There is such a varied selection, it's really going to come down to our (and yours) personal preference about what kind of colors we would want to live with. Usually, one is trying to evoke a certain feeling, or coordinate with existing decor/furniture, but we don't know any of those factors.

I don't know anything about living in Florida, but would assume I wouldn't want anything dark or muddy looking. I'd want to take the shade of white in white plantation shutters into consideration, too, so you don't have clashing whites. And since there will be furniture and rugs to consider (unless you are painting to sell an empty house), I'd want to know what colors those items will be before selecting. It's easier to find paint to complement your furnishings than to shop for furnishings that will go with paint.

I know, not much help. I wish you luck!

My niece just did her room in BM marscarpone and did all trim white, it looks fantastic! She then put in a white slip covered couch and very soft colors for other chairs. She accented with small bursts of orange and she used two floor lamps and two end table lamps. Looks great, heres a link to the paint. BM marscapone

Well, I did have a room in my mind but everything went to pot the moment the paint started going on the way. So, yes, it's varied as in "holy moly: what a mess" since I had to see what worked on the walls. In this room, the walls are dramatically canceling each other out. LOL, and no, I'm not selling. I'm living here. I like a lot what I see online but a lot of what I see (rooms & colors & furniure) have awesome direct sunlight. My current room's lighting is throwing me for a loop.

If it helps, the shutters will be one of the whites in the image provided. This goes for trim for paint. The ceiling is textured, artex and I'm not keen on touching it (for now). Bottom line, I'm looking for a clean white trim and shutters - no undertones. If anything, maybe we nail that down.

Shutters (the selection of whites available depends on the type of shutter) - JOY!

The plan WAS for a Cream or White sofa sectional - but now I'm open. A Side chair with matching color or strips with coordinated accented pillows. And a Rug to tie it all up. Tables - I do have some in storage but I'm not married to them. They're chocolate cherry.

I'm currently looking at some rooms to get inspiration as I contend with the lighting situation. My previous plans have hit a road block.

As I read the nice replies, one thing is certain. I'm getting a ton of lamps!

Many Thanks!

https://www.kylieminteriors.ca/the-best-most-popular-benjamin-moore-paint-colours-north-facing-northern-exposure-rooms/

Why on earth are you choosing paint before furniture? It's far easier to match paint to furniture than the opposite? If this is a new build and must be painted, just when do you plan on purchasing furniture? If this is a long time off, just paint the walls white for now.

Sure, it's easier but if the colors look like bird crap on the wall because of room lighting conditions. That's a real bummer!

So, I did have furniture in mind along with a coordinated color set. Pale Oak was the original coordinated choice. However, It was during the testing that the expected color appearance went to pot. That's when I started pivoting from that color and experimenting. What you see on the wall is the end result and requested some opinions. I appreciate those who offered alternatives and words of encouragement.

So, do you have any opinion on the color on the walls and how they look in the room?

Finally, yes, I'll probably paint the walls white especially if I can't resist a discount on the furniture.

as said more than once, you really should select furniture first. at least the rug and couch.. you have given us no other info. what color combos do you like? what styles? in FL style is usually white with drops of. as you go south colors get brighter. colors do not go dark at all.

I guess there's much about paint - aren't semi-tropical areas often painted saturated colors? and they don't look garish in the more-direct angle of the sun....? gee... not saying you should...

Recently read Maria K.'s page about white - that often it needs lots of sun to Not look dinghy... wondering how many windows in room [or at least the first one you'll paint]

Q: what brought you to those paint options? what was the attraction?

I'm not a fan of any of the colors you chose, and I totally understand how difficult finding the right color can be. Before I moved to S. FL, I hated the color yellow. While looking for my first rental. I stumbled on a duplex with a "For Rent" sign in the yard. As soon as I walked through the door, my eyes dilated with joy.

