How about checking out: Benjamin Moore "Natural Cream" (OC-14)

BM Ancient Ivory (OC-133)

BM Carrington Beige (HC-93)

BM Stone House (CC-1039)

A blue would be nice with your furnishings. First two have some green in them, next two are more blue. Or an interesting gray. Or monochromatic neutral picking up on the sofa/rug color:

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I was going to suggest that too, squirrel, but without the fabulous photoshopping...

Specifically, how about Palladian Blue? I adore that color and it would work well with all the various tones in your furniture...it's close to what squirrel has in her green/blue pics. I've linked to a pic that has more angles of the same room in other pics on the person's flickr acc't.

p.s. I love your cat on the door frame but I feel like it's having trouble getting a purchase on the horizontal? :)

Here is a link that might be useful: one pic I found of palladian blue

I like either of the first 4 squirrel photoshopped in. Also like the Palladian Blue fly linked. Not at all feeling the beige/tan/cream color on the last shot squirrel shared.

Lovely home, Lyfia.

Take a look at SW Sea Salt (pale green blue) or Grassland (neutral sage). I think cobalt blue and gold would go well with both those shades.

Well, I'm a big yellow-lover, so I love it. The only problem I see is that the color really does nothing for your fireplace. If I were you, I think I would go with a really neutral color--like BM Ancient Ivory or BM Natural Linen--or a very sophisticated, pale blue-green color. I say "sophisticated" because the house is so large, with so many walls, you really need an *interesting* color.

You have a beautiful home. :)

I, too, am a lover of yellow, yet I can see where it doesn't do justice to your attractive furnishings and nothing for the fireplace. I love the first four photoshops that squirrel did, the last one seemed to wash everything out too much. The paladian blue, also looked terrific.
Heidi

Loving the first blue Squirrel. I could also see a very light shade of sage...is there green in the rug??

Thank you everybody!! Great ideas!!

Awesome photoshopping squirrel - love the blues and blue/greens and so great to see how they work with the furniture. Actually I think all those could work, but I think I'd like a lighter version of them. Kind of like one step up from white. Enough to give contrast to the white trim. It's the current problem I have - I want the walls to be a background not the thing that stands out. I would greatly appreciate if you could do one of those along with how it looks against the fireplace since many pointed out the current color not working with the FP.

The palladium blue looks just like the right intensity in that picture. I need to figure out where I stuck my BM color deck and take a look at it.

Yes there is green in the rug - sort of an olive like the chairs - the other colors in it are gold, tan, black, and burgundish. I'm not married to the rug though. It was a cheapie I've had for several years. It could easily go in the guest room and I could get a larger for this space. Old house couldn't support too large of a rug and it just got transfered as is.

For those suggestion creams, I'm afraid it will look a little too pastel with some of the ones mentioned after finding pics online. How can you avoid that with a cream without having it look dirty and dreary?

I'm open to all color suggestions, but seeing the blues/greens with squirrels great photoshopping I'm definetly leaning there.

I do agree the tan may not be for this room. It is very nice and calm and neutral, but doesn't give me the happy feeling the blues/greens do.

Thank you everybody for the suggestions

I am a yellow lover too. What color is that yellow? I think it really warms up your home but if you don't like it after all these months, you never will. I'm not loving the blue though. It looks too cool. I like the last two mock-ups that Squirrel did.

I would like to see a nice sage green. I think it would go well with all the different browns. I think maybe a creamy white.

I think if you want just a hint of color, and you like the idea of blue, you should try EK "Gustavian Grey." Or Gustavian Grey for the LR, then BM Ancient Ivory for the Dining Room.

There's a pic of both Gustavian Grey and Palladium Blue on this thread (from the Gallery).

Here is a link that might be useful: Blues

just ftr, it's Palladian, not Palladium Blue.

And saw a post from funcolors re PB on another thread--you might want to look at EK's "Oasis", if you have it. It's the full-spectrum version of PB. Just another option.

Here are some paler blues and one with some green in it. Very happy and refreshing.

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I think the problem is the colors of your fireplace, flooring and furnishings fighting with the color of the walls. If you have blue cobalt (and a lot of it) you might want to go with something other than blue, that would work but not be absorbed by it.

Look at www.colorcharts.org. Search "taupe" and look at some of the Behr taupes. Not to say you cannot get the same color from other vendors, but the color, Taupe Mist, especially struck me as something that might work, and you could have it mixed by other than Behr.

I think the Quiet Veranda colour, or even a darker khaki, would look good with your furnishings and floors. The darker the colour, the more striking your fireplace will appear.

The blues, while pretty, don't provide the right backdrop for your rugs and look very washed out against your light wood floors, imo.

Got the glow-y under control for the lighter shades. This is supposed to be a lighter, happier taupe.

I think a pale blue-grey or green-grey or blue-green-grey (ha) will work well with your floors and cabinets, as well as your furniture.

I've been playing with those colors for a bathroom and a small variation really does create a large tonal shift, so while I like the ones shown above definitely do BIG splotches on posterboard etc to find the ones that work best in your lighting.

