If you cut it by 50%, it will be a new color. One that you have no idea what it will look like until you buy the can and have it mixed. And now you own a can of paint whether you like the color or not.

Cutting formulas is an exercise in futility. You've mentally decided to move on to a new color by thinking 50% could work, so just revisit the chips and choose a new color.

What you don't have the advantage of is color constancy. You're not living with the color/color samples during the hours when you like what it looks like.

Color constancy is a function of our vision system. Without it, humans simply would not survive. Less dramatic is what happens in our house. Bananas are a good example. Everyone has an established perception of banana yellow. That perception doesn't change from the bananas sitting on a bright southern-facing kitchen counter to the bananas sitting on a northern-facing dim dining room. Even tho the two colors of yellow would indeed appear quite different, we don't notice because of an adapted sense of color constancy for the color of yellow that bananas are supposed to be.

The same happens in your house when you live with color. After a room is painted, it takes about two weeks to adapt. An average of color constancy develops and eventually you don't even notice the color shifts. That's why people will sometimes say they've learned to live with a color.

And sometimes people really don't like the color they end up with. In which case, it's important to repaint and not live with it.

To avoid that happening and since you don't have the advantage of living in the same space you're coloring, a decent rule of thumb is if you like a color under daylight (around noon, not direct sun), incandescent, and fluorescent illumination, odds are good you will be happy with the color once it's up.

Thank you so much for the explanation. I have Revere Pewter in my living space at home and think although it is neutral, it is a nice color and it is warm-which I tend to like. Your explanation makes a lot of sense. I appreciate the help.

At 5 pm, were you looking at it in artificial light or late-day daylight? If artificial light, is the lighting is the kitchen finished?

I don't know about you, but I use my kitchen a lot more in the morning and evening than at mid-day, so I'd put more weight on how the colors look at those times (color constancy notwithstanding). But keep in mind that even if you do that, it's going to look different in winter than in summer.

Based on my experience, grayed-out colors tend to look more gray the lighter they are, so I don't think cutting the color by 50% will do what you want (it sound like your problem was the color looked too gray).

Our basement kitchen granite looks very similar to yours. We used Sherwin Williams Lazy Gray on the walls. You might try that with your granite and floor.

Thank you everyone! Watery is a beautiful color but it looked muddy as the sun went down. The paint will be going on the walls in my open floor plan kitchen, dining area and living room so it would most likely look muddy at night in the main areas which I do not want. Debbi thanks for the suggestionn. Your kitchen is beautiful!d_gw I picked up about 6 different colors and though I said I was not going to go neutral, I did pick up a few and one is Assemble Beige.

While shopping for furniture I met a woman in the store who is their designer and she said she'd help me pick out paint colors for the main area. I am pretty much set for bedrooms and baths. Just need main living area and now that we picked out the furniture that will help.

Thanks again for the ideas and help.