Anybody else had enough of their dark navy wall & painted it light again?

[youvegottobekidding]

Just that really. Only we've had it for around seven months maybe. One wall in the living room, I love the colour, but I'm just not 'feeling' it anymore, it's like it's almost depressing me - could be because it's miserable January! All the other walls are just white & sometimes when I look around the room, it's like it's not one room, it kind of looks like we ran out of the navy paint & left it, it's not a typical feature wall.

I'm thinking of just painting it over white. Ideally I would get tester pots of a few whites I've seen but I'd be seriously pushing my luck with DH, I absolutely had to beg him to let me have my navy wall.

How easy is it to paint over a darkish colour? I imagine it would take a few costs anyway. Would love to use a F&B colour but that's what I'll be painting over, much to DH's disbelief because we paid so much for the tin! So I'll just settle on a white, think we have some bog standard johnstones brilliant white somewhere. That's what the whole house is done in! Quite like the look of Dulux timeless as well. But any cost involved & DH will have steam coming out of his ears!

I did this. I absolutely loved the dark blue, but it’s just a bit difficult to live with. The rooms felt so much bigger and airier when is finished! (I had feature walls in the blue, and painted over them with a warm pale grey). It’s a bugger to paint over so I’d recommend using a trade paint (Dulux and Crown both do great ones). SO much easier.

Yes - because everyone else had one! We bought this:
www.diy.com/departments/leyland-pure-brilliant-white-matt-emulsion-paint-10l/1335443_BQ.prd

It took 3 coats.

I'm doing the reverse - painting the paler walls the same dark blue, because it looks too cold and unfinished. The majority of the furniture and massive slabs of woodwork are white, though, and I do tend to spend an absolute fuckton on lights and other things in the room to add brightness.

The OH is unconvinced. But he'll do as he's told because life is easier that way. If all else fails, I'll tosh up some wallpaper (or lining paper and paint that) rather than try to blank it out.

We went from dark green to mint. Took 3-4 coats. Buy a good quality white and let it thoroughly dry between coats or your roller will just pull it off again.

Well it looks like we're sticking with the dark side for a little while longer! Its funny because DH wasn't sold on the idea of a dark colour at first, but as soon as it was done, he loves it and still does - hence why he really opposes me of painting it white. I do still like it and it is a lovely colour (F&B stiffkey blue) when you look at it, it kind of draws you in, it was just i think i was after a fresh white look, a lighter look, but i can wait a bit longer i suppose!

Why don't you try some other things to tie it in? Navy artwork/frames on the white walls, white frames on the navy. Navy reveres (?) on the windows in the white wall, etc.

We recently had our lounge redecorated....it was previously s warm magnolia sort of colour but it’s quite a dark room so we decided to go dark and cosy. We originally painted part dark blue and part pale grey but ended up going all dark....I think you sometimes have to go all or nothing with dark colours. We love it....have not finished the room yet but gradually dressing it up with navy and yellow/gold accessories......If I was going to go light again I would do pale green....I love grey but it looks blue or pink in our room....

I'm keeping my all-navy bedroom but just redid the hallway in white. The front half where there was natural light was white, then it kind of dog-legs and I went dark because there was no natural light so it made sense.

But two different colours made things feel "choppy" – why not take the whole room navy instead of just a wall? Mine was easy to do: I went away for the weekend and DP did it in my absence . Only took two coats of Dulux, plus a couple of touch-ups in patches.

Op do you have a link to the colour blue you used? I know you're wanting rid of it but we're moving to our first flat (that we will own!) and I would love dark blue walls. Bit concerned it would be too dark though as there is only a small living room window!

MrsScamander we've just painted our whole bedroom in Dulux Sapphire Salute. Our last place we had one wall in the lounge this colour and the rest white.

I adore the colour.

I think it is the one wall thing that is bothering you. It feels choppy unless there is an obvious reason for it (behind a bed in a bedroom maybe).

Our family room is deep navy on all walls with white woodwork/ shelves and I love it - it is very cosy and restful. I don't think it would have worked with one navy wall though - it would be like two different styles - library/cosy and airy/bright vying with each other.

MsScamander - www.homebase.co.uk/farrow-ball-estate-emulsion-stiffkey-blue-no-281-2-5l_p246080

To do the whole room I'd probably need around 2 tins of paint and they cost too much! I can't have them colour matched as the other wall is done in F&B so will most certainly not be the same.

Could you colourmatch and go over the F&B wall if necessary? I know, I know

You could try the Dulux app or Crown app to see how the whole room would look in blue/navy before you bite the bullet. I've found it extremely useful before taking the plunge with dark colours

I'm not always a fan of a single bold/dark wall. Like a pp says it sometimes looks unfinished

Why don't you go to Johnstone's and they will mix up the F&B colour exactly (all you need is the colour number) - it's a good bit cheaper too

Could you hang something on the blue wall, a mirror or a picture? Just to reflect the light a bit.

Hi, Can anyone recommend a good decorator in East London?