Decorating

[Unknown Entity]

Next week I might be decorating my bedroom (finally - I've been waiting years to do something with it!), and I'm definatly looking forward to it. I'm thinking of painting it a dark red colour, and when we get around to doing the floor, a light cream colour (the floor can wait another few months - I'm not worried.). Also, I plan on moving my funature around to A: Get more privacy (my bedroom door doesn't close properly, so I want the bed out of view of the gap,) and B: Because I fell like it. I'm chucking out an old shelf, and getting a new one - the one I have is very flimsy, and too small for the things it needs to hold.

I have a few problems though, that I was wondering you guys could help me with. My room is a small room, and I've heard that darker colours can make a room feel even smaller. I've looked at the lighter red colours, and don't like them - it has to be dark. When I went around my dads place a few weeks ago, he has the main room (which is small) painted in dark colours, and it doesn't seem to be a problem because of the lighting. So... would it be a good idea to go ahead and paint it dark, or should I re-think and go light?

Also, the wall I'm moving the bed against is an outside wall. I was told that if I move it, I might fell drafts in the night coming through the wall, and this could get annoying especially if I hate the cold. I know it is true, but how bad is it?

Oh, and some questions for people who can't answer the above:

1. Do you like a bit of DIY?
2. Have you ever had any DIY accidents?
3. Which is the best room in your house decoration wise?
4. Your best tips when it comes to painting/rearanging funature.

[Furore]

1. Do you like a bit of DIY?

Definetely. It can make things unique and it's often cheaper. Unfortunately I don't get much time for it of late.

2. Have you ever had any DIY accidents?

Yes. I'd guess 90% at minimum involved my thumb and a hammer.

3. Which is the best room in your house decoration wise?

Mine. A little beaver creek gray does wonders for the look of the room.

4. Your best tips when it comes to painting/rearanging funature.

Make sure you have enough space to move around comfortably. Otherwise you'll likely be bugged fairly often by furniture or whatever hindering your progress. For painting, I suggest moving everything out of the room andcover the floor/anything you don't want painted with something the paint won't go through. Tape up the edges and only remove the tape when it seems quite dry.

[Govinda]

Dark colours do make a room seem smaller, so if it's a small space and you really want that cosy warm feeling that dark reds bring at night, I'd only paint half the room with your dark red - try painting the wall with the window on it and the wall facing the window with a lighter hue that compliments darker reds, and having your darker red on the other two. This might make the room still feel light and bigger, but you'll get that nice cosiness that darker walls can bring too. But I'd spend plenty of time playing with testers first.

I love decorating. We moved around a lot when I was younger, always into council flats. For some bizarre reason, our local councils insist on completely stripping down houses and flat every time someone moves out, so every place we moved into was a blank canvas. We never really had much money or time for these makeovers, but they were always a lot of fun. So I love putting on a big workshirt and spending a day painting rooms, listening to the radio. And then at the end you get fish and chips!

[Halie]

Yeah, painting only two walls dark red would be best. An ex-friend of mine had dark red and cream walls, it was lovely. Matching bedsheets and curtains, all went together nicely. You could also add a few lamps here and there, makes the room a little more cosier and brighter.

1. Do you like a bit of DIY?

Yeah, can be pretty fun. Painting especially. I only tend to like it if it's decorating inside the house. I'm not really into painting garden walls and fences, or building them for that matter. Done that a few times, gets really boring.

2. Have you ever had any DIY accidents?

Probably. I've got a few scars on my knees and stuff, some of them I can't remember where I got them, so building things might have something to do with it. That, or climbing trees .

3. Which is the best room in your house decoration wise?

The living room. It's got lovely pale yellow walls (never been a fan of yellow, but it goes really well in here, makes it really bright) and a cream border with funky designs on it. Wooden floor, cream curtains. We may be redecorating it, though, it's gotten a little dingy over the years.

4. Your best tips when it comes to painting/rearanging funature.

Dunno what to tell you. Nathan said it all, really. Just always chuck on some old clothes, or ones you don't mind if they get ruined. Which you probably already have the common sense to do . lol.

