Q: First of all I love your site. It inspires me to fix up my own home (you make it look so easy!). But if there was a class called Paint Picking 101 I would be getting a big fat F. So far every room I’ve painted in my new house is either too bright, too dark, too dirty looking and just plain ugly. I’m having the worst time finding a perfect tan tone and I’m even messing up colors like light blue and cream, which I never thought was even possible! Do you have any foolproof colors you can recommend? A favorite blue? Cream? Tan? White? Yellow? Gray? I know natural light and other factors can change the way paint looks substantially so it’s probably not 100% foolproof, but I’d love to know your favorite paint colors so at least I have a shot of living in a house that doesn’t make me feel like a total paint failure! Thanks so much for your help! – Meagan
A: Picking the right paint color can often be a doozie, so don’t get down on yourself! Take comfort in the fact that repainting, while annoying, is super inexpensive and it can instantly transform your room from wrong to oh-so-right in an afternoon. And thanks to the transformative power of paint, we’re the proud owners of an entire storage ottoman full of paint decks and swatches. Name any color or any brand- it’s all in our little paint chip library of sorts. But although we have quite a slew of selections we still find ourselves reaching for some tried and true favorites again and again when it comes to doling out room recommendations.
As you mentioned, paint colors can look very different under different lighting circumstances, but for the most part there are a bunch of practically error-proof tones that we find ourselves recommending again and again. Some of them are bright and fun (better suited for only one wall or even a punchy piece of furniture) while others are classic and serene- perfect for an entire room or even an entire home. Here’s the swatch suggestion scoop:
White- Benjamin Moore Decorators White, Glidden Dove White, Behr Cascade White, Sherwin-Williams Alabaster.
Cream- Glidden Antique White, Sherwin-Williams Creamy, Benjamin Moore Muskoka Trail, Benjamin Moore French White, Benjamin Moore Natural White.
Red- Benjamin Moore Million Dollar Red, Glidden Red Delicious, Behr Firelight, Valspar Fabulous Red (great for a front door- might be too bright for inside).
Pink/Coral: Sherwin-Williams Comical Coral (shown below), Benjamin Moore Wild Aster, Sherwin-Williams Animated Coral, Behr Be Mine, Behr Silk Sheets, Behr Coquette.
Brown- Benjamin Moore Branchport Brown, Benjamin Moore Woodacres, Benjamin Moore Stampede, Sherwin-Williams Cobble Brown, Sherwin-Williams Van Dyke Brown (shown below), Behr Traditional.
Yellow- Benjamin Moore Hawthorne Yellow (it is the be-all end-all of yellow paint, which is notoriously hard to get right).
Green- Glidden Fennel (no longer available for swatches, but still in the computer so they can whip it up for you), Glidden Celery Sticks, Benjamin Moore Mosaic Glass, Benjamin Moore Hibiscus (great for a cheerful kid’s room with white trim and brown furnishings), Benjamin Moore Soft Fern, Benjamin Moore Silken Pine, Benjamin Moore Sweet Pear, Benjamin Moore Dune Grass, Sherwin-Williams Lime Granita.
Purple- Glidden Silver Plum (no longer available for swatches, but still in the computer so they can whip it up for you), Glidden Delicious Plum (amazing eggplant color for a front door), Glidden Black Tulip (the deepest moodiest purple-black that’s dripping with drama) Benjamin Moore Nosegay, Benjamin Moore Violet Pearl, Benjamin Moore Iced Lavender.
Blue- Glidden Gentle Tide (no longer available for swatches, but still in the computer so they can whip it up for you), Benjamin Moore Quiet Moments, Benjamin Moore Saratoga Springs, Restoration Hardware Silver Sage (it has green undertones but looks blue-gray in most rooms), Behr Pensive Sky, Behr Flint Smoke, Behr Grand Rapids.
Navy- Benjamin Moore Spellbound, Benjamin Moore French Barret, Benjamin Moore Hudson Bay, Sherwin Williams Grays Harbor, Sherwin-Williams Naval.
Black- Glidden Onyx Black, Benjamin Moore Graphite.
Tan- Glidden Sand White (no longer available for swatches, but still in the computer so they can whip it up for you), Glidden Water Chestnut, Glidden Cafe Latte, Benjamin Moore Baja Dunes, Benjamin Moore Davenport Tan, Behr Harvest Brown.
Orange- Benjamin Moore Beverly Hills, Benjamin Moore Lion Heart, Benjamin Moore Corn Husk, Sherwin-Williams Marquis Orange, Sherwin-Williams Mandarin (shown below).
Gray- Benjamin Moore North Hampton Putty, Benjamin Moore Light Pewter, Benjamin Moore Stonington Gray, Benjamin Moore Nantucket Fog, Glidden Silver Dust.
Beige- Benjamin Moore Clay Beige, Benjamin Moore Green Brier, Sherwin-Williams Ancient Marble.
Greige- Benjamin Moore Tapestry Beige, Behr Ocean Pearl.
Oh and a word of warning: you don’t want one of each of these colors in your house! Here’s how we learned that a tighter color scheme can make your home feel bigger, more open, and a lot more cohesive and welcoming. Of course it doesn’t have to feel expected or monochromatic since you can bring in different accent colors with art and accessories in each space to make them feel unique and interesting!
And a second word of warning: Paint colors look different in every room (due to lighting and other ever-changing factors) so we just suggest grabbing a bunch of the swatches above and bringing them home to see which ones look best on your wall. We can’t recommend a specific color for your specific situation with any great accuracy since we have no idea how it’ll “read” in your home (your eyes will be much better than ours since we’re not right there in your space). Just tape up a variety of swatches and pick the one that looks best to you (and get a few test pots of paint if you’re still not sure)! That really is the best way to get it right every time.
What about you guys? Any words of warning or paint color advice? Do you have some favorite hues that have worked out wonderfully for your casa? Any that were terrible that you’d love to warn others about? Let’s all help Meagan out by dishing the paint picking dirt.
Amy S. says
Hi guys! I was checking out your site to see if you had any paint recommendations for a nice gold/mustard-ish color and noticed your yellow category is quite small. Any suggestions? Something warm that would go nice with browns would be great! For some reason my husband and I are HORRIBLE with paint colors! We just can’t seem to figure it out. :)
YoungHouseLove says
Good question! Try Westminster Gold or Barley by Benjamin Moore along with Boardwalk or Camelback also by BM. Hopefully one of those will work like a charm!
xo,
s
Lisa says
Sherry and John,
I’m obsessed with your site! Love and read it multiple times a day.
