I have a complicated relationship with color. I'm ashamed to admit that it isn't unheard of for me to paint a room 2-3 times before I'm satisfied.
I've finally reached a point, however, where I'm pretty much over the whole taping, tarping, and painting thing. I just want the room to be perfect on the first pass...is that too much to ask? ;)
One lesson I have learned is that I like walls to be relatively neutral so that they can handle bold patterns and accent colors in my furniture and art.
So, that leaves me with whites, grays, and more beige tones than you can shake a stick at. I'm generally not a fan of beige as a dominant neutral. Although it can provide warmth to a sterile room, from the moment I throw it up on my wall it just looks too much like face foundation. Kinda dirty-like. Fecal-like in some cases. Also (and please forgive me for sounding a little snotty) it just seems a teensy bit pedestrian. While I have seen it work in the right context, I'm not nearly the decorating genius I would need to be to sex it up.
Warm whites are lovely on walls, (especially Benjamin Moore "Mayonnaise." Curious choice of name...AWESOME color.) However, I just bought two Expedits from IKEA which are bright white. I really really want to avoid a sea o' white in my living space...and to me, two shades of white that look only slightly dissimilar read as a mistake.
My favorite new neutral is gray. Depending on the light and the particular tone you choose, gray can be both warm and soothing. As a neutral, I consider gray to be a cut above in terms of sophistication, and pairs beautifully with my fugly beige carpet.
I went with Benjamin Moore "Pigeon Gray." This is a medium gray with a slightly bluish undertone. Because my living room receives abundant light, the walls can handle a more saturated color. I still only painted two of my living room walls, because the condo has an open floor plan and all of the rooms have to "agree."
Speaking of agreement, I love the way gray looks with yellow! I used "Sparkling Sunshine" in my kitchen. Sorry about the poor-quality photos c/o my cell phone...
