To Taupe or Not To Taupe? (negotiation, sales, more expensive, offer)

[annerk]

Originally Posted by Charley

That's interesting. We just painted our kitchen with a "mossy green" that has a grey tone in it - having just removed wallpaper (never again!) - and the room looks larger to us. Here's the finished product, with cabinet refacing and new countertop and sink.



We're also taking down paneling in the family room and we will paint the sheetrock with an off-white that has just a touch of peach. It's not exactly the color I thought I was getting, but I think it will look nice.

This is the color - "Basket" (Valspar)

It looks larger than with wallpaper, but if it didn't have that black in the paint it would look larger yet. It is pretty, but now that I know what the grey does to a room, I can visualize that it would look 20-30% larger if painted another color.

[chet everett]

Originally Posted by Charley

That's interesting. We just painted our kitchen with a "mossy green" that has a grey tone in it - having just removed wallpaper (never again!) - and the room looks larger to us. Here's the finished product, with cabinet refacing and new countertop and sink.



We're also taking down paneling in the family room and we will paint the sheetrock with an off-white that has just a touch of peach. It's not exactly the color I thought I was getting, but I think it will look nice.

This is the color - "Basket" (Valspar)

Key is that it looks CLEAN, this is obvious no enormous high end kitchen, and you won't fool some one into thinking it is with JUST color. Realistically the total AREA that get painted in a kitchen that is pretty minimal -- area above the the backsplash has to not clash with countertops, and the end wall has to an impact too.

Good Luck!

[Roselvr]

Originally Posted by Charley

That's interesting. We just painted our kitchen with a "mossy green" that has a grey tone in it - having just removed wallpaper (never again!) - and the room looks larger to us. Here's the finished product, with cabinet refacing and new countertop and sink.

Love the green. It looks like the one I used.
It seems to match a lot of different colors.

Originally Posted by Charley

We're also taking down paneling in the family room and we will paint the sheetrock with an off-white that has just a touch of peach. It's not exactly the color I thought I was getting, but I think it will look nice.

This is the color - "Basket" (Valspar)

I don't think that's neutral enough, for me anyway.

Originally Posted by CVAlicia

I brought home a bunch of BM paint samples and, when they are next to each other, you can really see which ones have grey undertones or peach-pink undertones -a big NO to both. I've heard Lowe's already has the BM colors in their system to match. If that rumor is incorrect, then they could at least color match.

I love BM paint, but I really should get Behr at Lowe's. It's my second favorite, so that will be good enough! Thanks for the "talk down" from BM!

Some will color match, some won't.
The last time I went to depot when selling I'd run out of paint & took the color sample with me. I was told they are not allowed to match brand names if they do not sell it. The one person also would not mix a Glidden color in Behr paint. Thankfully I saved the can and went back with the can, they had no clue who's color they were duplicating that way.

[gentlearts]

You can tell by the responses that everyone has a different opinion. Since it's impossible to please everyone, you might as well just leave it alone.

[MMichelle]

The short answer is, yes. A fresh coat of paint is the best investment you can make. Taupe, buff, ivory, cream ... you will need to take a few handfuks of paint chips to the condo and check it out. Hint - Use masking tape and tape each one on the wall. Stand back and look. It will give you a better idea of how it will look. You may want to check out a few model homes in your area - see what colors they are using.
Color is a wonderful thing. I love a home with vibrant color. But at resale time - go neutral!

[Roselvr]

Originally Posted by MMichelle

You may want to check out a few model homes in your area - see what colors they are using.
Color is a wonderful thing. I love a home with vibrant color. But at resale time - go neutral!

Around here, model houses are using a lot of wallpaper.
We paid to have "color" added to our walls.. it's an off white and I'm so sick of looking at it. This is the paint a lot of the builders are using when not papering. I do not suggest it. Would rather see something different, even a little darker.

[loves2read]

