What comes first - Paint, carpets or furniture?

[misskitty100]

Our new house has hardwood floors throught the entire downstairs. Therefore, we need to get some area rugs for the entry, living room and family room. The walls all need new paint because we don't care for the current colors. Lastly, we need new living room furniture because what we have now just doesn't fit. The family room couch is fine but we need end tables and/or a coffee table.

Where should we start? I am assuming we should start with furniture and then pick rugs and paint colors? Would that make the most sense?

[Gumbeaux]

Where should we start? I am assuming we should start with furniture and then pick rugs and paint colors? Would that make the most sense?


That sounds like the right sequence to me.

[Jazzmatazz49]

I would do paint, furniture, then rugs, but that's because I have to see the entire wall painted before I get a feel for the room. I wish I had the gift of "seeing" colors before the walls were painted but I don't. And while the websites that let you put different colors in rooms are helpful, they are no substitute for the real thing.

[Phoenixcooking]

I would start with either furniture or rugs which ever is going to be your biggest expense and the one you believe you will have to want to keep the longest. Paint is any easy fix if you want to change look of a room and keep furniture you love.

[Gumbeaux]

I would start with either furniture or rugs which ever is going to be your biggest expense and the one you believe you will have to want to keep the longest. Paint is any easy fix if you want to change look of a room and keep furniture you love.

That's what was part of my reasoning. It's a lot easier to match the paint against the furniture than to match the furniture against the paint. You can get the exact coordination this way since paint comes in a zillion colors and furniture fabric doesn't.

[Canice]

For me, I would definitely want to start with the paint since it sets the tone of the room. I would know what color I wanted the walls to be, but I wouldn't know what coffee table or couch I wanted in it. It's pretty easy to pick a fabric or rug that picks up the wall color.

[jellyben]

For me, I always like to pick out my fabrics first. There are just so many gorgeous fabrics for upholstery and window treatments! Then I would do rugs, then paint. You can find a paint color to match anything!

[avariell]

There must be no rule because I would want to go - paint, carpet, furniture. I guess we are all unique in the way we approach these things :)

Paint sets the tone for the room, like Canice said. In my experience furniture does come in a zillion fabrics and finishes so that wouldn't worry me. :) Good luck regardless!

[beacooker]

I would think you would want to have a general idea of the paint color you would want (i.e. a light yellow, a dark brown, a bright blue, whatever), then select furniture that would go with that, then go back and pick the exact shade of paint color.

[lindrusso]

It depends.

But as a rule, I try to start with whatever would be hardest to pick. What is hardest to pick can vary from person to person. I think there are many, many paint colors that you could make work with specific furniture and rugs, but picking out furniture to match a paint color is potentially a lot harder, especially if it involves a major piece like a sofa. I find sofas pretty hard to decide on, so I'd be inclined to pick the sofa first.

If it's just accent furniture, I'd pick the paint first.

There are times where I know I want a room to be a specific color and I could see picking out pieces and rugs to go with that color I really want. For instance, I knew I wanted our bedroom to be sage green, so I picked out a quilt to match that.

But, I could have just as easily found a quilt I loved and then tried to pick a color to match it. Like I said, it just depends!

In a similar vein, you might find a rug as an inspiration piece and design the room around the rug to bring in the colors and complement it.

So, why don't you look at some paint colors, look at some furniture and look at some rugs and see if anything inspires you? Sometimes just finding one piece or rug or color that you love can help you figure out the rest.

Good luck! I don't think I've ever done a whole room completely from scratch - our rooms tend to be a hodge podge of things we've accumulated through the years. Starting from scratch would be fun. :)

[Casey1230]

I did paint, rug, furniture in my new home. I HAD to do paint as the living/dining/foyer were all painted PINK! Not a pretty pink either. I did antique white and white trim knowing that most colors would go and I had a rather blank canvas to work with. I fell in love with a Sphinx rug and bought sectional around it .. already had cherry tables and such. It worked for me.. but everybody is different.

[foodfiend]

It's easier to change the paint colour than it is to change the furniture. I'd start with the furniture (and even before that, measure the doorways and ceilings to make sure you have enough room). Then choose the paint -- you can always bring home swatches and colour samples to check the colour. Then choose rugs to accent the almost-ready room.

[TieKitty]

When we bought our house we had it painted first. We already had most of our furniture so we knew what colors we wanted where. Well, now that I've written that it seems we started with furniture first. It seemed easier to paint before the furniture was moved in.

We also have hardwoods downstairs and added the rugs last.

[PaintColorHelp]

I would almost never select the paint color without knowing what other major objects will go in the room. The rare exceptions would be for those using an almost totally black and white scheme in your furnishings, or if you just want such a light off-white that it will not make much difference.

That said, even with off whites, watch out for anything that leans pink, and put up some BIG test patches first.

A rug is the ideal starting point, especially if it contains multiple colors. Find a rug that you love, in the right size and price range, and you're halfway done. It's then simple to pull colors from it for the walls, throw pillows and art.

Weigh your couch options with the rug in mind. Typically, I like them to contrast a bit, unless you are doing a matched look, like a white couch and a white shag together.

Carpet can be selected last. Bring the carpet sample boards home and assess with your wall and couch colors. The larger the section of carpeting you can see, the more confidently you can choose. Tiny pieces glued to a board can be tough to judge.

If you still feel overwhelmed or would just like an extra set of "eyes," consider Googling for a paint color consultant in your city. The $100 you pay them could save you thousands in regrets later.

[BucknellAlum]

I would almost never select the paint color without knowing what other major objects will go in the room. The rare exceptions would be for those using an almost totally black and white scheme in your furnishings, or if you just want such a light off-white that it will not make much difference.

That said, even with off whites, watch out for anything that leans pink, and put up some BIG test patches first.

A rug is the ideal starting point, especially if the rug contains multiple colors. If you find a rug that you love, in the right size and price range, you are halfway done. It is then a simple matter to pull colors from it for the walls, throw pillows and art.

Consider the couch and rug at the same time, just to get a general idea of what couch tones you might want. For example, if you'll be shopping for a black leather or a white linen.

In rooms that will be carpeted, the carpet can be selected last. Bring the carpet sample boards home and assess with your wall and couch colors. The larger the section of carpeting you can see, the more confidently you can choose. The tiny pieces glued to the board are sometimes tough to judge.

If you still feel overwhelmed or would just like an extra set of "eyes," consider Googling for a paint color consultant in your city. The $100 you pay them could save you thousands in regrets later.

Ummmm . . .I am guessing she has already come to a decision, as this is THREE year old thread! I hope misskitty is still not staring at blank walls and floors :)

Reported

[PaintColorHelp]

Yes Bucknell, it is indeed a topic several years old and the original question has doubtless long been settled. But as it's a topic of ongoing concern, I figured others might come across this thread looking for answers.

As your reply indicates, people are obviously still coming to this post. If what I shared is able to help someone just a little, then it was well worth the effort.

[AngelaM]

I know this is an old decision, but I always pick my paint last. This is because there are many more paint colors to choose from than furniture/rugs. To me its easier to match this way.

[LakeMartinGal]

Yes Bucknell, it is indeed a topic several years old and the original question has doubtless long been settled. But as it's a topic of ongoing concern, I figured others might come across this thread looking for answers.

As your reply indicates, people are obviously still coming to this post. If what I shared is able to help someone just a little, then it was well worth the effort.I agree. Who do you work for?