Shops without white walls - Photos

[Augus7us]

Someone posted another thread about not wanting to paint his walls white. Seems most recommended white but it got me thinking. I haven't seen many shops that do not have white walls when painted.

So does anyone have walls painted something other than white and care to share some photos and your thoughts?

I too would rather not paint them white as it looks boring to me and is the worst color when it comes to dirt and grime. But I'm realistic and as cool as it may be I don't want my shop to become a dungeon!

-Clint

 

[340wedge]

Here is a pic of mine. If going with a darker color like gray I would highly recommend a white ceiling and lighter color floor.

 

[The Cobbler]

Mine, when I get around to it will be "Colour your World, 1460 light bone" because I have about 10 gal of oil base from years gone by that's needs to be used, and I like the colour

 

[kaymccampbell]

Mine is painted Olympic Antique White. It reflects plenty of light and hides a lot of sins. It also makes the shop a more warm and welcoming space. An important thing when you're retired and spend at least 4 days a week there.

 

[Vintage Veloce]

Walls and ceiling in my garage are "Lunar Landing"
I have to admit the name sold me.

https://www.dunnedwards.com/colors/browser/de6241

Not so glaring and markable as a pure white, but still light enough to help keep the room bright.

Picture taken at night with only the overhead recessed lights.

 

[hh76]

Couple different paints in mine. Some leftover from the house, and some from the clearance bin of unclaimed paint at the Depot.

I like things to be bright and colorful, my day job has enough bland.

 

[KDubU]

What about going two colours? The bottom 3-4 feet a darker colour to hide scuffs better and the rest white?

 

[cvairwerks]

Depends on what you are doing in the shop. Certain colors, along with darker ones tend to **** the light out of a shop and make you have to over light it for decent working levels. The more stuff you have in the shop, in the way of tool boxes, equipment and the like, the lighter and more reflective your walls and ceilings need to be.

As an example, the old shop I worked in for years, was 20'x35'. Walls and ceiling were gloss white, the floor very light gray and we had it lit with 8, 8' T-12 fixtures with 110 watt, 6500K bulbs. Roll a covered and painted fuselage into it while finishing out the interior and we still needed additional lights for doing a lot of the work.

 

[tinmanwpk]

I am painting mine an off white enamel with aluminum diamond plate along the base 4 ft. up.

 

[Jon_E]

Interesting. I was going to paint mine white when I got around to it, but white is so 'hospital'. I may go with a light green or tan - especially since it is a woodworking shop.

 

[bdbecker]

ClintNZ has a very colorful shop (post 44). Made me re-think how I want to paint my garage - I will definitely incorporate some color after seeing how his place turned out.
https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=287835

Jack Olsen's 12-Gauge Garage is not white either.
https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=55006

 

[cash68]

White reflects the most light. If you want your shop to appear smaller and undoubtedly darker, don't use white paint.

 

[hh76]

White reflects the most light. If you want your shop to appear smaller and undoubtedly darker, don't use white paint.

probably, but when I'm working, I don't care how small my shop appears, it is what it is.

Darkness is easily defeated with an additional light or two.

In the end, wall colors don't matter all that much, assuming you fill the space with tooling, benches, shelving, hanging tools, etc...

Don't overthink it.

 

[larry_g]

Someone posted another thread about not wanting to paint his walls white. Seems most recommended white but it got me thinking. I haven't seen many shops that do not have white walls when painted.

So does anyone have walls painted something other than white and care to share some photos and your thoughts?

I too would rather not paint them white as it looks boring to me and is the worst color when it comes to dirt and grime. But I'm realistic and as cool as it may be I don't want my shop to become a dungeon!

-Clint

One reality check is what you do in the shop and how much stuff you jam in there. In my place probably 80% of the wall area is not visible through the stuff placed in front of it. So before you go nutso figuring this out, figure out your amount of wall showing. If like me you have lots of 'stuff' the wall color is not a big deal. Mine is not painted at all, just raw flake board. See below.

lg
no neat sig line

 

[jdoe213]

I just painted the inside of the garage door white and it made a difference in how bright it makes the basement. With only a few lights I need all the help I can get.

 

[Lassen Forge]

Mine is 3 tone - one is a local favorite, the color is "150 year old wood", the second is "plywood sheet" (keeps the insulation in place), and the third is called "Forest".



I thought about painting the inside, but it'd kind of lose something. And honestly, I like it so much that if I had to go back to a "normal" garage I'd probably plank it. Changes the whole feel of the place.

 

[ShopRat390]

 

[dfiler2]

Before the grey doors were installed.

 

[garage guy1of38]

Interesting. I was going to paint mine white when I got around to it, but white is so 'hospital'. I may go with a light green or tan - especially since it is a woodworking shop.

I too was going to go all white but was concerned with the operating room look.

So I did some white (Trusscore), some reclaimed Douglas fir and some brick.

 

[chickenfarmer]

I too was going to go all white but was concerned with the operating room look.

