Don’t tell hubby, unless you are looking for back-up…I hate accent walls unless the wall is something unique in design. Well, sometimes I do like an accent wall behind a headboard. I like my ceilings white, flat finish exactly the same white as the wood work. I am unable to comment on the paint colors because your photos show dark.

I would pick a white. ( if you do go that route, don't pick the brightest white on the chip. You want an off white, that will read as non blinding white on the house) ANd have the shutters match the roof. Paint the door a fun color of choice. OR: do the house white. Shutters, door and the white line that is between roof and house ( don't know what it is called) a different accent color.

As pkpk23 said above, it is possible to determine the original color schemes. You might be able to get a rough guess by scraping through the paint in areas that are most likely to be original wood. Or for a more accurate methodology, there are professionals who will do scrapings, take representative samples to look at under a microscope and be able to determine which coats were primers, or the original top coat, and where original colors may have been changed by dirt or fading. If on the other hand you are simply looking for appropriate colors, Victorian color schemes were typically warm earth tones ranging from greens to oranges and reds to yellows. See below for some typical colors:Unlike how many people tend to think about Victorian houses today, pastel and bright colors were typically not used. Your house is well setup to have at least four colors, and I believe it could handle at least six different colors. I would select a color each for the siding, trim, windows, and the recessed panels in the gable end and between the first floor and second floor windows. One typical color scheme would be green for the siding, a buff or pale gold color for the trim and a darker version of the trim for the panels. The windows and storms could than be painted a dark green, or for a pop of color a cinnamon red. Windows typically were dark in color on Victorian houses. For a more complex color scheme the second floor can be a slightly darker shade of the same hue used on the first floor. Also a sixth accent color that is in the same color range as the trim or windows could be employed to accent places like the porch ceiling, the brackets below the third floor, and the details of the front gable trim (bargeboard) that are currently getting lost. This color scheme is a little different than the one described above, but gives you an idea of how greens, yellows, and reds were historically employed on Victorian houses: Here is an example that uses green with brown instead of yellow, and makes greater use of red. Note that this is a pretty elaborate house with I believe a 16 color paint scheme, and there would be no expectation that your house would ever need that many Have fun with your project. A historically accurate color scheme will really enhance your home and make it one of the stars of the neighborhood.

To me, Alabaster looks dimmer than simply. and although they say Simply is yellow based, I don't see any yellow at all on my walls. it looks like a nice white. If you want a whiter white, go w/Oxford white or Snowbound. (look at the far left two. see how yellow alabaster looks compared to Simply?) why not paint a sample of Alabaster on a piece of wood (prime it) and place it next to the britannica, see how it looks. Do the same w/Simply. then compare the two. Alabaster is SW and is comparable to White Dove. I painted my walls White Dove first and was shocked at how dingy it looked. I repainted them w/the Simply White. so much better When I told my painters I wanted Simply White, I think they said it wasn't a bright white when they sprayed a sample (they do a pre-cat laquer conversion, so maybe it's different) they told me they went up a shade. It's a nice white, but not blinding white. and to me it matches the walls and trim. here's the pantry cabs next to the Simply White baseboard My tile is calacatta gold marble, my island is calacatta marble, and the perimeter is a matte-Silestone Eternal Serena.