I am a huge advocate of having colorful walls. I’m an art director, so it’s in my nature to be surrounded by art and color. After spending all day working with designs and colors, I would come home to an entryway that was bland and lifeless. My walls were a solid dirty cream with no artwork or welcoming feel. I decided it was time to add some color to make the hall a little more inviting.

Don’t Pick a Trendy Color; You’ll Hate it Next Year

Most of my paint choices are complements of a piece of artwork or a photo that I love and want to display. With my job, I research color trends year after year, and I find that they change so drastically that I would rather stay away from them and find something I am happy with. When I find posters or photos that I really like, I know I will always like them. So I find complementary colors to showcase those pieces.

For my entryway, I have a really awesome French poster with hints of reds and oranges in a nice big black frame. I decided to go with a color in that range. It wasn’t dominant in the poster, so it would be perfect for the wall.

I went to my local hardware store with a photo of my poster and the store manager actually helped me find the perfect shade. I ended up with Benjamin Moore’s Fireball Orange. Before I left the store, they reminded me I needed a drop cloth, painters’ tape and roller covers. I’m so glad I didn’t have to make two trips.

Ready to Paint

You see the before photo above. It was the definition of “blah.” You can view our video on Priming Walls for Painting.

The Transformation

You can see the difference it makes. Painting the wall made the entire space warm and comfortable. It really brings out the colors of the poster as well. When I invite people in, they immediately compliment me on the artwork and the wall.

Best of all, when I move out of my apartment, only one wall needs to be painted.

Bonus Tip: Watch a video on How to Hang Pictures.