A Paint Color for Gail

I am stumped with paint color for our new home. The living areas are very open. I like a grey/blue with a little green. Maybe Sea Salt? 

Or do I need something a darker? You can see the trim color in pictures and the granite I picked is a bit lighter than that in the pictures, same dark floors. These pics are from model home. While I am at it what should I do with the wall beside fireplace? The tv will be above fireplace. Any and all advice is very much appreciated!
 
 
Thank you!

- Gail

Hi Gail,

I run into this a lot, where your builder or painter wants a paint color from you, but I will tell you that you are not ready to give it to him.  If you were, you would have drapery samples and rugs to show me.  When your home is in the state it is, you can go with any grayish, greenish bluish color you want to.  However, that is such a ridiculous thing to do.  Then what?  Try to find a rug that matches your paint?  Try to find drapery fabric to go with your paint? Make furniture decisions around your paint color?  You are setting yourself up for a difficult time decorating.  It is SO MUCH EASIER to make the textile selections first.  Even if you just so much as started with a rug selection. 

Let's say you selected this rug from Williams Sonoma Home:

Then, when you have paint chips, set them right next to the rug. You can make some good selections, then you try a couple of sample quarts in larger sections on your wall, then you are happy. 

But, you might find that you like this rug from Dash and Albert:

Do you see how that could lead you to a very different paint color, even though they both fit your description?

Painting is expensive, or it is a lot of work.  (depending on how you roll)  One color does not cost any more or less than another color.  Don't trap your future decisions by making this one too early.  Do it right the first time. 

I find that when selected in the right order, paint colors practically select themselves. 

The Not- Pink Bathroom

(Favorite Places and Spaces)

Christine,

I have installed Crossville Palais Versailles in a bathroom, floor and tub/shower surround.

The bathroom does not have a window. This tile appeared to be very neutral but it looks too pink up on the shower wall. Maybe part of this is the walls are Benjamin Moore Sherwood Tan. What color can I paint to take the pink out of the tile?

- Smallmaria

Hi Smallmaria,

Sometimes I get a question and think, I have answered that one before- which I have, in your case- in this post. 

 What should you stay away from?  Any paint with a green or blue undertone.  Your tile has a salmon feel to it.  A blue paint will bring out the orange, a green paint will bring out the pink. You want to bring out neither. 

Personally, I would take a piece of your tile and set it on my large 8 1/2 x 11 paint samples, and go through them, looking at samples until one really made the tile look as neutral to you as it did in the showroom. 

I would paint your walls the right shade of white.  (A question I cannot answer without a sample of the tile.)  But honestly, if you want help bad enough that you are willing to mail me a sample of your tile, I will give you specific paint colors.

The paint below is Sherwin Williams China Doll.  It looks good here, but it is too hard to do this over the computer and expect success.  Get sample quarts.  Find a pint that disappears.

Like any other room, have a focal point in your bathroom.  Not the tile, in your case,  but wall decor or accessories.  The right wall decor colors, on a neutral painted wall, will make everything look better.  The wall decor below, with its total absence of pastels, will help your tile to feel neutral, like the neutral colors in it.

(Uttermost- Repose and Field of Dreams) 

Try to make your bathroom not about the tile, and not about the paint color.  Make it about something else- because anyone who looks at that tile for too long, just might see pink...

I love the brown glass in the photo above.  Use browns and accent with black. (not in your paint, in your accessories- when there is a little distance- it can make it look like there is a brown tone to your tile, whenit is right next it in large quantities, like paint color- it shows the pink off)  Make, or find a cool arrangement, with twigs.  Create some movement in the room.  Look at the photo on the top of the post.  If you feel more adventurous than traditional wall decor, consider a collage across your un-mirrored walls- frame a sand dollar that you found at the beach, a wooden initial, add a silhouette drawing of your favorite child.   Neutral colors, sepia tones.   No one will look in your room and think pink.

Out of Order

Christine,
I just stumbled upon your blog tonight and thought you might be able to help!  We are moving halfway across the US, and, as these things sometimes go, the new house will need to be painted before we move in.  Because of the situation, we will be hiring the work done.  Unfortunately, I will only have about an hour to "visit" the new home & finalize paint colors next time I visit the new city.  Though I'm a newbie to your blog, I already know that you say paint doesn't come first...but I simply CAN'T live in a house with a bright orange living room.  So, in short, what are your best, go-to, neutrals (though I'm not afraid of color...as long as it's not bright orange) for a fairly traditional interior with white painted woodwork in a 6 year old home?  I'm not attaching pictures as I've not been in the new home long enough to take any of decent quality AND I know there will be furniture purchases AND I have no idea what said furniture will look like AND the lighting is also atrocious, which will also have to be changed, but that's another email completely!  (P.S.  Not that I'm feeling any pressure, but I know I have to make good choices, as hubby will DIE if we pay someone to paint...then I want to re-paint upon moving in!)

