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Real Estate Advertorial Bright ideas for dark interior designs Dear Debbie; Our home is a mix of traditional and con- temporary styling with long, open spaces and lots of light. I am drawn to some of the rich, dark paint shades and wonder if they would work in the living/dining area. The walls call out for some kind of warmth. Also are there any tips for painting with dark co- lours. Thank you for your ideas. -- Lorenzo Dear Lorenzo; Choosing from a dark palette can be intimidating. It's natural to think that the room will feel heavy or somber. But this is not the case. There are so many glorious dark paint colours. They are expressive and intriguing and spell drama in both large and small rooms. When colour shopping think about dark coffee and deep browns. Perfect for traditional and country rooms, both wood and metal furnishings comple- ment the mood. For a luxurious backdrop silver grey walls shimmer with purpose. Deep blues and blue/greens are reminiscent of the myriad colours found in the sea or lake and bring that essence into your space. It sounds to me like you have a few favourites. In a large room such as the one seen here the long stretch of windows ensures that the room is filled with light. Warm blue grey walls add warmth and contrast in this mono- chrome scheme with hints of colour pulled from the artwork and textiles showing up on cushions. The grain of the wood floor contributes nature's abundant texture that livens up any style. When evening comes, spots along the ceiling and grey shaded pendants over the dining table take over. The space will always feel welcome. There are a few tips to keep in mind when painting with dark colours. It's tempting to apply the paint in a thick coat to make sure you get full coverage in one go, but it is dif- ficult to get the pigment distributed evenly and you'll end up with a blotchy job. Dark colours show up more defects (small holes and bumps on the wall), so fill and sand. The primer step is key to a good result. Tint the primer with black paint -- your paint store will do this for you. Apply the tinted primer and let dry. Now paint your walls. Ex- pect at least two coats over a tinted primer for full coverage. Without the darkened primer it will take three or four. "House to Home" is written by Debbie Travis and Barbara Dingle. Email decorating ques- tions to house2home@debbietravis.com. DEBBIE TRAVIS House to Home in si de ha lto n. co m O ak vi lle B ea ve r | T hu rs da y, F eb ru ar y 25 ,2 02 1 | 14 Let your community know you're open for business. ommunity c ourt yeL To help our communitieswe have created an online business directory that features local businesses that are open, hours of operation and how customers can safelymake purchases from your store. Our business directory can be accessed from anyone of our 25 Community sites in Ontario. Visit metroland.com to find the community site in your area. Signing up is easy and free. 1 Visit our community website in your area and click on the banner at the bottom of the page 2 Click the "Add Business" link 3 Complete and submit the formSubmit www.metroland.com Cut out paying more Your only destination for more coupons, more flyers, more savings. #SavingWithSave Save $2.50 on any 2 Nature's Bounty products save.ca/coupons Scan to get coupons