Is all the woodwork oak, as in the furnishings. I think based on your carpet, you may be stuck with a beige, although with oak in the room, I would prefer another color. We cannot always pick our carpet and furniture and sometimes the paint picks itself.

In this case, you may be right Patricia. The desks are oak but the woodwork and doors are white and I'm thinking SW Marshmallow for that trim.

I've always loved beige walls with dark furniture & white trim. I ended up doing those colors in my LR and I'm happy I did.

Thanks, Oakley. I am hoping the effect will be calming and quiet. In a house, this would allow things like special furniture, artwork and accessories to stand out against a neutral background. In the case of this office, I just want calm and neutral, calm and neutral, nothing standing out, calm and---- you know what I mean. Not trying to convey anything other than "everything is ok." Iykwim!

I like all those neutral schemes, too - the trick, I think, is to choose off-whites that are luminous and lovely, rather than institutional and depressing.

Your choices worry me because they are very gray-brown. With oak furniture, which tends to have a yellow tone, I fear that Realist and Utterly Beige are going to look purple.

In your scheme, using SW paint, I might consider Alabaster (7008) for trim, and Wool Skein (6148) and Universal Khaki (6150). They are also brown-based, but without the pink-purple undertone that is worrying me.

I love beige, lol, just depends how it's used (people's perception of builder beige boring). But how about something in the soothing Silver Sage department. You wouldn't have to worry about undertones.

This post was edited by snookums2 on Thu, Feb 21, 13 at 10:19

I have SW Bagel on the wall, and SW Dover White on the beadboard, and also have several pieces of oak. No purple undertones that I can see. My oak is dark though which could make a difference.

Will check into other colors, Bronwynsmom, thanks for that feedback. I don't see any purple in these hues but haven't seen them in all lights or next to each other and/or furniture. I am limited by the carpet, which I chose first and am selecti g the paint accordingly. After looking at about 25 samples of carpet I was able to find a good one for the location (I hope) and it completely dictates the color choice. The cost of the painting is astronomic --- I guess because its an office bldg---- so there won't be any do overs.

It was supposed to be painted this weekend but I have postponed in order to get an office designer down here to weigh in on these colors.

Realist and Utterly Beige are hue family yellow-red.

Marshmallow is red hue family and sometimes it shows its roots with a pink edge. And I'm not getting it with Aesthetic White.

As an alternative scheme, maybe Aesthetic White trim/doors, Accessible Beige above and darker Virtual Taupe below chair rail. Then try something different like Grecian Ivory, yellow-green hue family. It gets an extra edge of brightness from the factor of yellow. Grecian Ivory and Virtual Taupe look good together - not sure there's an opportunity to use them together, but ti's a pretty scheme with aesthetic white.

The problem I'm running into is that there are different areas, all relatively open to each other, that have such different light the colors looks several shades different --- and I mean huge differences--- from one area to the next. I have scrapped aesthetic white, and and now looking to City Loft as a wall color in examining rooms on one side of the building, which have high transom windows with a westerly exposure. Even though it has a gray undertone it looks good for some reason with marshmallow as a trim color with the combination of sunlight, fluorescent light, and halogen light.

This is way more complicated than I anticipated. I cannot scrap the red undertone beiges in other areas because they were initially chosen to go with the new carpet, which has been ordered.

There is a difference between being a dilettante (i freely confess) and "picking out colors" for an acceptable result and choosing a palette of colors that sing together and create a room where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. I occasionally have good ideas, and have gotten better than good results when I've done this on my own, but in those instances have had the luxury of going back gain and again to repaint until it was right. I don't have that time in this instance and and thankful to have a professional coming in this afternoon to assist. This is not easy.

Golly. Thanks, funcolors. I don't know why I am seeing purple in those colors.

If you see purple, then it's purple. I never argue with what people see because if they see it, then it's true. And it's simply a matter of working forward from that point. First question would be why does it look purple - the light, the chips, the observer? Whatever the reason, it's still purple to deal with but knowing why it's purple lays out the path of next actions.

Can't color by numbers alone. They're only a starting point. Like boots on the ground, eyeballs on the ground make the final call about what a color is or is not. :-D

Yes, I have had a few episodes in my day when my eyeballs were on the ground ...

To be serious, I take your point, and of course you are right, particularly about knowing what's influencing the perception of purple.

Might be able to help. Here's a way to see your flooring and wall color choices in your room photos before you make your final decisions..The3dGenie.com. Actual color swatches combined with the overall effect of a room simulation takes a lot of the guess work out.

3DGenie - Have a feeling you're a spammer. Even spammer's have feelings. So it's with all due respect when I say bullshi1t.

Lobbing comments out there to the effect that a virtual 3D rendering, that exists in the additive color space, will take a lot of the guess work out of color selection is irresponsible and reckless. Or you don't understand the color space from which you are peddling wares and your remarks are nothing more than rehearsed marketing spin -- you're saying just 'cuz someone else said it.

Either way, you should seek resources to get coached up on a few things. Best of luck with your product.

Funcolors. Not a spammer, but understand where you're coming from and apologize if I gave the wrong impression. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but I would take issue with your comment regarding the value of a simulation. As I'm sure you know, color is not absolute. Lighting and environment change the way colors look. Even a paint swatch seen under perfect 'white' light is going to shift as soon as it goes on the wall. Though not perfect, as nothing is, a realistic room rendering can serve as a very helpful visual aid regardless of the source.

Not selling, just sharing.

Okay, brought in the big gun and even he was surprised at how bizarre and diverse the lighting is throughout the entire area. I felt vindicated! So, we are going with some of the original colors I selected, but in different places--- Utterly Beige for the counter wall and the center core of the circular floor plan and two of the bathrooms, the walls in a large reception area and under the chair rail in two smaller reception areas. Realist Beige in the break room, a work alcove and another staff bathroom, and two very small offices in the back. City Loft for the exam rooms, which all have west facing high transom windows that make the color look not gray. Finally, Kestrel White for the hallways around the central work core, the largest office and the walls above chair rail in the two small reception areas. All the colors flow from one to the other on a continuum, and define areas---- work spaces are one color, public restrooms another (same as each other) color, reception areas painted alike, etc.

We are also going to use Black Fox on the drawer fronts of some cabinets. These are odd sizes of cabinets that are in very good condition but are horribly dated looking --- oak with thin white Formica fronts on the drawers, I'm sure you've seen them. We are going to try priming these with Xim, taping off the fronts and painting the white bits in Black Fox. If it looks ok we're going to turn this over to the painters as well. I don't want to have drawers made for cabinets that we'll eventually change anyway, so I am hoping this will look good "enough" for a few years.

Paints all look good with carpet already chosen, new door hardware already purchased in brushed nickel, new bathroom lights, fan, etc. Now we are going to measure for the new countertops --- found the perfect Formica that is white, beige and gray. Painting commences a week hence, Friday at 6pm, as we have to be back in by Monday at 8 am. The next weekend is the carpet, and the next is the counters (I hope)! Keep your fingers crossed that it all goes within a hitch. Well, without too many hitches :-)

Hoo, boy, doesn't it feel lovely to have the decisions made, the arrangement sorted, and the work about to begin!

Good journey, and let us see it when you're done!

Yes, it does, Bronwynsmom! We spent today installing new 2.5 inch blinds on all the windows and they look great. Well, to be honest, anything would look great compared with 15 year old Levolor-like miniblinds. We did the primer and Black Fox on three cabinet drawers and three doors, and it looks better than okay, so I am really happy about that! It saves a lot of money and trouble and disturbance. Will post pictures of the reception rooms when finished, thanks for asking :-)