Wednesday, September 5, 2012

The Other Wall

Downstairs we've painted one wall red - everywhere else is painted a sort of 'almond white', which you can see in the photo.  The rooms downstairs don't have doors (except my study) so you catch glimpses of the red wall but don't see the full expanse unless you are in the hall. If you look at the other walls in the hall you see the reflected rosy glow from the red.

Strong colours have an interesting effect:  people either love them or hate them I find.  This is the first time we've actually been in a position to choose any wall colour in over 12 years.

Our house in Sydney has a central hall that runs from the front door to our bedroom door (a long way, about 20 metres or so) and it is painted 'Egyptian red', a sort of terra cotta colour, to the picture rail and white above it, with skirting boards, picture rails, window frames, doors and architraves in a fresh pea green.  At the time of painting viewers were divided between the head-shakers who said 'how will you sell it?' and the more open-minded who loved it.  In the front of the house (the old part) the walls are 11'6" in the old money (just under 3 metres) and in the back of the house they range from 4 metres to 8.  There is a lot of 'Egyptian red' and we never got tired of it.

I love colour.

Upstairs in the hall we've painted one wall blue in the 'new house':



Shame about the regulation red fire alarm.

We are hoping the blue will be cooling for the bedrooms, and again, apart from passing through the hall, most of the time you will only see glimpses of blue or its reflection through doorways onto the otherwise whitish walls.

It is only paint.  Funny how some folk get so passionate about paint.

x

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I've alway lived in places that have "neutral" coloured walls - here though they are all bright yellow. I was quite stunned at first but have got used to them - still I think I will go for something completely different when redecorating. I did once insist on a bright red kitchen - which I actually loved.

jabblog said...

I still remember some of our neighbours being quite scandalised when one of our daughters wanted her room painted fire engine red, even the woodwork. Not the most relaxing colour for a bedroom but she loved it.
We had a yellow and green bathroom once - it was like bathing in a daffodil.
I can imagine the 'rosy glow' in your downstairs rooms - most attractive.

hyperCRYPTICal said...

Lovely bright colours although I now tend to stick to pastels...

Bravo for completing; I have been in the process of decorating my hall landing etc for well, erm, seven months now...

Anna :o]