I know the BenM site refers to Harmony as a pinkish-beige. I disagree. It is on the cusp of the Yellow-Red and Yellow hue families. If it wasn't on that cusp and closer to the red hue, I might be able to get on board with the pinkish beige description. But it's not. It's warm and golden like honey.

Unless you want to choose paint colors that embrace the inherent greeness for all that it is, there is only one answer to how to manage a qualify of light that has a green cast. And that is to stay away from paint colors that are in the yellow-green and green hue families. Maybe even stay away from colors that are close by in the neighboring yellow and blue-green hue families.

I didn't look all the colors you've tried, but my guess is technically they are all from the yellow hue family -- AND -- have relatively low chroma.

The amount of chroma (or colorfulness) is where this gets more complicated so stay with me....

Yellow is a lot like "white" when the amount of chroma (or colorfulness) is low - unexpected, weird color sh1t happens. Low chroma colors from the yellow hue family downshift to green in certain qualities of light. Because that's just what yellow does when it's been shaded/toned with black or gray.

This is why you'll see some people on the forums say stuff about paint colors like:

"it's totally neutral with no 'undertone' at all"
"it's a 'pure' white"
"it never turns green, it's just a warm tan"

Sure, in their house, in the quality of light they have to work with probably true. But it won't hold true in ALL qualities of light.

Because low chroma colors from the yellow hue family have the potential to downshift to green, you have to choose colors with more chroma. Less shaded, less grayed, less muted, etc.

In other words, in order to avoid emphasizing any factor of greeness in the inherent light, colors from the yellow hue family have to have a cleaner nuance. That are not super grayed or muddy.

Partnering the right pitch of nuance with the quality of light is the 'secret' to choosing paint colors. Once you understand hue families, nuance and chroma, choosing paint colors is easier than fallin' off a log.

Circling back a little, the easiest thing to do to deal with the greeness in the light is to avoid colors from the yellow, yellow-green, green and blue-green hue families.

BUT if you feel you really want a "beigey color" (which will have to come from the yellow hue family) then you need to pay attention to chroma.

Summing up what you have to work with:

If you compare Harmony to the other colors listed, you will see that it is just a snidge cleaner, a smidge less gray and muted. So, chroma-wise it has a very good chance of working; doing what you want it to do.

Plus, from a hue family perspective Harmony is on the cusp of yellow-red and yellow. A comfortable distance AWAY from yellow-green and green. So, hue family-wise it's where it needs to be.

This post was edited by funcolors on Sun, Sep 7, 14 at 18:11

Funcolors- Let me start out by thanking you. I am trying so hard to narrow down how to go about picking a good neutral for his particular space. I had even bought and downloaded a book on understanding undertones and how that relates to choosing colors. But the fact is that I am still confused. I am seeing undertones but still not sure how to choose one that will not only play well with the colors of adjoining rooms and look well in the lack of natural light coming in. I have Powell Buff in my kitchen that you can see from my foyer, but I think you are saying not to look at those colors with yellow or green undertones because of my lighting? And if so do you have any suggestions? I haven't been to get a larger sample of Harmony yet. My husband likes Carrington Beige but man that looks greenish to me. Any suggestions would be so very appreciated. Thank you.

Meant to ask if there are other neutrals to look at if not beiges or tans. I guess since I use mostly earthy colors( Edgewood Green, Berry Red, Powell Buff and Palladian Blue), beige was all I could imagine.

I have Powell Buff in my kitchen that you can see from my foyer, but I think you are saying not to look at those colors with yellow or green undertones because of my lighting?

Whatever the 'undertones' business is, means or how it applies to the built environ and in relation to wavelengths of light, I have not one fat clue.

All I can tell ya is there are three color attributes: hue, value and chroma. That's it. That's all that can be measured and plotted either by human eyeballs or by digital device.

And it's those three attributes by which you can align a paint color to the inherent quality of light.

In order for a paint color to show as greenish in a space, there has to be some element in the color that makes it respond to the inherent light as greenish.

If you don't want greenish, then you have to steer clear of colors from the green hue families AND certain grayed or muted "beiges" and "tans" from the yellow hue family.

Possible color solutions:

EK's Mushroom
BenM Cotswald AF-150
BenM Kangaroo AF-145
BenM Pensive AF-140
BenM Harmony AF-90

No particular reason for the Affinity colors other than that's the deck I happened to have in front of me. :)

I looked at all of those and while I think most are too dark for that area except Harmony,I am really excited about Mushroom. I've always liked that color but never considered it because I thought it was gray for some reason. Going to order the large sample online. If that color works, would you do an eggshell finish or the flat. The two other colors I've used of Ellen's are flat but being a foyer/hallway area I'm not sure what is best. Thanks!

Some lighter ideas:

SW6099 Sand Dollar
SW2805 Renwick Beige
#A1744 Safari Bisque, Glidden Professional The Master Palette

Safari Bisque would be my first pick to sample.

Thanks Funcolors! Will check all of those out. Have you ever used Sea Urchin by BM? Was looking at my fandeck last night and saw that one. I like Sierra Hills but that's darker than I want to go.

Sear Urchin - might look a lot like the 'orange beige' you said you were painting over. #somethingtothinkabout

If Sierra Hills is too dark, take a look at SW's Nomadic Desert.

(I had written Latte but meant Nomadic Desert)

This post was edited by funcolors on Mon, Sep 8, 14 at 18:08

I will do it! With my earthy colors that I noted previously, do you think Mushroom will work with those or should I keep looking at the beiges?

Ellen's Classic Cream and Mushroom are in my opinion the two most fabulous paint colors ever created.

I find them magical in that they have ended up being the color solution to many, many difficult color conundrums - especially the ones rooted in inherent light issues.

They put an end to the color search madness (and many know exactly what that feels like) and work in a chameleon-like fashion morphing to fit and work in a space.

I put Mushroom in an era-correct bathroom (Foursquare house) with black and white octo tiles. Everyone thought I was crazy but I talked them into 'letting go' and letting the light do its thing.

It turned out absolutely blissful.

Thank you. I should be getting my large sample of Mushroom by Thursday.

Funcolors- I received the Mushroom sample this morning and it is a beautiful color!!! It's sunny here today and so far it is perfect. Keeping my fingers crossed that it will indeed work. Just want to thank you for your help!

Well YAY!!! I'm keeping my fingers crossed too. :)

funcolors- the Mushroom is going to work indeed! I am so excited! In fact I'm going to use it in an upstairs bedroom. Thanks so much for the recommendation!

Fabulous. Thanks for letting me/us know the end of your color story. :)