UPDATE: Decorating Help! Need to pick paint colors FAST

[DebbieJ]

UPDATE:

A BBB mama stopped by last week and remembered my plea for help here, so I thought I would share with you what we did!

We went with Benjamin Moore's Olive Branch in our Kitchen/Family Room. We're going to get crown molding on our cabinets and then decorate in a Tuscan theme. We'll eventually do a tile backsplash and change out the light fixture over the table.

http://www.windsorpeak.com/dc/user_files/34822.jpg

Now, the fireplace wall I chose on the fly at Home Depot (it's a Behr color) and I hate it. I thought it was going to come out more yellow, so I have a new can sitting here at home (Behr's Sweet Honey) and I'm waiting for my painter to come over and redo it. He has to finish our foyer as well.

http://www.windsorpeak.com/dc/user_files/34823.jpg

We used all Glidden paint (at the recommendation of our painter) that I bought at Home Depot and they were able to match the colors from the other manufacturers by simple looking them up in their computer!

------------------------------
Our friend the painter said he is free next week and wants to come over and help us paint our interior. We are in new construction so right now it's all white and we need a change. :)

The kitchen is my big nemesis right now--maple cabinets stained a cherry color with hardwood floors the same color. Counters are "Brune Slate" laminate by Wilsonart. Stainless sink and appliances. This room is basically one big room with our dinette and family room attached, so the color has to work in all three spaces and flow. I just can't decide.

Our house is a very open floor plan. You can stand right inside my front door and see the foyer, dining room, living room, powder room, family room, kitchen, and upstairs hallway. So we can't have clashing colors.

I will try to post some pics (after I clean up a little) to see what you think.

Oh, and we're using Benjamin Moore paint, so if you have a fav BM color, let me know!

ETA: Pictures! I decided not to clean up and take pics anyway :)

Standing between the two "rooms", looking directly in the kitchen. The open door goes into our laundry room.

http://www.windsorpeak.com/dc/user_files/33302.jpg

Closer look at the kitchen:

http://www.windsorpeak.com/dc/user_files/33303.jpg

From the kitchen, through the eating area, into the Family room:

http://www.windsorpeak.com/dc/user_files/33304.jpg

We get a lot of natural light in the family room:

http://www.windsorpeak.com/dc/user_files/33308.jpg

Into the Family room from the Foyer
http://www.windsorpeak.com/dc/user_files/33305.jpg

Another angle on the Family Room:
http://www.windsorpeak.com/dc/user_files/33306.jpg

We are not tied to this furniture or home theater set up. Those couches are an old sectional that is too small for the room and once that TV dies, we're getting a plasma to most likely go above the fireplace, so...can't really key off anything in there.

Oh, and I've looked at www.thathomesite.com but really didn't see much that has the same color cabinets that we do.

~ deb
DS born at home 12/03
2 year check up: 25 lbs with clothes on and 35 inches!
BFARed for 20 months and 6 days
(Breastfeeding After Reduction is possible! www.bfar.org)

http://www.bfar.org/members/fora/style_avatars/Ribbons/18months-bfar.jpg

[brittone2]

I like Restoration Hardware's paint colors. I like that there are only so many choices and they all coordinate.

My entire downstairs is pretty much Sycamore Green.

There are BM equivalents of all of the RH colors I believe. I think I've read RH paints are actually made by BM anyway. You could also get them color matched at BM.

ETA if you go to www.thathomesite.com and go to the home decorating forums, there are a lot of photos of actual paint colors in people's real life homes. It is a great resource.

[alexsmommy]

Keep in mind these suggestions come from the original decorating impaired girl...BM Greenbriar Beige is a favorite around here, and if we ever do the basement I may go with Peanut Shell. I'll try to get to the basement at some point today and look up the soft green I love too - we had it in the bathroom at the old place and will most likely use it again. I like RH cappaccino so much we wound up using it in our bedroom. Post pics please!
Alaina
Alex Feb '03

[boolady]

Here are some suggestions:
ETA: all Benjamin Moore colors

Ivory/light tan family:
Hepplewhite Ivory
Putnam Ivory
Powell Buff
Blanched Almond (this is in my kitchen, which has cherry stained cabinets and medium-toned hardwood floors)
Yosemite Sand

A good friend has Hepplewhite Ivory in her family room, which opens onto her kitchen, and is painted Powell Buff. They look really good together, and are just subtly different.

Sagey greens:

Weekend Getaway
Dill Weed

These look very similar, but depend on how much natural light you have. If you don't have a lot of light, Dill Weed is better.

Good luck!

[Marisa6826]

ETA - now that I see the pics, DEFINITELY Peanut Shell! Acadia white is a nice warm trim colour - not as 'hard' looking as Decorator's white.


____________________________

Peanut shell is a beautiful colour - I used it for my livingroom.

If you're looking for something in the green family, Green Tea is a nice BM colour.

Deer Path is a really pretty latte.

Red Oxide is a beautiful bright rust.

Confederate Red is a nice, warm tomato.

