I previously shared the entry and living room of this recent project in a traditional suburban neighborhood. Now I’m revealing how we transformed the dining room of this home and how we chose the perfect accent wall for this space.
This room started out as a front parlor that held the family’s piano and everything else that had no real home. As you entered the front door, this was the first room you saw. The paint was white on white. On white.
Dining Room Before
We decided to move the piano to the dining room on the opposite side of the hall and making that room the family’s music room. The dining room then moved into the hodge-podge room that previously held the piano. The new music room was the perfect place to gather all the family’s musical instruments and to hang a gallery of family photographs. My client had found a gilded antique settee at the Nashville Flea Market, but wasn’t sure what to do with its stained upholstery. It sat in the front parlor, as well.
Gilded Settee Before
A local upholsterer covered it in gauzy fabric and ruffles, and we moved it into the adjoining living room. You can see more of this room in this post.
Gilded Settee After
Ok, back to the dining room. Here again is the “before” of the room, taken from the front entry. As a Nashville Paint Color Consultant, I find that many people want to have a colorful accent wall, mainly because they are afraid to paint the entire room in their choice of color. So, they paint three of the walls a neutral color and paint one wall their chosen accent color. So in this room, which wall would you choose to paint an accent color?
Before
Did you guess which wall I picked to accent? Ok, it’s not technically a wall – it’s the ceiling.
Shabby Coastal Dining Room by The Decorologist, Melanie G Photography
It’s a much prettier view from the entry now. The wall color in the entry is the same as the dining room, and the room beyond is a lighter version of the blue we painted on the ceiling of the dining room. This creates a good flow of the color palette throughout the space, without making it look choppy. You can see the makeover of the entry in this post.
Here’s a view from the other side of the dining room through to the entry and across the way into the new music room. The mismatched dining chairs keep the look informal and fun, while complementing the established color palette.
Dining Room by The Decorologist
From the adjoining living room, this is what you used to see before the makeover: not much interest or color even though the homeowner had some really lovely furniture pieces.
View from Living Room Before
Now, the turquoise paint color on the ceiling positively glows. The ceiling is the PERFECT accent wall, evenly distributing the accent color throughout the entire space.
The Decorologist, Melanie G Photography
This works so well because the walls in the dining room were left a soothing neutral color, allowing the ceiling to take center stage.
Benjamin Moore’s Thunderbird 675
I also painted Benjamin Moore Thunderbird on the entire corner cabinet, leaving it in the interior but applying a layer of white over the exterior before roughing it up with a hand sander. Notice the color in the adjoining living room is a washed- down version of the ceiling color painted in the dining room.
The Decorologist, Melanie G Photography
Most of the accessories and art are some lighter or darker version of greeny-blue, which makes everything look calm and peaceful.
So what’s the take-away here? Quit looking around for the right wall to accent, and look UP for a change. Maybe it’s just the perfect accent wall for the room! Do you think I chose the right accent wall?
Kristie: who hangs and wires all your chandeliers?
LOVE these room makeovers..
Dianne,
This room didn’t have a light in the ceiling at all, so we had to have an electrician run wires and install this one. The fixture was from a place on 8th Avenue near Zanies (can’t recall the name of the place immediately!), and the electrician was someone the client had used before.
The whole space is gorgeous. I especially love the settee makeover.
Love the after shots!! Who would have thought about the ceiling being “THE” perfect way to keep all together with the color!
Thanks for the tip and pictures to help all of us who isn’t sure about decisions as this.
Lovely home and just my style.great job!!
It’s great! No, I did not pick the “correct” accent wall, but wow what an impact. I love the way you created a homey environment with sort of a minimalist approach. I’m a big fan of that sort of styling. Aside from ease of maintaining, less is often more and does add to a more tranquil feel. You are my favorite desighner. Your clients are so lucky to have you!
Thank you so much for your kind words, Susanne!!!
Kristie this is a perfectl example of a balanced color plan. The ceiling is so often forgotten but you tied the colors brilliantly, Love it!
Wow! What a lovely transformation! Patiently waiting for your e-book or class …
Nicole,
Working towards some things . . . I’ll keep you posted!
The 5th wall! Love it
I was blown away when I saw that ceiling color. It makes such a difference and works so well with the other room. I’m wondering if you have to talk your clients into using blue. A lot of people don’t like shades of blue, but maybe it’s different in your neck of the woods.
PS. I would love to take a color class from you.
I’ve been thinking about why this and other wonderful ceilings you’ve done make the rooms “feel” so good….It struck me that it is not unlike the feel that a tent or a tented room (middle -eastern style)
gives— so enveloping and comforting, somehow. You just have a wonderful gift, Kristie for making a house into a HOME. Sure hope we have lots of clear days this winter –just in case I need to drive to Nashville & take one of your courses!!! It’s snowing now in Highlands……
Oh Paula,
I could listen to you rave about me all day!!! Stay warm – it’s 52 degrees here and I am freezing!!! Don’t know how you stand it up north
I think we are actually southeast of you—but we’re @3800′.
You know what to do—just like in design—Layer it (clothes)……
We discovered the BEST blanket–(Costco and Penny’s have the lowest prices)—
a down blanket.Not the comforter, which can get too hot. If you need another layer,
a washable wool blanket over that is perfect!!!
