A couple weeks ago I talked about one of my favorite navy paint colors, Newburyport Blue, because I was embarking on an office project with clients who are also our good friends.
You may remember the room refreshing I did for this family a while back, with a very cute someone serving as color palette inspiration:
Talk about LOW MAINTENANCE – this couple is the exact opposite of me – they have lived in their home for almost 14 years and have NEVER changed the wall color of their main living areas since the builder painted all the walls a creamy white. 14 years!!! Do you know how many coats of paint I have put on my walls in 14 years?! I want to be them when I grow up.
Despite the fact that they are low maintenance about their home and decor, they have done a lot of living under this roof with their four kids and that cute pup, and the time had come to freshen up the space. We had a color consultation almost a year ago and ended up painting the mudroom, kitchen and family room BM Grant Beige, and BM Nimbus Gray in the dining room. To you Grant Beige might seem very neutral but it felt like a big step to my clients.
A little time has gone by and now they are getting brave. They let me talk them into an even bolder color for their office, which is on the other side of the foyer from their dining room.
We looked at a lot of dark, moody room pictures and this Pottery Barn photo really struck a cord with them.
Along with this desk, the room already has two brown leather chairs and a gorgeous antique drop leaf gate leg table that I knew would be delicious with a dark blue.
In the end we sampled 6 navy and smoky blues – I always recommend sampling first!!! It’s so easy to rule out certain colors right off the bat. We weren’t looking for an exact match to the PB inspiration photo, just a color that felt good in the space, and worked well with Nimbus Gray in the dining room. While I still love Newburyport Blue, we knew it was wrong as soon as we put the smallest swatch on the wall. Some blues felt too grey, too purple, too green.
(More on some of these colors in the near future – a couple of them are gorgeous in real life!!!!!!)
In the end this family of 6 voted on BM Stillwater #1650. Here is the room before…
and a little look of the after, puppy approved!
My cell phone pics don’t do the wall color justice, this is what is really looks like.
The smoky blue looks gorgeous with the brown leather & wood, and makes the white trim pop.
The desk got a makeover too, inspired by the Pottery Barn photo.
Next up, a rug, curtains, lamp and a gallery wall over the desk.
It’s been so much fun to toss around ideas with the homeowners and see what appeals to them.
Top L-R: Pottery Barn Nolan, Pottery Barn Scroll Tile, Home Decorators Riverwood
Bottom L-R: Overstock, Home Decorators Archer, Overstock
Seeing elements together on your computer is a great way to envision them in your space before you drag them all home. A few combinations for this room….
Option One
“natural” curtains with Greek key or solid border on inside edge, paired with the Pottery Barn Nolan rug.
Option Two
simple white panels with or without a border on the inside edge, and the Nolan rug.
Option 3
simple white cotton panels (Ikea Lenda from the blog A Little Of A Lot) with Home Decorators’ Riverwood rug.
Option Four
slate blue curtains (actually tablecloths from the Christmas Tree Shop!), paired with a natural fiber rug (similar one available from Overstock).
The verdict was…..
the Nolan rug with either white or natural curtain panels (Options 1 or 2) – but guess what?
this rug is out of stock until MARCH! Just our luck.
So we are back on the hunt and hopefully I’ll be back soon to share how it all came together!
That’s a wrap for today, see you tomorrow for QTT my lovelies!
