hi zaptor99,
me thinks that you should keep the palette neutral. simply becos your floor and fittings are in dark wood. greys and blues will make the rooms even darker and more gloomy. try off white or perhaps duckegg green (very light ones)... :)if you do an off white palette, you can then accesorize in the colors you like :)
just my 2 cents worth of opinion :) hope you dun mind :)

luthien

Here is a link that might be useful: my arty-diy-home decor blog :)

A really nice warm gray is RL Brompton Gray or manor Gray. It would work well in your space. I'm sure you could find something in this color palette. Look at the Naturals collection.

Here is a link that might be useful: RL Grays

Are you painting the windows and doors or are they staying white? That would make a big difference in the color chosen. Your color painting sample in the LR shows paint on the doors. Are all the doors in the home to be painted. The windows look like vinyl and too tricky to paint.

I'd use RL Kellington Traverse WW20, found in the white washes, it's blue/green/grey. It's a cool, modern color that would play well with the dark browns in the room. For the trim, I'd use RL Pocket Watch White #WW01. It's in the same family and compliments the other color very well.

Zaptor, I hate gold/yellows and would paint it all a neutral green.

Luthian, Love you blog. Really cool stuff going on there.

Hehe, yellow was the old color, I'm not keeping it :)
The RL blues and greens are nice. But I'm still afraid of the cold look.

Well, are you keeping the white? That is going to influence the choice. Personally I love the maize color in the space. It will be tough to pull off blue/gray without looking cold in such a sleek minimalistic setting. Go with a green so it gives the feeling of bringing 'nature' in.

My living room and kitchen are open and my walls carry into the second floor. It is sooooo hard to choose a color when there will be so much of it. I chose a color by Waverly by Lowe's called Barnwood. It is a khaki/green/gray color that changes in different light. It is very neutral, though, and feels very warm. Here are some pictures... they were taken at night so it has a little hint of green, I think. Good luck!!

I'd like a cream with character and depth, or a warm taupe. Have you checked out the Farrow and Ball range?

Hi dilly, all whites (windows, trims, doors, baseboards) will be painted also. So, I'm open to any colors.
teach, I do like your wall colour.
I'll also check Farrow and Ball, although not sure if we have them in Canada.
Thanks

This is a pic of one of my favorite colors, Benjamin Moore Paris Rain. It's a grey/blue/green that doesn't look pastel and seems like it would blend nicely with everything in your place.

Here is a link that might be useful: {{!gwi}}

Zaptor, you asked in another thread -- I use photo editing software, not the painting programs that are around. I like MS's package but it's discontinued. There are a number of free online programs -- GIMP was mentioned recently. Adobe Photoshop Elements is another, which is an inexp home user version of their elaborate program.

Zaptor, if you want a warmer cozy feel you should probably move to the other side of the color wheel to browns, beige and tans because your original color request of blues, greys and greens are considered to be "cooler" colors. The positive about using the cooler colors is they offer a calming feel. If you go with browns, beige or warmer colors you'll have a cozy feel and some of the colors like red and yellow will seem more energenic.

Here are some colors to look at. From creams, to latte, to a bit of a soft pumpkin, warm blue, warm gray and a washed out gray-green. Don't forget the walls are just a backdrop to your art and furnishings, so a blue or gray won't necessarily make for a cold room.

Golden Creamy:

{{!gwi}}

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Soft, earthy pumpkin/clay:

{{!gwi}}

Warm grays:

{{!gwi}}

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Warm gray with some blue:

{{!gwi}}

Warm blues:

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Latte:

{{!gwi}}

Grayed Greens:

{{!gwi}}

{{!gwi}}

Bit more yellow:

{{!gwi}}

You are so good Squirrelheaven!!! Those look great! What program are you using? I have elements but have had a hard time figuring it out.

I think you should use several shades of gray. I like this look. Oh, I love you house!

Gorgeous house!!!

I like the grayed greens, the earthy/pumpkin (surprisingly), and the 2nd golden creamy, but no clue as to how these will look in person. How about picking a version of a color in your granite? Since it's all open, it might tie it all together.

I think that you have the right idea about testing colors, but it may be good to also put them on that wall by the glass door, so you can see them from within the kitchen and get the "long view" like Squirrel has done.

Squirrel hit it with the "warm" blues and grays. I think F&B Blue Gray could be quite wonderful. F&B in North America is distributed out of Canada...no problem there.

What I see is that there are so many warm elements in your home -- granite, floors, wood furniture, etc. -- that you will not have a cold feeling with a blue or gray color on the walls. Instead, you will create a balance between warmer and cooler tones. That balance, and the variety, is pleasing to the human eye physiologically. Using more warm tones on the walls, while harmonious (and safe), also create a certain degree of monotony. At least that's what I believe about color. I am sure others here may disagree.

Of the splotches I see, I think they are too light or too dark. You need something more in the middle, like Squirrel's first blue gray. That dark gray you're playing with, while very interesting, would just make the space very dark along with your gorgeous floors and cabs. Too pale a gray and you are back in the icy-I'm-feeling-cold zone!

When I look at the blue gray on the wall against the golden color of the granite, it just sings! Blue and yellow are a classic color pair, and with a knocked back red (something earthy), form a perfect triad on the color wheel. That's a way to play it safe without resorting to beige...just use one of the reliable color combos, like the triad.

Remember, you will also have plenty of opportunity to change the feeling of things with accessories and art. Red pillows for winter, creamy pale colors for summer, etc. You can change out window treatments seasonally. (Tailored panels in winter, bare windows in summer, for instance.) I think your style and architecture is very energetic and I feel the color scheme can certainly follow. It would be a shame (IMO) to stay with beige...

The Latte is my favorite. It looks good with your kitchen floor and countertop. I don't like the blues and grays at all. My 2nd choise would be the green.

Laurie

Thanks Irish : ) I use MS Digital Imaging Suite, which they discontinued shortly afterwards! You might still find it in the 'used' or resale market. Haven't used the Adobe very much, as I'm already comfortable with MS's user interfaces and like it.

I think the latte, or the color BEFORE the pumpkin.

Awe shucks, just my luck that they'd discontinue it. I'll go on the hunt for it though and see what I can find. Anything would be easier than Elements! Thanks Squirrelheaven!