Paint color names are too funny!

15 years ago

I'm finally going to be painting my new kitchen, bathroom, and even my living room starting a week from Monday. (It's a big job since there's some skim coating involved in the living room...)

BM Spanish Olive for the kitchen - nice foody name. Monroe Bisque in the living room. Fine.

One color I was looking at for the bathroom was in BM's Affinity line - Interlude. Ooh, "interlude", very appropriate for a bathroom, very romantic and sexy! But I decided that it was a little too dark, so I took the next color up - Kangaroo. I'm painting my travertine-ish, spa-inspired, peaceful, meditative bathroom *Kangaroo*.

Who comes up with these names??? LOL!

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Comments (21)

chachashea
15 years ago
The beautiful, rich red in my dining room is BM's "burnt peanut." Mmmm, yummy.
Circus Peanut
15 years ago
My dining room is Buttered Yam and Hubbard Squash, completely by accident from two different brands.
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After reading the latest posts, I see you are further along than you think. All the colors you named plus Gray Owl are grey green. If these are your walls throughout, it sounds like you are leaning toward painting over Dusty Trail. I say: go for it. So the only question now is: do you want the kitchen cabinets to read as green-blue, or as definitely "gray?" Note: with these pretty beach colors either will be beautiful. If Mindful Gray is still on your list please do a sample. Online it looks like anything from purple to putty to charcoal depending on lighting. Looking at your swatches again.... Benjamin Moore White Dove is a good off white color if you decide for your living room--if you don't want the green in there. SW Agreeable Gray looks the most "greige" of your chips, it may blend with the existing kitchen floor. If you definitely don't want beige, you could eliminate White Duck. This is the kind of thinking I try to do with paint. Again sample boards are needed because paint will not look exactly like the chip in your home.
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Not a pro but I've spent an inordinate amount of time thinking about paint colours in my day. I can certainly understand wanting a colour we can envision and describe. What you're describing sounds lovely, btw. The Jan-Feb issue of Canadian House and Home features two taupes which might tickle your fancy (bolding mine): -Hidden Cove, Cloverdale Paint: "...This smoky, silver-tinged hue is a great alternative to stark white. It travels well around the house as a wall colour or as a trim, and pairs nicely with both warm and cool colours. It's perfect for those who find creamy whites too yellow." -Frozen Tundra, Sico: "Taupe is making a comeback, and this soft, putty version feels fresh and new. Try it in a living room to add depth and warmth while keeping an airy, sanctuary-like vibe." On the printed page, both look lovely - not warm, not cool - but I know pictures in a magazine lie (Photoshop). These colours might have more chroma that you want also but their descriptions might be helpful in your search. In no particular order, my list of tips and reminders (reiterates some of the great advice upthread and might be worth a reminder for lurkers): 1) Don't trust pictures when looking up a particular colour. Monitors and screens rarely render true and printed photographs are manipulated. Meaning, don't fall in love with a colour in a picture nor dismiss it. 2) Beware of too narrow a colour vision. It can be easy to fall into the "perfect paint colour" rabbit hole and our focus becomes limiting rather than liberating. The goal is to have a cohesive space so paint last makes the most sense, as you know. If you start with hard finishes you like, how could you end up with a wall colour you don't? Don't let trends or colour names influence you too much either. It's about what looks and feels good in your space. (I'm swayed by paint colour names as much as I am by lipstick names. Silly, really. Sometimes, the paint colour with the less enchanting name is the better choice. :P) 3) If your eyes start drowning in a sea of potential colours, look at each chip against a white sheet of copier paper. The colour's "undertone" will be more apparent. 4) Once you've narrowed down the colours to three or four candidates, go for the large paint samples (Samplize or paint inexpensive art canvases) because size affects a colour's impact. A colour that delights on a paint chip might overwhelm on a wall and suffocate in a whole room. 5) Consider an on-site paint consultation to get a second opinion in your space, in your light, with your hard finishes. It's more affordable than a mistake and saves time. (My local BM stores have designers who offer this at reasonable hourly rates.) 6) Consider "creating" your colour. For that, you'd need to find a paint store willing to mix you sample pots of your ideas. I don't know that all paint stores are willing or able but I had one local BM store whose owner offered to "brighten" a colour or "darken" another one for me. (Amazing to find someone who understood how none of the paint chips hit the exact spot for me.) 7) Colour matching an item is another possibility that can save time. Most non-reflective surfaces can be matched. But again, get a sample pot to test before committing. Good luck in your search, bondia, and I hope you'll report back that you found the colour that makes your heart (and eyes) sing in your home. Colour is so personal and I totally agree about paint not being a cheap endeavour!! Especially when choosing quality paint.
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tiskers
15 years ago
LOL! So true!
My new kitchen is FAIRY'S WREN, whatevertheheck THAT IS?!!!! ;o)
november
15 years ago
Our mudroom is Antelope Canyon and our daughter's room is Dill Pickle!
september_home
15 years ago
On my 4th birthday, I came to the conclusion that whomever gets paid to name colors, has the best job EVER!

I'm still trying to find them, My resume is complete, upon their retirement, please forward the appropriate address for my submission.

Oh and who's to thank? Dear old Mom, After she gave me the mongo-gianormous box of Crayolas (sharpener and all), I was hooked! And she thought it would be a simple solution to my using her blue eye liner for my coloring books....

Great thread!

-November, I love the BM color Dill Pickle! (btw- not to be too personal, but is that your name or just your GW handle).

-September
plllog
15 years ago
September, is that the mondo ginormous 120 crayon crayola set where they're laid out like pastels? I loved that one!

