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HELP me pick a green color combo for my dining room please!

14 years ago

Hello! Would anyone like to give opinions on my dining room project? Our house has a very open and airy floor plan with lots of natural light coming in. The entire house was freshly painted Benjamin Moore's Mohair by the previous owner and we are not going to be changing that. Therefore, I am trying to coordinate everything around that color card.

As soon as you walk in the front door the dining room is to the right (see pictures). Please ignore the dining room set (that was a hand-me-down from my grandmother and someday will be replaced). We are going to be putting in a chair rail and some picture frame wainscoting below the chair rail in the dining room.

I am trying to find sagey greens that coordinate well with the existing color. I painted some BM samples on the wall that seemed to be okay. The color on the far left is Harbour Town which looked so pretty on the card but looks drastically light to me on the wall. The color to the right of that is Sherwood Green which looks really pretty but just too green. The 3rd color is Rosemary Sprig which looked muddy on the card but actually looks like the best choice from what I had narrowed it down to. The last color on the right is Soft Fern which is another color that looked really pretty on the card but so minty and light on the wall. Maybe none of these are the right ones...LOL.

{{!gwi}}

{{!gwi}}

{{!gwi}}

I am not sure if I am going to be putting the green above or below the chair rail as of yet. I am also not sure which color off the Mohair card I will be using to compliment. Mohair is the lightest color on that card. Currently this dining room is painted Moccasin which is the 2nd color on that paint swatch. But I can go darker to the Blanched Almond or Brunswick Beige (which I currently have in my bathroom and looks gorgeous).

Hope I didn't confuse you all....my questions are...

1. Which green goes best?

2. Should green be above or below the chair rail?

3. Which shade from the Mohair card should I use?

I really want everything to flow. Thanks so much!

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Comments (6)

cawaps
14 years ago
Of the colors on the wall, I also like the Rosemary Sprig the best. I used BM's color tool to look at alternatives, and thought that the darker colors on that card also look good (Lewiville green and hillside green). I like the brown(ish) on the bottom on green on the top (maybe because I'm subliminally thinking of trees). But I liked darker on the bottom, so I took the Mocassin all the way down to Gettysburgh Gold, which is the darkest on the card.

So in the end I think I like Gettysburgh Gold on the bottom with Lewiville green on top (FWIW). Good Luck!
gardengrow_4
14 years ago
My family room is Moccasin and my adjoining kitchen is Mosaic Glass/485. It sounds like you are looking for a darker green, but both Spring Meadow/486 and Liberty Park/487 look very pretty to me.
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nutmegxo
Original Author
14 years ago
Thank you!! Actually since posting this I went back to the paint store and picked up two more BM samples. Dry Sage and Dried Basil and both look REALLY good. I am leaning towards Dried Basil because it is slightly warmer and is lighter than the Dry Sage.

Hubby is actually pushing for the neutral color to go on the top and the green on the bottom for better flow from the foyer. Not sure yet though!!!
countess_2009
14 years ago
Of the first 4 colors you mentioned, I like Rosemary Sprig the best.

Did you paint little samples on the wall of the most recent 2 colors you mentioned? If so, can you post a picture (if you are still seeking advice)?

If the neutral color is lighter than the green you pick, I would put it on the top.
nutmegxo
Original Author
14 years ago
Thanks so much for all the tips! I have actually decided to use one of these greens in my kitchen instead! LOL Isn't it funny how the decorating process leads into different things. Anyway, I have decided to paint the brown/gold neutral color above the chair rail in the dining room and to use a red below the chair rail. I posted a new thread in the Home Decorating forum searching for red suggestions! LOL
dlbk
14 years ago
As a colorist, my first impression is that all your greens are too blue and the darkest ones a bit too raw. I agree the 2 light greens look too minty and may remind you of the old hospital greens which you don't want in your dining room! Rosemary Sprig is the best of all your samples, although hard to tell with the highlight on it. I would find a green that has a tad more warmth to it - more on the yellow side, and perhaps a touch browner, which would be a bit more livable.

I find that paint colors tend to look lighter and brighter, or more colorful once on the wall than they do on the chips. Keep in mind that darker colors will make a room appear smaller, lighter colors the reverse.
Good luck!

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