My husband and I are in the midst of redecorating our Brooklyn apartment. We started with the bedroom, bathroom, and small hall area connecting those two rooms. In the name of being Petersik Cohesive, we used Glidden White Lagoon in all three areas. Next, we’re attacking the kitchen, where I want to use BM Hawthorne Yellow on the walls and Decorators White on the cabinets. Now we need a nice sandy neutral for the front hall, living room, and dining room areas, something to bring it all together and make it clean yet cozy, classic with a little nibble of modern. I think all three should be the same color (perhaps with some stripes in the dining room). Our place gets tons of morning and early afternoon light. What do you think?
YoungHouseLove says
Love it! You sound like you know what you’re doing! For the sandy tan tone try Glidden’s Water Chestnut which should complement both the Hawthorne Yellow and the White Lagoon in other areas of the house. And for stripes just go a bit lighter (you can even ask them to whip up a gallon with 25% more white than Water Chestnut and use them together to stripe the dining room). Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Teresa says
Aack! I need paint advice quick! We are trying to pick a color for our great room that we need to paint this weekend. We are getting new floors next week due to an appliance leak and we want to pain before they do this to save us painting over new floors. We have a fairly dark green right now and I want to go lighter and more neutral. Our sofa is dark brown and I am thinking of accenting with teal or light blue. But I also want something that will go with other accent colors if my tastes change in the next couple of years. Thanks for any help you can offer!
YoungHouseLove says
Try Benjamin Moore’s Quiet Moments. You’ll love it for the soft color and goes-with-anything vibe it brings to a space. Good luck!
xo,
s
Amanda says
First I love your website and am so happy I found it. I am going to follow your How-To and paint my bedroom furniture since it is mix matched right now. I want to paint the furniture cream or off white. We have medium colored hard wood floors and one small window. So the room is pretty dark.
The wall colors now are a blueish gray but its too drab. I want something brighter but that is subtle and won’t kill the eyes. I was thinking a pale yellow or creamish color. I was looking at Glidden Creamy Buttermilk, but not sure if its too much.
The bathroom right off the bedroom is a almost a dusty rose color, sort of like Glidden Drapper Tan. I was wondering if your favorite color Water Chesnut would look good or if I should go for something more yellow. I would like to do a casual, possible beachy look.
YoungHouseLove says
Ooh definitely go for Glidden’s Creamy Buttermilk and paint the furniture a very soft cream or off white as you plan. Water Chestnut is also an amazing color though so you certainly can’t lose either way. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Jeanne says
Hi Sherry, John and Burger! I am a devoted follower of your blog and could really use some help. I recently bought the Ikat Duvet Cover from Williams Sonoma Home in cream (totally scored at the outlet!) and have no idea where to even start with a paint color for the walls. The bedding color is called cream but looks more yellow to me. There is still a picture of it on their website. The wood floors are stained dark brown and my furniture is a black/brown color from Ikea. I have to put down an area rug (as per building rules) and am unsure of a color for that as well. Also, I am thinking about putting bright accent pillows on the bed to make it look less formal. Any suggestions? Anything would be helpful!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Jeanne,
I would go for a soft gray color on the walls and a deeper charcoal color (so easy to keep clean) for the rug. Cream and yellow look so lovely with gray tones and then you can toss some punchy bright yellow pillows on the bed to add even more vibrancy and interest to the room. As for the wall color, try Benjamin Moore’s Light Pewter or Nimbus and then go for a deeper gray rug and those poppy yellow pillows. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Jeanne says
Thank you! I will be heading to the paint store with some direction tomorrow!
Anne says
Hi Sherry and John-
I really need your help on repainting my bathroom. I have this shower curtain (http://tinyurl.com/yl2fywx) and originally painted my walls Glidden Apricot Nectar. I’m thinking it’s too much and wanted to tone it down, as well as use some sage green towels. I’ve been looking at green paints but I just don’t think it’s working too well. Do you have any suggestions for neutral wall colors which would work with the towels and the shower curtain? I’m generally a pretty neutral/pastel person in terms of decorating but still trying to keep things modern and trendy. Thanks SOOO much in advance!
~Anne
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Anne,
Anything tan or cream would work wonderfully with that curtain (and the sage towels) so you might want to try Glidden’s Water Chestnut or Benjamin Moore’s Mohair or Moccasin (which you can have color matched to Behr or Glidden paint to save cash). Hope it helps!
xo,
Sherry
brooke @ claremont road says
Wow, this color guide is spectacular! Thank you so much.
I am painting our bedroom this weekend, and I’m thinking of using Behr’s Rich Cream (340A-2) on three walls and having an accent wall of Glidden’s Totally Teal (GLB23). Our bed will be up against the Teal wall (our bedding is white with a teal detail) and I plan to add pops of yellow and teal details in other areas of the room. Do you think the Totally Teal will be too overpowering? Should we choose a lighter teal and/or a richer yellow to balance things out more? Obviously we want the teal to be a dramatic accent, but I’ve never done anything quite this dramatic and I’m scurrred! I also really like Behr’s Hallowed Hush (500F-6) but it doesn’t look as nice next to our bedding.
(PS, this is an apartment we rent, which I’ve lived in for 5 years, and I don’t see us staying for more than another 2 years… so we feel like this is the time to experiment with color, even though the yellow and teal won’t be carried out in any other rooms.)
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Brooke,
Your plan sounds perfect! Definitely go for it! One way to really make that accent wall pop is to snag two bright yellow drum shades to slip onto two matching lamps that you can have flanking the bed on matching end tables. It’ll really give it that punchy hotel-chic feeling (and it’s always nice to have a lamp near the bed to read by). And you can even DIY the shades yourself with this tutorial. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Katie says
Hi, I love your blog and try to read every day.
My dilemma is my kitchen/den, a long room that does not get alot of natural light.
The cabinets are the light maple from the 90’s and they have yellowed. The floor is a dark reddish brown wood and appliances are SS. The current countertop is a green formica (that we want to change out) The paint color is SW basket beige. The furniture in the den is brown,tans and blacks. We just ordered the new blake sofa from West Elm. They call it stone ( I hope it isn’t too grey) Well, we need to repaint. Can you suggest a paint color for the walls (and the cabinets in case we decide to paint them) The rest of this level is SW macademia (but am willing to change that too )
YoungHouseLove says
Hmm, good question. What about a soft sage green like Benjamin Moore’s Spanish Olive. It really is a diverse yet interesting neutral. Of course you can go with something more neutral like Water Chestnut by Glidden. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Laura says
Hi there! I love this blog!!! We are about to buy a older home from mid 1960s. It is in excellent shape but needs some color and updating desperately. We plan to remodel down the road but my question is about the kitchen. We have oak cabinets but they look so dated and I would like to paint them and add new hardware until we can completely remodel it in few years. The counters are a cream square tile and I don’t know what color to paint them. Should I go a crisp white or rich beige? The flooring is awful and I don’t want it to look too blah. Also, what is a good color to paint the walls to add a modern classic touch?
