interior paint colours for 1930's gem

[lizzie]

well - here is the new project. red brick with return verandah, built around the 1930's, polished timber floors, cast iron fireplaces and lovely stained glass windows (example below).

i'm in a head screw about the interior paint colours and am after some opinions - i've already choosen the exterior colours for the trims and it is definately NOT cream, green and red.

internally the current wall colour throughout is a horrible yellow with deep cream skirtings/door/window surrounds etc. i've tested the paint and there doesn't appear to be any lead based paints in the house (yay!!).

the rooms have 12 foot ornate ceilings, picture rails, very wide skirting boards and wide door/window surrounds - although the rooms themselves aren't huge (good size but not huge) and not a great amount of light comes into the rooms due to the main windows being stained glass.

the modern take seems to be painting the timberwork, doors, above the picture rails and ceilings in white and the walls in dark colour (blue or charcol, etc). the pictures i've seen of this colour scheme look very nice and freshly up to date but i'm not convienced that it wouldn't make the rooms seem smaller and darker in real life.

the other alternative is to take the timberwork and doors back to timber and paint the rest of the walls an off white.

i'd appreciate thoughts - it's a hard decision because i like both options but both are wildly different in finish and approach. i am not after the "easier" option as we are living in this house and time is not of the essence.

 

[RumpledElf]

Timber in old doors/trim tends to be full of old nails, filled-in bits etc so unless you're after the 'rustic' look you're going to be disappointed, and they are so twiddly they are really hard to strip. You might even find there are several different kinds of timber - maybe even some modern pine bits where someone replaced a damaged bit very recently - so they all come up different colours.

I'd love a house like you're describing, I'd be painting the doors/trim white if the rooms are small and off-white if they are huge, and each room a different warm colour that is strong but not too dark. Olivey green, pumpkin, butter yellow for the baby's room, taupe for us, some virulent dusky pink for the fairy's room etc. But that's just me, not for resale

Hoping to buy a house like you describe next year, actually (time frame is totally dependant on when they process the subdivision, which depends on the sale of my old PPoR). 1910s-1930s age. They're cool. There's some nice old ones around here begging to be done up.

 

[Nathan]

my colours, i like using modern colours in these things...

For me, I would use a greyish white on walls with white roof and white skirtings...

Just to keep simple, clean chrisp and show off nice architraves.

I not a fan of creams greens and gordy colours once used...

 

[tarah]

Hi Lizzie,

I love your house! Dulux 'Antique White USA' silk will look great on the walls. I have recently used this in a 1950s house and it has really opened up the rooms.

Tarah

 

[buzzlightyear]

Modern interior colours

Hi Lizzie, have to agree with Tarah, I also used Antique White USA on an Edwardian home (3.6mt ceilings) on all walls (above and below picture rails, ceiling). The architraves/door jams were already painted, so I just used the same colour but a gloss finish.

I have seen the dual colouring approach and some more decorative approaches to ceiling roses but I am not a big fan of that. A neutral colour (not too white though as I don't believe they suit period homes), hence Antique White is IMO the best approach.

I agree with the approach to keep orginal features in period homes, but colours should be contemporary and a light fresh colour, allows the occupier to add colour through hard and soft furnishings, prints/paintings etc...

You raise a valid point around the percpetion of the size of the rooms. It will make a huge difference by going with a lighter colour. The rooms prior to me painting the Edwardian was a comobination of purple, cream, yellow. Lovely, not

Taking the doors & timberwork back to timber would be hard work, unless you are going to get the doors stripped professionally.

 

[lizzie]

looks like it's off to the hardware shop for some sample pots (again) - might have a rummage in the shed first tho.

 

[RumpledElf]

If you're into light, boring, warm colours try out Dulux hog bristle (our new house is entirely done in this in varying strengths, it is a very neutral colour, and goes really well with the pre-made Ikea Merete curtains in brown), Solver antique white (not very white at all, more of a warm cream) and Solver boston cream, which is darker again but still very cream, extremely warm and looks really good against shades of apricot and peach, if you're into that sort of thing. I had a lot of orange and red in my old kitchen and had boston cream walls so the orange didn't fry your eyeballs from excess usage. All used in quite large rooms with VERY high ceilings.

