home design

Deciding on which color(s) to paint your walls is no easy feat. Some design blogs advocate bold and bright splashes of color while others preach about neutral canvases upon which you can “splash” color around using textiles, furnishings and other (less permanent) accents.

So which design theory is the right one for you?

3 Questions to Sort Out Whether Your Walls Should Be Colorful or Neutral

As with any questions pertaining to interior design, the answer varies from household to household – based on things like budget, lifestyle, long-term goals, and so on. Working through the following 3 questions can help you determine which route makes the most sense for your ultimate vision.

What is your remodeling budget?

Painting walls requires time, energy and money. How much of each of those depends on things like how many colors you use in a room, whether or not you use the same color for the ceilings or not, quantity of wood trim, etc. etc.

If you have the luxury of a larger budget, changing paint colors every two or three years is not nearly as much of a concern as it is for someone on a smaller budget. Similarly, a larger painting budget will allow you to get more creative with different colors for the walls, ceilings and trim – even if you’re just talking about a different shade within the same hue.

Those on a smaller budget may be better off going the neutral route, as this will last you longer – preventing you from the expense of changing the colors as trends and preferences change.

How Long Will You Be in Your Home?

If you plan on staying in the same home for at least another five or ten years, personalization is no big deal. Go on and paint your dining room a scarlet red, or create a warm family room atmosphere with fiery oranges and yellows.

By the same token, if you think you’ll be moving soon and are concerned about resale value, neutral colors may be the best option. Repainting walls for a more universal and neutral color palate is the last thing you want to be dealing with as your gearing up for all that is required for packing and moving.

If you are a renter, rather than a homeowner, I also caution you to err on the side of neutral. I’ve seen renters that have grand plans to “repaint everything back to white,” which is a lofty but unrealistic goal when you actually give your 30-days’ notice down the road. Better to keep the walls a neutral color and then use your own art and/or more temporary wall décor options to pick up the color slack.

How Important is Color to You?

If you were aghast reading my advice regarding neutral walls and temporary color via accents – it might mean color is essential to your well-being. Some of us do better than others with white or neutral walls. Even so, there are plenty of ways to gain the color, pattern and interest you want without having to invest in a brand new interior paint scheme.

Feature walls pack a powerful punch. If you’re someone who likes to change colors with the seasons, is a renter, or knows your home will be going on the market sooner rather than later, implementing feature walls is the way to go. Not only will you benefit from the colors you love most, you’ll also find it much easier to paint back to neutral when the time is right – – we’re talking 25% of the labor/investment, assuming you painted a feature wall in every room.

Some areas of the home are more difficult to design or decorate than others. We’ve written a few posts on Decorating Difficult Spaces and designing the entryway. Narrow hallways are another one of those home design areas that present a challenge.

There isn’t room for a bench, chairs, table or other space-sucking items to jazz it up, and narrow spaces can make guests feel claustrophobic. There are some things you can do, however, to make your long hallway both more inviting and visually appealing.

Tips for Decorating a Long Hallway

Use a runner. Here’s a situation for an area rug if I ever saw one. I’m not a huge fan of wall-to-wall carpeting in the first place, but you can use a runner for this application even if your hallway is carpeted. You’ll want to leave at least 3- or 4-inches of space on either side, depending on the width of your hallway.

The runner will draw the eye to the end of the hall so the journey doesn’t seem so long. If the hallway is illuminated well enough, use a runner with an attractive pattern to jazz things up a bit.

Create a focal point at the end

While you may not have space for anything along the edges, feel free to create a pleasing arrangement at the end of the hallway. A small chair and table, an antique furniture piece with a plant, sculpture or beautiful lamp – whatever it is, it will draw the eye, which shortens the hallways visual length.

Use molding and trim

A long hallway can be the perfect place to use wainscoting, wall panels or a chair rail. Decorative trim comes in all styles – from traditional to modern – so there is something for every taste. There are two benefits of adding this type of trim to a long hallway. First, it is more visually interesting and, like a runner, it draws the eye ever forward. Second, it adds texture – and almost every interior design benefits from a little more texture.

Re-think the lighting

I had a client whose child was terribly afraid of the dark – and this included the long walk down the hallway from the main living areas to the bedrooms and bathroom. I could understand the child – who wants to walk down a long, narrow hallway in the dark?

Since we were in the midst of a remodel, we had the luxury of re-doing the lighting plan, using LED recessed cans that could be set on a dimmer. This way, in the afternoon and evening, the lowest dimmer setting made for ultra-efficient safety lighting that added pennies per month to their electric bill. Plus, that additional light made the hallway more appealing.

If you aren’t interested in revamping the entire lighting plan, consider hiring an electrician for a day and having him drop down the wiring for a handful of beautiful sconces. They add style and illumination – both of which will improve the energy in the hallway.

