What colour(s) should I paint a bedroom/office/lounging area?

[Pandora]

I've been re-arranging and changing my room since I was 10

In the last 9 years, I've used and abused my walls with sharpies, moving posters, frames and furniture multiple times a year.

I've finally decided to settle down with a set up, and re-paint my room but I don't know what colour. I've had my mind set on a medium shade of grey and maybe a mix of some green or yellow on separate walls.

Here's my problem(s):
I get bored very easily
I'm picky
Most of my newly purchased Ikea furniture is wood (in different shades) - don't remind me
There's only one window in my room
My room is small but serves for a lounging/entertainment area, office, and snake room

Any help would be greatly appreciated

BTW : Does anybody know how to paint over sharpies?
I'm completely new to painting and need to know good brands/types of paints/what kind of primer to use

[GenePirate]

Yours might seem like a really off-the-wall question, but I understand your concern over colors. A PhD friend of mine told me that women are so into color because they have more color receptors and can perceive minute differences in shading over their male counterparts.

I like the grey/green/yellow idea, but be careful of your yellows. Yellows that look like straw or tan colors on a paint chip can look like lemon yellow on your wall. My suggestion would be to go to the hardware store and spend an hour or two looking at their paint chip strips. When you find a color that makes you feel all warm and fuzzy (like grey greens do for me) then try to match it with a corresponding green or yellow (I would pick a more chamois color rather than banana yellow). Bring home your color swatches and tape them to the wall to see how they look in your light. Then, you can go so far as to ask the paint department to mix up a small batch of the colors you feel strongly about and paint a square foot or two of your wall. Let them dry and observe.

If you have a favorite color on a shirt or a lamp or a figurine, you can bring it to the store, and they will do a color analysis and match it. I've joked in the past about bringing my lesser platinum to get them to match that creamy muted olive color as a paint color.

You're right to suggest a trio of colors, a base, and a couple of accents. I painted my living room, then painted the walls that do not face the light a slightly darker color, and used the darkest accent color for the fireplace wall.

People can suggest colors, but really, it's pretty fun going to the store and faced with all of those choices, picking several candidates and trying them out. You can also do an internet search for a color visualizer, and it will allow you to select a representative type room from their pictures, then use their color pallette to change the walls and trim to see what it might look like.

Have fun!

[llovelace]

To cover the sharpie marks, paint with a primer first kilz works good. Also home depot carries a new paint line that has the primer in it.

[Ginevive]

Kilz is pretty cool. I prefer the water-based type for easier cleanup, but I did have to use several coats of it to cover up the waterspots on the ceiling in our mudroom (the roof leaked.)

Colors, are hard for me to advise! I love the textured Ralph Lauren paints that they have out, that have the look of faux leather or stone.. but they're pretty expensive and do take some talent and learning to apply. But they're awesome when done, from what I have seen.. I do like the idea of a slate-gray trim and a lighter gray wall; because I hang alot of things on the walls, and it'd make them stand out better, personally.

[Shadera]

I recently repainted the interior of much of our house. I really like the Harmony paint from Sherwin-Williams. It's no-VOC and has very low odor, which was important to me for the animals. (Paint fumes can kill birds) I went with two tones of beige in the living room, with the darker on the far wall. It's warm and cozy without being overpowering. I went with the crazier, bolder colors in the other rooms of the house. You can always add your color on the moldings or with the draperies. A lot of those paint places will give you samples of colors you want to try, and you can take those home and paint test areas to see what the color will actually look like on the wall and give you an idea of which you'll like best. It can look so much different on a wall than it does on a paint chip, trust me! LOL For covering sharpie, I'd recommend using a primer before you put down the actual paint.

Or how about a mural? Several of the home stores have those, and they look nice. I have a big jungle one here on the wall behind my computer desk and love it.