Crisp Linen White, Fresh Pineapple, Almost Aqua or Peach a la Mode to create an airy yet grounded space.
If you have mainly light wood furniture, you will want to add a bit of contrast to your space by adding dark or bright colored accents to your room. A few fun dark or brightly painted accents help create visual interest. I love adding colors like Rich Navy, Warm Gold, Spearmint Gum or Regal Purple to a room with light furniture.
Medium-toned wood furniture definitely lends itself to many decorating options. However, medium-toned wood can feel a bit boring if you don’t add contrast to your space. Again, variety is key and I love to combine darker colors as well as lighter colors into any space. Colors like Crisp Ginger Ale, Cappuccino White or Spring Cactus provide beautiful contrast to medium wood tones and add a touch of brightness to a room.
Or you can add bright or dark colors like Leather Brown, Totally Teal or Red Delicious to help create visual interest, excitement and a sense of warmth to your space.
If you have a mix-matched variety of light, medium and dark woods, there are two different ways you can head. You can keep your paint colors neutral and more monochromatic to really highlight your variety of wood tones in your space. Or you can create lots of visual excitement by combining a variety of paint colors into your space to complement the variety of wood tones.
You can also add interest by adding a painted accessory to the room. My general rule of thumb (to be broken of course) is that if most of your furniture is already a wood tone, start by adding one accent piece of painted furniture. It will create visual interest in a room without going overboard. If you love it and want more, you can always add a second or third piece.
This post was sponsored by Glidden Glidden® Premium Paint + Primer sold exclusively at The Home Depot.
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