Thanks so much for you input. =) I typically use Restoration Hardware paint because I love the sense of calm they bring to a room.
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Laura,
Hmm, good question. Since the counters are cream I’d go a slightly deeper beige tone for a nice layered neutral feeling (just bring home a bunch of beige, tan and darker cream swatches and pick the one that looks best with the counter, just a bit deeper in color but still with the same undertone). Then for the walls go for something even richer and super inviting, like a nice golden wheat color (like Benjamin Moore’s Boardwalk, which looks great with lots of creams, beiges and tans). Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Elizabeth M says
Hello youngsters!
Have you guys ever done a post on a house without any hall ways? If you have please direct me to it.
If not then please HELP ME! We bought our very first tiny tiny house (2 bd. 1 bath) which has no halls. Basically, you take about 15 steps and your already in another room.
As soon as you walk in your already in the living room take another 10 steps and your in the dinning room, turn to the left and you could see our kitchen.
So my questions is how do you choose what colors to paint since the rooms are practically connected? Specially when you want totally different colors.
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Elizabeth,
Good question! We would use the exact same color throughout a bunch of rooms that are nearby or adjoining for a super open and seamless feeling. You can also slide up or down on the color swatch to select something slightly lighter or darker that still coordinates. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Liz says
Hi there-
I love your site! Your house is beautiful, and your paint colors are perfect. I thought you might have some advice for me–I’m dying to re-paint my kitchen. Our granite is Giallo Veneziano–here is an example: http://www.gmsglobal.com/images/granite/yellow/Giallo%20Veneziano.jpg It’s supposed to be in the gold family, but seems to lean toward more of a peach tone, with flecks of black, beige etc. Our cabinets are painted an ivory color. Our appliances are stainless steel, and we have touches of black (old fashioned black wall phone, cream canisters with black lettering, etc). The wall color is currently Benjamin Moore’s copper mountain (my husband wanted a color that would pop against the light cabinets…which it does, but I’m tired of the color and want to lighten up the room a bit, which tends to be dark). I want something neutral (tan, cream–or can be other color families…just something lighter that will work with both the cabinets and countertops). Thanks for any ideas!
YoungHouseLove says
Hmm, since there’s a bit of peach in those countertops you might want to try Benjamin Moore’s Blanched Almond or Creamy Satin. You might have the best luck pulling a ton of other cream, beige, and tan swatches and just holding them up to see which ones work with everything else in the room. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Alexis says
Hello,
We just purchased our first home and although our kitchen is so ugly its scary, we cannot afford to redo right now. The only thing going for it is the the great solid wood built in shelves. They are covered with hideous dark fake wood paneled doors which we plan to remove and replace with new peices of painted white wood. Other drawbacks include a country blue and navy tile throughout the kitchen four feet up the walls, pale beige formica countertop, black appliances, and a beige speckeled linoleum floor. If you have any suggestions on paint colors, type of wood for new doors, or anything at else at all to spruce it up- it would be soooo appreciated. I would love for it to be an upbeat and vintage-y space….
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Alexis,
Hmm, that’s a doozie! But since you’re going for an upbeat vintage-y space you can probably turn that blue and navy tile into something charming by pairing it with a buttery yellow cream color (which works with the beige floor and counter) or even a soft greige color (a pale gray-beige would feel airy and moody with the other tones in the room). We can’t suggest specific paint colors since you’ll just want to grab a bunch of swatches and hold them up to the tile, counters and floors to see what works best, but as a wild card we love Benjamin Moore’s Sesame (a light soft artichoke color) which might feel charming and Anthropologie-chic when paired with the navy and blue tile and the beige counters and floor so that’s another idea. And as for wood, we would just ask the lumber guys at your local home improvement store what they recommend since it’s their specialty. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Tracy says
We are getting ready to paint our new home. I can’t look at that builder’s crappy paint any longer. We have always used Benjamin Moore paints and we tend to choose medium to dark Earthy tones. Nothing too bold. When you walk into our home there is a decent sized foyer area. To the left is the den/office. I am thinking HC37 Mystic Gold for the den/office. Through a set of double doors from the office/den is the living room (although we did not put the doors in….we just left it open concept). For the living room I am thinking AF240 Satchel (which is outside my normal comfort zone but I am trying to take a chance and be a bit more bold). We have creamy furniture in there and I think the Satchel will look awesome against the furniture. The living room only has 3 main walls, the 4th wall is a knee wall with pillars which is what separates theliving room from the foyer and hallyway. For all main hallways(up and down) I am considering HC76 Davenport Tan or AF115 Lodge. Which one do you think will work better with the colors of the office/den and living room? Since its the main color of our house and all of the other room color choices need to work with that color I want to make sure I get it right.
Also….the pillars. Right now they are white. I am going to keep all the trim and baseboards white but not sure if I should add some color to the pillars. I was thinking HC38 Decatur Buff to pull some color from the office/den or perhaps HC77 Alexandria Beige which is a shade lighter then the Davenport Tan which could be the hallway color. Any thoughts on that too?
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Tracy,
Both options would probably work in the hallways but the Davenport Tan might be the easiest color to work with all the other tones you’ve chosen so we’re leaning towards that. And as for the pillars, going a shade lighter than the Davenport Tan sounds amazing. It’ll be rich and warm and inviting. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Tracy says
Thanks for the advice to go with the Davenport Tan for the main hallways….that is whatI was leaning to…good to know I was on the right track.
When you enter a room from a hallway that has no trim/framing around the “doorway” what color do you use in that entrance section. Do you use the color of the hallway or the color of the room?
What about the opening from the office/den to the living room. Do I use the Mystic Gold (office/den) or the Satchel (living room).
The knee wall with the pillars….One wall of the knee wall is in the living room. The other 3 walls are really part of the hallway. Do I paint all 4 walls still in Davenport Tan or should the one wall that is part of the living room be painted in the Satchel.
Thanks again. I find your website to be very helpful. I am also going to get one of those angled trim brushes you recommended for cutting in/edging/trim.
Tracy
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Tracy,
Without standing in the space we’re just guessing so you’re better off making the call about what to use where (rather than relying on our blind guesses!). Just go with your gut, and in all actuality using either the hall color or the room color for certain areas where you’re not sure is a win-win situation (either way it’s cohesive, and that’s what you want). Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Elizabeth M says
Hello,
This is about the third time I change my mind on the colors I want to decorate our living room with. Now I want black and white with some (maybe red) accent pieces. What color would you suggest us to paint the room? Our floors are hardwood the color is similar to the one you guys have. Here is a picture of the furniture (not literally a pic. just the furniture on a word document : )
http://i586.photobucket.com/albums/ss310/e1991m/1405G-1.jpg
I’ll be using some white & black pillows on the couch and on the opposite side of that wall will just be a (black) bookshelf and a (black) TV stand/ unit.
