Wednesday, July 16, 2008

Dawn's Favorite Dozen

I have been asked to choose my favorite paint colors, and as I pondered the answer, I found myself going thru my fan deck of paint colors. As I picked one of my favorites, there was another right behind it, and another - how can you pick only a few and leave the rest out? Well, here is a list of my all time favorites - some colors that I find I use time and time again, have recommended for clients and just love! Some speak to their ability to go with anything, as a neutral. Others make me feel warm and add a touch of color without being too dark or light.

One of the many things to remember is that it is important when choosing a color for your room that you consider the lighting in the room, the adjacent room colors, the furnishings in the room and most importantly, how that color makes you feel!

Here is the list I came up with ( all chosen from my Benjamin Moore Color Preview fan deck):

Roxbury Caramel - HC-42 - a warm caramel color, just as it sounds - with the right lighting, this color can be just great - I used this in a Home Textiles showroom, and even with all the various colors of the bedding, it works with all of them!

Abbington Putty - HC-99- a soft green, with an olive cast. Dark enough to make a difference, but not too dark for those faint of heart when it comes to adding color to the room.

Desert Tan - 2153-50 - a true gold - great with burgundy, greens, navy - if you have dark furnishings ( carpets, sofa, decorative accessories) this color will act as a neutral and warm up the space without taking away from the existing colors

Putnam Ivory - HC-39 - this is the color I think of when someone says they want their walls to be "khaki" like the color of the menswear pants that most every man in America owns!

Carrington Beige- HC-93 - this too can be called khaki, or light tan - this is good when Putnam is a touch too yellow- Carrington has a touch of green in it.

Beacon Grey - 2128-60 - this is a blue, with grey undertones - a cool color without being too strong

Mellowed Ivory - 2149-50 - not an ivory or cream color at all! This is a soft mellow shade of green, with hints of lime - a mellow green with a touch of yellow - soft and easy on the eyes.

Muslin - OC-5 - a soft , soft tan. This is a great color for someone who is used to white, but ready to make the commitment to color, but not too much color.

Newburyport Blue - HC- 155 - I love this color, it is deep, dark and makes a statement - a great accent wall - love it mixed with any of the khaki colors mentioned above, or with the next color...

Huntington Beige - HC-21 - a medium toned tan - warm yet neutral - this is also a great color for the main room with an accent wall as mentioned above or with a deep burgundy...

New London Burgundy - HC -61 - a deep, rich burgundy, like your favorite Merlot. Not a color I have used often, as many people are afraid of going this dark - I can tell you, most of the time, this will take three coats to get the color perfect.

Hot Apple Spice - 2005-20 - another rich red, more of a brick tone. A good alternative to a burgundy if you like deep rich colors that lean on the side of nature.

Simply White - OC-117 - a great trim color for doors, door frames, crown, chair-rail and base moldings. A true white without being a hospital white - but then again;
white is a state of mind!

So that is it, my favorite dozen - I apologize to all of the colors that did not make this list - after all, it took me forever to narrow it down, so many colors to choose from! So to the reader who asks "how do I choose the right color?" I would say take a paint fan deck, and sit in the room you are considering, spread the deck out, with all the items from the room right there in front of you and choose the one that best compliments them, the one that feels right!
After all, it is only paint!

1 comment:

JR said...

WOW...
I bow to your willingness to commit to a dozen fave's! I'll keep this list handy while I consider what to do with my pitiful office. Thanks!