I am planning to paint my living room, which is 12' wide, 22' long and 14' ceiling. It is white plaster with very heavy, very dark (with reddish tones) doors, trim,ceiling beams and floors. The front door (facing north) is heavy and dark with a 12"x7" stained glass insert. There are two tall, narrow lead casement windows with smaller stained glass windows above them and a window seat below one window. There is also a large limestone, sandstone looking fireplace with a mirror the width of the fireplace reaching from the mantle to the ceiling.
I'm interested in finding a great white to paint the walls. I would love to toy with the idea of introducing some really modern elements to this medieval/church looking living room. The room tends to be dark and I would love a wonderful, mystical, luminous, enveloping white in a pearl like finish. I have a collection of black and white photography in gallery frames that I would like to move in there.
Thank you so much for any advice you can give. Amy McKay
Venetian Plaster
It's gorgeous and very expensive. A friend's sister has a business doing it and I've seen her apply it. It's not easy to do and it takes a practiced hand. I know that there are 'faux' versions of it out there for the DIY person, though. However, you might do better to layer glazing to get the luminous look you're after. I'd recommend doing a vanilla or buttery white to balance all that redish dark wood. A grey-white would look harsh. Base coat would be the lightest shade, then layer with 1/2 glaze 1/2 paint in two successive shades using a dry brush or striaed method so the base coat is exposed. The glazing should be slightly slighly darker than the base coat. I'd go the warm yellow-y white and whatever the next color is on the chip strip, then use the darker tone to dilute into the lighter with the glaze. You can also get powder additives to add to the glazing for a pearlescent effect. A champaign-gold tone would look excellent.
I agree
but what are ya gonna do? If you fight such a dominant feature you will lose. Period. So she must work with it if she's not going to paint it. If the room is dark then using a warm luminous paint will help it feel cozy. What were your thoughts? I briefly considered suiggesting she pick up a color from the stained glass, but that would be too strong, I think.
Venetian plaster w/ wood
I think the venetian plaster in a warm creamy white would go very well with the old wood. Remember it's based on ancient roman colored plaster and it was the predominant wall finish in rennaisance italy. Many of the rennaisance villas in Venice still retain their original plaster walls.
Modern Aspect
I love the suggestions and wonder if there is a contemporary design element I can throw in this mix. At one time I thought a modern white wall might say, "Old traditional house meets young hip chick." I have my deceased mother's antiques and now I'm living in this beautiful period house but I so want to have a clean, modern, funky element to it. Since it is apparent that warm and buttery walls are going to be more appealing than "the doctor will see you now" I was considering, I'm afraid that with my mother's porcelain flower collection on display, I'm only one step away from a doily draped rocker and a hair net!!!
Rose might be OK
Stay away from cool tones. So no blue green or cool purples. Yellow, pink, orange tones are good. Just stay in the warm range. You say there is not much light in the room, but from which cardinal point does what light you have originate N/S/E/W? Also do you use this room mostly at night or during the day? These points affect the tonality and saturation of the 'white' you use. (BTW, 'the doctor will see you now' really made me cackle)
As for the modernness of a space, I have always believed it's more about how you live in the space than the period of the objects in it. A minimum of accessories, gewgaws and acoutrements along with careful placement of furniture and a controlled amount of furniture make a space feel more 'modern'. Opt for fewer pieces, ones that accomadate multiuses (ie: a table that is a desk and a dining space) Also keep patterned fabrics to a minimum. Art is best kept simple, your B/W photos sound great. I think maybe you should tuck away most of mom's collectibles maybe keeping out one piece at a time to showcase it. How's that sound?
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