What colours are you looking for? Do you want earth tones, jewel tones? Are you afraid of strong colours? Do you have fabric you're trying to coordinate with?

-m

[Jo..]

Whenever I am trying to decide on a paint color, I do a "quick n' dirty" mock-up in Photoshop. It takes less than a minute to preview eah paint color, and I save myself a lot of time (and money!) by avoiding picking the wrong color.

Your LR is a blank slate, almost any color would work there. The trick is to find something you like with the dark wood in the kitchen.

Here's your kitchen in Peanut Shell:
http://www.windsorpeak.com/dc/user_files/33310.jpg

Blanched Almond:
http://www.windsorpeak.com/dc/user_files/33311.jpg

And Sand Dune:
http://www.windsorpeak.com/dc/user_files/33312.jpg

I thought it might help if you could "see" the colors in your space :D.

ETA: If you're leaning toward a particular color let me know. I'd be more than happy to "try it on" for you.

[DebbieJ]

Jo, thank you so much! That totally helps.

The thing is, our kitchen and family room have to be the same color. The one wall (with the kitchen sink, the sliding glass door, and all the windows in the FR) goes from one to the other with no break. We'll probably do an accent wall in a different (contrasting) color on the fireplace wall.

~ deb
DS born at home 12/03
2 year check up: 25 lbs with clothes on and 35 inches!
BFARed for 20 months and 6 days
(Breastfeeding After Reduction is possible! www.bfar.org)

http://www.bfar.org/members/fora/style_avatars/Ribbons/18months-bfar.jpg

[Jo..]

Yup, I know you're talking about "all one color", I was just saying the kitchen is harder to work with, so I'd pick your color there and use it everywhere, if you know what I mean! Love your idea of an accent wall.

[daisyandacorn]

Another RH fan here. I'd opt away from the creams and go with a nice blue or a green-something like Atmosphere Blue or Silver Sage.
I tend to go for butter kitchens but your cabinets would look lovely with a soft, dusky blue.
HTH!
Susan
p.s. Your place looks good!
Please tell me that you tidied up the toys (am I the only one that's got them in every room?) :)

[DebbieJ]

Susan....

We must think alike. I was leaning more towards a contrast with the greys and greens myself.

I have plenty of other spaces that could use a cream--like our foyer/staircase that seems to link to every single room in the house!

Too many choices!

~ deb
DS born at home 12/03
2 year check up: 25 lbs with clothes on and 35 inches!
BFARed for 20 months and 6 days
(Breastfeeding After Reduction is possible! www.bfar.org)

http://www.bfar.org/members/fora/style_avatars/Ribbons/18months-bfar.jpg

[Jo..]

I'm painting my house vicariously through you :)

Silver Sage
http://www.windsorpeak.com/dc/user_files/33316.jpg

Atmosphere Blue
http://www.windsorpeak.com/dc/user_files/33317.jpg

[daisyandacorn]

Most of the wood in my house is honey-coloured (I can spell, lol-I'm Canadian) and I love it with creams and whites and soft blues and greens.
The nursery stuff is cherry though(hand me down from a friend)and it looks amazing with soft blue walls! I wasn't sure it would work but I gave it a go at 8 months pregnant and I'm so glad, it's a great contrast. People freak out when they see it, it's really pretty and "grown up looking".
Give it a go! I bet it'll work.
:) Susan
btw, I didn't use RH paint in there, I just took a swatch (actually, a small blue hippo) to Home Depot because I wanted to match it to the PBK light blue that's in the crib bedding.

[octmom]

This is yet another reason I need to learn to use the Photoshop Elements software on my laptop. I am terrible at visualizing paint colors on the walls. This really helps!

Jerilyn
DS, Sean 10/03
DD, Katie 3/06

"Baby makes days shorter, nights longer, home happier, and love stronger."

[brittone2]

After seeing photos I think a sagey green would be lovely. Sycamore Green (RH) is worth checking out (or getting color matched, or look up the BM equivalent because there definitely is one). I think it would look great w/ your cabinets especially. I love Silver Sage but it does weird (and cool) things depending on the light. My house makes it look totally washed out and gray, unlike the gorgeous color on the well-lit walls of the store. So paint some swatches if you can ;) Laura Ashley has some "olive" colors (I think they come in Olive 1, Olive 2, Olive 3, Olive 4) depending on how dark. Some are nice and sagey. That line is at Lowe's I think...again, you could get a swatch and then color match it in Benjamin Moore.

Benjamin Moore sells little sample pots of a lot of their colors now for a few dollars, and RH does the same.

Your new house is gorgeous :) I hope that you really have a lot of fun!

[DebbieJ]

I don't know if a trip to RH is going to fit in my schedule. The closest one is a 45 min drive away. :(

I did look at their colors online and they are nice!

~ deb
DS born at home 12/03
2 year check up: 25 lbs with clothes on and 35 inches!
BFARed for 20 months and 6 days
(Breastfeeding After Reduction is possible! www.bfar.org)

http://www.bfar.org/members/fora/style_avatars/Ribbons/18months-bfar.jpg

[nd93]

No painting help, just wanted to say we have the same kitchen table you do. :)

[kcimato]

You don't have to go to RH BM makes their colors. Just go yo your local BM store and ask if they can mix that color for you.