Nope, I didn’t pick the right wall. I love it. The room is soothing in all that wonderful color.
What does painting the ceiling do to the feel of a room with 8 foot ceilings? Will it bring the ceiling down or make it feel more open? It looks like you were working with 10footers. thanks.
Sherry,
I think these ceilings are 9 feet. I do 8 foot ceilings in color all the time – just keep the walls on the light side and it can actually make the ceiling appear higher!
Perfect Kristie! You are so smart! Using a color on the ceiling to tie in the rooms- genius girlfriend! Looks so much prettier in the room with the table and chairs too. Great job!
I painted the ceiling in my dining room the same color! It’s called beach glass I think. I love it! The walls are gray though. I could never live with white walls. But that’s just me. Love your designs Kristie!
Ruth,
This color is Ben Moore’s Thunderbird, which is a more vivid color than Beach Glass – which I also love. I have done Beach Glass on a couple of ceilings, and it is lovely. What color gray did you use on the walls?
The turquoise ceiling looks great, and shows excellent restraint. I think a lot of designers would have been tempted to undertake a more radical transformation of color on the walls, rather than making a more isolated change with big time impact. So pretty. Well done!
The dining room looks wonderful! My 8 foot slightly textured ceilings (thank goodness no popcorn, though) wouldn’t really make a great accent wall but this house is just perfect for it.
How beautiful. I’ve never had the courage to paint ceilings the way you do {pass the flat white, please!}. It’s impressive.
Warmly, Michelle
You TOTALLY chose the right accent wall! I LOVE colourful ceilings – so much more interesting than a typical white ceiling. And the colour you used is so beautiful
Great idea to use a lighter version of the ceiling colour in the adjoining room to tie the spaces together. And on a different not – the reupholstered setee looks amazing!
This is such a pretty & elegant home, but with lots of elements (like the mismatched dining chairs) that make it cozy and fun too
I want to see the music room! (being a musician and all, that’s what piqued my interest in this post!)
What a great accent wall! Love how it is all pulled together with the adjancent rooms and the settee is so pretty!! Awesome job!
I've always loved the idea of having an accent wall, and that's what I plan on doing in my bedroom. The wall I wanted to do is the wall my bed is on, but reading your article where you said "let your architecture be your guide" has me thinking I should pain the wall my giant window is on. The window takes up about the whole wall leaving 2.5' on either side, of course with a top and bottom that would get painted as well. So which wall do I paint?!
If the wall with the window is the wall you face upon entering, it may be a good wall to accent. But if it is, you might want to consider centering your bed on the window as well. With panels on either side, it could be lovely. Check out this post: http://thedecorologist.com/absolutely-you-can-center-your-bed-on-a-window
Hi there, can you please help with my living room, i really like the accent wall idea but i can't decide what colour to pick, can i please send you a photo with my living room (i don't have all the furniture yet) but the wall i want to accent is the one where the tv is going to be, so i don't make the mistake of my life (this is meant to be a surprise for my wife, she is comming back next friday, i hope to finnish by then) plssss heeelllpppp.
Love this house and your work! I want to paint my 8′ ceiling turquoise but am worried it will make the ceiling feel even lower. Do you have any pics that show painted 8′ ceilings to help me envision the outcome? I am thinking eggshell for the ceiling with flat paint on the neutral tan walls? Maria Killam wrote on her blog that paint looks darker on a ceiling while you mentioned paint looks lighter on ceilings- so I am confused on which shade of color to pick. Thanks for your help!
Chez,
I have painted LOTS AND LOTS of ceilings, and in my experience, paint colors read lighter on the ceiling than the same colors do on the walls. And I do eggshell on the walls, flat on the ceiling typically. If I were doing a large room like a living room or kitchen with 8 foot ceilings, I might not do turquoise on the ceiling, but on a dining room or other typically smaller room – absolutely! This post might be enlightening:
http://thedecorologist.com/ive-got-proof-that-paint-colors-reads-lighter-on-the-ceiling
Thanks so much for the response. I thought I saw an eggshell sheen on the thunderbird DR ceiling above? Our living room is dark and kind of small at 18′ x 15′. Is that too big for an aqua ceiling (either thunderbird or beach glass). I thought an eggshell finish might reflect some needed light- or bad idea?
Chez,
I think a blue on the ceiling would be fine in your living room, provided your walls are neutral. Beach Glass is pretty, but it’s not aqua like Thunderbird – it would be more subtle. I actually like eggshell on ceilings, and I have it on my own to reflect light. But if can highlight imperfections and roller marks, so that might be problematic for you. If you do a great paint job and don’t mind a few imperfections, eggshell would be fine.
One last question pretty please?
Your color workshop and previous comments have convinced me to go for an aqua ceiling in eggshell finish. I am trying to decide between Thunderbird, Palladian Blue, and Spring Sky. My head is spinning. Our LR is 18′x15′ and a bit dark. It has 8′ ceilings, light cool gray walls, and this is the rug: http://tinyurl.com/cc5ks2g Which ceiling color would you suggest? Thank you thank you!
Chez,
Oh gosh, hold on – you say your walls are a light cool gray? It all depends on what color your walls are, as well as the undertone of the gray?