Is it too much black?
Thanks so much! Keep up the good work!!!
YoungHouseLove says
Hmm, our initial instinct was to suggest stark white walls but it all might be too cold and unfinished looking. Soooo, we love the idea of a soft gray color instead! It’s a total neutral and it will allow the white trim and all the black and white accents & accessories to pop. Plus it’s moody and lovely so the room will feel sophisticated and polished as opposed to unfinished and blank. One of our favorite soft gray colors is Benjamin Moore’s Light Pewter. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Charlotte says
Thanks for all your great advice! I’ve been painting and repainting our house but I am not finding a color I love and am thinking about going all out white. I love blue/green/gray colors but I’m concerned they would not look right in a hallway or dining room. We have a 1979 ranch style home where the kitchen and dining are all one big room, with the wall running from one end of the dining room to the end of the hallway. The living room is also connected to the kitchen by a doorway and an open bar type thing (both unframed).. is there a color you would recommend that I can paint all these areas that would look good, but not a tan color?
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Charlotte,
Hmm, crisp white everywhere would definitely look great in a 70’s ranch with an open plan like you’re talking about. You also could do a soft gray (it’s sort of the new neutral, like tan with a twist)- we love Benjamin Moore’s Light Pewter. Something like a soft icy blue-gray would also be surprisingly muted and moody and neutral for the entire space ( like Benjamin Moore’s Arctic Gray- love that color). Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Jaya says
Hi guys-
I just found out about your blog 2 days ago and have been on it incessantly. In a word I am an instant Sherry and John convert! I was so fired up to do something I went and took out a bunch of wallpaper in our tiny tiny master bathroom, with the hopes of us finally painting it. Except that the tiles are the crappiest yellow/sand/dirty color- the sink is an offwhite, the drawers and cupboard underneath an oak color and the floor a chocolate brown vinyl type tile (which is actually not bad to look at). We can’t change any major things in the bathroom now since all our budget is devoted to the kitchen. But the end question is what color to paint the bathroom so it looks bigger and goes with the tiles! could you please help us??
YoungHouseLove says
So glad you found us! And as for your doozie of a bathroom, we’re thinking a soft creamy yellow that works well with the tile will sort of bring out the best in it and make the room look really bright and airy. We can’t spit out an exact color since we don’t have your tile on hand, but the key is really light, really, soft, really buttery (with lots of cream in it, not too pastelly if that makes sense). Just bring home a bunch of light swatches and hold them up to see which ones work best with the sink, floor, and tiles. And we would also consider painting the oak vanity as well since it won’t break the budget and can often make a big difference in a dated space like yours. Especially if you went with a nice creamy off white color like the sink- it’ll really look lighter and more expansive. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Jaya says
Sherry- Thank you so much for your suggestions! We think we might have misled you into thinking they were a nice vintagy yellow. Rather they are a very depressing sort of shade- something you would use in an asylum. Not quite yellow- not quite tan or sand. The linked picture does not quite capture the yellow-ness- but it is the closest shade we could get. If after seeing the picture you hold fast to your earlier opinion- we would definitely trust your judgement- but wanted to be doubly sure..
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Jaya,
Thanks for the clarification! I guess since you can’t change the tile at all you just have to embrace it, but if you think it’s terrible and you’d rather downplay it you could just go with a total neutral color like soft tan or even a soft gray tone (or even a gray beige) so it’s not a big yellow bow anymore. The best idea would be to bring home a bunch of swatches and tape them up on the wall next to the tile and see which ones emphasize it and which ones blend in and sort of play it down. Hope it helps! Good luck!
xo,
s
Maryann says
Hi!
I need help in choosing a color for my kitchen walls.
I’m painting the ceiling this weekend a white and would like to paint the trim white also.
We have medium oak cabinets and green formica. Kitchen is small and only 1 small window so most of the light is not natural. We will eventually be replacing the floor probably a darker wood look than the cabinets. Unless anyone has suggestions on that aspect.
Any suggestions are very welcome. Need to do this soon as I have already done spackling over the nail holes.
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Maryann,
You didn’t really mention any colors that you’re fond of but we think Hawthorne Yellow would look lovely in your kitchen and any one of the tan tones we listed in this post would also look lovely. Also with the medium oak soft sage walls can look amazing too, so try Benjamin Moore’s Spanish Olive or Dried Basil. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Maryann says
Thanks so much. You are a great help. I’ll check them out. Would like to paint the cabinets white but have too much on my plate right now to find time it requires and can’t afford to pay someone.
Sherida says
I love your style! I am totally addicted to your blog now. I am not going to dream of buying an old house to renovate!
I also have a paint color dilemma. We bought a large 3,500 sq ft. home about a year ago. It does look nice, however I have found I am not terribly fond of the base color. It is SW Interactive Cream. Don’t get me wrong, it is pretty in certain rooms and lights, but I am seeing too much peachiness everywhere! I am also not willing to repaint the entire house because we plan to move in 1-2 years. (Of course, a part of me wonders if it would sell easier if it were a different base color.)
I tend to like all the beach house tones, sandy browns, blues, and some yellows. I just can’t see them working with peach. I did paint the living room Ralph Lauren Khaki, which made the white curtains pop, but the room is very dark (our living room is by a covered porch, so it is very shady). I have a tannish green couch/sove seat set. Do you have any suggestions specifically for the living room? Any any other colors that work with the interactive cream, without enhancing how peach it really is?
Thanking you for any advice in advance,
Sherida
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Sherida,
That’s a good question! You definitely want some tones that are still light with cooler undertones to combat all that peach. Try colors like Benjamin Moore’s April Showers (a soft gray-green-taupe color that will look lovely in a room while still feeling light) or even Benjamin Moore’s Limestone (also similar in tone and such a timeless neutral in a space). Of course you can go tan (like Benjamin Moore’s Ashen Tan) but it might clash with the peachy tones nearby so it might be smartest to choose something with a slightly different hue like a soft gray-green that will serve like a neutral and work with your furnishings without competing with that peach. And when in doubt, it usually makes more sense to take the time (and spend a bit of money) repainting the peach walls than trying desperately to work around something you hate for years (as you suggested it could even help sell the place in the long run- and it’ll save you so much time, money and energy spent fighting it). Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Maryann says
Hi,
I finished my ceiling and got samples of the dried basil and tried it in my kitchen and it was tooo dark and looked on the brown side in my kitchen light.
I got a sample of a light pale green it’s a little too light you can’t notice it but it’s better than dark. I’m thinking of a pale yellow now instead of the greenish. I had a tan color from my basement I tried but it doesn’t look good with the cabinets.