A taupe is going to deaden those key -- and very pretty -- woodtones.

Otherwise I'd consider an ivory that has reddish undertones -- that may be what people are rec'ing, I don't use BMoore.

Well, it's just me, but I think the taupe gives it a neutral pallet for the many wonderful textures, tones and colors. I don't see the taupe as drabbing down the wood tones as long as there is a pink as the underbelly of the taupe.

Be careful with blue in rooms you use in the evening. Under artificial lighting, blues can wash out completely and look like gray. A warmer blue with some green in it might work better than a bluer blue.

If you are thinking of replacing the rug, you might want to do that first, then pull a color from the rug to tie it all together. Think about your exposure, too. A south facing room will feel cooled by blues and greens. A north facing room may feel chilly, unless you live in a warm climate.

Bringing some of the cobalt/blues in and getting color/values on the wall w/Swedish prints:

Here's a happy white with amber tones, picking up on the floor, if it works with your sofa:

Another yellow lover here, however, I don't like it with your floors.

I agree with kswl about the need for a little bit darker paint than you're looking at, and IMO, a bit of green in it.

For some reason, I'm also seeing a darker, warmer tan -- kind of a perfectly toasted almond color. You need something warm enough to work with your hardwoods, but not so warm that it fights the couch.

The blue-greens are pretty, but I think you might get too much of them in a large open area like you have.

The lighter taupes just go 'updated builder beige' to me -- so I think something darker than you're completely comfortable with is in order. Dark enough to look 'intentional' --

Squirrel - those are great!! I really appreciate it. Would you see if you could do a little more sage one, although the whole outside is basically that color I know it works great with the FP stone. I'm not sure I've seen any that really grabs me yet. I like the bluish greens, but not sure about them in my space. How about one with my old wall color?

I do know the creams don't seem to work too well for me (at least not the one squirrel showed or any that I had in my old house) and I'm not liking a tan/taupe/beige type color very much especially not a darker color. I just can't seem to like the darker colors. Lighter and I feel comfortable. We have a darker neutral (sort of khaki/coffe with some milk) in the master that I did pick because we needed some room darkening and I wanted to be able to use all my different duvets in different colors, but I general it is not for me. If I did go that route I would use BM Manchester Tan, which is very light, but works well with what I have. Our 2nd bath is painted that.

The quiet veranda from my old house was just one up from the white on the SW card it came from. That is kind of the intensity I'd like to stick with. Any time I've tried something darker I've tried living with it and then re-painted one or two versions lighter and liked it so much better.

What about silvery Sage?

BTW I don't think I can get EK here. I'm guessing due to their color changing properties I wouldn't even be successful matching it is that right?

Heading to dig out some boxes and go find my color decks from BM and SW so I can take a better look at some of the ones mentioned and hold it up against furniture.

If I want to use blue fabric or fabric with lots of blue in it will it look funny against any but white or blue wall color?

BTW any good way to maybe break up the big expanse into two colors?

lyfia - I think that blues and greens work well together . I'm still seeing SW Grassland or even Ancient Marble, if you want to go lighter. Those are silvery sage shades.

I think you could certainly paint your dining room a different color, but not sure how to handle the pillars.

As for an accent wall, the one with the fireplace would be good for that using a couple of shades darker than the main color, maybe even three shades darker since you're looking outside when you look at that wall, so any paint color on that wall will look lighter because you're looking into a lot of light.

I was browsing through the cottagewood partners website and here are some colors I like from there.

BTW we have NE light from one side and SW from the other side and I live in a very warm climate.

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The left color
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Reminds me of my old house color
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This one reminds me some of the Manchester Tan, although it could be a white and the shadows make it look darker.

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Reminds me of Palladian Blue or hollingsworth Green on the same strip in the deck

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Might be a little too bright for me, but I like it in the pic.

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A little too dark, but I still like it
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Looks like a bit of a tannish/yellowish/green, which seems like it would work with my stuff.

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Or what about a more sand type color?

I have a feeling this is going to be a lot harder than I thought to start with due to all the different colors I have to work with.

BTW there is not much wall to paint by the FP. I'm guessing with the doors on each side and little wall it will be hard to make it stand out based on wall color. I'm thinking what I put on it needs to be enough to make the focus on it. We are getting some iron look glass doors for it at some point too, when we have time to get around to it.

Here are some greens. Hard to really see what your old house color was. It's tough because your sofa reads a pinkish taupe, as do colors in the rug. Does the photo read that way to you also? WWhat color is the sofa?

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randita - thanks I like the Ancient marble and the Sea salt you recommended. The Ancient marble looks to have a bit more yellow in it which might work well.

Good idea of painint FP wall only darker. I might be able to live with that.

BTW here is the entry to show how it ties with the dining room. The bookshelf on end is where we are putting built-in cabinets to separate the two spaces. Similar to the one between the two pillars in the above pics. Although our will be wall to pillar.

This rug has gold, green, rust, and burgundy.

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Squirrel - thank you!! I like the greens too. Seems to work a little better. The sofa has no pinkish tones to it at all, but I agree my monitor shows that too. I wonder if it is picking up some from wood tones reflecting off it or could just be my 10 year old camera. I avoid any fabrics or paint colors with pink undertones. Wood I tend to like some red to the tone.

