August 25 2009 - Q&A: Style

How do I decide which wall in my salon should get paint in an accent color when the rest of the walls will be painted neutral white?

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How do I decide which wall in my salon should get paint in an accent color when the rest of the walls will be painted neutral white?

There’s no criteria for the wall that should be painted in an accent color, but it’s more common to do trims in a dramatic color like a bright blue, as opposed to painting a whole wall in the accent color.

— Max Bonafante is owner of Salon Designers LA.

If you’re not an expert in color, stay away from the bright accent wall. This is not a design concept we really use nowadays. If in doubt, I’d use neutral colors. (For example Benjamin Moore has about 60 colors in their “off-white” series.) When my firm designed Vanity Beauty Lounge in San Francisco, we pulled all of the colors from the wallpaper installation, which in this case served as faux art.

Or if you want to use blue, make sure the walls coordinate, like grays or even lilac. If in doubt, play it safe, and use fun color accessories and artwork; nothing screams unprofessional like a color scheme that doesn’t work. It all needs to be tied into the overall design concept. Keep in mind that most design professionals can be hired to give you a color consultation.

— Jo Laurie is principal of Jo Laurie Design Design LLC in New York City.