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Maryann,
Feel free to take our suggestions as a starting point and go from there. Since every color looks different in different locations (depending on light, size of the room, etc) we just toss out ideas and hope that you can use them as a jumping off point. Yellow sounds like a great new direction so feel free to bring home a ton of swatches (24 is not too many!) and hold them all up, quickly eliminating anything you don’t like off the bat until you whittle it down to a few contenders. Then just watch those at every time of day (evening, morning sun, etc) to help select the winning shade. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Laura says
Hi Youngsters-
Love your blog. We just purchased our first house and kind of jumped the gun on colors. We had some advice from BM consultants and our painter; however, I wish I had known about your site sooner. Anyway, paint can be changed, right?
Here’s what we’ve got: a very openly laid out 4 Br colonial. Yes, I tried to do it all before we moved in…
House opens to foyer; Livingroom on left; straight ahead and to the right is a very light-filled family room with fireplace which opens entirely to a great kitchen with blond cabinets and chocolate brown counters and an island. The kitchen then connects a very light-filled dining room, which circles back to the living room. (A total circular and open layout going around the stairs leading up). There’s also a hall headed to the right of the foyer to the garage.
Here’s the color breakdown:
Foyer, Hall, Family room, stairway: Revere Pewter
Living Room: Has chair rail, but we painted the top and bottom Wedgewood Gray on walls with Edgecomb Gray ceiling
Kitchen: Fernwood Green
Dining Room: Has chair rail, we painted the top Soft Pumpkin and bottom Van Courtland Blue
I love grays and the gray ceiling in the LR is very elegant.
I’m thinking the house has the same schizophrenic look you described about your first shot at your house. What do you think? How could I tone it all down?
The previous owner put lovely ornate crown molding, window trim and 4-5 in tall baseboards. We’ve done all this in BM Chantilly Lace-love the crisp look. Problem is the previous owner also tiled the entire level (don’t ask)..so we’ve compensated to warm it up with large jute area rugs from West Elm (natural and espresso color). At some point we’ll have hardwoods installed.
I like an urban sophisticated look- not too contemporary, but shying away from too much tans of traditional. I love the ocean and outdoors our back windows are also blissfully bare as they look out into wooded expanse. We have very neutral ivory and stone couches with mahogany antique dining sets, but use some other modern touches like leather textured ottomans and aluminum & leather trunk as coffee table, banana woven parsons chairs paired with our antique dining set
Colors I was considering at some point:
spanish olive, soft fern, alexandria beige.
Pretty long post , but chock full of details.
thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Laura,
Our suggestion would be to repaint one or two rooms on the first floor using colors that already exist on the second floor (or the first) that you love. That way you’ll have less colors going on everywhere and instead of bringing in more new colors you’ll be refining the colors that you have and selecting the ones you really love (for example, you love the grays and the gray ceiling, so maybe sticking with those tones so it feels super cohesive and helps with the flow is the perfect solution). And of course the same colored trim throughout most if not all of your house really further helps to tie things together. Good luck!
xo,
s
laura says
P.S. in case you were curious, upstairs worked out a little better:
Master: Pismo dunes
Office: Hollingsworth Green
son’s room: everlasting with a cool calypso orange 8 inch stripe at the top separated by a small 2 inch white stripe (very cool for an 11 year old)
baby’s room: done twice. first was a very bad yellow. now it’s a baby blue: Heaven on Earth.
Hall is edgecomb gray, hall bath is Comet (these two look great together!)
Jessica says
Hi Guys!
I love your site! I subscribe to your RSS feed and love seeing the new things you do. I have a paint question for you.
We recently bought our first home and I’m picking paint colors. When you walk in the front door you’re immediately in the living room/kitchen/dining room. It’s completely open with no walls. It has vaulted ceilings and a brick fireplace that goes all the way up to the ceiling.
We are installing new cabinets. They will be a cream color with a butterscotch glaze and our countertop is mostly beige but has some black, tan, blue, and slight grey tint.
I was thinking about painting the walls behind the cabinets Harvest Brown (behr) and then painting the rest of the room one cohesive color that will flow around the rest of the house. Would it be weird to do a light grey color for the rest of the house? Or should I stick to tan since it will meet up with the Harvest brown walls?
A friend of mine recently painted her bedroom Sterling silver (behr) so that was the color I was thinking. It’s a nice light grey color that seems to keep things open.
Oh, and I would also like to paint the fireplace but am unsure of a color for that. I like white but I’m afraid that it would be too much white since the cabinets are cream.
Thanks so much for all your advice throughout the entire site!
Jessica in VA
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Jessica,
Great question! We love Harvest Brown and Sterling Silver and they usually work together (it really depends on the lighting in your home) so bringing home the swatches and looking at them in the rooms that you want to use them should hopefully show you that they’re both timeless neutral tones that will really look great on your walls. And as for the fireplace, have you considered going Harvest Brown? We’ve seen some pretty amazing fireplaces painted a rich brown tone (in glossy paint so it’s luxe and lovely) but some great designers like Thom Filicia and the effect is always stunning. Especially since you have high ceilings so it won’t look dark and ominous, it’ll just be a spectacular focal point in the space. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Jessica says
Thanks Sherry! I REALLY appreciate your advice! Good idea on the fireplace too! Hope you have a great day!
Jessica
Sherida says
Sherry,
Thanks for the feedback! You are so quick to respond. I did look at BM Limestone, it looked too grey & colorless in the shady living room. I think I may just roll up my sleeves and paint most of my house. Of course, one area or room at a time! I have 5 kids! It will take me a while… What do you think of BM color Rice Grain? I will definitely go check out the colors you guys have listed above. Thanks so much! Sherida
YoungHouseLove says
Rice Grain is great! Go for it. And have fun painting your house. It certainly is a lot of work but it’s also so much satisfaction upon completion!
xo,
s
Amiegh says
I am in desperate need of some advice. We just bought a house which needs painted before we move in. I have litterally been trying to decide what color for 2 weeks. The kitchen Cabinets are now White with the “beadboard” under the bar. The color we choose needs to flow throughout the whole main living part of the house. If my husband had his way he would paint the whole thing white! But I need a little color even if its just tan. We have two young boys so I want something thats not to overwhelming (because people get that from the boys;). I am so decorating illiterate its not even funny! Any suggestions?? I got a sample of the Sand White but my husband veto-d it saying it was to dark. Ughhhh!! HELP!!
Thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Amiegh,
This post is perfect for you! If you read the lists above we have many tans, soft beiges, creams, and even light grey-beiges (greiges) that will all look stunning in your space. Why not grab a bunch of our suggested colors and see which ones don’t look too dark in the space for your husband but still offer enough color to keep you happy! Good luck!
xo,
s
Laura says
Thanks Sherry!