My bedroom is BM Warm Blanket. I haven't got anywhere as good a color as Kangaroo, and my kitchen is getting a number (Dutch (as in Holland) paint party poopers).

There was a play or movie or something a long time ago where there was a couple who were a sports writer and a cosmetics exec. They were arguing over who had the harder job, and the exec said, "You try coming up with 12 new names for pink every month!!"
totallyconfused
15 years ago
The paint my teenage daughter picked for her room is called Sweet Innocence. Nothing like a little irony.

Totally Confused
zeebee
15 years ago
The current issue of House Beautiful's has a bunch of designers talking about colors with great names. My favorite from the list is C2 Paint's Dorian Gray (har-dee-har-har), followed by Farrow and Ball's Dead Salmon.

Nothing too interesting in my house yet - BM Iceberg, Pale Smoke, Oystershell and My Valentine - but we have a bunch of rooms still to go!
bmorepanic
15 years ago
Hey, I'm using Farrow and Ball's Elephant's breath.
november
15 years ago
hey September - lol, November is just my handle - my birthday is in November! And September can't be your real name, right? If it is, it's too cool...

november
charlikin
Original Author
15 years ago
Elephant's Breath? I can't even imagine what color that would be...

All I can say about that Kangaroo is that I tend to take too much time in the bathroom in the morning - especially now that I've got that lovely thermostatic valve in the shower. I used to get out of the shower when I got sick of adjusting the temperature as the water kept changing. Now it stays perfectly hot the entire time - so I never come out!!!

Maybe Kangaroo will make me hop-hop-hop out of the bathroom faster in the morning. (Groan!)
farmhousebound
15 years ago
I know someone on here couldn't imagine painting their cabinets trim BM Mayonaise when I posted we were using for trim/cabinets (LOL). We are also using BM Baby Turtle (DH has had a lot of fun w/ that one) and BM Flowering Herbs.
cat_mom
15 years ago
Pensive in our guest bath.
Super White in kitchen/DR/LR... (to go along with my "super" hero status, right KK? nah-nah-nah-nah...cat_mom!).
Spa in our office (tell me that choice wasn't inspired purely by the name!).
parma42
15 years ago
Speaking of funny paint names...anyone seen this take on Farrow and Ball colors?

Here is a link that might be useful: Dead Salmon
blondelle
15 years ago
Too funny! I don't think I would buy a paint called Dead Salmon either...LOL! Seems to really piss off the English going by two videos there. I think paint colors should be more descriptive such as Way Off White, Play It Safe Beige, Pretentious Puce, Institution Green, and Doo-Doo Brown.
charlikin
Original Author
15 years ago
I would have liked a color called "Perfect Shade of Green For Charlikin's Kitchen".

With corresponding shades for bathroom & living room. :-)
plllog
15 years ago
ROTFLOL!!! Parma, great link! Thanks!

Blondelle, a well known fabric color, at least around here, is Baby Poop.
blondelle
15 years ago
That's so funny about the Elephants Breath as this kid rants about that name in the video listed. I think it's the same one as above. Too funny...LOL!

Here is a link that might be useful: Farrow and Ball paints
september_home
15 years ago
plllog: I'm not certain if I'm just old school or that Mum of mine was holding out on me!

I had the 64 color box. However, I cherished the shape and portability of the squared 48 box so much that my favorite colors were involuntary transplants.

November; Truly- its my Legal name. The next two answers are ...1) Yes, I was. and 2) No, they weren't. (LOL). Jeopardy Daily Double for the correct questions.

I asked b/c I have collection of friends (& a few acquaintances) for an entire calendar (sans Feb, Oct.and Nov).

Chachashea- Burnt Peanut? Very descriptive...Brings memories for me of 'Boston Baked beans' boxed candy.

I love F&B colors, However, the names make me shake my head while I continue grinning widely.

Very funny clip- thanks!

-September
plllog
15 years ago
September, I don't think it was your mum. I think the 120 box wasn't on the market for all that long, and there were doubles of a lot of the basic colors. But that's where I learned the names of colors. Did you have heliotrope?

I think the industry has gotten so into these mood colors like Spa and Morning Rain that F&P have just gone slightly punk. As a unique identifier I guess Elephant Breath is more memorable than #458
september_home
15 years ago
I know heliotrope! A robust lavender w/ a hint of cornflower or bachelor button (Salvia is too dark). I only learned that it was a flowering plant a few years ago, the things you learn!

I don't remember the names of all my faves. I w/o doubt gravitated to the same ones over and over. Especially, Silver (?), yellow green and carnation pink.

What colors did the kids clamor over when you were a kid? There were always a few that were more coveted than the burnt sienna, bark or flesh!

Funny! I thought I'd gained "adult status" the second I was permitted to use my mothers 'Prismacolors'. I also felt the world had ended when 2 days later my status was revoked for sneaking them to school. I "covertly" returned the huge box thinking she wouldn't notice 3 were missing (incl. baltic blue-$$) and 2 had little kindergarten teeth marks in the middle!

Isn't it wild how color makes such an impact (figuratively and literally -I can attest! LOL)

Oops, sorry for the ramble...

The 600 thousand dollar question....

If you could name a paint color for commercial circulation, What would you name it??

(I'm guessing NOT 'Dead Salmon' or 'Dirty Sock Feet')

Oh, and describe the hue,tone, shade of your newly concocted color!

I'd love to hear/see the responses.

-september

Paint color names are too funny!

Comments (21)

chachashea

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