The walls were this beautiful, buttery, golden color and it made the space feel warm and cozy, even with the shiny, white tiles and open floor plan. I lived there for 5 years, and when we bought a home, 6 years ago, I wanted to bring that color with us. After sampling over a dozen yellows, I found it at Sherwin-Williams. It's called Captivating Cream.

I've been living with this color for over 11 years and still love it. In both houses, the living and dining rooms were next to each other, with the living room being on the south side, and dining room on the north side.

Hi Mysteryegg --

FWIW, I believe it's a viable solution to start with wall color when the slate is empty/nearly empty (in your case, you have a medium golden floor).

Wall color can create a very immersive experience -- and frankly it's a lot easier to narrow down the zillion rug/couch/pillow etc shades when you need something that coordinate with a specific wall shade.

Years ago I became aware of the ($$$!) color work Donald Kaufman and Taffy Dahl do.

They demonstrate how pale colors in low-light rooms create shadows and blandness, while using medium to deep tones blends the shadows and makes rooms more welcoming.

So I think you're on the right path in testing a range, and at this point ruling out the lightest shades.

I will say that deep creams and yellows intensify their effect when they're on multiple walls. To test this, paint or bend posterboard around a corner.

And also that to some degree, you can "borrow" from the walls on which the color looks deeper/brighter...so in other words, when you're in the room the more blah wall(s) won't draw as much attention as the walls that get more light.

A color like your Muslin (SW) or that ancient mellow old-gold standby, Blonde (SW), will likely create a feeling of sunshine without being bright.

So...

with that said, this does need to come down to your vision a bit!

If you like the idea of Davenport Putty, Muslin (BM) but not how those exact shades look you could definitely explore more.

The deep warm shades like Interlude and Sesame will be cozy, too -- nothing says you need to be conventionally tropical!

In your space, Mindful Gray and Silver Mist may look deeper/darker than in others' homes -- but is that a bad thing? Only you can tell. A different, lighter shade may replicate the Mindful Gray "look" you have in mind.

Good luck and keep us posted!

The whole business about white and light colors not working in a dim quality of light is total b.s. Lightness value is not the problem.

Managing a dim quality of light is about chromaticity. Chromaticity is about how vivid or how gray. It looks like this on a scale.

The first step to finding a solution for you would be to ask which color you've tried harmonizes the best with the floor. That would establish what hue family we need to be working in. From there, we'd start analyzing color options from a perspective of chromaticity and lightness. The goal would be to answer the questions, how light can we go and how gray can we go to create a cohesive envelope that you feel is pretty and can work on decorating going forward.

My experience is similar to Solraven's ... I had a north facing bedroom that I painted a warm buttery yellow/gold. It made the room warm and inviting. I don't particularly like yellow, but it really worked in that bedroom.

Maria's white paint comment I believe was more focused on number of windows. Amount that way.... 1 window and white paint might look grey...? look, there are different ways...

..will the ceiling stay textured?

(Lori always manages to keep me constantly amazed lol. that's cool..I love that feeling..that how it was when I was little, and I think it's a perfect state to be in))

I think Kaufman and Dahl's work goes just a BIT beyond an internet meme, ha!

And I think there's more similarity than difference in approach.

I don't have their book handy, but in an interview Kaufman addresses what I think are common homeowner desires, saying:

"The worst mistake is thinking a light color will brighten a dark room. Often a darker color in a dark room is what suits and aligns best with the available light in the room.

"If you have a sort of gloomy room and think it will always be happier in white, it won’t. The white will always look dingy. It will look as if it is waiting for a deeper color.

"To add light to a room, use warm colors. We perceive yellows and reds as emitting light. If colors are warmer they feel brighter and more luminous."

I think Kaufman and Dahl's work goes just a BIT beyond an internet meme, ha!

Not really. Kaufman was a painter who made a business out of mixing his own colors. Perfectly lovely colors. Perfectly lovely work. But his books are based on nothing more than his own subjective opinions, color mixing experiments, and over generalized, vague commentary.

