Q: I have an open living room and kitchen area. The only thing separating the spaces is the bar. I was wondering if I could use two different colors in the two spaces and have it not look tacky. I was thinking about red for the kitchen and maybe a caramel/gold-ish color in the living room.
Also, I have light pine hardwood floors and I was wondering if I could decorate with cherry wood furniture. I do not want the colors to clash. Thanks! Adrienne, via e-mailA: Red is a wonderful choice for a kitchen and a soft gold is a great color to balance the red, just make sure your red isn’t a blue/red or an orange red, you want it to be a true red.
Sherwin Williams has two great reds, “Redwing” – #2909 or “Classy Red” # 2913 (These are outdoor colors but they can mix them as indoor paint and just be sure to use their Matte finish – it’s washable but it’s not glossy).
Two good gold colors are Benjamin Moore “Waterbury Cream” #HC-31 or Sherwin Williams “Restrained Gold” #6129.
With your red kitchen walls cherry furniture could be too much red, it will all just blend in together but pine furniture would look fantastic and give it the contrast and “pop” it will need.
In your living room with the gold walls you could use some smaller cherry pieces (end tables, coffee table, console table) that would still allow you to use the wood you love but not “clash” with what’s happening in the kitchen.
Also consider using black as an accent color, it looks so wonderful with the Red/Gold combo.
You could bring in black wrought iron bar stools, a black wrought iron bakers rack and drapery rods then continue into the living room with black shelving, black picture frames and even coffee table or end tables out of black wrought iron. You can use just a little black here and there but it will have a big impact on your room!
