Andrew’s Color Conundrum
When Andrew asked for a few color palette suggestions we pulled out our paint swatches and got down to business. Here’s his leter:
I need help with the ground floor of my townhouse. The room has never been painted and just has the original “builder white” on the wall. I will be replacing the glass/metal TV stand with this cabinet from Pottery Barn in mahogany but will be keeping the leather sectional for now. The hallway leading into this room is painted with Behr’s Khaki Shadow (a neutral tan khaki tone) and the baseboards are white. I gravitate towards warm/neutral/light colors and don’t like purple, pink, orange or lime. Thanks. – Andrew
Andrew’s new Pottery Barn entertainment center will definitely help to add sophistication (and tons of concealed storage) to the space. And a new color on the walls along with a few accent colors will really bring the whole place to life. Here are a few options:
Oh and it’s time for the regular disclaimer that the actual paint swatches are far richer than the tones above (which are only as accurate as your monitor) so Andrew should grab all of the recommended swatches and hold them up in his space before making a final decision. But on to the color palette breakdown.
1. Our first scheme is warm and neutral with a bit of color to add interest and dimension while balancing all the deep wood tones and that dark sectional. The brown swatch represents the new media cabinet and the leather sectional while the soft khaki greenish-tan tone stands for the adjoining hallway color (which can be seen in the left of the first picture above). The next swatch represents the color we’d love to see on the walls: Benjamin Moore’s Hawthorne Yellow (a warm moody golden-tan that brightens without looking too sweet or childish). The masculine wheaty-yellow tone will add just enough color on the walls to keep the dark, heavy furnishings from completely taking over the room, while adding an inviting atmosphere to the entire space. When it comes to the cream tone in the palette, we’d love to see some cream floor-length curtains hung high and wide on a mahogany curtain rod to flank the double windows that we see in the first picture (they’ll look rich and sophisticated against the moody golden-tan walls). White doors along with crisp white baseboards will keep things clean and current to complete our first color scheme.
2. Our second palette also includes a brown swatch which represents the leather sectional and the new TV cabinet while the khaki tone again stands for the adjoining hallway wall color. But this time we chose a soft greeny-blue for the walls, which actually will become quite a “neutral” in the space (try Glidden’s Gentle Tide). This blue-green color on the walls (with tons of gray to keep it masculine and sophisticated) will complement the tan-with-a-hint-of-green tone in the adjoining room while adding some gray-blue to the mix, which will balance the brown tones in the furnishings while adding an airy feel. We would again recommend adding some crisp white trim and doors for a current and classic feel. And as an accent color (for everything from pillows to curtains and even art) a deeper slate gray-blue will add more pop to keep the eye moving around the room, instead of resting on the big leather sectional.
3. Scheme three again features the brown swatch to represent the sectional and the TV cabinet along with the khaki tone from the adjoining hallway. For the walls in this palette we’re sticking to a tame tan tone for that neutral yet warm feeling that will keep the room feeling expansive and open. Haze by Behr should complement the nearby khaki tone while shifting the coloring in the space to a wheaty tan which we think would look amazing paired with a selection of bold red accessories (a few throw pillows, maybe a red lacquered tray, and some abstract white canvased art with a big red splash of color). This classic scheme will feel both safe yet sleek with those splashes of red, and the beauty of this palette is the diversity- switching out the bright red accents for navy or emerald down the line would change up the whole look of the room in an instant.
So there you have it. Three different color scheme suggestions for Andrew to mull over. We can’t wait to hear what you guys think- especially you Andrew!
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i love scheme two! i just painted my brother and sister-in-law’s house with sherwin williams interesting aqua in the living room and ruskin room green in the kitchen….VERY similar palette and it’s beautiful! i agree that the blue is still neutral while adding color as well.
As usual, so lovely! I wonder what he’ll choose?
Color scheme 3 is my favorite. The art should be hung lower, approximately 6″ above the sectional. Replace pillows and coffee table. The table is too hard and cold, a wood coffee table, painted white and distressed, with a bottom shelf would compliment. Two substantial baskets on the shelf to hold books and remotes will be a good plan. Add life to the room, through a large plant that can survive with minimal light. Enjoy!ghinteriordesign.com
Thank you – all three schemes look great! I think that #2 may be a little too dark for the room. #1 and #3 may work better with the lighter colors for the wall. My next step is a trip to LowesDepot and the paint store(s) for paint samples.
I will send a few pictures as I make progress.
Greta – Thanks for the comments. I will keep my eyes open for a coffee table upgrade.
Do you have the formula for the Behr Khaki Shadow? I purchased some several years ago from Home Depot and at that time they no longer had the chip, but did have the formula. Now the formula is lost. If you have the formula would be great. Thanks so much!!
So sorry Kristi, we don’t have that on us. Perhaps you can call the company or visit the paint counter at Home Depot and they can look it up on their computer (even when a color is discontinued sometimes they keep the formula in the database). Hope it helps!
xo,
s