Color Choices in Portland Houses (living, realty, housing)

[Tesaje]

I'm considering retiring in Portland in about 3 years so I've been looking around. Something struck me as I peruse the house photos on the realty pages. It seems like a lot of Portland area houses have very dark wall paint in the rooms. There's a lot of dark red, blue, and sometimes taupe colors on the walls. Can some people who live in Portland tell me why?

Here's my reaction, which is of course personal as are the paint colors I see in the houses. The Portland area has a lot of cloud cover in the winter months. Dark wall colors reduce the light indoors so I think if I lived there, I would want light colored walls to reflect the light and brighten the rooms. So why do so many in the area choose those dark, saturated wall colors for their indoor environment?

Thanks

(btw,
I don't mean to sound critical, I just want to understand why I'm seeing this so much when there also so many people who complain about the dreary weather.)

[jt1033]

Just paint them a different color. There are many different people here with different taste.

[oldtintype]

Maybe they're using traditional Craftsman colors or something? We painted our Victorian apt. in traditional Victorian period colors when I lived in SF--dark greens, etc. It was beautiful. White walls aren't really going to cure depression if you're prone to it!

[GucciLittlePiggie]

because bright white walls are boring and look like you live in an asylum
if the rooms are big enough, dark, solid colors can look very nice

[David Kennedy]

This is a trend in housing, for years walls have been painted one of the 22 different colors of white.
When paint first appeared commonly in America in the 1830's it was a powder and mixed with linseed oil. The colors were very bright and guady like todays.
It was a sign of wealth to have painted walls and the brighter the better...
We are turning into that cycle again.

[nancy thereader]

My favorite color is sage green, and I think that would be pretty and go along with cloudy skies.

[Squidlo]

I had my home (in Portland) interior painted before I put it on the market. It was a near taupe color throughout (matte finish). All trim was done in a white semi gloss. It certainly did good things for the 1970's ranch. Builders (Pulte, Newmark, Standard Pacific and a few others) in San Antonio that I have looked at seem to be using the exact same colors. The colors are neutral enough that you can repaint rooms or single walls with minimal clashing. I had lived with flat white for years and had no idea what I was missing. Here in SA a lot of the pre owned homes have a red wall or two in dining rooms. Its struck me as odd, but its growing on me. Still looking for a home here.



Squidlo

[tiffela74]

we just bought our first home this summer and have been having a blast painting!!! We have that awful dark wood paneling,(EVERY SINGLE ROOM IN THE HOUSE!!!) couldnt afford to sheetrock just yet, so we have been experimenting in paint. Our main walls in the living room/office are antique white, which looks super cute over the paneling! and one accent wall brick red. If you like bright, youd adore my kitchen!! i always wanted a super cheery kitchen, so i have 2 walls in Snapdragon Yellow, and 2 walls in Tangerine Orange!! Whoooo boy, cant say its not BRIGHT!!!! Wakes ya up in the mornings. lol My kids all got to pick their room colors, my boy has 2shades of blue, my oldest girl has irridecent lavender, and my youngest girl has light purple trimmed in the brightest pink. lol The bathroom was a sage green, then the other weekend I got bored, had a drink, now its moss green, trimmed in sash blue, and the door and celing are butter yellow. Im really gonna have to paint that room over again!! lol Heck with what is popular, Im all about whatever tugs me at the moment. Paint is cheap and fun.
tiffany

[nancy thereader]

sounds gorgeous, tiffela.

[tiffela74]

Thanks Nancy! It's certainly US. kinda zany, not very traditional nor what everybody wants, but hey, thats why a person owns their own home, right? to do with it as they like?
I like friendly colors.
Tiffany