Foyer Entry

Foyer Entry

Open Floor Plan(Living Room, kitchen, dining) colors?

I would love a wine theme for the main floor of my house, and I would love to have at least the Dining Room main wall to be a merlot wine color. I was thinking for a pale vine kitchen color and then a tuscan gold tone for the living room. The entry from outside is: Foyer (small), dining room, kitchen, living room. WIll this be too colorful? I want to feel homey and I think my furniture pieces would go well with these color tones -but i have always had an all white house and am so afraid to mess up!!!! HELP!!! I have all neutral colored carpet and crown molding throughout (i thought keeping it white), all rooms can be seen from the other.

Developing a wine-y home is a terrific idea, and can feel extremely homey, especially if wine, and the "look" (Napa, France, Tuscany) is something you love. You're right to carefully consider your colors - it is a common mistake to oversaturate with color - and the look becomes almost too dramatic and forceful, and not particularly inviting or liveable.

Your palette actually sounds beautiful, but you might tweak it just a little....I would consider setting the mood right from the front door, and paint your entry in the rich merlot color you love. If you have room, use a dark wood entry table, and drape in an old tapestry (you can find them at flea markets and on ebay for very little) - if it's cotton, launder it, and it will look even older. Stack the table w/books (old), and a painted box for "stuff" (mail, keys, etc). A mirror would be effective, as would an Iron Chandelier - either hung from the ceiling in the center of the entry, or hung lower, over the table. Your dining room can flow into a softer color - Merlot red is gorgeous, but intense....a dining room should invite people to linger - a beautiful rose, not pink (think wine), w/rich salmon undertones, layered with an antique translucent glaze, will give you a very rich, romantic character, and looks beautiful with all shades of wood, from blonde to ebonized. There are some absolutely beautiful wall mounted wine storage pieces available - you can utilize some of your wine collection as part of the character of the room, and keep any other artwork to a minimum. Any mirrors should be slightly dull, and hung bistro-style - leaning in slightly from the top - preferably placed where people aren't looking at reflections of themselves eating. Beeswax chapel candles and another chandelier would be effective. No table coverings (placemats, runners, etc).

Your idea for the vine-y green sounds perfect - I would encourage you to consider using it for both the kitchen and the living room - with white moulding, I would encourage you to consider painting your ceilings a color - this is where the Tuscan gold can come in, although I would suggest taking it back a little to more of a wheat, rather than a heavy strong gold. Having one color on all 4 ceiling areas will unify the space, and serve to customize it, giving it a more upscale appearance.

In my experience, it's best to avoid:
-most HGTV ideas (sorry, it had to be said)
-overdoing it w/candles (too many and too scented)
-flimsy metal pieces posing as cast or Wrought Iron (the real stuff is perfectly acceptable)
-overdoing distressed and shabby finishes, unless a piece has come by it honestly
-most "wine" accessories - prints, wine label posters, flat wine bottles, grapevine wreaths, most anything relating to wine from a craft store
-lots of wine you're never going to consume
-a wine cask made into a table
-any and all artificial greenery - including grapes and grapevines
-fabrics printed w/wine labels, grapes, etc

It's best to include:
-family photos instead of random artwork
-framed labels from wine that you consumed, that you loved
-a wonderful giant bowl of wine corks from all of your fabulous parties
-lighting, lighting, and more lighting, including good quality beeswax candles in simple containers
-part of your wine collection on display (those pretty labels have a lot of decorative mileage in them, and the colors of the wines are beautiful)
-a great collection of wine glasses (these do not have to be super-expensive, but should be chosen w/care)
-the best quality furnishings you can afford, as you can afford them (big credit card bills do not make for happy homes, no matter how much wine you drink!)

Have fun - you'll do great!