It's refreshing to see nautical, navy BLUE. Everyone is saying the same thing for the most part - just introduce another color, definitely bright (yellow or orange IMO) and it will make it more current. What I really like is how your style will withstand the test of time - and with minor updates now and then it will always look fresh and "current".

If you use masonry paint, we could head in a warm greige direction for all of it - not so yellow . .. something that can give you a bit more contrast against the white windows and trim - even 40 does a lot for us . . . what about a blue green gray? You will get a coastal / mod vibe and it will relate to the farmhouse look .. .above bm silver mink http://www.benjaminmoore.com/en-us/paint-color/silvermink and below . . . gilbraltar cliffs . . http://www.benjaminmoore.com/en-us/paint-color/gibraltarcliffs Shingle look siding on the side dormers would be neat to get that cottage mod. . . you can stick with yellow but I don't think it complements the roof tone. With the blue-green grays, the white windows and trim will really pop beautifully. . . You can also go more neutral with a warm gray - greige . . . here's the siding tone http://www.benjaminmoore.com/en-us/paint-color/capemaycobblestone paired with this for brick - http://www.benjaminmoore.com/en-us/paint-color/graystone potential future red windows . . .aluminum pits over time, so if you have just one side you want to try, you don't have to powder coat, you can take a small brush and just do them by hand with latex paint if they are 10 yrs old or more. . . one advantage to gray . . future see [houzz=]

The subway sign is great - but it has the scale you need on the higher wall - and the black next to tv could have better balance .. .Consider . .I would center this under the beam on the big wall at the near end of the sofa - then you will start with better balance. The television is a big black square so might as well start with the black element across. Unless you can get a mirror across from the window to reflect something light and pretty, don't bother with a mirror here. Let's think about the wall with the small window and the black tv like a gallery wall - lots of black and white frames , contrasted with black and white mats and mostly graphic black and white art. Here's the way to do that on a budget. Visit the local thrift store and imagine frames they have painted black or white. Ignore what is in them, buy craft paint and paint them all. Ikea is also good for black and white frames. Perhaps one art piece would be an offcenter b&w blow up of that charming fellow who wanted in the picture - soften everything else back and highlight just the face and hand in a vertical mini-panorama format .. or another close cropped on the face black and white in an unposed moment like you caught here. Most of the rest . simple art. Picasso line art poster could be a big scale budget element. You might buy a bad painting at the thrift store or swap meet, paint soft pale gray all over it, then dry brush some white paint on to it. If you use color in the gallery art at all . . . use just one, and I suggest the either the blue gray / true blues / not blue greens that the chaise gives off in the sunlight. Or red. Or yellow. ONLY ONE COLOR. And, just a small touch. You can frame some objects that you've painted one shadow box frame with a real object in it. , some magazine pages, some calendar art, etc. (oversized frames), Look at potterybarn.com for gallery wall advice or on younghouselove.com in their archives .. they have some terrific posts. http://www.younghouselove.com/2011/04/its-done-and-we-heart-it/ If you can, eventually hang the television on the wall above the cabinet on a swing arm so it can pull out and angle but it can be put away flat and you can shift the media cabinet sort of centered on the sofa placement across so it isn't so tight in the corner. TV in corner pulled out good, media always there . . not so good. Now for walls - I love the window layout in here. Would you consider a large landscape oriented abstract canvas that expresses your color sense over the rest of the sofa? Take the arcing airplanes into the gallery layout. This is a great lounge!

I want to paint the exterior of my ugly stucco beach house and garage . It’s on the shady side of a hill (damp, dark and gloomy in winter) so I want lovely warm colours. It was mostly built in the 1950s. I considered painting the upper level one colour and the lower level another colour so the eye is drawn to the horizontals. The joinery is mostly silver-grey aluminium. The roof is corrugated iron, currently unpainted. I’m inspired by some flower colour schemes, but I’m struggling. I usually use Resene paints. Suggestions from those who are good with colour would be most appreciated!