I read a few of the color posts in their entirety. I pulled out some swatches of your favs to get a better idea. Here’s what I was thinking.
The revere pewter is a kind of greige so I was hoping to pull in the tanner/browner side of things into the dining room to warm things up.
I was looking at Cedar Key, Ashten Tan, Mocha Cream. Keeping in mind I have a chair rail and can do a lighter shade on top.
I was also thinking of repainting the kitchen from Fernwood Green to either Soft Fern or Spanish Olive, Spring Thaw. Do you think the effort would be worth noticing the difference?
I know I have to tackle the dining room first-everything else is very nice in isolation the dining room is throwing me for a loop.
Thanks
Laura
Thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
Your plan sounds pretty solid. I would just bring home Soft Fern, Spanish Olive and Spring Thaw along with Cedar Key, Ashen Tan and Mocha Cream to see which ones look the best in your space. We could blindly pick a few but without seeing them in your lighting situation paired with the other colors you’ve already chosen (also in your lighting situation) it would be a blind guess. We can definitely confirm that your inclination to grab those classic tones is fabulous and they’ll all probably look great- it’ll just depend how light or dark you want to go (and how the light effects them in your space). But definitely bring them all home and tape them all up on the wall where they’ll go and even bring them into other rooms to see how they pair with the existing colors. The answer should make itself clear! Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Amy says
Love this post. I am going crazy with paint colors and I’m driving my husband crazy also. I’ve repainted many times and have spent $$$$ on paint (mostly Benjamin Moore and Behr).
In July we put in red oak hardwood floors (golden brown stain). So we decided to remove all of the trim and paint it white along with the doors and eventually our kitchen cabinets. Since we removed the trim we decided we should paint. We are painting our family room, eat in kitchen, dining room and foyer. You can see all of the rooms from each other. I love color and I love neutrals. Our furniture has reds, yellow golds, sage greens, cream.
I currently have BM brookside moss (50%) strength on 3 of our dining room walls with the 4th wall BM fernwood green. BM baby turtle in the family room. This weekend I just painted the foyer area with fernwood green. I had carrington beige in the foyer going into the kitchen but something about it just wasn’t working for me. I think maybe it was too boring with the oak floors.
Now I’m wondering…is it too much green? I like the fresh look of the brookside and fernwood but is it too much for an entire downstairs area? I tried a bunch of neutral colors, but I think maybe I didn’t like them with our oak floors. Oh yeah – the downstairs half bath is green too.
I tried hawthorne yellow, concord ivory, pittsfield buff, carrington beige, wheeling neutral and some other beigey colors and nothing said…that’s it. We had coastal fog for many years before we started painting. I wanted something more cheery. Please help before I go crazier. :-)
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Amy,
It sounds like you need either an accent wall or a room that punches things up. We don’t think it’s too much green, especially if you break things up by painting the foyer a brighter or more saturated tone (or another room, like the kitchen- which will instantly add interest and dimension to the entire open floor plan). Of course you still want things to feel cohesive so you don’t want to go with something jarring and crazy, but with the tones you already have going on, perhaps bringing in a warm golden wheat tone will instantly add glowing warmth and cozy charm to the entire space. How about Benjamin Moore’s Boardwalk or Sepia Tan. Of course when you get the swatches into your rooms you’ll be able to better evaluate if they’re right (and they might still be slightly off) but take them as a starting point and bring home more warm wheats and tans to see if you can work them with the mossy fern tones you have going on for something cozy and inviting. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Amy says
About my above post…I’m not sure if it matters but I forgot to mention our ceilings are not vaulted.
Charltote says
Hi again :)
I’ve ended up painting my kitchen/dining room a creamy pale yellow. I’m now sanding the cabinets and want to go with a white on the top cabinets and a different color for the bottom ones. The trim is ultra bright white, the pale yellow walls and the counter tops are a light wood formica. The floors are laminate, mainly white with gray splotches here and there. Do you have any suggestions on which white for the top cabinets and a color for the bottom cabinets. Also, does this color combination sound like too many light colors? I have a home depot and lowes near by so I typically buy paint from them and would love to hear what you have to say about colors they carry for the cabinets.
Thank you so much!
-Charlotte
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Charlotte,
Try Wishes or Water Chestnut by Glidden for the bottom cabinets. They’re both rich cream hues with subtle yellow undertones and they go great with white, cream, light wood and pale yellow. Good luck!
xo,
s
Denise says
Hi Sherry,
I consider you the queen of rich, chocolate brown color choices! We’re remodeling/updating our old farmhouse and I’m very torn over exterior colors. The body of the house is currently painted BM White Down with red doors, a stacked stone chimney and a galvanized metal roof. Even though I love a classic white farmhouse, I’m not sure we have enough contrast between our white house color and the metal roof.
We are considering painting the house BM Sandy Hook Gray with BM White Down trim. We hope to leave our double screen doors painted red and stain our new 4 light entrance door a rich chocolate brown. Minwax English Chestnut (brown with a hint of red) has been suggested to us.
Do you have any recommendations for a stain color for the entrance door or are we headed in the wrong direction all together? Are we crazy to give up the white farmhouse? I really want a warm and inviting curb appeal with the house as we drive up our long and winding little country lane.
Thanks so much! I love your site and all the thoughtful advice you’ve offered readers on the subject of paint colors.
Denise
YoungHouseLove says
Your plan sounds flawless and lovely! We’ve tried to think of any and all alternatives to toss out there but you’ve already arrived at the perfect color scheme. Good luck! We can’t wait to see how it all turns out!
xo,
s
Denise says
Thanks so much for your quick response and vote of approval on our color choices. I’m hoping the red screen doors will work with our plan. If not, we’ll go back to the color deck. That’s the beauty of paint! Now we just need lots of warm, sunny days so the painters can give the outside of the house a whole new look. I’m anxious to get the house (inside and out) pulled back together so we can send in some “before & after” pictures!
Tons of gratitude,
Denise
Bethany says
I am an avid YHL reader, and I really appreciate all your info and advice!
My huby and I purchased a 60’s rancher, and it has a horrible, lavender bathroom. I finally got around to painting it, and I used Behr’s Sandstone Cove. I used that color in the majority of our living areas, and I love it, but I hate it in the bathroom! It looks to green or yellow or something. Now, I’m really lost.
The countertop is swirly lavender and white formica with a lavender sink (yuck!). There’s also a lavender tub. The tile is white with lavender accents.
Do you think gray would look better in this bathroom? I thought that a sandy tan would look nice, but now I’m not so sure. Thanks for your help!
