 | Marvin Niedens is owner of Texturite, LLC. He has been involved in every facet of the construction industry since his childhood when his father was a general contractor in the ‘50s and ‘60s. He enjoys working with his hands to create something people enjoy using, as well as being appealing to the eye. He also likes to work on projects often times neglected by others. Such was the case with ceilings and walls of residential and commercial structures. This is how his company, Texturite, came into existence. You may contact Marvin at 316-393-0836, or by e-mail at marv1096@msn.com. |
Home Improvement
2005-06-01 09:50:00
Choosing paint for vaulted ceilings
: My new home has 12-ft. ceilings, which I love, but I can't decide on a paint scheme to compliment the height. Can you help?
ANSWER: Any time you have high ceilings to work with, you want to accentuate them, which will make the room feel loftier. It's easy to focus only on the space from the floor to about 6 feet up from the floor. This space is mostly occupied by furniture, art, and people. But it is a common question about what to do with the space above one's head.First, think about color. For some, a warm and cozy red library or fireplace room makes an ideal spot for gathering family and friends. Others would trade the intensity of red for a lighter, soothing tone. Ambers, peaches or corals in eating areas spark appetites and encourage conversation and shades of yellow nurture creativity. For rooms where rest and relaxation is desired, choose pacifying colors such as blue, green and purple. These colors are calming.With a quick change of paint on your walls, you'll feel the mood shift throughout the room. Warm colors make small rooms appear smaller and large rooms more cozy. Cool colors recede and make any size room appear larger. Because they also make a room feel colder, these colors make sense for a sunny room where the brightness needs to be held in check. Paint chips, or paint cards are available at most stores that sell paint. These are free to take home and try-out in the area that you are hoping to change. To get a clearer idea of the true paint color, cut away any white spaces on the paint card. Then, check your paint choice against the colors it will be used with in your home. The small size of color chips also makes it hard to envision that color on an 8x10-foot wall. What looks appropriate on the small card will appear more intense on the wall. To get a better idea of how your color will really look, hold the chip against the wall. If you're tempted to go bold, consider stepping a shade or two lighter on the color card since dark colors will appear even darker when seen in large amounts. Selecting a slightly grayed-down version of the color is another way to soften its intensity. Drying makes a difference, too. Usually paint dries to a darker shade. Sheen changes color value as well. A flat, matte paint differs in value from the same color in a shiny, glossy finish. The shinier the color, the lighter it will look. Texture also alters color. Smooth surfaces reflect light, so a heavily textured wall will appear darker than a smooth wall painted the same color.
