After living with the (boring) neutrals that were in the house when we moved here 15 years ago, we just finished painting all of our upstairs rooms and I love all the colors. Hard to pick a favorite, as each was chosen to go with the light and furnishings in that particular room. What I probably love most is the Atrium White trim and how it plays nicely with all of the somewhat intense colors we chose. All have LRVs around 30: Louisburg Green, Van Cortland Blue, Richmond Gold, Summerdale Gold are all lovely. In the bath, which gets lots of western light and has bright white fixtures and shower curtain, we went more intense with Philipsburg Blue. I couldn't be happier.

I live in a large 40 year old colonial which has 2 porches and has a cherry-ish stained wood on the front, side and garage doors. It also has a portico over the front door, and a columned porch on one side both of which are trimmed in a light color. I have narrowed down the color 'family' that I want to paint the outside of my home. For the body, I am seeking a warm color in the yellow, beige and cream group. I may have found a good one with BM Concord Ivory, which on the areas of the house that I have sampled it, looks correct to me. My problem is imagining the whole house painted in that color.... would it be too bold? Is it too gold? Has anyone here used Concord Ivory on their exterior? Does anyone know of a warm yellow/beige color that does not overwhelm on a large house? For trim, I seek a warm, complementary ivory color and for the shutters I fell in love with BM blue dusk, which I would describe as a mid-tone blue/gray. I usually am the one that my friends come to for color help, its funny when its your own decision, its much harder... Thanks in advance!

Carol, it is very important to try the colros first since they are custom colors. Pittsfield buff link: http://www.myperfectcolor.com/Benjamin-Moore-HC-24-Pittsfield-Buff-p/mpc0006990.htm Monroe Bisque link: http://www.myperfectcolor.com/Benjamin-Moore-HC-26-Monroe-Bisque-p/mpc0006991.htm Great color combination with Monroe bisque link: http://www.myperfectcolor.com/MPC-Designer-Picks-Calm-Classics-1-p/mpc-mpcombo-0710mcc1.htm This site is usefull because they make a sample size for any color you want. I had used Monroe Bisque for my wall in my hallway and on the trim I had www.Myperfectcolor.com send me another sample at 25% strength for my trim. You might want to check out there most popular bedroom colors: http://www.myperfectcolor.com/Top-Selling-Bedroom-Colors-Myperfectcolor-com-s/68.htm In Short I like Monroe bisque since it doesnt show up as yellow as the Pittsfield buff. Good luck and post a pciture when complete

marys, there was a tiled shower stall across from the tub (done by GW's very own Bill Vincent): , I'd honestly rather live without a shower than without a tub, though, especially if the faucet has a nice handshower like that one did - I've had a couple of apartments with only showers and it was just miserable. Gotta have my scalding-hot soaks. I can't remember the last time I took a shower except for rinsing chlorine off at the pool! I really miss that bathroom... I HATE my current bathroom but can't do anything with it yet. (Can't even paint because the walls have to be skimcoated, PO was such a slob with his drywall taping/mudding.) I like to flatter myself :-) that I know some about the Arts & Crafts period since I've done a lot of reading and research, looking at a lot of pictures both hardcopy and online, but I'm still learning. I'm a nut for the "tipping point" between the late Victorian and the A&C periods, around 1890-1900, so I love to combine the styles. In the house pictured above I was working with a tract Cape with about as much intrinsic personality as Cream of Wheat, while now I have a simple 1900 factory worker's cottage that I think will be even more suited to such treatment. (I'll be recycling virtually everything from the bedroom, I even have plenty of the wallpaper border left because Bradbury & Bradbury overestimated it.) Early on I did buy some things "listed as mission at wal-mart" out of ignorance, but phased those out as I learned more and could see where the proportions, finishes, etc. were way off target.