For example, he doesn't qualify what "warmer" colors are beyond "yellows" and "reds". Nor does he give any usable insight as to what "brighter" and "luminous" means or what those visual sensations feel or look like.

His color point of view is typical, makes a big deal about the energy and power of color but avoids addressing the frequencies of color directly; instead you're suppose to accept color on his terms as it's rendered through his personal filter.

If you're going to make conclusive statements like "white will always look dingy" you have to back it up with more than "because I said so" kind of logic and reasoning. And he doesn't - in any of his books.... because he can't.... because he's a house painter who made a business out of mixing his own paint colors. Nothing more, nothing less.

Just because the books have been published doesn't mean the information contained within is correct and should be taken as the gospel of color. A little critical thinking goes a long way when one considers the subjective options shared by self-proclaimed color experts.

If critical thinking isn't your thing, then adopting - without question - someone else's pre-packaged color point of view is fine. However, if you truly have a passion for color, have a curiosity and desire to understand the individual human response to color and how color really works, then subjective opinion from self-proclaimed color experts isn't good enough.

Thank you for sharing your opinion, Lori.

I'll just agree to disagree with your viewpoint on this matter, since I'm comfortable folding his (their) considerable -- and public -- body of work into what I've found via my explorations with color.

ETA I'll add the prior quotation came from an interview with Aerin Lauder for her website. First rule of presenting: know thy audience. Second rule: know thy medium. IOW: not the place for treatises

Again, just because there's a body of work and it's public doesn't mean it's right - or even good.

how odd that i found important points to agree with in both arguments. i think i will hold onto my views, since they are so popular, until a deciding contribution is made!

IOW: not the place for treatises

LOL! Ok, fine, I'll shut up and quit being disruptive. Encouraging people to learn how color really works and not drink the kool-aid being poured by all those "color experts" out there doesn't always go over well.

Ha HavingFun!

Not really so odd -- for me, color's like the Olympic sports that judge on both technical and artistic merits: quantitative and qualitative data both matter.

Actually I think I've seen a few GW discussions where the decor equivalents of "technically flawless, but lacking soul" or "emotionally powerful, despite flaws" have been thrown about. ;)

well houzz is a giant tribute to technically flawless, but lacking soul.

not that odd

i think removing word "always" would probably make it not that odd

I'm thinking hard about it..see I spent many years in Meditteranean where white is a staple. Not everywhere..depends. But it got me thinking..

People use X or Y colors for a reason. Climate, geography, light?

then of course it's style that kinda combines this and many other things; customs and traditions and religions even; yet I believe it starts with what the surroundings are

White does look dingy if a room is small and dark even in very bright light that Meditteranean has. Yet it is still a most used color there..Israel? Greece probably judging by the pics? Spain, Portugal? here-Mexico, Southern California? should be something in common between all these places

Middle Asia(I've been to Uzbekistan only)-lots of white. (and blue)

then we kinda skip many miles north..in between people use colors much more. Since I lived there too I know

Then we get to, say, Paris. Or Scandinavia. You have quite a lot of white again, right?

but the light is different there. the evenings are much longer. the light is softer..you have this long period when it's there for a long time but is sort of dim

white still works though. again, Paris is lower on the map than Scandinavian countries. Other places on this latitude don't use that much white..to the best of my limited knowledge..

so should be something similar about those locations too

now my question would be: what is that similarity? it's not very obvious to me; yet I believe it exists. and it's not a latitude only..take Caribbean-white, yes, but much more preference for brighter vivid colors.

it should be some combination of several factors that prompts an initial thought,,of course the materials that are available around from which houses etc are built that also dictate things..

like, the timelessness of white kitchens. ten years ago nobody talked about it probably? not that I'd know, was busy with other things then. but. I think: what happened that was Caeserstone(or whoever was the first) invented Quartz..:)

now you have a surface that has resistance of granite but can look like a marble, or be uniform. much much easier to pair with white..

in short(I guess too late for short lol but anyway). that would be cool to understand all the unique factors that shape this preference for colors..in a certain time in a certain place..