Have high ceilings? Think soffits or transoms

If you have high ceilings and a hallway that is 4-feet wide or more, I like the technique of adding soffits every so many feet and using decorative furniture trim to create faux-doorways. This leads the eye section by section and shrinks up the linear space. The soffits can be solid – or – even better – you can install transom windows. If you want to up the ante even further, hang attractive suspended lighting fixtures that are framed by the transoms. Now you’ve created an architecturally beautiful hallway experience.

Install windows or mirrors

Is your hallway along an exterior wall? I can’t believe how often this is the case and yet original architects designed for solid walls. What a waste This is a prime opportunity to add windows and gain beautiful natural light. Even upper wall windows will make a huge difference.

If windows aren’t an option, mirrors can have a similar effect. First, they’ll increase the amount of available light by a notable margin. Second, their reflective properties will shrink the length up a bit.

Create a gallery wall

Of course, hallways are often the place where homeowners create some sort of gallery wall. There are pros and cons to this. Typically – especially as we (ahem) grow older, we need to step back a bit to really take in the entirety of a photo or work of art. So, in a narrow hallway, this might not work out all that well. However, if your hallway is more than 3-feet wide, a family portrait gallery can be just the thing – and I recommend installing appropriate lighting to boot.

You won’t believe what’s possible when you so something as simple as organizing your kitchen. Okay, well, maybe “simple” is not quite the word for it…but you know what I mean. This seemingly mundane task will allow you to shed years or even decades of serving-, cook- and dishware that you never use (declutter!). Secondly, you may find your newly organized kitchen means you have an extra cabinet or two that can be used for something else. Or, better yet, removed to open up more space. Finally, an organized kitchen can help you de-stress and lose weight.

Organized Kitchens Are Healthier Kitchens

Think that last perk, about stress and weight, is a bit of stretch? They’re absolutely true; several recent studies have shown a linked messy, cluttered kitchen to homeowners who are more stressed out and/or who are overweight. For one thing, the stress created by clutter can cause stress eaters to consume more calories. Additionally, cluttered kitchens often have cereal, chips, and other empty-calorie snacks left out on the countertops, making it easy for busy kitchen visitors to eat more.

Studies like this have proved that organized kitchens are better for both your mind and your body. So, let’s get started.

Tips For Creating a More Organized Kitchen

The following tips will help you to declutter and organize your kitchen. The result is a more spacious and relaxing zone in which to prepare and cook meals while spending relaxing, quality time with family and friends.

1. Go through each and every cabinet. The first step is to go through each and every cabinet. It’s time to clear everything out and sort through it. Set out boxes so you can divide cabinet and drawer contents into “keep” and “donate” piles. I assure you, there is always something to get rid of. Last spring, I published a post, A Guide to What Stays and What Goes. It’s worth reviewing if you’re someone who has a difficult time saying goodbye to your belongings. For the kitchen, I absolutely believe that if you haven’t used an item in a year, it’s time to get rid of it.
2. Give yourself the gift of a mini-kitchen remodels. If you’re going through the work of reorganizing your kitchen, I recommend thinking of it as a mini-remodel. No, you don’t have to break the bank purchasing new cabinets or countertops, but you should consider upgrading your cabinet interiors. If your cabinets are outdated, I recommend refacing them. Cabinet refacing costs roughly half the cost of new cabinets and it’s an eco-friendly option because it saves the landfills. If you are happy with your cabinets, talk to a professional cabinet company about innovative storage options that will make kitchen organization a snap – and can significantly reduce the amount of cabinet space you actually need.
3. Clean them. I hope it goes without saying that every cabinet shelf, recess, drawer and cubby you clear out should also be thoroughly cleaned out, using a soft rag, warm water and a spot of mild dish soap. Let the cabinets dry thoroughly before putting anything back.
4. Decide what goes where. Now that the cabinets are empty, it’s time to decide what should go where. I recommend using the accessible, livable design model: put what you use on a regular basis in locations that require minimal bending or stretching. This tip is convenient now, will be safer later on, and certainly, helps to accommodate any guests who use your kitchen. Anything that is seasonal or used infrequently should be placed in upper cabinets or those harder-to-reach lower cabinet corners.
5. Clear out the junk. You know the best way to avoid eating foods that aren’t good for you? Don’t have them around in the first place. Use this opportunity to go through the kitchen pantry and food storage areas. Clear out any food that is expired or past its prime. Then, get rid of any foods that don’t serve you or your family in terms of healthy eating and living. Now you can populate your grocery list with fresher, less-processed, and healthier alternatives.
6. Reassess your kitchen design. If you were diligent about clearing things out, and you added convenient pull-out shelves, spice racks, pots-and-pan racks, customized drawer inserts, and so on, there’s a good chance you’ll be able to remove a cabinet box or two. If you remove the cabinets alongside the sink, consider installing open shelving for go-to coffee mugs, cereal bowls, and snack plates. If you’re able to remove some of the end/perimeter cabinetry, it may provide an opportunity to put in that breakfast nook or kitchen message center you always wanted, or to add a helpful kitchen island or peninsula.