Used all these 3 colours fairly recently and they look nice, innocuous enough and ... well, nice. Also used far darker ones in the old house and will again

If you're going down the British Paints aisle see if you can locate the cards for 'silk carnation' and 'blushed'. That's the two colours I painted my daughter's room, with 'blushed' as a feature wall on the entry wall so I didn't have to look at it. Her room looks like an explosion in a Barbie factory in a nice way. She complained endlessly that I didn't paint her new room the same colour.

Solver 'bedrock' is a very nice taupe - almost grey - that suits older houses and looks really cool with burgundy.

We had a mistint tin of dulux 'warm neutral' we were using as an undercoat as one of many coats to go over the evil bright blue and green of the new house, and I wouldn't recommend it. While at first glance it is a mundane beige, once its on the walls it is really quite pink, not neutral at all. Accent 'smooth sand' that we got a sample pot of suffers the same problem - too pink.

 

[Perp]

Love the home!

I don't know "Antique White USA", but whatever you do, I'd avoid a grey-white; I think they're very cold and far too harsh for character-filled homes (in particular). "Hog Bristle" is a lovely neutral, and I'd definitely choose something that has a brown/taupe undertone, or is creamy, rather than grey/blue.

 

[Rockstar]

Looks like a Gordon Ave sort of home in Hamilton Lizzie? Are you back from the scrub?

I've just used Dulux Antique White USA in my recent duplex on walls and trims and was very happy with it. Not as lemony as Dulux Off White.

 

[Perp]

Nice colour, Rockstar, and nice development. Well done!

 

[lizzie]

yes - back in the land of the living ... although did have to shack in with the inlaws for a couple of months while buying this place. we kept the half renovated previous ppor (the one with the much missed ocean views and lots of sun) and rented it out, and the tenants were still on lease so the options were to rent ourselves (not good with pets) or buy again - so we bought again.

anyhow - digress - went down and got sample pots of a neutral mid grey and painted up one corner in the grey with white trim.

hubby hates it.

but then he likes the yellow/mustard/cream that is currently on the walls that i can't stand!

i'm starting with our bedroom and the problem if i go white, or off white, is that with white cupboard doors (euroglaze), crisp white linen (which i love), white occasional furniture (which i have), white ornate ceiling then it would be like living inside a sterile lab - even with the bursts of colour from cushions, leadlights and sculputres.

the all white was great in the ocean view property because of the huge windows/slider doors and mirrored cupboard doors reflecting the view - so the room became the backdrop to the view. in this house the room is the view.

i'm not keen on browns because of the polished light timber floor (cowrie) - too much brown in my book.

the current cream is just as bad because it actually goes with nothing.

tempted to get the dulux colour consultant out ...

 

[Jas]

I'd suggest getting a colour person out. Whatever advice they give, you can propbly use on the next couple of houses, not just this one...

Jas

 

[quoll]

Dulux Magnolia (cream)

nice warm cream color, looks good anywhere. A bit on the boring side if you love color. But fantastic for 80% of the population.

I'd be going with a nice rich Burnt Red, Ochre, Great Dane (tan), Marone (purple), nice colorful wall with white ceilings and while trim (doors, architraves, skirting, cornice).

Have you got picture rails?

Cheers
Graeme

 

[quoll]

I'd suggest getting a colour person out. Whatever advice they give, you can propbly use on the next couple of houses, not just this one...

Jas

The cheaper option, but takes more time. Browse online RE.com.au and have a look at similar houses and use other people's ideas. At least that way you get to see the rooms. Get all the sample pictures from the paint places and see if any of the color schemes apeal. Have a browse through the home magazines at the newsagent.

Currently a lot of the houses we look at are WHITE, boring as all buggery, everything is white, then the furniture is white. ARRRH

Have fun
Graeme

 

[yadreamin]

Hi Lizzie
l hope you enjoy your new home.
Have a look at Dulux Attol Sands. l have painted the last 2 homes in this colour. [inside] it goes beautiful with anything. It gives timber floors a brighter and richer look I have dark jarrah floors and it takes a lot to lighten them. I have white skirting boards white ceiling white curtains and the attol sands on the walls and l constantly get comments. Its too hash to call it a green but a very faint lime???. strange though cos what ever colour you throw in the room it seems to change. every room in my house is the same wall colour yet you would swear they were all slightly different. some even look latte as it all depends on the furnishing. it really is the easies colour l have ever worked with and one never seems to tire of it .
anyway good luck and enjoy
cheers
yadreamin

 

[lizzie]

Looks like a Gordon Ave sort of home in Hamilton Lizzie?

oh - missed this bit. on the merewether flats sort of towards the junction way.

thanks for all the tips. i mixed the grey to a half tint (added white) and painted again, but now it looks a lot cooler colour - so think a warmer light/mid grey might be the go. just have to be careful it's not got an "actual" colour but totally neutral.

i'll browse the stands tomorrow for the suggested colours although attol sands sounds intriging.

