Monday, April 29, 2013

73 Bringing Intellectual into the Studio!


I took a quick shopping trip to Home Depot this weekend and ran across a paint swatch that stopped me in my tracks.  Not only did I find the name fitting for my studio space... Intellectual, but I also fell truly madly deeply in love with the deep and bold color. 


Boy do I need all the intellectual help I can get!  So whether or not painting the focal wall in my studio in this color is an intellectual choice or not, only time will tell.  First coat is going on the walls today!  And although I have a huge fear that the room is too dark to host such a bold color, it's only paint I say.  Risks need to be taken.  And I have gazed and contemplated that focal wall for over a year and I finally just need to jump on it, follow my gut and see what happens!


As I was wavering last night, I decided to pull up some inspiration pictures to help me through it.  This is something I always recommend when contemplating a decision.  See if you can find some examples of where it works well.  Here are a few super dark gray {some almost black} walls that I found to be super motivational in my decision making process:

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I am planning on bringing so many colors into the space, I think the dark gray will really keep some sophisticated balance that I am looking for.  And if not, why, it's just paint after all!

Anyone else in loooove with the dark gray/black craze?  What item or project have you been sitting on in which some inspiration pictures pushed you over the edge and made things happen?

Stay tuned, fingers crossed I will have an update for you this week!

73 comments:

  1. I used intellectual in my living room-it is a dark color almost black but I balanced it out with whites blues and hints of yellow. I wish I could post a picture!
    Heidi*

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    1. Yay, so happy to hear you like the color! :)

      xo,
      Jen

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  2. I love the dark gray. I actually did a very similar color in a basement bathroom with no natural light. I love the crisp white with it. I think that's a great color choice for your studio. Can't wait to see it!

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    1. I agree, I think it works nicely with bright white as a balance. I bet the bathroom is beautiful!

      xo,
      Jen

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  3. That color is so rich and beautiful. Can't wait to see it!!

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  4. can't wait to see how it turns out!!!
    I've never been brave enough to try it, but I've loved edie's (life in grace) bedroom color!

    emma @ www.frommylittlepinkcouch.blogspot.com

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  5. I hope it does not turn out too dark for your room! Did they have other names like "inspiration" or "spiritual?" Because that would be fun too!

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  6. it will definitely look gorgeous. you have a ton of white in the room and it's going to pop against the deep gray. great pick!

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  7. Love the colour! Our whole home is greys and blacks, infact we have a black focal wall in our living room which we have balanced with a lighter grey, white and sunshine yellow. Love it.

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  8. What a beautiful color--I have no doubt it will look spectacular! I am a great lover of grey. My fiance and I have painted three different rooms in our house in varying shades of grey with wonderful results. We've also added small touches of grey to our home accessories--for instance, a rustic grey wood tray on our living room coffee table. And just a couple weeks ago I bought a 2013 Nissan Versa in a rich charcoal color. Thank you for the helpful suggestion to do some research before you commit to your plan. The images you put up are inspirational indeed!

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  9. I'm not a huge fan of the dark grey/black (or really grey in general), although I do like other dark, saturated colors. Your inspiration pictures are gorgeous, though, if not my style!

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  10. I love this color and I think it will look great in your space. You have enough white to offset it. Good Luck!

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  11. I think that color is fabulous! In fact, it would look perfect in my master bedroom...! No way my husband would let me paint it again - bummer. (:

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  12. I like it! I think it will bring a nice balance to the cheerful colours. I've thought about doing it for our kitchen, but I've always been too nervous. You're so right... It is only paint.
    {lamourcheznous.wordpress.com}

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  13. Go for it! You will love it! I did our bedroom in a dark dark gray, and it never looked so good.
    (pics here)
    http://www.cleansmartsimplestyle.com/2012/09/bedroom-photo-gallery-wall.html

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  14. I painted my kitchen gray and soon after every room in my house is getting a critcal eye... I love GRAY and what it does to other colors... next up is my bedroom... Yellow and gray hmmm???

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  15. Gorgeous color! Can't wait to see how the studio turns out!

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  16. We just painted our office grey on three walls and then did an accent color of navy blue. Then there are pops of yellow, green and pink throughout. I get to have my girly colors in the room but still have a neutral feel to it!

