BenM Shaker Beige or Putnam Ivory.

Each of those colors contrasts to Pineapple Smoothy in a good, interesting, complex way, IMO. Both could be considered as dulled colors and Pineapple Smoothy would be clearer or cleaner in comparison. You can juxtapose clear and dull paint colors. It's another layer of contrast. And we all remember the layers of color contrasts that can be used to make spaces balanced, interesting, and alive:

ÂIntensity (dulled or clear) a.k.a Chroma (grayed or vivid)
ÂHue (the quality by which we distinguish one color from another, red, green, blue)
ÂValue (how light or how dark)
ÂTemperature (warm or cool)

Chroma is 'more correct' to use when speaking in paint color language. Saturation kinda means the same thing but saturation is more often used when speaking computer monitor and printing color language. Fine line between Chroma and Saturation. Almost no one uses the terms correctly. It's not a big deal, but Munsell defines them like this if you wanna know the diff:

Chroma is the [visual] measurement of how pure a Hue is in relationship to gray.

Saturation is simply the degree of purity of a Hue.

Intensity can correctly interchange for chroma or saturation. Intensity, however, does not refer to value (light/dark). Confusion on this point is the most problematic. When some says colors are the same intensity, I'm thinking when eyeballin' the colors against a grayscale, they hit about the same place - that chroma and saturation part of color. If they actually mean that the colors are about the same in lightness and darkness, it's a whole 'nother *part* of color they're talking about and intensity is not the right word to use.

If you take away anything, don't use the word intensity if you're talking about lightness/darkness value. There are other words that can be used to speak to lightness/darkness value that describes color in a similar manner as intensity speaks to chroma and saturation.

Now that we have that extremely vital color tidbit cleared up the world can get back to spinning and we can get back to important life stuff like will Shaker Beige or Putnam Ivory work next to Pineapple Smoothy. âº

DESERT TAN is one of my favorite colors. Would it, however, be too similar to your Pinapple Smoothy color. Have you tried CITRON PAINT Butterscotch or ELLEN KENNON Buttercream. They are soft versions...but not boring. I think Shaker Beige is a very nice color, however, I think it has more mauve undertones and doesn't compliment the Desert Tan/Pineapple Smoothy colors. I think if you want conservative, Putnam Ivory would work...it is a beautiful color also. I love the colors in your picture...GOOD LUCK...let us know what you decide to go with.

Funcolors, thanks so much for all the useful info. It's always so difficult talking about color, it's nice to have some technical terms. I think part of my problem is that I tend to shy away from "greyed" colors, especially yellows, especially the ones that appeared to be achieving the "greyed" effect by drifting towards green. Does that make any sense? But your suggesting the reason I can't get the contrast I want is because I *need* a color that is more "dulled", right? Well harumph! :) I guess I just need to work up some guts to go expand my horizons a bit.

Is it possible to get a more "grey" Chroma without going cool? It's sounds like, since you listed those as two different categories, you can. And I have no idea why they always look greenish to me.

DomesticGoddessWanna, I have looked at the very small paint chip of Ellen Kennon, and it was very pretty. I'm not sure if it's too light, though. I don't want it to just look offwhite. I haven't tried Citron Paint, but it looks like a very pretty color. I'll look into. Thanks!

We had dessert tan in our laundry room of our last house I LOVED IT!!!

We are planning on SW Blonde in our foyer/dining/living of our new house and then SW Ivorie in the kitchen/family

Good luck!

I think part of my problem is that I tend to shy away from "greyed" colors, especially yellows, especially the ones that appeared to be achieving the "greyed" effect by drifting towards green. Does that make any sense?

Yes, it does. The grayed effect drifts towards green with yellows because yellow and black make green. Also, some brand's black colorant can lean quite blue. Another opportunity - or way - that their yellows can end up with a greened nuance. If they use black or gray to knock back their yellows, that can be the source of the green-ness.

The suggestion of FS color is a good one. No black in the color formulas. In which case, logic suggests that FS yellows, on average, would have a different, less green nuance. FS yellows are knocked back using color complements, mixing in chords across a color wheel kind of process.

But your suggesting the reason I can't get the contrast I want is because I *need* a color that is more "dulled", right? Well harumph! :)

If you want contrast to Smoothy on several levels like I mentioned before, then maybe FS would be the way to go because of the way it's mixed - no black.

Or, if you prefer to use a color that is like or equal to the intensity of Smoothy, then that's a different set of color criteria to consider, a different color quest.

That's a perfectly good option too. It's just that Smoothy is rather clear and it is a unique tolerance that would accept more than one wall color like that in a space. Usually, one strong color like that is enough and more neutral wall colors are chosen for other rooms. Unique does not mean incorrect or wrong. Perfectly plausible and perfectly acceptable to have a tolerance that allows for and desires clear colors. It absolutely can be done if that's what you want.