isabel_walter51

What colour to paint shelves/trim against wallpaper

Isabel Walter
3 years ago

Hi, We’re currently revamping our living room a little - keeping the fabulous wallpaper from Timorous Beasties but losing the dark red trim as it looks and feels too formal and replacing the blinds with something brighter and patterned (likely a pattern picking out the strong colours in the wallpaper (pinks, oranges, blues), on white. But I have no idea what colour to paint the shelves and trim now! It began white, but this was too high a contrast with the wallpaper. I was thinking a deep hot pink, or else a pale, dusky pink? Does anyone have any Ideas or


advice? Thank you!! PS Sorry for the scruffy room - in the process of moving everything around...

Comments (48)

  • Victoria
    3 years ago

    I really like the red. I’d be tempted to organise the books in colour blocks.

    Isabel Walter thanked Victoria
  • Juliet Docherty
    3 years ago

    Can you post a close up of the wallpaper? It looks gorgeous by the way.

    Isabel Walter thanked Juliet Docherty
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  • Isabel Walter
    Original Author
    3 years ago

    Thanks Victoria. It looks fine, but doesnt work so well with the other things we have in the room (especially our dark blue sofas).

  • Juliet Docherty
    3 years ago

    I would think about a cool pale purple pink for the shelves and maybe a buff colour like the cardboard tube for the window wall. Some kind of bobble fringe in the lapis blue would be lovely, especially with buff.

    Isabel Walter thanked Juliet Docherty
  • Isabel Walter
    Original Author
    3 years ago

    Colourhappy here goes! (Thank you!)



  • Juliet Docherty
    3 years ago

    Is it Omni Splatt?

    Isabel Walter thanked Juliet Docherty
  • Juliet Docherty
    3 years ago

    Gosh it's so like the colours in this Howard Hodgekin!



    Isabel Walter thanked Juliet Docherty
  • Isabel Walter
    Original Author
    3 years ago

    Yes, it’s Omni splatt - in the sunshine it’s very bright though - the pinks are pretty hot!

  • Isabel Walter
    Original Author
    3 years ago

    I should have said - we’re getting the wall in the bay window papered in the same wallpaper, but the trim (skirting and window seat) here and in the rest of the room will be changed (the wallpaper is on all walls). Sorry I wasn’t clear!

  • E D
    3 years ago

    Fantastic room. 🙂 Shame the photos are so dark. 🙁

    Isabel Walter thanked E D
  • Isabel Walter
    Original Author
    3 years ago

    Thanks E D. It’s really hard to take photos in there - when it’s sunny everything jut whites out!

  • Victoria
    3 years ago

    Edit the photos on your phone once taken, you can change the exposure and brilliance etc

    Isabel Walter thanked Victoria
  • E D
    3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    Yes and also, try to take photos with the (day) light behind you.

    I made this one lighter, but it’s not perfect...



    Isabel Walter thanked E D
  • Carolina
    3 years ago

    When you take a photo with your phone, you can adjust the lighting by holding your finger on the screen on the darkest or lightest spot (wallpaper or window in this case). The camera will adjust the lighting. If you tap on those spots you’ll see the difference. If you hold your finger there for a while, it’ll keep that setting for the photo. Or choose something in between the darkest or lightest spot. Often when you use the camera in your phone, it’ll give a better result than using the camera in an app. And the you can edit afterwards too, as Victoria says.
    This concludes photography lesson one 😉
    Amazing wallpaper! Love it. I’d choose a paint colour that’s not used that much in the wallpaper itself. Something like the green or the creamy colour.
    Maybe F&B orange coloured white, or skimmed milk. Ash grey could be good too. Or cooking apple green. I’d try something like those colours.

    Isabel Walter thanked Carolina
  • Isabel Walter
    Original Author
    3 years ago

    Thank you all for your help and comments! For various complicated reasons to do with disability I don’t use a phone, but will try to take some better pictures later when the sun comes out (I have an iPad). For the same reasons there’s currently a large bed in this room which makes it tricky to take a decent photo! I plan on spending most of my day in this room now (having spent 6 years in a bedroom...) which is why I’m looking to change it a bit. Carolina I like the F&B orange-coloured white - the light in here can be quite cold (main window faces east) - thank you!

  • E D
    3 years ago

    So sorry to hear that. Six years in a bedroom, can’t have been easy. Moving into this room sounds like a very good idea.

    I’d consider the light in the room, making sure there is plenty of it and possibly consider some lighter coloured walls etc.