(I love discussions

learned the word "treatises"

congratulated myself on already knowing the expression "drinking the kool aid"

got me thinking about things I like to think about

what's not to love

PS don't like Houzz never went here until I discovered GardenWeb. It seemed to me awfully hectic..

I'm not a bad man; I'm just overwhelmed

Please don't shut up Lori

House Vixen please continue talking

very egoistical of me, I know:)

Lori, please continue to try to educate us! I love reading what you write about color.

we do need to be sure op is ok with it all.

on the concept of all the white, i am fine with it, well not personally but that is why i no longer live in FL. the only problem i see when they think small squares of white on dark surfaces look good. they look like missing areas or overly white crooked teeth. my belief i am sticking to it.

Hi again Mysteryegg -- have you run screaming from your own thread yet?

Just a quick question so we can incorporate our various views into helping you find a LR-to-hall color that makes you happy...even though if it's one color it will probably look a little different room to room!

• can you share some photos/art/clothing that you're drawn to? could be rooms, landscapes, street scenes?
• can you tell us a bit about why you like what you're sharing?

Sometimes that helps provide a great starting point when combined with a room's lighting, geographic location, "permanent" elements like floors or tile etc.

Because if you're someone who's drawn to soft misty shades, or bold jewel tones, or earthy forest hues and your room's natural + artificial lighting isn't doing your favs justice...that's where compromise happens.

You'll either need to get to a color that works well *enough* for your personality AND place or choose a side.*

*see April, I did read your posts ;) Temperament: it may explain that Scandi love of white walls even when the snow's up to their chins.

Would it surprise you if I said yes. I can't really do much during the week because of work so I'm contemplating the constructive posts and taking stock. I appreciate everyone's input.

Temperament. Very good point.

But. Scandi-one temperament (my husband has some Swedish blood in him amongst others..)..I'm from Israel..less loud outside since wasn't born there but inside-living on the edge lol. Meditterranean temperament is very different.

Me and him-pretty funny together.

Yet. White is close to being a staple in both places..very different..temperaments can be seen as polar..

Which makes it even more interesting to figure out

mysteryegg thank you for being so patient with us..me. It's a great thread so hard not to participate..gets one thinking..

if I wasn't afraid to invade even more I'd ask havingfun what does she mean by "small squares of white on dark surfaces " in Florida. see I've never been to Florida. And lately, I really want to go one day. I want to see the houses..:)

HouseVixen.."You'll either need to get to a color that works well *enough* for your personality AND place or choose a side.*-yes..:)

sorry op you are being so patient with us.

What i meant april is in FL we have much of white plus a drop of color is the color of all walls in and out . as you go south, they tend to ad more color, generally inside.

since being on houzz I have noticed that when you place light pillows or other small objects on large dark items, they tend to look white holes or teeth. they lose all color. bright adds lightness and color to a scene.

How do these whites look in the room?

One is Simply White. The other is a recommended color, Marscapone.

The wood of the furniture (far left) is what will be used. The color will cover living, dining and hall. I be buying a sofa, chairs and rug. The sofa will be white or cream. Chair will colored blue, with planned blue rugs and blue accent pillows. (I'll put stuff in my idea book - once i figure it out) This wall (shown) will be filled with pictures and art. The Ceiling is artex texture (done int the 50's) I think. I don't "plan" on painting it - it's never been painted.

Up close. (same wall above)

So, thoughts? Diatribes? A friendly kick in the ____?

Did you switch them from the first pic to the last? Right, top, then left look "cleaner" to me.

Yup. The last image has Simply white on the left so it's logical that you say it's cleaner. Do you think it looks too stark?

Not if you want white (never something I pick-ha!). How you decorate will play into the overall feel of the room. I think Simply White can serve you well.

Try BM Capitol White or SW Creamy. I have Creamy in a north facing room, and it's just what its name suggests. Capitol White is very similar.