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jockewing

Please help me pick the perfect chocolate

16 years ago

I am re-doing my guest bathroom and I want rich brown walls. I have white trim, white countertops and tub. My vanity is ugly cheap pickled wood that I would like to either stain espresso or paint a dark, almost black brown. I would add new pulls. I plan to use salmon or clay and maybe a little green or aqua as my accents in the towels, rugs, etc.

I have tried Restoration Hardware Flax. That's about the tone I want, rich and medium, not as dark as actual chocolate, more like cocoa or chocolate milk. Unfortunately, the Flax had too much green and came out very muddy. I then tried SW Sands of Time. This had the rich, clear, creamy tone with a hint of yellow that I like, but was too light. I would just try the color below Sands of Time on the strip, but the guy matched this for me at WalMart, and I don't think it's really Sands of Time, don't know what it is. He kept going back and adding colors to get it "close". Usually WalMart nails SW colors on the dot.

I am discovering that brown, like the tan (I had about 12 quarts of different tans mixed) in my main living area, can be one of the hardest colors. The undertones are maddening! Any suggestions? I don't want the ones that go too pink or green, I tend to prefer the yellowish undertones. I don't want to end up buying 50 quarts before I find the right color. I am thinking of trying SW Mocha, SW Nuthatch, and on the old SW fan deck, Safari Brown, Mexican Sand, or Corral Brown. PLEASE HELP ME!!!!! Is there a trick to knowing what undertones will come out when it's on the wall? I can see them on the strips, but it is impossible to tell how strong they'll be on the wall!

I wish I could explain exactly the color I'm going for. I just want a creamy, rich medium brown.

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