    There are some very colour-savvy people here...


    Isabel Walter thanked E D
  • Sonia
    3 years ago

    I think a paler shade to make the bookcases and trim shine out against the wallpaper. I painted two bookcases in my living room, one in Little Greene Slaked Lime and the other in Slaked Lime Mid, a slightly muddier version of the original! If you prefer moodier colours then I think navy looks fab against the orange and reds. Or paint them sagey green which really marries well with red. Here are my bookcases (everyone will groan as I’m always harping on about them!). And a navy and green one.

  • Victoria
    3 years ago

    Guidance for phone photos also holds for iPads

    Isabel Walter thanked Victoria
  • Isabel Walter
    Original Author
    3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    Thank you all - okay, here are some photos in full sunlight (as bright as it gets in here) using the tips from Victoria and Carolina (thank you!) - supine, with bed in foreground... (again excuse the mess) - also please ignore the blue shelves, they’re not staying (they convinced me blue would be a bad idea for the other shelves, though that was what I wanted), but have a deep pink possible colour on them.









  • Isabel Walter
    Original Author
    3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    Sonia, thank you! I do love green with red, but not so much with blue, which our sofa is. I love the deep colours, but worry they’ll detract from the wallpaper? (Your home is really lovely by the way :) ).

  • peggysue67
    3 years ago

    I would use a blue or green to tie with wallpaper but add some contrast. Exciting to do a revamp! Show us what you decide!

  • Isabel Walter
    Original Author
    3 years ago

    I’ve also been thinking about a paler more traditional pink (a bit like this) - not a colour I’d usually go for but it might work in here on the shelves and trim?! Any thoughts really appreciated - it’s so nice how helpful everyone is (I wish I’d posted ages ago, this wallpaper (love it as I do) has caused me all kinds of angst!). Thanks again x



  • Juliet Docherty
    3 years ago

    Anything very colourful will makes the room even more stimulating, something muted may add a bit of calm and make the wallpaper the main focus. It depends what you are after. Something with an olive tinge would go with the blue and the reds, it would have to be very muted though.

    Isabel Walter thanked Juliet Docherty
  • Victoria
    3 years ago

    Olive is a fantastic suggestion 😊

  • Isabel Walter
    Original Author
    3 years ago

    Thank you for all the tips and advice. Colourhappy - that’s great advice, thanks. I think we’d prefer muted - the room is busy enough as it is! I’ve ordered some tester pots, will report back when we’ve decided...

  • Isabel Walter
    Original Author
    3 years ago

    OK, so we decided on a darkish pink, picking up on a pink in the wallpaper - see photo of my “mood board” (!) - it includes the colour of our sofas, the fabric we’re using for the blinds, and the paint colour. Everything pale or very different from the red seemed to make the room feel too busy - there’s already quite a lot going on... and some of you said you liked the red, so we ended up going with something that would tone in in the same way. Thank you again for all the advice and help - it will be a while, but I’ll post when it’s all been finished!



  • HU-290967725
    3 years ago

    That fabric for the blind really doesnt work with the wallpaper.

  • HU-290967725
    3 years ago

    Or maybe I'm looking at the wrong thing. What is the white background with brightly colour pattern on for?

  • Isabel Walter
    Original Author
    3 years ago

    Yes, that’s for the blinds. What is it that you don’t like?

  • HU-290967725
    3 years ago

    I personally feel that the colours and the patterns clash terribly. I would go for a soft muted plain colour as your wallpaper is already very busy and beautiful.

  • Isabel Walter
    Original Author
    3 years ago

    We have a muted orange for the blinds at the moment and it just seems to kill the vibrancy (you can scroll up for photos) ?

  • Victoria
    3 years ago

    I don’t feel the blind fabric works either, think you need a plainish fabric, maybe with some texture and a contrasting trim.

  • Isabel Walter
    Original Author
    3 years ago

    Thanks Victoria. This is exactly what we have at the moment - a textured orange with a teal pom pom trim - it seemed ideal to me too. But for some reason it drains all the light out of the room and makes it feel heavy and dark. I’m hoping another pattern will bring the wallpaper back to life, but it’s a risk I guess!

  • E D
    3 years ago

    I’m not as good with colours as some others here, but in the context of your room with all its vibrancy, I think your blind choice could work.

    Because your wallpaper (and the rest 🙂) is so busy, which I like, a solid plain colour may well stand out too much.

