Sorry, colors aren't available online. If anyone has carpet suggestions from elsewhere, that is fine. I can compare the colors for a close match. There is no carpet on a roll at the store, but there are 4 inch square samples that you can take from the store. There are many different shades of taupe/brown. I am wondering if I should try to match the wall color closely for a unified look, or go with a either a lighter or darker shade for contrast. I am afraid if I go darker, the room will look like a cave.

I thought of you yesterday as I was perusing a home remodeling catalog in Walgreens. I read your post the other night. There was a home with red brick similar to yours, and the colors they chose were stunning giving the home a historical look. They painted the windows (not the trim) the same red that matches your brick (your windows are currently white). You could also use this stain color on your cedar shake. The trim around the windows and on the rest of the house was a nice goldish color. The body of the house was a neutral beige/cream color (something that you'd find on a meditteranean home), they had the posts in their entry way also painted this cream color - "missouri" above mentioned sand or clay tones, I think this is the same idea. The red on the windows was a really nice contrast to the gold trim. I don't have the actual colors - they didn't list them - but you could play around with them a bit to find nice complimentary tones. The magazine was a bungalow and period home renovation magazine - new this month at Walgreens. They showed before and after pictures. What I would absolutely NOT do is paint the brick, especially considering you have the old style charm of the cedar shake - it would be a mix mox of old style and modern. I think this would take away from the character of your home, not to mention the fact that if you don't like it, it's not an easy fix. You also have to look at the resale value of your home. I would not personally purchase a home with painted brick, but that's just me, so I think you'd be limiting your potential buyers. Nice home by the way. When you are finished with all your renovations, it will look quite quaint. Good luck!

Consumer Reports (March 2008 issue) rated interior paints. Regarding VOC: "The knock against the first low-VOC paints was that they lacked the durability and the sheen selection of higher-VOC finishes. No zero-VOC paints we tested most recently were highly rated. But companies now make top-quality lower-VOC paint. High-scoring Benjamin Moore Aqua, True Value Easy Care, and Glidden Evermore low-luster products contain less than 50 g/l of VOCs. Look for the VOC level on cans." Considering that the max VOC for paint is 250 g/l for flat finishes and 380 g/l for other finishes, the three products mentioned above look like a good compromise and worth considering.

Tinan & nosoccermom - thank you! I had no idea that HD could colormatch the chips, but this makes sense. I'm now remembering their old commercials where you bring any old object to their store and they will colormatch it for you, why not the paint chips? I love the look of a neutral color with white accents, but I'm afraid in my character-less apartment, there won't be much pay-off. There is no crown moulding and all the accents (window sills, frames, door frames) are quite unattractive and not worth setting off. My broker said it'd better to paint everything white and let it all "disappear" and I'm inclined to agree with him. My next home is cuter and where I am going to go crazy with wallpaper & paint colors! Thanks again!!!