Thanks SO much!!

Jill


Hi Jill,

Well- it sounds like you have nothing to go on - and this is absolutely not the order to do things.  So- here goes nothing:

I love Urban Putty by Sherwin Williams. 

XOXO

Christine

For the hundredth time...

Christine,

 

I came across your web site and hoped you can help me.  I recently installed new distressed reddish brown birch hardwood in my downstairs (about 1300 sq. ft).  I am using Dunn Edwards paint and would like some suggestions for colors.  I am looking at Golden Gate, Graham Cracker for family room/kitchen (although may be too dark) and colors with yellow tones, ..am I on the right track?  I do have very high ceilings and lots of natural light and reside in Southern California (if that makes a difference).  

 

Thank you in advance for any help you can give me!! 

 

Debra

Dear Debra,

No.  I cannot help you select paint.  Selecting paint too early is such a common mistake.  As I explain in this post, and this post,  and this post, and many others, paint selection is nearly last, in the order of things.  When the room is decorated, the paint practically selects itself.  However- keep the paint selection in mind, like I instructed this reader.  Ideally, all of your decisions will be made prior to anything happening.  Finances might prohibit doing everything at once- but that doesn't mean the selections cannot be made.

To bring out the intensity of the red tones, you might consider a paint shade with a green undertone.  Read this post- and this post, on opposites attract-.  Look at some nice green tones in this post.

I also want you to keep in mind that the trends are in general- going light, even white in paint colors.  These decisions, of course, like I have mentioned, will all be so clear after your other decorating decsions have been made.

Always Look a Step Ahead

Today's post is a continuation of yesterday's.  I wanted to explain HOW I would select a fabric for the kitchen windows.

1.  Because white blinds are on the windows, if a fabric selection is made like the one above- it will look a little "dingy."  I would use the white.  Selecting a fabric that has white in it will help to pull the room together.  (even if just a little white)

 2.  Most of the guesses were for this fabric above.  However- this would not be my selection for a pretty important reason.  This is a kitchen.  There are not a lot of other opportunities to add a unifier of your colors.  If this fabric above were your window treatment color- what would you use on your walls for a paint color?  You have painted yourself into an interior design corner.  We all know the bright orange would be hideous on the walls.  The white would offer absolutely no contrast to the baseboards or blinds.  There are no other colors to pull from.  Using an additional color would be your only real option, but the result is a room that is a bit disconnected.  This is a perfect example of why you should make all of your decisions before purchasing anything. 

My selection was #3.  Is the pattern too large? No.  In upholstery you see a pattern, but window treatment fabric is best looked at by bunching the fabric up, how most treatments show the material.  I really appreciate large patterns.  If you were to use this material in a flat fold Roman shade- railroading the material would be perfect- creating a very interesting feel.  Look at what the fabric offers as far as wall color options.  There are nice lighter shades of greens and blues.  There is also a lovely linen color that would be a perfect wall color.  I also like how this fabric pulls in a little of the cabinet color. 

Yesterday Cheryl e-mailed me and let me know what the granite selection was.  It is  Giallo Veneziano.

This new information changed my mind altogether on the fabric.  I selected a new one- the Waverly piece below.  It has white in it, as well as some great options for paint selections.  A material as colorful as Giallo Veneziano needs to be treated as part of the color pallet in most cases. Be sure to look at the actual slab.  Colors vary widely.

 With  the dark cabinets- a light paint selection - like pulling the color from the plant with the roots above- would be a very nice selection.  This fabric also brings together the existing disconnect that is found with the cabinets and granite- not really going with "white" blinds.  Add this fabric as a unifier- and it will go beautifully.  Have your parents use the fabric on ALL of the windows- not just the windows over the sink. Window treatments should be layered.  I am not a big fan of most valances- instead I would use Roman shades or cafe curtains, or panels.   

You will have other ways to bring it all together.  This color pallet reminded me of a post I did in January of 2010.  Some of the selctions I made for Kathy would also be good for your parents.  For example- art work.

Perhaps a runner or rug:

Good luck to your parents.  I hope they take your (my) advice.  :)

fabric: Waverly, fabric.com; art: Uttermost; Rug: Capel