When Karen asked our opinion on whether to replace her original ceramic tile kitchen countertops (160 reader comments so far!), she also asked for help in finding a great color for an accent wall in her retro living room. To help accent her metal wall sculptures and add some pizzazz to her room, Karen wants to paint the long wall — which stretches from her entry way all the way to her fireplace — a different color than the other, light green-painted walls. I love color puzzles like this, so of course I told Pam I’d take on the task of suggesting an accent wall color for Karen.
Karen writes:
Hi Kate, How thoughtful of both you and Pam to take the time to help with my room. I’ve painted that wall, the main one that runs the length of the house, opposite the window, at least four times while the rest of the walls remain — they are a subtle earthy green that looks appealing next to the fireplace. For the accent wall, I’ve tried brick red, tan, and most recently the yellow shown in the top photo. The focal point is the metal art sculpture, a very authentic piece from the early 70s made by a guy in Canada, brought home in a VW bus. I love the sofa, too, but the green is hard to match, and it’s getting pretty clawed up, so I’m not going to try to highlight it; I really need to recover it. The Heywood Wakefield Aristocraft chairs have covered cushions in a gray/black retro pattern. Recently, I brought home a sample of gray/purple and smeared it on the wall, ugh! So, with your fresh viewpoint, where should I go with this? Thanks so much, truly.
When Pam was handing off Karen’s info to me, she pointed out that Karen’s bark cloth curtains were likely a recently available pattern called Mambo. Armed with this information, I started by pulling together swatches of color, pattern and texture from the room.
I took the major repeating colors and textures and made a mini swatch board, so that I could see all of them together. This is always a good place to start if you aren’t sure what direction to go with a room. In this case, looking at Karen’s choice of fabric for the curtains — which would be much more expensive to change than a wall color or accessories — is a classic way to help dictate the color scheme of the room. Any time you add an element like patterned or multi-colored curtains, upholstery or rugs into a room, it is important to repeat those colors throughout the room — this helps make the room make good design sense… These large, costly “foundational” elements “pull” a room and all its colors together — all your colors are in those patterned pieces, repeat them!
So let’s look at the colors in Karen’s space:
1. The grey color from Karen’s entry way tile, upholstery on chairs and one of her sofas, and the main color of the bark cloth curtains.
2. A light green, this is what the other walls are painted and the sofa (even if it needs to be recovered) is currently this green.
3. The bark cloth curtain fabric — mostly grey but with hints of pink, white, black, yellow and green.
4. The blonde/light colored wood that repeats throughout the room.
5. The warm brown of the stone on the fireplace.
Karen said she had already tried a brick red, tan, yellow and a little dab of purple grey, which earned an instant yuck. So, what’s a girl to try next? Here’s what I think: Karen has a lot of grey and colors with hints of grey in them (the green on her couch and other walls is a shade of green, which means a tiny bit of black has been added to tone down the color.) The other main colors are neutral — the warm browns in the fireplace and the wood tones in the furniture. I think Karen didn’t like the brick red because it was too close to the fireplace color, which blended instead of allowing the fireplace to stand out. The tan likely was too close to the wood and therefore made the room feel too tan overall. The yellow was a good idea, but because it is so light, it too is too close to the wood tones — thus the same “too tan” affect. Her dab of purple grey probably pushed the room into grey overload — therefore earning the yuck. My solution? Pump up the color!
Why did I choose a medium coral color? First it is vibrant — no grey in sight — which will create instant pizzazz. The pinky coral complements the light wood tones nicely and provides a nice backdrop for the sculpture wall. Coral is a complementary color to the green already found in the room through the couch and other walls (mini art lesson — red and green are opposite on the color wheel — which makes them complementary colors) and complementary colors play nice together. The coral also works well with all the grey in the room — warmly popping forward while the cool grey recedes, creating balance. From what I can tell from the picture, the coral should also coordinate nicely with the fireplace stone. Yes, both are warmer colors, but they are different enough in value (fireplace is dark, coral is mid, most of the rest of the room is light) that they shouldn’t compete for attention.
