The secret to taming a fiery red? Balance it with pops of white. A smattering of dove white wall accents with the white fireplace, chair rail, and coffee table keep the bold color in check.A light-colored paint will make a small room appear bigger, for instance, and darker shades will make a large room seem much more intimate. These types of paint-induced optical illusions can be used with excellent results in almost any space. If a ceiling feels too low, bright white can “raise” your perception of its height. By taking a cue from clothing designers, adventuresome homeowners can paint their walls with vertical stripes to enhance the sense of height. On the other hand, dramatic high ceilings may cause a living space to feel cavernous. Add a mid-tone to deep hue on the ceiling to visually lower the height. Another alternative is to paint horizontal stripes on the walls. Light-colored ceilings will attract attention, but dark-colored ceilings will direct the eye back to head level, allowing the focus to be on the walls, furnishings and accessories in a room.
Just as a dark monochromatic outfit can visually “slim” an appearance, a monochromatic paint scheme can do the same in a large space. Choosing darker shade for the walls will reign in a large room and create a cozy and intimate space. And, as mentioned earlier, a light-colored paint will make a small room appear bigger. Another tip to make a small room look large: Choose a light-color paint and select furnishings in the same color family (or you get some of the furniture to match the walls) Is your room too narrow and long? Just widen it by painting the shorter walls a deeper color than the longer walls. The darker colors will recede and will create an illusion of width in this instance. (If your room is too big, apply the same formula in reverse: light colors will advance, and create the illusion of a smaller space.) If color alone isn’t enough to change the perceived dimensions, use color combinations to create visual breaks. Divide your wall space horizontally with a chair rail and paint the upper and lower portions different hues.
For both visual and practical reasons, selecting the right sheen — the shine or luster level — of paint is almost as important as the actual color. “Paint color, sheen, pattern and texture can be combined to create a number of interesting and individual looks for the home,” says Zimmer. “Color is often the first consideration when redecorating, but to successfully create today’s contemporary looks, it’s helpful to have some understanding of basic design principles and the role of paint within a space.” Texture is an important element of design that can add interest and style in any room. Use decorative techniques such as sheen striping or stippling, which provides a variegated appearance and gives depth to the surface. Glossier finishes lend greater warmth and depth to surfaces than do flat paints. For example, a room with white gloss paint on the ceiling will seem larger than a room whose ceiling is painted with a white flat paint. Also remember that light affects color dramatically.
Fluorescent light tends to be cool lighting and brings out more green or blue in a color. Incandescent lighting — as provided by traditional-style light bulbs — brings more of the red or warmth out in a color. It is important to view colors in daylight or night, because they will appear different. See books created by our team in the Myria shop!Shopping Cart is Full You cannot add any additional items to the Shopping Cart Site will log you out You are leaving the BEHR® Consumer website. You will be logged out. Ask an Expert by Email Thank you, Your email has been sent to our experts. Your color has been saved to your My BEHR account.Access your account anytime from the "My BEHR" button at the top of every page. There was a problem saving your color. We're adding this sample to your shopping cart. Enter your email address and we'll send you a password reset link. Password Reset Link Sent Please check your email for a link to reset your password.
The following color(s) are not available as a sample for purchase. They were not added to your shopping cart. Your colors have been added to your cart. may not match the colors you ultimately paint on your surface.For true color representation, always start your project by using a Behr Color Sample to confirm the color in your home.For true color representation, always start your project by using a Behr Color Sample to confirm the color in your home.A welcoming room begins with well-dressed walls. The editors from Better Homes and Gardens® magazines have great ideas to spice up any "plain-Jane" room. Millwork wall treatments add charm and texture to rooms of every style. But not every style of woodwork fits in every home. Finding the right match will make all the difference. Consider these stylish statements you can make with millwork. Whether applied in tongue and groove, raised panel, or any other millwork form, wainscoting is called such because it covers only part of the wall.
High wainscoting covers roughly two-thirds of the wall’s height and is often finished with a ledge, called a plate rail, that features a groove for securing pictures or plates on display. Applying narrow strips of molding to look like panels is a popular treatment known as picture framing. Frame sizes often vary around the room, emphasizing small spaces above doors and windows and highlighting large wall spaces for art placement, but the key to eye-pleasing design is keeping the spacing between frames uniform and edges aligned. Flat-panel wainscoting carried to high-on-the-wall stature is indicative of the Arts and Crafts look. Multiple layers of flat boards are used to create this dynamic wall treatment. Simple 1"x4" boards spaced approximately 12" to 18" apart around the room can give a room the perceived look of having higher ceilings. Usually there is no display ledge capping the top of flat panel wainscoting. The key is to measure your room and calculate how to evenly space the vertical boards which repeat around the room.
Popular in formal living and dining rooms of traditional homes, raised panels can continue an elegant statement when carried up a staircase wall. Standard boards used for millwork let you create a custom look personalized to your design style. This quick-and-easy western look can be accomplished with only using 2 types of flat millwork. Large flat wood sheets can be hung behind the X designs or apply millwork directly to the wall board. Beaded-board paneling is a favorite in classic cottage style homes. Commonly applied as wainscoting, it has a clean, crisp effect when hung floor to ceiling in mudrooms and recreational spaces. Plus beaded-board paneling can be used as a backsplash in kitchens and when used in a small bathroom, it gives a vertical lift to the space. For a wainscoting that blossoms with garden appeal, simply overlap square-edge, flat boards in a latticework pattern. Apply a baseboard and chair rail in a contrasting width to finish off this look. For one-of-a-kind interest, pair triple-depth paneled wainscoting with walls of slate (or painted with chalkboard paint) for a charming bistro approach.
A molding ledge along the bottom edge even holds chalk and an eraser. Or as an option, skip the chalkboard and contrast the millwork with a wall paint color that will enhance artwork. Although millwork often dresses entire rooms for architectural effect, it can make an equally stunning impact with a single strategic placement. Raised panels that are aligned and topped with a plate rail can fashion an impressive built-in headboard, for instance. Whether you’re a do-it-yourselfer or you need to convey to a professional the look you want, an understanding of millwork vocabulary will help yield stunning results. Baseboard – Horizontal trim that runs along the bottom of a wall at the floor Butt joint – When a piece of trim is chopped off squarely at the end and pushed or "butted" against another Casing – Trim surrounding a window or door Chair rail – A horizontal strip of molding originally used to prevent chairs from damaging the wall; typically installed 30-36 inches from the floor
Coping joint – Allows contoured trim, such as crown molding, to merge in an inside corner by cutting the first piece square, butting it against the intersecting wall, and shaping the end of the second piece with a saw and a file (coped) to match the trim’s outward contours Cove – A usually narrow trim piece with a concave profile cut into it Crown – A molding installed from the top of the wall to the ceiling; typically features both convex and concave portions Dentil – A design with closely spaced blocks across a strip of trim Egg-and-dart – A design of alternating ovals and dartlike shapes used on trim Frieze – A horizontal band of carvings running around a room, often near the ceiling and traditionally positioned between the crown and the top window or door moldings Miter joint – Two pieces of molding cut at corresponding angles to create a 90-degree corner; often seen on window and door casing Picture rail – A convex molding typically hung horizontally several inches below the ceiling line;