Home Office: Make-over in progress
I love the colour grey and it seems to have been the “it” colour in the design world for the last couple of years. There is such a range of warm to cool tones that it makes it an ideal neutral in almost any room. Lately, it’s been coupled with orange, a combination I also love, though I fear that it’s prevalence is making me think that it’s starting to overstay its welcome.
I chose Benjamin Moore’s Gray Owl. I wanted a calm backdrop for a slightly overstuffed room. The previous green had a bit of a “buzzy” quality. It could be calm but it could also look a bit sickly and crazed, vaguely institutional. I predict, 19th Century Asylum Chic is going to be a trend, because everything is a trend at some point, but perhaps not for my office!
So, calm grey it is. However, so as not to doze off amidst all this lovely serenity, I thought perhaps a livelier accent colour on the window wall would lull me out of my reverie and keep me alert while I’m working. Orange? The deep cadmium variety, not the tangelo type, maybe? Do I want to embrace the trend while I still can? Before it jumps the proverbial shark?
Nope. Using it for this blog is enough for now. How about a classic red? Yes, why not. Plus, the great thing about doing an accent wall is that if you tire of it, you can change it easily and at not much expense. I wanted a red that swung toward the blue undertone rather than the orange and decided on Pittsburgh Paint’s Rum Runner. I didn’t paint the colour right in to the corners but instead left about a 3” inch margin around the periphery. This gave it some breathing space and also allowed me to test out the new Frog Tape. It works, but you have to remember to really flatten it to the wall so that the paint doesn’t seep underneath it.
I think the red gives just the right amount of punch to the room and I was surprised to realize just how many fabrics and accessories I have that have a similar red in them. I guess my instincts were right and further proof of that is the weird little round disc of cardboard (about 1 1/2” wide) I found after I painted the wall, trapped inside the old baseboard when I removed it. Maybe someone was trying to tell me something.
Next up: Part of what makes decorating fun and challenging: not knowing what’s behind walls or under ugly floors. Stay tuned!