Karen, I don’t know if you are freaking out right now with the idea of painting your wall bright coral — I’ve noticed much of the rest of your lovely home is painted with lighter colors — but you did say you tried a brick red, so I’m hoping you are up to the challenge. If not, I’ve picked a slightly less bold–but similar option:
A light pink accent wall would also work in your space for many of the same reasons that the coral works. It still coordinates well with the grey, green and wood that fills your living and dining room area and would also still works very well with your fireplace and curtains — it is just the toned down version. Do we spy a pink shade on your pole lamp — that might be your light pink! If it were me, I would go with the coral, but I know not everyone likes a bright accent wall.
Another bit of advice — I noticed you have quite a few bright orange accent pieces in your room — your footstool, rug and decorative plate in front of the fireplace, etc. What I might do is to move all the orange accents to another room and then go “shopping” in your house for other accents — like art work, pillows, pottery, knickknacks — that have pink in them. Adding more pink to your living room will help make the room look more cohesive and finished and will help cement your expensive draperies into the design of the room. Ultimately, one of two orange accents can be brought back in, but again: Your draperies are suggesting that your principal accent color should be pink, not orange.
I hope I’ve helped you pick a new accent wall color for your room, or at the very least, given your brain a fresh thought process to follow in your quest for the perfect accent wall color. Best of luck — let us know what you decide!
What do you think readers?
Is medium coral a good color for Karen’s accent wall?
Is the light pink a better option?
What color would you advise Karen to choose?
See Kate’s story — Accent wall: Four steps to get them right — here.
aleta says
well, I love your Coral idea, Kate; but I would paint that wall Charcoal! Not black, not dark gray, but charcoal. I love a dark wall, and to me the room needs some weight because of the piano and the few black accents – everything ‘Pops’ with dark walls 😀 Then re-cover the sofa in Coral!
BTW – the Today show this morning had REAL Flamingos on their show!!
Saundra A says
I immediately thought of dark charcoal gray. My masseuse has a wall in one of her rooms in that color with a metal sculpture on the wall. In flat paint it looks so inviting you want to touch it-like suede. And the metals (chrome bronze and copper) contrast wonderfully. It goes really well with the woods and natural tones in the rest of the room. It would be something to consider if you don’t want to go too bold with color, or leave the bold colors for the furniture.
lisa says
Ha! I was coming here to say the same thing. First thing I thought was “paint that wall a very very dark, almost black grey.
Although I like the coral and agree it technically goes well with the green, personally I dislike the coral/green combination. She didn’t ask whether to paint ALL the walls, but I think coral/grey could look nice.
Wendy says
We recently had the same problem. We have Mohawk Chartreuse carpet (a green shag), Paprika chairs from Macy’s vintage collection and very dark wood trim around the brown brick fireplace. We were worried that more green would be too much, but we found the color Avocado from the Suburban Modern Collection at Sherwin Williams. There is a lot of grey in it and because of this, our vintage starburst wall clock in chrome just shines! It also looks great against lighter greens because the grey makes it very easy to match. It is a little dark, but her room is light enough to handle the contrast and it is quite exquisite on the wall.
pam kueber says
That Sherwin-Williams’ Avocado is a terrific color, I had it in my office until I wallpapered with 18 different wallpaper designs! See my beloved-now-gone Avocado walls: https://retrorenovation.com/2012/06/18/18-patterns-of-vintage-wallpaper-277-squares-for-my-big-fat-retro-office-remodel/
Jordanna says
Of those options presented, I’d go light pink.
The coral is fun and works but it is just too bright for me to live with long term as a wall. I’d like it as tchotchkes ON the light pink wall or as a lamp or something though. I liked the general idea of swapping the orange odds-and-ends for pink.
I feel like light pink would respond more to the curtains which are the big scheme-anchoring element anyway? Coral is chipper and retro and all but it feels like a whole new thing to me.
Matchy-matchy is a curseword nowadays in design rags… but it didn’t use to be! Don’t be afraid, match your pink! 😀
Also I just look crapola against coral walls, and I am COMPLETELY that vain, if it were my own home. Soft pink doesn’t make me look like a tomato with feet.
I liked the Sherwin Williams chartruese idea but I would do that if I were revamping the green walls, I wouldn’t keep the soft green and then have a different yellow-green up against them.