 

[lizzie]

after spending ages in the paint section at bunnings today - and finding out the very knowledgable young bloke behind the counter worked on "homemade" but was contracted to not tell anyone who won (damn) - i bought home another sample pot of a light warm grey, which i thought looked really good.

hubby hates it. he's decided he hates grey because (to him) it looks like undercoat.

back to square one.

i'm kinda thinking that may a textured wallpaper in white up to the picture rail (ceiling white above the picture rail) might look really good - something like these.

http://www.lelandwallpaper.com/paintwall.htm

and - i know - wallpaper is expensive compared to paint!

 

[csc]

If you chasing the very best paint selection available in the market try Resene paint.

http://www.resene.com.au/

Tak your time and check the whole website, you will be impressed, best in that market by a country mile.

By far the best selection of colours in the market as well,, paint is comparable to Solver, slightly better in my opinion.

Revene is not well know in the housing market but its very well know in the architectural and commercial building industry.

You will not find a better selection of colours to choose from I guarantee, far superior to any Dulux, Solver colour schemes available.

Forget Bunnings and all the others, if your chasing specific colours run with Revene, you wont be disappointed.

Slightly more expensive than Solver paints but well worth considering if your chasing specific colours and a real quality product.

Good luck.

 

[wendoze]

Wow, popular colour, but I did my 1920s cal bungalow in Dulux 'Antique White USA', and the skirting/picture rails in pure glossy white. I love it.

For the lounge, I did a "duck egg" blue feature wall, (I think it's called Taubman's Surfside Green), and i reckon it's in keeping with the house, but still modern, and looks awesome with dark brown modern furniture.

enjoy!

 

[BayView]

well - here is the new project. red brick with return verandah, built around the 1930's, polished timber floors, cast iron fireplaces and lovely stained glass windows (example below).

i'm in a head screw about the interior paint colours and am after some opinions - i've already choosen the exterior colours for the trims and it is definately NOT cream, green and red.

internally the current wall colour throughout is a horrible yellow with deep cream skirtings/door/window surrounds etc. i've tested the paint and there doesn't appear to be any lead based paints in the house (yay!!).

the rooms have 12 foot ornate ceilings, picture rails, very wide skirting boards and wide door/window surrounds - although the rooms themselves aren't huge (good size but not huge) and not a great amount of light comes into the rooms due to the main windows being stained glass.

the modern take seems to be painting the timberwork, doors, above the picture rails and ceilings in white and the walls in dark colour (blue or charcol, etc). the pictures i've seen of this colour scheme look very nice and freshly up to date but i'm not convienced that it wouldn't make the rooms seem smaller and darker in real life.

the other alternative is to take the timberwork and doors back to timber and paint the rest of the walls an off white.

i'd appreciate thoughts - it's a hard decision because i like both options but both are wildly different in finish and approach. i am not after the "easier" option as we are living in this house and time is not of the essence.

Love this era of houses.

Our B&B was a 1926 Cal bungalow - brick and render.

Anyway, the reno we did had yellow and cream inside, and looked awesome. Sorry.

We also did stenciling down the hallways up near the ceiling - in maroon and some kind of french blue.

The yellow I can't remember, but it was a period colour, and was nice and rich, but soft and gave off a feeling of warmth and cosy.

The cream was called candle-wax. It was used for all the skirts, doors, plate rails, wall panelling and windows in semi-gloss oil. Lovely, and the two colours together were great.

Carpet was royal blue.

We called up the dulux crowd and they sent out a colour coordinator lady. Maybe hard to organise out where you live, but I think it cost us $100 from memory.

You can't go wrong with timber and off-white though. Classic and never dates.