meepus's Profile

i also say leave it or do something subdued with the color (all black, all white, or metallic). i'm in the anti-pop-of-color camp. i think "pops of color" often look cheap and tacky, especially if they're too small. it looks like the person decorating watched too much martha stewart and tried to do a little of it. but it's too little, and so it just looks halfhearted and "styled," as opposed to purposeful, thoughtful, and personal. you can get a cool shade for it if you decide not to paint it.

as for listening to friends about style, i think it's very important to, when asking for opinions, to make sure that you give plenty of context. if you forward someone a picture of something and say "what do you think?" it may be difficult for them to put it in the context of YOUR style and YOUR space. but if you say "what do you think of this for the side table next to my reading chair?" that gives them more information to go on, and is likely to yield a more useful opinion.
I've actually learned about this with my husband. if i ask him what he thinks of something without letting him know how it relates to our house, he generally only likes very middle-of-the-road style. but if i tell him exactly how i'm imagining the item/paint color/style idea in our house, he has a much more thoughtful response. it also helps to tell someone why you're thinking of a particular item or look: "i'm thinking about this horse head lamp for the table next to my reading chair because i want to bring in something a little rustic or natural and i think this will do the trick." that way, the person knows why you're thinking what you're thinking, and if they still think it's a poor choice, they can give you another suggestion: "i see why want to bring in something natural or rustic, but i suggest adding a houseplant instead of that lamp. you already have two table lamps, but no plants. maybe a plant would give you what you're looking for."
that's my input.