Of choices not on the thing – do y’all remember an ancient Retro Renovation blogging from about 2009 on “Rose Red Wallpaper” it links back to an older post on red-pink damask wallpapers. https://retrorenovation.com/2007/12/13/traditional-style-wallpaper-for-your-retro-foyer-or-dining-room-surround-yourself-in-roses/
I sort of thing I would do something like that if I wanted a dark rich pink – something in that as a pattern, cut by a lighter pink?
Have I been in the red wine?
For just one wall I would love damask wallpaper. If not rose or pink, maybe the grey. Bradbury has some neutral-ish ones, if damask wallpaper is ever a neutral.
pam kueber says
‘Matchy-matchy” a curseword nowadays’ in design rags? Ha! Not here! You all know it’s one of my favorite things! I LOVE DOING THE OPPOSITE of what’s in “design rags nowadays”. 🙂
Echo Hanson says
I understand..though my curtains have the same coloring and yet the orange works in my room. its funny how it does because I didnt think it would. And I like a soothing look also..not jarring.
sean says
That medium coral ROCKS! Like it so much better than the light pink. The only “issue” may be it’s not a “relaxing” color? But I think it would look stunning. Does anyone know a good website to give me advice on furniture arrangement? My house is not “retro” but I Have a couch that only can go in front of a window (ugh) and I’d like some creative ideas of re-arranging it. Thanks!
Karen says
Wow! This is truly amazing! Thank you, everyone, so much, for taking the time to ponder and comment about this cunundrum of mine. And Kate, you adorable woman! Thank you for the special attention to color detail and the color lesson. As soon as I get home from work, I’m going to sit down and take each of these fabulous suggestions to heart. Coral, pink, turquoise(!), gray, they’re all a bit daring, which is a good thing. I needed the encouragement.
Kate says
Glad to be of service Karen! It was fun! Also with so many great suggestions from the RR community, you should be able to figure out a color that will work for you and your room! Let us know what you decide! We’d love to see it! 🙂
Amanda says
I love the idea of a coral textured fabric (like a raw silk or shantung {sp?} or another barkcloth but solid color) applied as a wallpaper/wallcovering. because it’s an accent wall it would not be ‘too much’ and it would create a rich feel. It’s applied with liquid starch, so if you hate it, remove it and wipe down the wall and paint! then launder the fabric and make some accent pillows!
Echo Hanson says
I probably stand alone on this….but see what appears to be an orange colored plate on the mantel? Thats what I would go for. That room needs a pop of color..but then..I liked blue/grey backgrounds with pops of orange and /or reds. Then I accent with turquoise. I know it sounds like a lot..but with so many neutrals ..the color isnt overbearing or shocking. It just adds a bit of life to the room. Orange on that wall with orange accents on the mantel and pillows for the sofa would bring a smile to the room for me 🙂 I dont care for coral personally.
Kate says
I would have suggested orange right away, except the curtains don’t have any orange and there are several other colors in them. I’d worry there would be too much going on in the room. I think orange would be great if she had different curtains…
pam kueber says
Yes, Kate and I discussed orange — but the concern was that there was no orange in the draperies, which is the textile that “pulls” all the colors of the room together….
Marie says
Go bold. Copper. then paint the brick around the fireplace (or white wash it).
Birgitte says
I am loving the coral! My parents actually painted their living room coral a few years ago on accident…and ended up absolutely loving the color! It brings a rosy, comfy glow to the room that was missing before. Their room used to have white walls and was so cold-looking nobody used the room, they stayed in the large kitchen instead. Once they painted it coral, it became one of their favorite rooms of the house!
Kate says
At my last house, I had a coral living room. It was such a lively and wonderful color. Everyone commented on how cheery and bright the room was. I think it is a great color! That being said, I do understand that something that bold isn’t for everyone, but I do think Karen’s room would look awesome with a bright pinky-coral wall!
Karen says
Kate, thanks again for yours and everyones great ideas! I need to ask one more big favor. I have actually often thought coral would work as well, but finding a coral that doesn’t look like a band aid has been my biggest challenge. Do you have a suggestion on the name of the paint?