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Honored Contributor
Posts: 18,306
Registered: ‎11-08-2014

DO YOU HAVE FAVORITE PAINT COLORS?

I have certain go-tos that I love.  Here are some that we've actually used, so I can give at least a somewhat informed opinion.

 

Apologies in advance, these are mostly from the historic color collection by Benjamin Moore, since that is the dealership we always go to!  Those of you who have experimented with other brands, please pipe up with your choices, esp. if you've used any of "The Fine Paints of Europe" brand.

 

House exterior:   "Alexandria Beige", body of house-- beautiful coffee-with-cream color, really an interesting brown which bleaches to interesting fawn color on our southern exposure.

 

Trim:   "Navajo White",  this very rich white doesn't go too "stark white" in sunlight and with 'Alex. Beige".

 

Shutters:  "Stratton Blue"--  all shutters and door.  A very pretty blue-green, teal-ish, soft.  Again, another "historical" color.

 

Living Room:  "Woodlawn Blue"--  always wanted a robin's egg blue room, like in an English country house.  This is perfect, and is hazy, blue/green/gray enough so it never reads as a "cold" blue, just a soft robin's egg.

 

Trim:  'Snow on the Mountain"--  creamy, off-white (looks great in southern exposure, not so good in northern, goes dull.)

 

Kitchen:  "Van Alen Green"--  this is a gentle, mid-green, veers slightly "minty".  To me, the perfect green!  Cheerful, never tire of it.

 

Kitchen cabinets:  "Baby Fawn"--  Warm gray, a pale putty.  Designer secret:  it is virtually identical to historic color "Edgecomb Gray".   A lighter version of "Revere Pewter".  Veers beige-y in some lights, light gray in others.

 

Trim:  "Simply White"--  One of B. Moore's best whites, not too stark, not too creamy, few undertones.

 

Dining Room--  "Springview Green"--  Big mistake.  I thought it would be a pale, yellow-green, which it is, but it is too pale and dull.  Family likes it, I don't.

 

I could go on, but hope that others will describe their/your favorite paint colors...

 

 

 

 

                            

 

Esteemed Contributor
Posts: 5,211
Registered: ‎04-10-2012

Re: DO YOU HAVE FAVORITE PAINT COLORS?

Home Depot Behr.......color:  Pecan Sandie

Trusted Contributor
Posts: 1,430
Registered: ‎10-20-2010

Re: DO YOU HAVE FAVORITE PAINT COLORS?

Could Live with YOU. LOVE my B.M. Always use. May I ask what colors you suggest for bedrooms? Thank you so very much.

Esteemed Contributor
Posts: 6,109
Registered: ‎04-14-2013

Re: DO YOU HAVE FAVORITE PAINT COLORS?

Ben Moore's "Cloud White" is the perfect white in rooms where you want light but no undertones, nor an "optic" white.  Doesn't seem to reflect or absorb, just be "there" to showcase the surroundings.

 

"Abingdon Putty" is one I've used on the exterior.  It again is a nice neutral, though with some complexities.  Exteriors can be interesting.  This color is very chameleon-like.  Blends well; makes a statement but speaks softly.

 

I enjoy choosing paint colors.  I am lucky to have an old friend who is a professional painter, and his insight is generally very sound.  He's seen it all through the years.

Cogito ergo sum
Honored Contributor
Posts: 18,306
Registered: ‎11-08-2014

Re: DO YOU HAVE FAVORITE PAINT COLORS?

I am thrilled to get some responses!  I am going to have to look up "Pecan Sandie"  (I love that name-- sounds like a rich neutral),  and I have heard great things about "Abingdon Putty",  another time-tested historical color...

 

engineer, thanks!   Let me think-- I'll try to group some possible bedroom shades according to category:

 

Neutrals:    "Gentle Cream" by B. Moore---   If you want something light, but not white. 

It is rich, but should not look straight "yellow" on walls, but cream has a tiny bit of yellow that gives it that luscious look, and that undertone might come out a bit in some light conditions.  "Navajo White" is a slightly lighter version of this.

 

"Manchester Tan"--  A non-boring, pleasant beige.

"Carrington Beige"--  Warm, sophisticated beige.

"Grey Owl"-- A definite gray.

