Haven't been on here for quite awhile, but thought since I *have* done this, would let you know my opinion of the outcome. I absolutely LOVE it! It looks identical to the pictures tinker has posted. I know the wall color is Knott, but I don't know the trim color or the paint manufacturer the builder uses, but it would be easy for me to find out if anyone wanted to know. The supervisor of the build can't get over how great it looks, as well as the sales representative I purchased from~they compare it to their high-end homes. I knew I didn't want white trim because it reminds me of homes that are more colonial in style, although I know it has been used in all styles of homes for years. With the ivory glaze cabs as well as a bank of merlot cabs in the kitchen, new venetian gold granite, dark stained floors/railings, it all comes together beautifully. For more formality, i'm using Cream Marfil marble with Black Absolute on the diagonal(18")in the foyer. Since it will butt up against the dark wood, a border of the cream tile will be cut in half, and an inside border of black 12" tiles cut in half also. I thought this would make the black/cream tiles more prominent. I have to say everything i've done has been nothing more than a vision in my head for the last several years. To see it in reality is an unforgettable experience for me.

sandyponder - that's a beautiful color. It works so well with the wood, the stone, the leather, and the oriental rug. I think this is an example of a "classy" dark color. "Classiness" doesn't have to enter into it... any shade can be classy, though of course people have personal preferences and may still not like a dark palette, or a light palette. But I suppose "classiness" (meaning lack of tackiness and a professional look) can enter in... as I wrote above, I think it can come down to a homeowner picking the WRONG shade... and I suppose "classiness" (or lack thereof) comes into it in that if they do pick the wrong shade it can look amateurish and tacky. Low-class. It's simply harder to make an egregious mistake with lighter colors... hence less of a chance to veer into the "tacky" and "unclassy" realm. (It's also much easier to paint with light colors - small errors in application do not show that much.) But I would never look at a well-done dark color and think it wasn't classy simply because it was dark, or even simply because it wasn't my particular cup of tea. Also... I think it comes down to current styles. Light is 'in' right now. White kitchens, light neutrals in the living areas, etc.. And bucking the trend can be perceived as less-than-classy even if it isn't.

Hi aklvdb. I just went through re-painting much of my house. I decided after many small sample paint cans that any color Restoration Hardward didn't have, I didn't need! :) They have wonderful colors. They paid some really good designers a lot of money to create their custom colors. The paint is pricy $40/gallon, but that's only a few dollars more than top quality paint. Plus, it's actually cheaper in the long run because it has better coverage and you need less paint. It is also premixed in large batches so you aren't going to get the minute differences in color. So, if you run out of paint before you finish a room, you can go get another gallon and not worry that it won't actually match. Painters usually quote you the paint in their pricing, but you can supply your own paint. My painter also made a really interesting suggestion -- he said the new low energy lightbulbs don't have the full spectrum of color in them like the old fashioned bulbs, and if a room was too green, change out to the older bulbs because the older bulbs have red in the color spectrum. He said it would totally change the color of the room. I was skeptical, but it turns out he was right. You can almost repaint a room by changing the lightbulbs. Here is a link that might be useful: Restoration Hardware paint colors

The darker color will make that area recede. A current photo would bring more help perhaps?