My Design Guru

Thank you very much to all the readers that have submitted questions for My Design Guru. We have selected the first question and it is coming from Barbara from Cumberland, BC, Canada.

Hello Design Guru,

Could you please recommend a colour palette for our livingroom/kitchen, which have recently become one room (we recently removed the dividing wall). The entire area is roughly 15’x30’ with 11’ high ceilings – so not a very large area. I’m hoping the painted walls will help to make the room seem larger, open and bright. We have taupe-green furniture and thinking about getting cedar-coloured kitchen cabinets.

Thanks so much!

Barbara

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Dear Barbara,

Thank you very much for submitting your question and pictures. To achieve the look you are going for I am recommending a soothing cool colour palette. The combination of pale blues and greens will create the open airy feeling you are looking for. I would recommend high baseboards and a picture rail to add architectural detail to the room.

A neutral off white will be perfect for all the trim in your home. A colour like Ancestral from Pratt & Lambert will bring subtle green tones to work with your furniture. The main colour for your walls should be a very neutralized green tone something like Fern Whisper also from Pratt & Lambert in flat finish (Accolade), this will work great with your sage furniture and has a chameleon like quality throughout the day and keeps with the soothing feeling you are creating.

Lastly I would drop your ceiling colour down to the picture rail (which should be installed at 9') in your 11' ceilings) and paint it out with a soft blue such as In Harmony from Pratt & Lambert in a flat finish. This will enhance the open feeling and was a technique used in Victorian and Edwardian Homes to emphasise the height of the ceilings and bring the outdoors in. This will work well with the cottage style of your home.

Barbara please send us pictures when your project is complete so we can show our readers the before and after.

Good luck with your renovation ! Your favorite Design Guru.