BTW If I remember correctly my sofa is a very good match to RH Latte as I used to carry that chip around instead of a pillow case to get an idea when shopping. More a kakhi with gold and green undertones.

Woman overboard! Easy to get some yellow in there now. Undoubtedly some repeats included:

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I like the sagey greens much better than the blues too.

Here are some sandy and golden colors:

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Here's just a basic, fresh linen color:

*Trying to get a tan/green/yellow color. The one in the inspiration pic is too bright and yellow-green:

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The blue-green kitchen color:

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In my opinion, any one color in all that space is too much of that color. I would rather see you mix it up a little. Pick a SW color stick and paint the living room the medium color, go 2 shades lighter in the kitchen, or 2 shades darker in the dining room. Two of my favorite Old SW sticks are Raffia Basket & Dromedary Camel, those are the tan/golden colors. If you do like the blues I would apply the same concept, use a few shades darker or lighter in the adjoining rooms. If you go with a more neutral base color in the living room, you could change another room like the kitchen or dining room to the soft green, etc.

I love the greens! My favorites are #4, #5, and #6 that squirrel did at 22:05 and #1 at 22:39. If you decide to go more neutral, I like the last one squirrel did at 22:22. I was going to suggest BM Wilmington Tan for a neutral.

Laurie

I agree completely with msrose (#4,5,6 of the greens) and the last neutral squirrel did at 22:22.

I think the sofa gets completely lost with a light neutral, but with a deeper neutral, there is nice contrast with the couch.

Dining rooms are often done in darker shades to make them seem more "intimate". Once you choose your color for your family room, maybe you could go a couple of shades darker for your dining room or else try one of those darker neutrals squirrel pictures like the last one she did at 22:22.

Wow Squirrel - thank you for all your work!!! There are several that I like and even some from yesterday that look different since I'm on another monitor now. I don't have the time right now to pick them all out - there is something like work that gets in the way ;)

To paint different colors or shades - I'm not sure how to make it look good. There are not any clear points to break between one area vs the other for the dining/living. The kitchen/breakfast area (to be a play area) I do have some clear stops and the FP wall could be different.

To add to the no clear stopping point on certain walls the drywall corners are all rounded making it even harder to make it look nice with a color transition.

I'm still not too fond of the tans and sands though. Just makes it feel depressing to me vs. the warm others talk about. I think I might be more of a cool color person or something. They look OK in the pics, but just doesn't make me go I really like that. I'd hate to end up paying somebody to paint and still just have that not loving it feeling.

I think your pretty chairs needs to be moved in to give it a more conversational look in your public area. That would unite the colors in the sofa, the rug and chair, but there is also a disparity of furnishings and elements, that some common denominator needs to tie it all together. Maybe it would be a blue paint, maybe a green paint, but it seems to me, JMHO, that you need to have a neutral wall and find some decorator items that add bold color statements to the room.

Here's a post you may want to look at. It has some pretty greens.

Laurie

Here is a link that might be useful: green kitchen post

I guess I'm the odd one out, as I like the warm blues, maybe moreso with just a little green. With the new sofa color, something like 22:05, #9, #10, #11.

I'm with squirrelheaven, I like the blues or the blue/greens.

I wasn't going to post because I didn't want to be the only one that prefered the blues over the greens.
Squirrel, I'm with you I prefer those blues over the greens too.

Thank you everybody for your votes and chiming in on the blues/greens. I'm so glad to hear I'm not the only one that likes the more blues/greens than the tans and warmer colors. So glad we are not all the same in what we like. I like both blue and greens. I will need to do sample boards though to check against the granite, my chairs and all the different fabrics I've got going on. I know the greens will work well with it since I've had it in a previous house, but I want to check the blues too since I love blue.

The blues/greens just seem happier to me and of course they are my favorite colors too. I also like calmer colors vs. bright so these really seem to fit that bill.

Here are the ones I like from squirrels awesome photoshopping. Of course this is on my monitor so may look different on somebody elses.

This one looks happy to me still although a warm tone. It didn't look good on another monitor though so YMMV. Squirrel do you think you could do this one with my regular rug please?

Doesn't seem happy to me, but still putting it in because something caught my eye with it.

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Although some are still darker than I like, but I still like the tones.

This one is what I'm guessing BM Manchester Tan would look like, which is the back-up plan if I can't find anything else we like. The good thing about BM Manchester Tan is it picks up the colors around it and takes on a matching cast.

I might have missed including some because on the current monitor several look alike to me and I can't tell a difference.

Glad to hear I'm not the only b/b-g fan too! I love blues you selected, except maybe #2, the very pale one, seems too cool, esp for the Cherry cabinetry.

Here are the non-latte sofa pics, shown again in latte, and the linen colored wall you requested:

Thank you!!!

I do too.

Side question to squirrel: how do you do the fades and sun effects on the paint color changes?! It's amazingly masterfully done. Is that automatic or do you have to use your eye each time?