    Isabel Walter thanked E D
  • Isabel Walter
    Original Author
    3 years ago

    Thank you ED - I think that’s exactly what we’re finding.


    Rachelmidlands yes, I think we’re thinking along those sorts of style lines - just getting a little braver step by step! And I’m with you on the yellow - at the moment we have a lamp base in that colour (which you can’t see on the photos) and I was planning to add more splashes of it once the other things are done. The window seat is a great idea! Love your photos : )

  • Victoria
    3 years ago

    I think a yellow blind would work.

  • Wumi
    3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    Your wallpaper is gorgeous!! I would go by for a plain blind.


    I feel like the room deserves a layered window dressing. A muted plain coloured blind (dusty pink or sand) and floor length ochre yellow velvet curtains with some ornate metal holdbacks or rope tiebacks.


    I’d do the shelves in green. Either a rich forest green or olive. You can jazz up the book case by adding trim around the top and bottom to make them seem more built-in.


    Also, the space above the fireplace is begging for a large mirror or artwork!







    Isabel Walter thanked Wumi
  • Karen Masek
    3 years ago

    I agree with the choice of a green, too.

    Isabel Walter thanked Karen Masek
  • Jill Davies
    3 years ago

    Personally I'd go with the green in the wallpaper for the shelves. And I wouldn't use your present choice of blinds fabric---pretty though it is. I'm sure in such a beautiful room as it will eventually be you'll find uplift and healing.

    Isabel Walter thanked Jill Davies
  • moorlikeit
    3 years ago

    I agree wholeheartedly with those who feel the blind material would do no favours for your fabulous wallpaper, which I think should stay as the main event. Strong patterns can be complementary but these do not work together as they are stylistically very different. I think the layered approach suggested by Wumi would work very well; maybe a plain, raw silk for the blinds with heavy, full-length velvet curtains to provide blackout. As for colours, there are many great suggestions from other Houzzers but essentially they should be rich tones.

    Isabel Walter thanked moorlikeit
  • Isabel Walter
    Original Author
    3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    Thank you for all the comments! We decided against green partly as I think it would be too much of a contrast - I don’t want the room to be even more fussy - and partly because we have dark blue sofas, and I’m not a fan of blue and green. The pink is a good rich tone and matches the pink in the wallpaper well. I’ve tried to pick out three key colours for the room - pink, blue and white (or orange), plus some highlight colours - yellow, teal and orange (or white). The thinking behind this is that at the top and bottom of the walls the main colours in the wallpaper are pink, orange and white (which also makes me unsure that green would work at skirting level, while the pink might be less drastic). We already have some pink in the room (lamps, cushions) and it works. So there is a kind of method to my madness! I love the idea of floor-length curtains and was originally planning on that but they can’t be hung around the window seat.

    Thank you for all the help and advice - I wish I’d come on here years ago as this room has been a real headache! We love the wallpaper though and are determined to make it work. The blinds have already been ordered in the fabric shown!!!!!! - I’ll report back with a photo. If it’s a disaster I guess I can make a lot of cushions... x

  • Appalled Person
    3 years ago

    Lime green paint and roman blind with a ditsy print.

    Isabel Walter thanked Appalled Person
  • Isabel Walter
    Original Author
    3 years ago

    Actually Appalled Person I like where you’re going with that! If everything else falls through...

  • Juliet Docherty
    3 years ago

    I actually think something drab like Mouses Back or Bone would really balance the saturation. Both read as green but are sludgy and understated. I once read that 'drab' is the designers secret tool as it sets off so many colours. Good luck with your project.


    Isabel Walter thanked Juliet Docherty
  • jenn auro
    3 years ago

    I would choose a colour for the book shelves to tone down the wall paper optic and make it stand out, but not in contrast. I would suggest take a colour-wheel and take the light versions of the colour two shades away from the just opposite colour to the dominant colour of the wall. in your case it could be toned down versions of yellow-orange or blue-green. But of course, your personal choice is more important. Best of luck and would love to see the final picture.

    Isabel Walter thanked jenn auro
  • Charnelle Els
    3 years ago

    I second the muted olive green suggestion. The wallpaper will really become the focus and it goes rwally well with the blue sofa.

    Isabel Walter thanked Charnelle Els
  • Megan Blake
    3 years ago

    This may sound crazy but what about an animal print for the blind with some trim that ties in the pink? Animal prints go with everything and pick up the bohemian vibe.

    Isabel Walter thanked Megan Blake
Ireland
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