YoungHouseLove says
Definitely try a gray tone! It’s a cool color like the purple so it will pair well with it, and if you select something sophisticated and light it’ll be lovely (like Benjamin Moore’s Light Platinum). Hope it helps!
xo,
s
laura says
Hi Sherry-
Love your recent posts! I’m trying to repaint my dining room to flow with my other living areas. I’m looking at pairing a soft grey (Edgecomb Gray) with aubergine/eggplant. I have a chair rail in there with the lower portion only covering about 1/3, the top is 2/3 the vertical space. Can you suggest some good gray/eggplant combinations?
My furniture is a perfect combination of my grandmother’s 1940s Duncan Phyfe table (http://z.about.com/w/experts/Collectibles-General-Antiques-682/2009/03/Phyfe-styled-Table.jpg)
and hutch (http://northstarmike.com/images/CraigHutch.JPG)
with these Target chairs: http://www.target.com/Andres-II-Side-Chair/dp/B000BZ6ZAS/ref=sr_1_10
Finally, do you think this will work with a blue (Wedgewood Gray) living area? What other colors work adjacent to eggplant?
Thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Laura,
We love the idea of a soft gray with aubergine! We love Light Pewter as a soft gray (Edgecomb Gray sounds great too) or you could go a bit darker (still light compared to the aubergine) like Benjamin Moore’s Nimbus or Sleigh Bells. And as for a nice aubergine with a ton of drama, try Benjamin Moore’s Fire And Ice or BM’s Bordeaux Red. It’ll definitely work with a Wedgewood Gray living room. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
laura says
Again thank you! I’m working through it, and will be looking for your professional advice becoming available soon.
Take care
Holly says
I don’t know if you guys are up for this challenge, but here goes. I’m so encouraged by your willingness to answer everyone’s questions, and I’m feeling so lost that I’m in need of some serious advice!
My husband and I bought our first home a few months ago and we are rehabbing Every. Single. Room. We’ve done more work that is worth mentioning here, but the color scheme is the place where I need some serious guidance. We have a craftsman/bungalow-esque home, where the front door opens into the living room. From that vantage point, you can see the stairwell on your left, and the pass through into the dining room in front of you and to the right. The kitchen is a galley style, off the dining room, separated by a pocket door. The upstairs does not have a hallway—only a small landing at the top, with a great built in, and from that 4 x 4 square you can see into the bathroom, the master, and the guest bedroom.
The stairwell, landing, living room and dining room have the original oak trim, which we will leave. The kitchen, bedrooms and bath are replacement trim, so we will be painting all the trims inside those rooms white (we’re thinking Alabaster—the same color we used on all the ceilings. Good or bad idea?)
We’ve painted the living room Mission—a retired green from the Martha Stewart/ Sherwin line. The dining room is gambol gold from Sherwin. The kitchen—we’ve no clue. I’m painting the cabinets white, and I have a butter yellow Chambers stove from the 50s I’m restoring in the garage. The stairwell is painted Mindful Grey from Sherwin, and we love it—and I’m considering using that grey in the kitchen. Only thing is, we have some pops of green/butter yellow in our furniture that make me wonder how well it will go.
The bathroom upstairs, which we redid entirely, has white subway tile to the 5’ level all around. It will be painted Hep Green from Sherwin (we think). The guest bedroom will be painted Hot, and our master Gauntlet Grey. I’ve laid it out over and over again and think it will go, but I don’t want any seizures when people come in our home. However—they know we are color people, and not afraid to use it. Our furnishings are all antique/vintage, deco to Danish modern.
I’m confident that the upstairs colors will flow. And the living room/dining room flow nicely so far, but choosing a color for the kitchen that goes with the stove, and the gold in the dining room is proving a challenge. I considered choosing a less-bright green for the bathroom, and then reusing that green in the kitchen, which would complement the furniture, and also go with the yellow pops of color (like the stove). Then a friend suggested using an orange in the kitchen with the white trim, since orange is an accent color in the dining room.
Seriously, at this point I can’t even sleep at night! Help!
YoungHouseLove says
Ok, this is easy! Yes- use the Alabaster trim to work with the ceilings. Perfect! Just go flat on the ceilings and semi-gloss on the trim so it’s easier to wipe down. Then for the kitchen, we love the idea of gray. It works perfectly with green and butter yellow (gray and yellow is actually a huge trend right now, and pops of green keep it fresh). And all the other colors you’ve planned out sound perfect. It’s gonna be a show stopper. No more fear, go forth and paint! Good luck and sleep well…
xo,
Sgerrt
Carrie says
You have been of great help to me before, so I came back with another question. :-) We are in the process of painting the exterior of our home in Behr’s Shortgrass Prairie and also installing grayish blue shutters. I’m stuck on what color to paint the doors. My thought was either a deep red or a deep plum/purple color.
One last question…I recently painted our kitchen Hawthorne Yellow with Decorator’s White cabinets. I love the combo, but our black appliances are eyeballing me every time I walk into the kitchen. What are your thoughts on black or espresso colored cabinets to work better with our appliances? Our cabinets need to be replaced, but no $$ for that now, so I’m just working with what we have at this point. They are simple flat-front cabinets. Maybe repaint again and jazz ’em up with new hardware?
Thanks so much in advance…
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Carrie,
Yup, definitely the less contrast between your cabinets and your appliances, the less they’ll stick out (so rich espresso ones would help those black appliances blend). As for the door, we love the idea of a deep plum color. I would get the whole house painted except for the door and then bring home a bunch of deep eggplant tones and hold them up to see which ones you like with the new house colors you already applied. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Amy says
Hi again!
You helped me so much back in July finding a great color for our 1/2 bath (Benjamin Moore Tea Light). It lightened the room up perfectly. Now, I am back as I am working on an upstairs guest bedroom. The walls are currently boring beige and I’m thinking a stone gray for the walls.
The window frames are a deep walnut stain (that I want to keep) and I have a winter scene painting in the room already (lots of blues, purples and grays in the winter sky).
I would love your thoughts on a great Sherwin Williams color.
Thanks so much!! Keep up the awesome work with your blog, I am a reader for life!
Amy :)
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Amy,
Benjamin Moore’s Baltic Gray or Smoke Embers will look amazing in there, and you can get either one color matched to Sherwin Williams if that’s the paint you prefer. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Jessica says
Hi Guys,
I need your help! I painted Harvest Brown (behr) behind our cream kitchen cabinets. The rest of the room is open to our living room area and I’d like to do a lighter version of that. I would like to have a light tan color but I’m trying to avoid a paint color that might look yellow in different light and that seems to be hard to find. I tried ocean pearl (behr) but it looked grey/blue in our lighting. The closest I can find to what I might like is Belvedere Cream (behr)but it seems pretty light. I also like Oat Straw (behr) but there doesnt seem to be much difference between that and the Harvest brown in our living area.
Do you have any suggestions? I will be forever grateful!
