Newbie to forum & decorating!

[girlinabox]

Hello everyone,

I hope someone can help me....I am wanting to decorate my spare bedroom but have no idea what to do due to the back wall - it is almost all wood due to built in cupboards and wardrobes - only the small alcove is actual wall. What we are wanting to do is make the room a kind of chill out room come study and we want it nice and cosy so because it's quite small we were thinking of making one wall a feature wall, and I am thinking probably the right side wall as this has no doors or mirrors on it...and then the rest a neutral colour?

Anyway - I just wondered if I should paint ALL of the wood the same colour? If so, would I do the alcove a different colour? We plan to put a small sofa bed in front of the alcove which will be about half the height.

ANy advice is very much appreciated as I just wouldn't even know where to begin!

Thanks

 

[Nige F]

First Rule ....Laugh @ Joe 90`s jokes. 2nd Rule ...Laugh @ mine . as to the wood wall . I think Green @ the bottom, Cream @ the top with a thin black " dado " line about waist height. The other walls a neutral Calico colour , and if you`re really clever make them look like buttoned padding . Using a Trompe L`oeil teqnique. I have spent many happy hours in rooms like that

 

[girlinabox]

First Rule ....Laugh @ Joe 90`s jokes. 2nd Rule ...Laugh @ mine . as to the wood wall . I think Green @ the bottom, Cream @ the top with a thin black " dado " line about waist height. The other walls a neutral Calico colour , and if you`re really clever make them look like buttoned padding . Using a Trompe L`oeil teqnique. I have spent many happy hours in rooms like that

I have no idea what half of that means! I was hoping for a dark colour, grey or purple. I like Brooklyn Nights by Dulux. I really only want something easy and simply!

 

[EddieM]

Methinks NigeF is extracting the proverbial. Do you need all the cupboard space?

Green is supposed to be quite relaxing in a room but frankly makes me feel sick. Pink is also supposed to be good Red is not good, blue can be, but is not a cosy colour. Yellow, well, there seem to be an awful lot of yellows about, most totally insipid, some, will require sunglasses.

It's totally up to you how you do it, have a go, remember 90% of the work is preparation. Stopping up, caulking, sanding, all interminably boring, but have to be done. Just don't paint the walls with gloss paint or the woodwork with emsulsion.

 

[girlinabox]

Methinks NigeF is extracting the proverbial. Do you need all the cupboard space?

Green is supposed to be quite relaxing in a room but frankly makes me feel sick. Pink is also supposed to be good Red is not good, blue can be, but is not a cosy colour. Yellow, well, there seem to be an awful lot of yellows about, most totally insipid, some, will require sunglasses.

It's totally up to you how you do it, have a go, remember 90% of the work is preparation. Stopping up, caulking, sanding, all interminably boring, but have to be done. Just don't paint the walls with gloss paint or the woodwork with emsulsion.

Ah.

Wouldn't I do that the other way round? Paint the wood with gloss and the walls with emulsion? Even if the same colour?

See, I wasn't lying when I said I'm new to this decorating malarky. We haven't altered a thing since we moved in, even the mirror on the walls belonged to the prevous owner! She sure had a thing for that blue though...

 

[EddieM]

Err, yeah, wood with gloss or satinwood, walls with matt or soft sheen emulsion. Or wallpaper. Ppreparation first though, all gotta be stopped (filler, sanded down smooth where there are any holes) caulked, cracks along skirting / coving edges. Then really bob's kids are your cousins.

 

[girlinabox]

Err, yeah, wood with gloss or satinwood, walls with matt of soft sheen emulsion. Or wallpaper. Ppreparation first though, all gotta be stopped (filler, sanded down smooth where there are any holes) caulked, cracks along skirting / coving edges. Then really bob's kids are your cousins.

Haha, the "err yeah" is just like saying "derrrrr!".

Do you know if it is possible to use filler on a large-ish space or would I need a professional plasterer? The walls are really uneven you see.

I appreciate your advice so far by the way.

 

[EddieM]

How large is largish, how uneven are the walls? The err yeah bit, I'm not that rude everyone has to start somewhere.

 

[girlinabox]

How large is largish, how uneven are the walls? The err yeah bit, I'm not that rude everyone has to start somewhere.

True. Maybe if this room doesn't turn into a total disaster I may do the hall, stairs and landing next

Hard to describe really - let's say in parts the largest area is about the size of an A4 piece of paper. There are no holes, just gradual uneveness.

 

[EddieM]

Well, it is hard to say.

Factors, are how "perfect" do you want it to look? If the answer is a good as possible, then yep a re-skim is in order (assuming the original plaster is at least sound) If one or two walls are bad then a partial re-skim could be done. If you think that you could live with the wall imperfections, then go ahead (again as long as the exisitng plaster is sound) Bear in mind that the shiner the surface is the more imperfections it will show. Also if you have wall lights, they will show imperfections much more than a pendant light.

So my choice would be, if you can live with the roughness of the walls, then choose a matt emulsion. If you can't live with the condition of the walls, then get it re-skimmed, and think about what else needs re-skimming, economies of scale (i.e. cheaper in unit cost to have 4 / 5 rooms re-skimmed than 1.) Colour choice is really down to you.
Hot to Cold goes unsurpsingly :-

Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue.

Good luck.

 

[girlinabox]

Well, it is hard to say.

Factors, are how "perfect" do you want it to look? If the answer is a good as possible, then yep a re-skim is in order (assuming the original plaster is at least sound) If one or two walls are bad then a partial re-skim could be done. If you think that you could live with the wall imperfections, then go ahead (again as long as the exisitng plaster is sound) Bear in mind that the shiner the surface is the more imperfections it will show. Also if you have wall lights, they will show imperfections much more than a pendant light.

So my choice would be, if you can live with the roughness of the walls, then choose a matt emulsion. If you can't live with the condition of the walls, then get it re-skimmed, and think about what else needs re-skimming, economies of scale (i.e. cheaper in unit cost to have 4 / 5 rooms re-skimmed than 1.) Colour choice is really down to you.
Hot to Cold goes unsurpsingly :-

Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue.

Good luck.

Thanks, you've been a great help. Although if red is hot, and blue is cold, then surely purple will be "warm"?

 

[BoredSoDIYing]

In a tiny room I suggest you use a dark (off-primary) blue for the alcove and an off-grey for the walls , Dulux used to do a shade called Mercury Rising which had a hint of purple in the grey - beautiful and very warming.

The dark blue alcove could be fitted with a down-lighter fitted to a dimmer switch to create the warm fuzzy chilled mood-lighting...

P.S. If the uneven area is quite small could you not use an off-cut of plasterboard to cover it?

 

[girlinabox]

In a tiny room I suggest you use a dark (off-primary) blue for the alcove and an off-grey for the walls , Dulux used to do a shade called Mercury Rising which had a hint of purple in the grey - beautiful and very warming.

The dark blue alcove could be fitted with a down-lighter fitted to a dimmer switch to create the warm fuzzy chilled mood-lighting...

P.S. If the uneven area is quite small could you not use an off-cut of plasterboard to cover it?

If you reckon those colours will look good, why the " " ?

We were thinking of a down lighter or something in the alcove actually. Thanks for your help.

 

[BoredSoDIYing]

The moment most people hear the word 'grey' they get worried but if used wisely it can be a great colour...

Hope it turns out well

 

[girlinabox]

The moment most people hear the word 'grey' they get worried but if used wisely it can be a great colour...

Hope it turns out well

I like grey actually. Thanks for your help. Maybe if it all works out I'll post some photos of the finished article. Providing I don't screw up and end up looking like a totally useless wench