Any ideas what colour we should paint our hall/stairs and landing??

[tigerschick]

So?? Any ideas what colour would be nice?

I have put a photo of the carpet on my profile. It was down when we moved in and we can't afford to replace it (it is very good quality and in a reasonable state of repair but not really to our taste.)

There are no windows in the hall or on the landing but there is one on the stairs which turns with a landing halfway up. So it is reasonably light but wouldn't stand a particularly dark colour, especially with the dark carpet and the banisters which are pretty dark wood.

The walls are currently pale pink which doesn't go at all and is looking very tired and quite marked.

Any ideas??
TIA

Sorry tigerschick, but are you sure you can't afford to rip the carpet up? No offence, but is VERY dated, and seems a waste of your energies and money to paint all around it when you don't like it. How about painting the wooden stairs and floorboards underneath?

the carpet is not as bad as i feared
red warm, welcoming

i'd go for plain simple walls..bit boring suppose but for a safe sort off white, warm ish shade
and good if lots of pics, mirrors etc planned

hth

cream
and do use washable/wipeable paint - we didn't and three years later are seriously regretting it

or could you pick up the pale beige/green shade in the pattern with one of those historic farrow and ballish stone colours

I think the carpet's quite nice but I'd always rather have a rug myself.

However, I would pick up the light colour which is in the carpet and paint the wall that colour. (Off white, creamish)

Ooh thank you for coming back so soon

I was thinking of picking out the green or the pale blue from the carpet but was worried that it might be a bit too cold.

Sadly - we are stuck with the carpet. Can't afford to replace it and it's not nice floor boards underneath - we had those in our last house and I miss them but not the lack of central heating and double glazing

Now all I have to do is convince DH that it really does need doing!!

A golden yellow colour, will lighten the hall and blend with the carpet. More accent on the golden than the yellow

www.realmilkpaint.com/colorsticks.html

Like the paint they call mustard in this chart, warmer than cream but still light and will blend with the color of your carpet.

pale blue in shady corners v bad
looks both cold and dark

warm colour at least looks cosy in the dark bits

That's what I thought MrsB. My mum keeps suggesting that we should paint it grey.
Think we need to choose a colour soon before I get really tired of her it

ooh not grey - think that would look cold and not sure it would go. think the pale green idea would work. red and green work well together see the colour wheel and i don't think it wouldn't clash with the other rooms coming of the stairs and langing - would it?

green if pale, yes
but i would still go with light walls and let carpet be busy

actually, we got paint recently that changes with light, very subtle and did work.
my living room light changes through day (lots of light) and it works well with this..looks different depends on light..

re wipeable paint, did ds room with it but it just wiped off!!
just have to touch it up now and then, dont know i'd bother with it again...

can you paint the banisters ? that could really brighten it up - I'd do them in white gloss and I'd be inclined to go for white walls too and add colour interest with pictures and mirrors - pictures could be hun g in groups rather than just the odd picture here and there

get dulux once in wild primrose....it's a very pale yellow and would suit the red carpet, it is also wipeable, i have it in my living room and it withstands DS 2 drawing on the walls

That actually looks like a very good carpet, tc, and excellent at hiding spots/bits/spills etc so no, don't get rid!

Have you got a dado rail? If not could you get one? Then you could have a nice strong colour below it, for hiding mucky fingermarks etc, and a paler one above to lighten up - red below and white above, with white woodwork (agree with MAS about painting your banisters white too) would look lovely (IMHO, but then we have a red sitting room with white woodwork so I would, wouldn't I!)

(And for future ref, whenever you get fingermarks on your emulsioned walls just give them a quick rub with a wet ecloth and they will disappear like magic )

Or, if a dado rail is a job too far, just paint up to waist height in red (draw a line with a spirit level) and above in white and then stick a nice narrow border over the join

Thanks ladies
WW - our living room is red too with cream carpet, sofa and curtains. Our kitchen is pale green so I'm leaning more towards the yellow/gold colour. Don't know if I can face painting the banisters. They have about a million spindles and, as it's not our house, I'm not sure I'd be 'allowed' to anyway.

Thanks for all the answers ... I'm off to plan the best way to break it to dh