Have fun ^___^.

[winterborn86]

My dad is a decorater and when I wanted dark colours in my room he said it will make it look to small, so I let him loose to surprise me with what he can do, and what he done was do the dark colour on the master wall, normally the wall in front of the wall or the wall behind your bed, and done magnolia on the other walls, and it looked great. The magnolia really opens up the room and made it look bigger and the dark coloured wall brought some colour to the room,you could try that.
I have that method of painting in my livingroom and my bedroom, cos I have dark red, in my room on the masterwall, magnolia on he others and a dark red carpet, partly because it keeps the red colour in the room so there isint to much cream about and partly cos cream gets filthy really really easy and be a b*tch to clean.

1. Do you like a bit of DIY? I love DIY anything from changing the fuse or wiring on a plug to painting rooms. I need to re-do my front door this year, give it a bit of gloss cos it's dark blue and looks a little dull, everyone elses doors are shiny and they are picking on mine

2. Have you ever had any DIY accidents? Mmmmm except getting myself pastered in paint and slipping off the ladder nothing major.

3. Which is the best room in your house decoration wise? Maria's room, cos my dad done it. Its pinky/purply with white doors and frames and has shiny pink and purple adhesive butterflys scattered around the walls, it's soooo pretty

4. Your best tips when it comes to painting/rearanging funature. If you can remove everything from the room, it makes getting around easier when you dont have to kep squeezing between or climbing over the furniture. and DONT paint "hi" on the bum of your trousers and show it out of the window to people living opposite or you might get uninvited guests lol. I swear I never it before *coughs and gives innocent smile*

[Baal]

Well it really depends on who your going to let see your room and if you feel comfortable in it with the darker colors or the lighter colors? I can’t answer the first one for you well I can’t answer either of them for you but I can give suggestions for the second one.

If it was one of my friends I would go with the lighter colors because they are way fun to play around with and when the sun shines on them it really makes the color stand out. The only colors I would stay away from would be yellow colors because once the sun hits it the color gets really bright and it gets annoying to look at. I don’t think the color of your makes it seems bigger or smaller it all depends on the person.

With your bed problem I have no advice their. Maybe you could try it by the wall and if it get annoying then you can rearrange it all over again on a free day that you have nothing better to do. I hope I helped you out a bit!!

[Storm]

Instead of using a dark red, perhaps settle for a terracotta, and perhaps have one wall a chocolate brown, so you still have some red and dark tones. You can even break up some of the colours with a creamy colour. I also advise with the tip other people have given with breaking up the colour with having some of the other walls as a lighter tone. I have a small room, which is currently painted a sage green. It is quite a dark colour, but it is also neutral so it has a relaxing, cosy feel.

1. Do you like a bit of DIY?
Yes. Painting and decorating I enjoy as I'm a creative person as it is. I like to experiment and make things unique. I did woodwork for a GCSE which I enjoyed but don't quite have the skills or equipment to make my own furniture, however I love assembling things.

2. Have you ever had any DIY accidents?
I haven't personally, however my dad is a walking DIY accident. If he ever says he has a vision or decides to try and fix something, he just makes it worse! Trouble is he's so stubborn that he has to do it and my mum has to pick up the pieces! My mum does most of the decorating, she is the one who fixes things, changes fuses, and maintains everything. She teaches me a few handy bits and pieces when I go back home.

3. Which is the best room in your house decoration wise?
Either my bedroom or the lounge. I've described my room a little further up, but the furniture is arranged so I can get the most stuff in such a short room. I have painted murals on the walls, and I have all my ornaments which add a nice feel.

The lounge is a corn blue for most of the room, with the extention painted a creamy colour. On the walls and around the fireplace are African ornaments, which make it look really unique and interesting.

4. Your best tips when it comes to painting/rearanging funature.
Colour code, make the most out of the space available and keep things interesting. Also always empty a room before decorating, and always line the floor with covering when painting.