Jessica
Jessica says
Hello again,
Just to tac on to the previous post. The color I’m really going for is just like what you have in your living room. I painted a small area of Sand White on our wall and it looked grey/blue to me. Would it end up looking tanner and less grey once I paint it everywhere?
Thanks so much!
Jessica
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Jessica,
Chances are that the lighting in your house just varies from ours which is why any specific colors that we recommend will be off in your house. Our best idea would either be to slide up the color swatch with Harvest Brown on it to be sure you have a coordinating color for the adjoined room or ask the paint pros to mix up a lighter version of it (adding a bit more white or cream to the formula for a color that ties in well but looks lighter and more tan. You could also just bring home a slew of tan swatches to find the one that works best in your lighting. Good luck!
xo,
s
Jessica says
Hi Sherry,
Thanks so much for your response. I have a tan color that I really like for the rest of the room. I really like the color but in the evening time it seems to take on a greyish tone. I’m ok with that but my question is this: Since the color behind the cabinets is a warm color and this other color seems to be more cool can I still put them together? For some reason I thought that you’re supposed to keep warms together and cools together.
Thanks sherry!
Jessica
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Jessica,
You can certainly mix warm and cool tones for a balanced look or stick with one tone (all warm or all cool) for a different sort of ambiance in a space. Anything goes! So you could go for a warmer tan if you’re unsure about the greyish tone in the one you’ve selected (just bring home a bunch of swatches and see which ones work) or stick with the cooler undertones to balance things out (like the first kitchen shown in our portfolio, which has warm tones in the tile floor but cool tones in the cabinets). Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Maryann says
Hi guys,
I had posted earlier and was having trouble deciding on a kitchen color. It was difficult because room is small and not alot of lighting. But anyway, I wanted to let you know I settled with a creamy sort of peach color but not on the pink side but slight orange side and I’m satisfied, finally.
I’m at work and I forget the exact color but it was Valspar. Now I have to finish the trim and hang things on the walls.
Thanks again for your help. I’ll be back!
Laura says
Hi guys!
I’m going to re-paint my dining room in time for Thanksgiving. I have a chair rail and we have a fabulous woods view from wide windows. I want get some ideas on paint colors.
I’m inspired by nature-woods and the beach (but not cutsy beachy).
I’ve finally settled on a green/taupe scheme, but haven’t nailed the colors. Here were some colors I was looking at:
Bottom of chair rail: (all Benjamin Moore) Waynesboro Taupe, Baja Dunes, Pismo Dunes, Smokey Taupe
Top of chair rail: Soft Fern, Spring Thaw, April Showers. Are there any greens that are like a grey green suitable for a dining room? Silver Sage by Restoration looks more suitable for a bath or bed. Please help! Thanks-will definitely send before and after shots
I was also thinking of painting the chair rail itself to match the bottom, but in a higher gloss.
I want it to be natural yet somewhat dramatic.
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Laura,
Since different lighting scenarios change how colors read and interact with each other, we’d suggest that you just grab all the swatches you’ve mentioned and hold them up during different times of day to see which ones pair together best (we could take a guess but it would just be a guess since your lighting situation is bound to be different than ours). Your color scheme sounds lovely and we can’t wait to see what works for you. And we love the idea of painting the chair rain to match the bottom in a high gloss. Very chic!
xo,
s
Holly B says
Hey guys!
I am going to paint my master bedroom and I’m seriously going crazy with paint colors. My room has so many samples on the wall..it looks hilarious. My husband says we should keep it like that and just call the color “patches”. ha.
Most of the samples I have bought are ideas/suggestions from your site. But, I was wondering if you had an absolute favorite rich cream or light tan color?? Our bedroom is huge…and I just dont’ want the room to feel too stark. (I have Sand White on the wall and it looks too greyish.) We really want a light but warm feel in the room.
Thanks in advance for your advice!
Holly
YoungHouseLove says
Water Chestnut by Glidden is the answer! It’s great (and notably warmer than Sand White). Hope it helps.
xo,
s
Lili says
What a wonderful post/blog! So inspiring! :) If you ever have the time, I’d love to seek your input on my basement walls’ color. My main and 2nd floors are painted in a warm taupe color (Soft Wool by Para Paint P842-4). I also have an orange accent wall on the main floor (Clay Brick (name?) by Para Paint).
Most of my furniture is in the brown hues, and I also have accents of pink/fuschia and yellow.
I want to use a warm gray as a neutral backdrop in my walkout basement (planning on getting a gray sectional). I’m hoping to find a gray that will relate somewhat to the taupe color featured in the rest of my house… I was considering Trendsetting Style (again from Para Paint P5220-24). I’m not keen of grays that have too much green or blue in them… I would also be using this gray in the basement bathroom and maybe in other bathrooms in my house. My trims and ceiling will most likely be painted Chantilly Lace by Benjamin Moore.
Any views? :)
Lili
PS. My basement flooring (slate imitation): http://twitpic.com/ofjoo And a shot of my main floor: http://twitpic.com/oy2c6
YoungHouseLove says
We love Trendsetting Style! It looks like it’s a perfect choice for your space. We also love Benjamin Moore’s Light Pewter so that’s another swatch to try. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Holly says
You are so good! I painted my bedroom Water Chestnut over the weekend and I absolutely LOVE it. It is a such a beautiful color. Just thought i’d let you know. Thanks again for the great advice!!
(and just read your baby news! congrats!!!)
Holly :)
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Holly,
That’s great to hear! So glad you’re loving it. It’s one of our favorite colors!
xo,
s
Lauren says
Hey guys! I just stumbled on this post and it’s really helpful. I painted my house a mish-mash of colors when we moved in and am re-thinking the whole thing a year later. My husband and I own a 1500 square foot 2nd- and 3rd floor apartment– the top floor is a converted attic and less relevant to the design. The main floor is the following bunch of colors (all by Sherwin-Williams) and the rooms connect in a circle in this order: Latte in the entryway, Celery in the living/dining room (biggest room), Friendly Yellow in the large kitchen, Sand Beach in the small bedroom, Soulmate (purple) in the attached smaller second bedroom which is a closet (no bed in there), back to the entryway in Latte, and then Delicious Melon in the front room. The bathroom is white. The problem is that ALL of our trim, doorways, doors, baseboards, and kitchen cabinets are pine-colored wood. I am slowly working up the motivation to paint all of them, but my question is- how do I build a cohesive color scheme (I LOVE the celery color so that has to stay), and how do I choose trim colors? Same trim color for the whole house, or does it change based on the wall color? Any thoughts?
Thanks!!
Lauren
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Lauren,
Why not use tans and creams (like Sand Beach and Latte) with the celery color as your overall palette and keep all the trim crisp white to tie everything together? The effect will be soft and serene and lovely. Hope it helps!
xo,
s