    By the way, do you have any good blogs that you follow for organizing your finances? Always on the lookout for those!

    Clara
    http://augustfreckles.blogspot.com/

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  17. I am AFRAID of dark colors, but in that gray/white laundry room you found, those white shelves and accents really jumped off the gray wall. Can't wait to see how it looks!

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  18. Don't waver! Do it!!! It's gorgeous! I love bold colors (maybe not black but everything else). You will decorate it up right, I know it!!

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  19. I think it will look beautiful! Especially paired with bold pops of color.

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  20. Love it! What kind of paint do you use? Flat? Eggshell? Satin?

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    1. It always depends on where the walls are located, but for the studio I am going with a flat because I want to avoid a shiny finish.

      xo!
      Jen

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  21. I really love the dark, sophisticated colors - you should see the room I am typing in right now!! Ha!

    None of the rooms in my house are all that big, but the dark colors really make them look more grand - I have to be careful not to paint EVERY room dark - my husband is never on board but after he sees the finished product, he always says I was right!! Pops of color are key with dark walls - furniture, curtains and accessories. I read recently that dark colors can actually make a room appear bigger.

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  22. i have been loving dark colors recently. i really want to paint my bedroom navy but the landlord won't let me paint.

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  23. I love the bedroom with the pops of yellow. That is definitely one of my favorite color combinations. :)

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  24. I think it will look great! When I looked at your studio pic, I thought you were going to say that it's the paint color you chose to paint that dresser...looks like the same color in the photos. :)

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    1. Nope, the dresser actually was moved into the master bedroom, you can see that here: http://iheartorganizing.blogspot.com/2013/03/making-some-changes-in-master-bedroom.html

      xo!
      Jen

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  25. We had a very similar colour in our powder room, a room with very little light as well, it worked because we had lots of white (wainscot,etc.) to balance it out. I see that in your example images as well, lots of light, neutral shades to balance the dark grey makes it work. I think you should go for it, you've got lots of light furniture down there, it will really break it up, you won't see as much of it as you think. Good luck, go for it girl, you'll love it!

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  26. Go for it! The color is beautiful. I have been contemplating painting my house black. I saw on houzz.com that black is "on trend: bold and black exterior house color". I am just afraid my neighbors will kick my "black" ass out of the neighborhood!LOL

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  27. Oh, I think you helped me find the shade of gray I have been dreaming of. I was in a beautiful modern hotel last fall and the wall area behind the bed was painted with a rich dark gray. I have been dreaming of using that shade in my craft room or bedroom ever since.

    Can't wait to see how your room looks with this luscious color.

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  28. You will love it!! My entire living room/kitchen is dark gray and I was worried about it being too dark but it's cozy. And I'm always getting compliments on the color. I actually posted about it on my blog today :)

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  29. I think it will give a great constrast with the desk, and once you bring in the layering!!!

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  30. Go for it Jen. You only have to please yourself. Anyway i think its great.

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  31. You should definitely go for grey in your studio - it will look great with all the white cabinets and pops of color. I LOVE dark grey rooms - my entire guest room and guest bath is painted dark grey with all white furniture, white bedding, and white frames, and the contrast feels very sophisticated.

    We also have quite a bit of dark grey paint in other rooms of our house with other colors. It's mixed with teal and some pops of pink in our living room, and in our basement we have some dark grey and light grey on the walls with orange and white accents.

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  32. just finished painting our bedroom dark gray below the chair rail and lighter gray above on saturday. i luuuuuuurve the grays. can't wait to get home and stare at my walls. :)

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  33. I painted one of our bedroom walls gray and it turned out so dark it looks like black, but I really love the contrast with the wood. See it here: http://inside9b.blogspot.de/2013/04/styling-our-bedroom.html
    And now with the new/old nightstands I love it even more.
    Jule

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  34. You thought the space was too dark to handle the wood toned counter, but will support this color? It's gorgeous, just make sure you're not talking yourself into it just because it's pretty. :) Or give it a try...repainting isn't so bad. :)

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    1. Oddly, it did feel that way... I think it was the tone of the dark counter and how matchy it was with the dark floor. It also reflected light differently, and the cabinets weren't painted white yet either so it all was feeling too heavy. Once the cabinets were white and the counter was white, with the gray blue light walls, it started feeling a little monotone. Seeing inspirational photos of solid gray looked so sharp with the white, I figure, it's worth a try. If it doesn't work, I will paint it back. Good thing I like to paint! This blog is all about experimenting and sharing my trials and errors.

      xo,
      Jen

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  35. I think the colour is beautiful! I just wondering which wall is the focal wall that you are painting? As Lisa Joy said, that dresser is pretty much the same colour so it will disappear into the grey wall. If that's the case just paint the dresser some other fun colour!

