A PERFECT paint palette

As the In-house Design Team, we spend every day renovating, designing and staging homes for re-sale. Through the years, we have had the pleasure of working with hundreds of clients in hundreds of homes - all ranging from gorgeous Stately Colonials to historic Spanish Revivals to quaint Cottages and everything else in-between. It gives us a world of first hand experience in finding those perfect color combinations, whether you want to live with it or get ready for the real estate market. 

 

The base colors we start with are all in the neutral category. The brand we choose from is the Duron / Sherwin Williams "Color" Collection. They they are both different companies, but Duron has actually merged with Sherwin Williams - meaning you can go to a Duron store or a Sherwin Williams store. You can even go to Home Depot or Lowe's and tell them you want these specific colors and they will match them in the computer to use in their own store brand paint. Just make sure you always go by the name if there is ever a conflict.

So why do we stick with one palette? Because they never fail us. No matter what house, what room, what light, they always look amazing. There are no peach undertones. There are no shocking differences from the swatch to the wall. They have been tried and tested hundreds of times for hundreds of clients and the reviews are always the same - "WOW!"

 So let us begin. We will start with the best paint color ever made in the history of paint. 

From bedrooms to kitchens to basements, Samovar Silver is by far the most versatile blue color for home interiors. Not too blue and not too gray. We always tell clients when going to the store for the Samovar Silver paint swatch, that they might think it looks too gray at first. When in this situation, take the swatch and hold it next to a true gray color and then next to a true blue color. What you will find, is that next to the gray, it looks blue. And next to the blue, it looks gray. That means it is PERFECT. The colors on this paint swatch are found in the Fundamentally Neutral Category of Duron/Sherwin. This particular paint swatch family of 4 colors go lighter and darker - all of which are breathtaking in any situation.

Softened Green is another neutral green with gray undertones. Just like the Samovar Silver Color Test, you can do the same by holding it up next to a true gray and next to a true green to see that it lies directly in the middle. This color comes on a swatch with a lighter and darker option, all of which are gorgeous in bedrooms, kitchens and family rooms. You should probably stay away from this color in bathrooms though, as green is never a good color for looking at yourself in the mirror. Another option for this color is Grassland SW6163, pictured in the last green family above. 

Rookwood Terra Cotta is found in the Exterior Preservation Palette. Do not be fooled though. Exterior colors  create beautiful accent walls inside and look especially elegant in bathrooms. Be careful using rich colors in bathrooms without good ventilation though. Most bathrooms should be painted using a semi-gloss finish as opposed to interior living spaces that should always be used with a flat finish. But when painting rich colors like RookWood Terra Cotta, using it in semi-gloss can present flaws in the walls. So when using in a bathroom, we go against the basic rule and use a flat finish, but only if there is good ventilation for the shower. Half baths, of course, can always have a flat finish.

Roycroft Vellum is also found in the Exterior Preservation palette. We always found the biggest challenge for finding the perfect cream color to be that so many had peach undertones. It is really tricky to see these undertones in a swatch, and all to often you won't notice it until it is on the wall and the sun shines in. This happened to us several times for many different cream varieties. Roycroft Vellum, however, never fails.

Birdseye Maple is the go to color when going for a bright & warming effect. Yellows can be really tricky as the majority of them are in the bright energetic palette. Always go for a muted bright. We have had many situations where we thought we could get away with a soft bright yellow, but once on the wall, it was exaggerated and incredibly overwhelming. Birdseye Maple is muted enough to be bright and subtle all at once.It is great for foyers, sun rooms and even better in basement family rooms where warmth is so desperately needed.

Downing Sand - yet another color from the Exterior Preservation Palette. It is THE go to beige. Not too dark. Not too light. Never peach in any light.

Macadamia is very similar to Downing Sand, just darker. The alternate of this color is Latte SW6108.

Downing Slate is a dark gray-toned blue. Found in the Exterior Preservation Palette, it looks gorgeous on exterior siding as it compliments stone and brick. Inside, it brings elegance and richness, especially in stairwells and sun rooms. 

The Chocolate Bath. We are asked quite often, "Isn't a dark color in a small space a bad idea?"  Our answer is always the same. "Absolutely not! Do not be afraid of dark colors!" They bring an elegance to a room that is completely unexpected. Sable is a great chocolate color with nothing but brown undertones. It also works wonderfully as an accent wall in a large room. 

Last but not least, do not forget about Taupe! Hopsack is a wonderful taupe shade that we use frequently for foyers, bedroom accent colors, bathrooms and living spaces. 

Not sure what colors go together? Here is a simple tutorial chock full of photos to guide you in the right direction for putting your colors together. From accent walls to decor, these colors always compliment each other and turn a room into a masterpiece.

Samovar Silver SW6233 - White - Stolen Kiss SW7586 {Duron's Concepts in Color Collection}

When working with Samovar Silver, there are a plethora of matching options. Bringing red into the room through accessories brings in a playful feel.

Softened Green SW6177 - Beige & Chocolate

Hopsack SW6109 or Macadamia SW6142 - White & Black

Downing Slate SW2819 - Downing Sand SW2822 - Chocolate

Samovar Silver can be substituted for Downing Slate. In general, the blue/beige/chocolate combination is always a winner - whether through paint colors or accessories and flooring. It is modern and natural all at the same time.

Softened Green SW6177 - Taupe & Black

This one we call Earth Mosaics. It consists of Rookwood Terra Cotta SW2803 - Birdseye Maple SW2834 - Samovar Silver SW 6233 and any beige and cream color. We discovered it when designing a bathroom with this beautiful mosaic tile {pictured above}, which is a great starting point for choosing paint colors. 

Paint and accessories for the Earth Mosaic collection. Rookwood Terra Cotta is on the stairwell wall. Roycroft Vellum on the living room walls. Accessories throughout.

QUESTIONS?

Ask the DESIGN TEAM anytime!