SW Misty 6232 s what I used in my master bedroom. It's a silver blue and has a light reflective quality of 63%. Here are some photo's.

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I think a low light situation is a particularly nice opportunity to use Full Spectrum paint. Ellen Kennon's Gustavian Gray would be great. I also love F&B, but their matte (Estate Emulsion) would not be the best choice for a high-use hallway. The Modern Emulsion has a sheen which I don't care for. With ICI/Ellen Kennon paint, you can get a durable, washable matte finish, if that's your preference.

I'm curious why pale blue paint would brighten a dark room. Why blue? Why not a different hue? I'm not crazy about blue, but I could use some light color (other than white) to brighten a dark space.

I'm in the same situation with a front foyer. Gets little light and I've tried 3 different colors and don't like any. Tried a light creamy white, which looks yellowish. Tried a light yellow and that looks dirty. Tried a tan and that looks gloomy.

I'm waiting to hear what can lighten up a dark space.

I'm waiting to hear what can lighten up a dark space.

The most direct answer is the easy answer which is a light bulb.

Adding additional lighting, light bulbs in some form, isn't always feasible tho. I know.

There's this one thought floatin' around out there that you can orient the standard color wheel to the cardinal directions. Like the warm side pointed towards north and the cool side pointed towards south and then you're suppose to stick to those quandrants of color for that orientation of exposure.

Truth is color doesn't work that way. It can if you want, as always, do what makes the most sense to you. If that method feels like a good way to start elminating possible color choices, then no harm in trying it out. My guess as to what's really happening if that method works is an expectation that maybe hasn't yet been clearly defined is helped along to the forefront. Meaning there's already some level wanting for a color that's normally considered warm or cool, and the north/warm and south/cool thing helps to give that expectation for color some reason and justification.

So if north/warm and south/cool is just another one of those color memes, what's the answer. The answer, IME, is that any hue can work in any color exposure. All ya have to do is nail the nuance.

To try to chime in with a real solution to the OP's issues, I'd say that Amy's suggestion of full spectrum color is spot on. FS because of the way the nuance of a FS color *registers* with the available light. Available light is key, 'cuz we already know that you can't always add more light bulbs so sometimes you're stuck making work the light ya do have. That's just the reality of coloring our environments.

Color of a light value needs light to be seen, to shine, to look pretty. If you start out of the gate with a color that reflects back as much light as possible then you are a bit ahead of the game in finding the right hue to meet expectations and tolerances AND to successfully partnering up nuance to available light. FS color doesn't mix using black so there's no black to keep back any of the light that hits it. With FS, odds uber good that there is going to be a molecule or two of *color* to match up with whatever combo of wavelengths of light that hits it. A robustly constructed paint color is gonna be able to find light beam friends to play with even in the most low lit situations 'cuz it's built to play well with the full spectrum.

At this point, FS color is the easy answer for me. I appreciate what Ellen does long distance, but shoot, look at what she has to work with! Not saying you can not screw up with a FS color, because you can, (and I admit I have) but c'mon. It's not the more challenging issue on a color consultant's plate. Lemme put it that way.

Paint colors and different light exposures is kinda my favorite part of color and I'm finding myself making up challenges. i.e. What *regular* colors have the perfect pitch of nuance to work with _________ (whatever) kind of light exposure.

Sooooooo, maybe I have too much time on my hands, huh? :-o

Merely a data point: We repainted our dark hallway from Devine (something that looks like dried blood, don't know the name, the PO did it) to BM Pleasant Valley, 50%. The Pleasant Valley (50% is important-the full strength was a bit too dark and saturated--we actually ended up using the full strength on the back side of the stairway that faces into the hall--gave the wall depth and resonance and made it fade into the background a bit, as it was just a touch darker than the hallway) is just amazing. Everyone loves it--it doesn't read aggressively blue because it's fairly greyed out. Seems like there's some green effect in there, too. It has body but it's light, calm and light and warm, if a blue can be warm. This is the first blue I've ever used in a house of mine, ever.

Thank you so much for all your responses. I'm intrigued about full spectrum paint and I'm wondering if Sherwin Williams has any. I'll check this morning.

The SW Misty 6232 is pretty. It looks more gray on my little color chip than it does in your room. Lovely color for your bedroom. Also lovely is the color in the bathroom seen through the doorway of the second picture.

Painters come in one hour. I think I'll have them paint my daughter's room first while I decide on the hall/stairwell in a panic.

Thanks again everyone!

You've probably already made your choice by now but there is a school of thought that dark, saturated colors, especialy if they have some reflective quality, actually look better in dark surroundings than light tones, which often look dingy.

ingrid, that wasn't true in our case--just one family's experience. We did use the full strength in the destination wall, though--looks very cool and you really just notice a subtle difference up there.

No I haven't made my choice yet. Hee hee. I am keeping the painters busy, though, with my bedroom paint (I had SW match BM buxton blue), and a downstairs powder room (SW Sensible Hue, which I already had left over from older son's room). So I've bought myself an extra day. On a whim, I tried SW Honeydew in the stairs/hallways and I think I like it! Honeydew is green when I originally thought blue for those areas. The paints look so different on in the test patches on the actual wall, as opposed to the little colors on the color strips. Anyone tried honeydew?

Hi Georgiasusan,

You asked in another thread what I ended up using after I asked about Borrowed Light. I haven't done anything yet! ;) Still can't decide on a color. Maybe one of these years.

I can tell you I tried Honeydew in a previous house, in a spare bedroom that didn't get much natural light. The only window faced south, out onto pine trees, so the light coming into the room was probably green. The Honeydew looked nice during the day, but absolutely screamed pea green in the evening or on a rainy day and all of winter (we're in West Michigan, where we have fewer sunny days than Seattle). I couldn't cover up that green fast enough!

Good luck choosing!

Kim

Kim,

You are too funny. I have actually been thinking about painting these areas for a couple of years. Only when the painters show up do I actively try to figure this out. :)

Thanks for the info on the Honeydew. I don't have any light coming from the South so maybe I'd be okay? How did it look with the curtains shut and just artificial light? I'm wondering if perhaps I should choose a neighboring strip with a little more blue in the green, to avoid the pea green look.

Susan

Susan

It may be a cliche, but RH Silver Sage is a gorgeous color. I am not a blue-paint person, but I have used that color and I love it. It looks fantastic with white trim and black accessories like picture frames. I have linen colored drapes in that room with black traverse rods. I did the BM version which is Grey (Gray?) Wisp.

If you're still considering Sherwin-Williams' blues, how about SW 6805 (Glass Bead)? I've used it in two homes and am considering it here, also. I think that Rhythmic Blue is 6806 (don't have my fandeck unpacked); it's another favorite of mine, but it might not be light enough for your purposes. I'll be using it for my library.

Rockmanor, I found Glass Bead in my fandeck and I like it! I'm going to go get a sample this morning. I had been leaning toward SW 6714 Citrine, which is green even though I originally thought blue, but now I'll try Glass Bead. Thank you!

Now I have the painters working on trim and doors so I' still have a little time...

Ralph Lauren has some paints out now that have a starlight or reflective quality..you can check out the samples at your local home depot

I can't believe how much I change my mind. I'm glad I'm not married to me. :) Now I'm back to green, a pale spring green (Sherwin Williams Citrine). Has anyone used Citrine?