"Edgeccomb Gray" or "Baby Fawn"--  A light, gray/beige chameleon.  Not too cool or too warm.

 

To be continued-- Must dash right now, but later I will suggest some restful greens, blues, etc. that might make good bedroom colors. 

 

Hoping others will chime in!

Honored Contributor
Posts: 9,139
Registered: ‎04-16-2010

Re: DO YOU HAVE FAVORITE PAINT COLORS?

The colors that are currently in my home:

 

*Valspar CHurchill Hotel Vanilla

 

*Valspar Apricot 2

 

*Valspar Seashore Bud  (LOVE this shade as it looks like a grey/tan/mauve depending on the shades you use as accessories)

 

*Valspar Homestead Resort Cream

 

*Valspar New Penny (kitchen)

 

 

 

I also LOVE LOVE LOVE Restoration Hardware Paint. Sadly, they don't offer the shades similar to what is in my house now or I would repaint using all Restoration Hardware paint.

Super Contributor
Posts: 284
Registered: ‎03-29-2011

Re: DO YOU HAVE FAVORITE PAINT COLORS?

For a good white that doesn't have any undertone in it:  Benjamin Moore's Chantilly Lace.  I have an entire house painted in it, with different type of natural and artificial light in different rooms - and it looks good in all of them.

Honored Contributor
Posts: 25,929
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: DO YOU HAVE FAVORITE PAINT COLORS?

The outside of our stucco house was just painted this spring. It is a soft, buttery yellow.The trim is an oyster white. Sorry, I don't know what the colors are called - they were chosen by the HOA. They are very pretty and very Florida.

Inside our house is killiam beige from Sherman Williams throughout. The ceilings are desert white - a very pale taupe and all the trim is pure white. When we built this house we decided to put in extra nice wood trims & moldings. I think pretty trim makes a house look extra rich.Anyway, the beige and the desert white really make the white woodwork trim we selected stand out.

Trusted Contributor
Posts: 1,515
Registered: ‎06-26-2011

Re: DO YOU HAVE FAVORITE PAINT COLORS?

Benjamin Moore (interior):

Putnam Ivory

Camouflage

Lenox Tan

Georgian Brick

French White

(exterior) Hopsack

 

Sherwin Williams (interior):

Rainwashed

Killam Beige

Window Pane

(exterior) Bittersweet, Eaglet Beige

Honored Contributor
Posts: 18,306
Registered: ‎11-08-2014

Re: DO YOU HAVE FAVORITE PAINT COLORS?

Oh, I love the sound of the paint examples you all are posting.  I will be looking them up at my leisure-- that is something I love to do, and it's always fun to hear of new colors that people are using "in real life" and have good experiences with.  So, thanks all!

 

To engineer, who's looking for bedroom colors, continued:

 

To add to my list of neutrals I gave above, "Mesquite" is a Benjamin Moore color I've longed to try--  it's a pale moss green that acts as a neutral...

 

If "Gentle Cream" was too much, there's always the classic "Linen White".

 

"Shelburne Buff"-- is a light goldy-camel color, will read "warm".

 

Another gray, which to me looks like a light, clear, gray that doesn't go cold or blue is "Horizon".

 

Blues:   My own l.r.  "Woodlawn Blue" is a robin's egg that looks fab in a bedroom.

 

Designers LOVE  "Palladian Blue" which is a slightly "greener" version of "Woodlawn...

and "Wythe Blue" which has more intensity but still calming and gorgeous...

 

Greens:  "Prescott Green" is about as deep as I would go-- it's a deeper version of my beloved "Van Alen" with the minty vibe..  Both pretty in bedrooms with a good amt. of light...

 

For a yellow green, or spring green, chartreuse-ey effect,  "Pale Vista".

 

Lilac:  For me, the perfect lavendar or lilac is "Nosegay"-- it is not too much, but definitely a pale lilac color.  Very soothing in a bedroom.  We have it in our bathroom, which has white tile with gray accents...

 

A great paper back reference is:    "House Beautiful Colors for Your Home"--  300 Designer Favorites",  put out by Hearst Books.   The chips are small, so it's best to get big, blown up ones from your paint store, or better yet, buy the tiny samples of paint most of them have, paint a piece of cardboard, and prop in the room to study in different lights before you decide...