I'm decorating a restaurant and the owners wanted warm colors but insist on white walls.?

Do you have the nifty 3-D imaging programs? Can you do them up a layout of the place, recreated in virtual world setting so they can see what you're planning?

Also, what you could try are wall hangings and tablecloths...temporary things...use their blase pallette on 'permanent' things like walls and stuff. They're likely terrified to go through not just the cost of painting/papering but of having something they don't like after all that time and money.

Paint/paper, floor cover the way they want, just grit your teeth and do it, but try to get them to buy into colorful hangings, maybe some sort of tiffany lamps for tables, with soft lights inside to sort of project the warmth? I know tiffany is pretty gaudy so maybe something else but along those lines...and don't let them pick the additions, or they'll go conservative.

If you can afford the expense, you could always drop it on them as a surprise too...paint in the eggshell or ecrue that they want, then throw the hangings and drapes and light covers up and go Ta-DA! and gage their reaction at the time. You could always go OVERBOARD on the first set to get them to drop back to a colorful, yet by that point, conservative (to your orange paisleys) decorating scheme.

You could also try a muted green...sort of a dark mint green with a hint of blue. It sounds hideous, but with light green (yet not bright...like a green with a ton of white in it) trims, it looks really good in practice. It's not overbearing, and it's unique, but it's mellow too. A local coffee shop where I live had it done. I walked in and thought, I'd never have done that in a million years but it actually looks good...provides intimacy...calming etc.

Edit:

I DO like the idea of shading...light low to darker high...and the sky painting is always a favorite of mine. What about murals? I was at an Italian restaraunt in Kissimee FL that had the coolest effect...they painted the walls to be like the walls were stucco, including windows looking out onto a seascape...but I guess it would depend on the type of restaraunt. The fifteen foot high walls is an interesting problem. Paint it to look like the inside courtyard of a villa? The walls painted to look like stucco walls going up say 8-ten feet and above that 'open sky'...

There's white and then there's WHITE. Leading into warmer colors later is a great idea - if it comes to pass. I would suggest for now a slightly different shade of white. Maybe ivory, or something in that family. I've gotten color samples and charts from Benjamin Moore, Sherwin Williams, Martha Stewart, etc. that have a wide range of "whites" and suggestions for complimentary trim. Actually, my very small house has burgundy and green accents but all the walls are a very pale yellowish tan and the overall feeling is very warm and cozy. Even my husband who has a colorphobia loves them. Also, have you tried doing a mockup of what the room would look like in their color choice and yours? And, maybe think about showing them some pale and complimentary color on the ceiling. Some people just aren't visual until it's too late - and then guess who takes the blame when they're not happy. And.....if all else fails, you may have to give up your professional and artistic pride and do what they want...or....give the job over to someone else who doesn't mind painting white walls.

Maybe some sort of shading would work--start with light and neutral near the floor and gradually darken things as you go up. It makes the ceiling look closer, but draws the eye down toward the tables and food (which is where the patron's concentration should be in a restaraunt). Also, dark plants are a good idea to mask how light the base would be.

All white creates a cold atmosphere. The "only" time I've ever seen an all white restaurant was in Venezuela. It was a replica of an "Ice Cave" in the Andes, 22,000 feet alt., with stalactites and stalagmites as well.

From all my 50 years in fashion mds'e., "Orange" is considered a "hungry" color.

"Red" is a thirsty color. Bars are an example of this.

They might consider a "Blue Sky Scene", with stars, birds, on the ceilings. Saw that in Monte Carlo. Outstanding. Walls were in color.

I have a grandson in FL. who does graphics and Murals, Just did one in St. Louis.

Contact me!

this ad is free. LOL

I have worked at an in-home decorator's office, and this is what we usually did. Try showing them off-white coloyrs, like oyster and sand. You can find these colours in very light shades. Try to show them that some walls where a lot of light will be on, will need a little bit darker shade of it to make the room look lively. If they consist on not wanting to use colours, maybe try using coloured drapings instead, because they can be changed (colourwise) any day.

Good Luck!

There are many shades of white, try to get as warm a feel as possible with the white tones and add warmth to the walls with painted canvases, prints, or other accessories. Your customer will not be happy with anything you've done no matter how fantastic it looks if you do it your way without listening to what they want.

Wow, that is a difficult one. They are making a huge mistake. There is a place near us where the menu is rather boring. It is a small menu and the food is mediocre. But we got there quite often. Why? The atmosphere is great!! They have incorporated bright colors and lots of whimsical decor. We love the atmosphere so much that we'll eat there despite the blah food.

They could have the greatest menu ever but if the atomosphere is boring then they'll suffer. I wish I knew what you could say to sway them.

You did no longer point out what color the settee is so i will might desire to artwork with what you have given me... so which you're finding for modern-day yet heat... listed below are some colorations you could evaluate: warm or Bubblegum pink Burnt orange Granny smith apple eco-friendly clean raspberry pink Deep olive eco-friendly Carribean ocean turquoise dark exspresso coffee brown it easily relies upon on what temper you pick the room to portray. in spite of color you agree directly to circulate with, bear in ideas which you will might desire to stability it for the reason which you're in elementary terms making plans on portray one wall. To stability the colour interior the room, upload a minimum of one extra ornamental merchandise of the comparable color. Say you pick carribean turquoise blue... upload a vase in among the black and white ones or cushions on the settee, or curtains, or a throw rug... it does not easily rely what the object is, as long because it somewhat is the comparable color it is going to stability all of it. sounds like a constructive room... Oh... upload some silver (brushed, no longer chrome) accents. which will lighten all of it up too. savour your area!

use trim to frame long rectangle boxes on the walls and paint the trim. space them maybe one at each table 4 foot high by 16 to 18 inchs wide about 4 or 5 foot off the floor.

There is nothing wrong with warm colors, but I agree they need some color. Ask them if they will let you have one wall to decorate to your eye and see how they like it, if they don't tell them you will turn it back. Warms can very also don't try to scare them into red, maybe a sage green or deep plum color would better suit them. Good luck to you.