my opinion would be to look at NEW homes in your price range--try to fit your colors as much into that range as you are comfortable with...
people who are home shopping get a flavor for what new homes look like--by using that color pallete you carry over the "new" to yours--
think it might be a psychological boost...
I know that in my area---DFW TX--looking through homes on resale market where people have stayed with the original paint layout can really date a house even if the paint is fairly new...
in our house which is about 4-5 years old--bought in October--the sellers had darker trim (and there is quite a bit of it) and some darker oak stained woodwork in kitchen cabs and master bath...
the walls were lighter--but their color had a yellow tint to the beige...
we thought initially the trim was kind of that greenish olive/grey and the walls were more neutral/tan/beige --- not so---once their furniture was out the colors really were off...and their choices made the rooms really dark...
we finally decided (or our painter did) on a wall color that had NO pink/yellow/green/grey tint to it--that was HARD to choose--even paid a decorator to come out and consult--that was worthless--our painter had the best eye for what to pick and we really love the colors--
our house has 10-12 ft ceilings and most rooms with north light--made it terrible difficult since there is so much shadow during the day/night--this color seems to keep its color true during most of the day/night now...
we kept the trim darker for two reasons--(my husband liked it that way after 25 yrs of white trim) but that was only part of the reason...
we found out trim finish was sprayed shellac (what many builders in this area are doing -- it is extremely smooth--no lines--no leveling)
that finish is easy to spray on in new homes where they can do the trim first w/o having to mask anything and very time-efficient and fairly cheap because of its time element--
but not so easy to redo in another (lighter/white) color...would have taken definitely 2 coats--maybe three--about another full week or more of having to wait to move in...and added about half again as much to the cost...expensive enough as it was...sprayed shellac is also very smelly--not a latex based or low voc type of coating which is problem for some people as well

BUT my point is that darker trim was hot around here 4-7 yrs ago--when you check the MLS for houses and see those with darker trim you don't even have to check the date to know when the house was built...
it probably plays to selling strong to make your house resemble new homes...
around here there is not that much use of strong color unless it is a really expensive, custom builder and then they do the Tuscan finish with glazing...which I really don't like...
I got SO TIRED of seeing houses with one red focus wall in the dining room...and red paint is a PIA to cover up...likewise some of the teen bedrooms in dark purple ...one even had a black wall...
they did not repaint because it is EXPENSIVE to cover those up...

we are used to the look now--although I do love white trim--but don't think we will ever see it in this house unless we get really rich...

for picking paint colors---go to the hobby store and buy some foam board panels that you can move around the room in different light situation---you can even get some of the tri-fold display backboards that kids use for science projects--they are less expensive but about 3 ft sq or more

paint with samples of lighter/darker shades/colors (some places have smaller paint samples for just that)--
I would suggest Benjamine Moore paint which is what Pottery Barn uses in their catalog shoots --you don't have to buy the final paint there--you can get it cloned by another cheaper place but using a Benjamine Moore color that is fairly popular is another marketing ploy since many, many people shop Pottery Barn and are familiar with that look and then try to find something cheaper and more affordable...
you can try the color strips with 4 or 5 tones in same family---DO NOT go from one color strip to another w/o getting some good advice...
painting ceilings is a difficult part of painting--be careful with that but in an older home if you don't paint the ceilings they will really look dated and stick out like a sore thumb--especially if there were any smokers in the home--the smell will be there as well and painting is best way to mask it

the house we bought had a really bad color scheme (yellow tint to the beige walls and pink tint in the trim that was also beige) which did not keep us from buying the house but did make us feel pretty stupid not to have noticed what the real colors were--there was no way we could live in the house with those shades on the walls...one room was yellow and we did not really notice because of the light values (and the fact that we really only saw the house two or three times before we moved in--for short periods at different times of the day as well)...
made me realize how the interior colors of upholstery/bedding/curtains create shades of color within a room and how light values change colors...which I guess sounds stupid but when you live in one house for 25 yrs and don't redecorate that much I guess it is to be expected...

[TampaKaren]

I've previewed probably 300 houses this year. I've seen so many neutrals, I'm nauseated. There's no way to please everyone, but if you make it easy enough for the future homeowner to move in with minimal work, it's best. Too much white and it becomes institutional. Too dark and it's trendy. I'd suggest you price aggressively, and create a flyer that says something like "Willing to re-paint in buyer's choice of colors prior to closing with any reasonable offer." It's the only way to appeal to everyone. Should you decide to go ahead and re-paint, please consider the demographics and building architecture.

Additionally (and a bit off topic), especially for a vacant condo, make certain the paint on the entrance door and the hardware look sparkling new. If allowed, add a black doormat.

[CVAlicia]

Thank you all! I think I'm leaning toward just painting the powder room and master bath Putnam Ivory (a Pottery Barn color) so that they sparkle a bit more than with the mustard gold. I always had, in my mind, to offer in negotiations to paint the place before the buyers move in, but I never thought of blatantly putting that in the flier. Great idea! I guess I was afraid of pointing out the paint might need help. But perhaps they would be worried about moving and painting all at once and would appreciate the blatant offer of painting before move-in. Since it's empty, it would be no problem for us. And a black doormat, huh? We have no doormat now and I was wondering about getting one.

I'll post pictures when it's ready!

[chet everett]

I have reservations about putting info in the listing that may convey a "this is an ugly house"...