So I did some white (Trusscore), some reclaimed Douglas fir and some brick.

White furniture though?!?

Sent from my SM-G930P using Tapatalk

 

[Dragfluid]

Don't forget that you can use trim, cabinets, and slatwall/pegboard that's painted a color to accent a white wall.

 

[RStewart]

I too was going to go all white but was concerned with the operating room look.

So I did some white (Trusscore), some reclaimed Douglas fir and some brick.

You can park in your living room? Lucky guy.

 

[Vintage Veloce]

mine is 3 tone - one is a local favorite, the color is "150 year old wood", the second is "plywood sheet" (keeps the insulation in place), and the third is called "forest".

you win!

 

[CN Spots]

I too was going to go all white but was concerned with the operating room look.

So I did some white (Trusscore), some reclaimed Douglas fir and some brick.

I keep expecting to see Ernst Blofeld to walk by.

 

[lakeroadster]

Shop in Ohio, unfinished T1-11

__________________

Last Shop, unfinished LP Smart Side

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Current Shop, Steel barn siding and natural pine

 

[garage guy1of38]

You can park in your living room? Lucky guy.

Thanks. When I was building it, the goal was to have the interior be just like a living room with cars parked in it!

My house garage is where my lift is and that's where the wrenching takes place.

This shop was built for vehicle storage and entertainment lounge.

 

[Fyrme]

Light gray walls Charcoal accents.

 

[mygarageone]

I too was going to go all white but was concerned with the operating room look.

So I did some white (Trusscore), some reclaimed Douglas fir and some brick.

Still too much white , furniture and car ? I am not a white furniture person .
But that being said , some do and they may not like my choices .

Great space .

 

[Tony_G]

2nd garage I paint blue...

I haven't read that other thread but I agree, I do not like white in a garage.

 

[mygarageone]

My garage walls and ceiling were white but after I put up more lighting , I painted the walls a lite gray with darker gray accenting. But then I am turning my garage into a friend/ family gathering place I wanted it to have a more welcoming tone.
I have been in homes were every thing was white , awful .

 

[PhysicsDude]

Light gray top, dark gray bottom, blue stripe, white trim.

 

[John in OH]

I'm cheating a little bit here regarding your request for non-white walls as the upper portions of my walls are actually "clover white" ... a white with a very faint tint of green. As you can see, the foundation blocks and accent stripe are dark Oliver green and the intermediate walls are magnetic gray.

 

[dr_clyde]

Most of my shop is the color of red iron. It matches all the beams and ironwork. There still is white where the insulation isn't covered, and it helps reflect some light, but it looks dirty fast.

 

[mygarageone]

I'm cheating a little bit here regarding your request for non-white walls as the upper portions of my walls are actually "clover white" ... a white with a very faint tint of green. As you can see, the foundation blocks and accent stripe are dark Oliver green and the intermediate walls are magnetic gray.

Nice

 

[dr_clyde]

Some pics of the shop. I have never really tried to photograph the walls, so these are the shots I have with the best wall coverage. Please excuse the mess, I was moving a bunch of stuff in from my old shop.

 

[Falcon67]

No paint, no problem.

 

[rburke65]

I have about 13' walls so my upper 10' is "Winter Wheat" and the bottom 3' is vertical used barn siding. Siding is a mix of some weathered wood to a silver color and some boards are reflecting the worn bard red and green paint.

 

[Augus7us]

Great replies all. I think I will definitely be painting the walls something other than white. I think I'm going to stick to one color, probably in the grey or tan range.

For the metal wainscotting is that something I can get at menards? I saw Mark in the Mark's Monster Garage thread let it patina and used it and I really liked how it looked. I'd like to use that on the bottom 3' or 4'.

For lighting I'm going to replace the t12s with LEDs. I hate fluorescent bulbs. However regardless of what color I paint the walls it won't be enough so I will have some focus lighting over my workbenches.

Great stuff though, keep the photos coming.

-Clint

 

[PNWguy]

My dad painted his shop a light grey with a 1' tall red stripe about 4' from the floor. It looks good, reflects lots of light and it's a little different from all the other shops I've seen.

Mine will hopefully be ready for paint this fall, and I'm planning to do something similar; white is just more bland than I want.

 

[billybudge]

I do ike a bit of colour, My first 2 or 3 garage workshops I had painted them all white, work realy well, bright, although can show the dirty marks real quickly,

then another one I had I painted 2 tone, Ford colour blue for half the wall and a battleship grey for the top part of the walls, look good,

The one I have at the moment, well I am not sure what I was thinking at the time, I painted it all Red, maybe because I got al the paint on a deal from the hardware store, and simpy had to use it all,

But to be honest I am such a hoarder of new and vintage automobilia. signage, framed posters / advertisments etc, and with all the cabinets etc, you can barely see any wall space,

Already planned My next colour scheme for My next garage workshop , and I havent even started building it yet,