[jamsmu]

Jo, that was SO cool!! I'm definitely trying it for my house--thanks!!!

Debbie, we have a similar issue and I'll try to post it later, but I had a decorator over the other day. She recommended that rather than an accent wall, we paint the LR and the 1/2 of the kitchen that is attached to the LR in one color, and the rest in a different color. Of course, its a little bit of a different set-up than yours. I'll try to post tomorrow if I remember and explain better.

Love your kitchen!

[shishamo]

FYI, here are Benjamin Moore colors that are equivalent to RH:

Silver Sage: graywisp 1570
Sycamore Green: moonshadow 1516

HTH! If you can, get a small sample can and try on your wall! I was sure I was going to do Silver Sage until I saw it on my wall: Sycamore Green is the winner for us. (this is for my bedroom)

Our kitchen is very similar to yours (cherry cabinets and open floor plan with lots of light in the family room) and it's painted very light yellow/beige...and it looks great. It picks up the warm undertone on the cherry nicely.

[almostamom]

We used RH Atmosphere Blue in our powder room. While I still like the color and the end result, I did not like the RH paint itself. It took a lot of paint to cover the previously white walls in a small room. If you like the color, I would suggest color matching it with a brand of paint you know and like. We don't have cherry stained wood in the bath, but we do have dark wood so I added a pic so you could kind of compare. (BTW, I love your cabinets and your kitchen floor!!)

http://www.windsorpeak.com/dc/user_files/33327.jpg


~Linda~
http://lilypie.com/pic/060427/fDdc.jpg http://b2.lilypie.com/qW3mm7.png

[ppshah]

I really like BM Bennington Gray. White Dove for the trim. Clarkson gray has a bit more green in it.

[brittone2]

I love white dove for trim as well. We have it w/ our Sycamore Green walls. It is a nice combo IMO.

[brittone2]

It is weird how it can vary. We found the RH had great coverage, and we were painting Sycamore Green (pretty light overall) over medium brown/tan faux finished (by the previous owner) walls.

I'm pretty sure BM actually makes RH's paints for them but maybe the quality varies more since they aren't mixing the paint right at the time you are buying it, kwim?

[Mommy_Again]

I just wanted to pipe in with a random fact I heard today: greens and blues in a kitchen are supposed to not make you want to eat as much (which could be a good thing for us, but bad if your toddler is as picky as mine is these days...)

[DebbieJ]

Ashley,

I heard that on the Today Show a few weeks ago. Very interesting! My DH thought it was hogwash. But he always likes to be contrarian anyway... :P

~ deb
DS born at home 12/03
2 year check up: 25 lbs with clothes on and 35 inches!
BFARed for 20 months and 6 days
(Breastfeeding After Reduction is possible! www.bfar.org)

http://www.bfar.org/members/fora/style_avatars/Ribbons/18months-bfar.jpg

[mharling]

BM 206 is a nice strawish yellow (used to be called Summer Harvest, is now New Day).

Mary - Some days work. Some days don't.

[DeeEast]

>I'm painting my house vicariously through you :)
>
>Silver Sage
>http://www.windsorpeak.com/dc/user_files/33316.jpg
>
>Atmosphere Blue
>http://www.windsorpeak.com/dc/user_files/33317.jpg
>
Wow, we're going to be painting our house and I would love to know how you do that! Pretty please?

[Jo..]

Sure. Just use the "magic wand" tool in Photoshop to select an area (it can be adjusted if it's grabbing too many adjacent pixels or too few). Then fill it up with your new color :). Couldn't be easier.

It has saved me a fortune because I am always painting something, and I usually can't visualize the color correctly. Seeing it helps!

[daniele_ut]

Deb - I think you guys did really well!! i love the kitchen color a lot. I think your Tuscan theme will be wonderul. I like the family room wall color, but I can see how you wouldn't if you expected more yellow. I can't wait to see it redone. It is amazing to see what a difference a little color really makes. It totally changes the way your house looks!

[ellies mom]

Wow, that Olive Branch colour is gorgeous. I'm going to have to remember that one. Your kitchen came out great! I'm getting ready to put crown moulding on top of my cabinets too. It just looks more finished, don't you think? Anyhow, good luck with the rest of your plans. I hope the new fireplace wall colour works out better for you.

[spencersmommy]

Wow, your house looks gorgeous! It turned out great!

[Wife_and_mommy]

Deb,

The green looks great! I like the pumpkin-y color too but it does seem a little too much. Good job. :)




http://www.gynosaur.com/assets/ribbons/ribbon_gold_12m.gif[/img][/url]

[heidiann]

Your kitchen looks exactly like ours, I showed my DH the pic, he asked my why I have a pic of our kitchen on the internet LOL....
We even have the same table.
I love the color you chose for you Kitchen, great choice.

Heidi
Mom to Jillian 10/20/05