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    1. Hi Marie Anne!

      The wall with the white cabinets. The dresser actually was moved into the master bedroom, you can see that here: http://iheartorganizing.blogspot.com/2013/03/making-some-changes-in-master-bedroom.html

      xo!
      Jen

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  36. I love the dark gray and was wondering what it would look like on the ceiling with lighter gray on the walls ? Have you seen the look before? My husband "promised" me he will paint a few rooms next fall so I'm trying to have it all figured out by then. Can't wait to see your finished room. Good luck and happy painting :)

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    1. Oooh, that could be really beautiful! Especially if divided with pretty white crown molding.

      xo,
      Jen

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  37. I say GO FOR IT!

    Our youngest son's nursery is the SMALLEST room ever. Well, actually, it's not even a room. It's a walk through area that's too big to be a hallway but too small to be a bonus room. I just call it a glorified hallway. And I can't forget to mention that it has sloped ceilings that make it even smaller.

    Sooo all that being said, we painted it dark gray.. even the slanted ceilings. One wall is painted a rich, but kind of bright peacock blue, and that's the accent color throughout the room.

    All of the furniture is bright white! And that's the key! The contrast is awesome! The trim and closet door are white, too. I love his little nursery, and the colors do NOT make the room look small or depressing!

    So go for it! Add some contrast and a pop of bright colors and you'll be happy you did it!

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    1. So great to know! And I agree, white is the key to making it still feel fresh and modern.

      Sounds like a cozy and happy nursery! :)

      xo!
      Jen

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  38. Michelle (little house blossoms)April 29, 2013 at 6:53 PM

    Beautiful color! I've been looking for a moody gray like this and you've given me such inspiration! Can't wait to see it on the walls.

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  39. We had this exact color in our dining room at our old house... we liked it so much that we are using it in our master bedroom at our new house! Its a great true grey with brown under tones unlike most of the grays with blue/green/purple undertones; and It looks amazing with bright white accents. Can't wait to see how it looks in your space

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  40. I love how deep and bold it is. I think you are completely right in reasoning that it will balance out all of the colors you add into the space. Gorgeous!

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  41. I think it will look great! I know what you mean about being hesitant to pull the trigger. I have been working on our bedroom for a while now and just can't seem to find the "it" that I'm looking for. I've bought and returned bunches of pillows and decor, but I keep waffling. Crossing my fingers that this beautiful gray is "it" for you! Hope you have a wonderful night!

    ~Abby =)

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  42. Jen, i'm pretty much convinced that whatever you design looks good! I worry too much about pleasing everyone that i get nervous trying different things! i'm sure it will be amazing - you are definitely gifted in this area - take it from me because i am definitely NOT. :-) Thats why i love your blog so much!
    xoxo

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  43. Looooove this deep gray! I just wrapped up a kitchen refresh for a friend of mine, and I sprayed her cabinets white, and she painted the walls in a gray called 'Elephant Skin'. Not the prettiest name for a paint color, but oh my goodness, it's gorgeous! Really adds an element of sophistication to the space. Can't wait to put on the finishing touches and blog about it!

    In the meantime, I've been mulling over a zillion shades of gray as I redo my husband's office. I found some fab fabrics, but grays can be so tricky!

    Again, love the gray, and I think it will look amazing!!

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  44. I've just gone and painted a similar colour in my craft room. I LOVE my grey walls! I paired it with white furniture and trim and my craft supplies are house in a rainbow of colourful containers. The room is just magic now. I was a bit scared of using the grey too but my space is just so fresh, cheery and beautiful now. I really don't think you'll regret going grey

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  45. My husband let me paint our new master bedroom a similar color; Cooled Lava by Behr. It's so dark it's almost black and I love it! We're going to paint our brown bed frame white soon and I can't wait to see how it looks. I think the dark color will look great in your office, especially against the white shelves and desk.
    -Bonnie

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  46. Hi !! My husband and I are planning to move to this new condo in the Philippines and i really like your ideas and designs and I'm surely going to incorporate them into my new home. Please keep blogging <3 much love, Christine

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  47. First reaction to the colour swatch was "ew, too dark" but the inspiration pics changed my mind. It looks awesome with white and a few bright bits and pieces. Plus it's for a focal wall, so it needs to have an impact! I can't wait to see how it turns out.

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  48. Where can I find a sunburst mirror like yours?

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  49. Our bedroom is a medium-dark grey color. it turned out good, but it was a little dark since there is only one window in the room. But we got a few new lamps and they help brighten up the space.

    My advice to using a dark-ish color would be to get extra lighting to offset the dark paint color!

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  50. Absolutely love that color! I think it will look great in your space. I think with all of the white accents your room won't get too dark.

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  51. Hi Jen! I absolutely love the direction you are taking your studio/office. Your taste in design is amazing. Could you please give me some information about the neutral rug you have in your room? I've been looking for a rug like that. Thanks so much!

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  52. Two apartments ago (haven't had energy to paint in this one and at this point we'll be moving in a few months, last one, the landlord didn't let us paint), I had a living room with a deep, dark gray that had hints of purple in it (which went really well with our plum colored couches and even darker gray velvet curtains!) and an apple green kitchen and a bedroom with a dreamy deep but not dark colored (kind Caribbean ocean) blue. It was so much fun!! The smartest move I made though was negotiating an extension to our lease where we didn't have to repaint, which worked well since I ended up pregnant with twins and on bedrest by the time we moved from that place (it was only a 1 bedroom)! So excited, glad you're going dark. :-)

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  53. I just painted my kitchen (which is currently being remodeled) a color very similar from Sherwin Williams called Peppercorn! Hoping it will really set off my white upper cabinets. The lower cabinets are also dark. I figure most of the kitchen is cabinets so it won't be too overwhelming. Good luck!

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  54. I love this site. I am in the process of buying my first home, and really enjoy all of your ideas!

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  55. I'm with you on the dark grey (sorry, I'm English hence the spelling!) - just wondered what your technique is where the dark paint will meet the white? I am not very good at 'cutting in' with a brush by hand, so would you recommend using painters tape or some sort of paint guard to get a sharp edge?

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    1. I always cut in with a Wooster paint brush, they are seriously the best! http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002YC06T2/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B002YC06T2&linkCode=as2&tag=iheaorga-20

      But if that is not something you feel comfortable with, I would definitely use Blue Painters tape with edge lock or Green Frog Tape. Both seems to work equally as well for me. Also, if using painters tape, try and remove the tape while the paint is still wet, for the crispest lines. :)

      xo,
      Jen

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  56. Oh, that's so useful. I think we can get the Wooster brush over here and I already have some Frog tape but I never knew whether to let the paint dry or not before removing, so thanks for that :-)

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  57. Your posts have always been wonderful to read. Dark grey is a very rich color and I have always been a huge fan. Recently got intellectual in my son’s room for a wall and it has given an amazing dimension to the space. Matched with bright yellow thrown in some pieces of furniture, it is absolutely fantastic, as you've shown in a picture. Used correctly and in the right places, grey is one of the most beautiful colors. Loved the kitchen too. Grey and white has an amazing effect on the entire space. Thanks for sharing this.

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  58. Sorry if I missed it, but I didn't notice any updated images using "Intellectual." Did you like it? Was it too dark? I would love to see some pics using that paint color. Thanks so much! :)

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    1. Hi Alicia!

      You can see the most recent studio post with the color here: http://iheartorganizing.blogspot.com/2013/05/studio-progress-major-cabinet-upgrades.html. I haven't fully revealed it in the studio as I am working on some more projects, but so far, I am LOVIN' it like crazy! :D

      xo,
      Jen

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  59. I'm thinking of trying "intellectual" on my dressers...Jen is your master bedroom Behr's Burnished metal or is it Frozen Pond? You are so inspiring!

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    1. Hi Lanell!

      Thank you so much!

      Our master bedroom is Frozen Pond and our Guest Room is Burnished Metal. :)

      xoxo!

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