Thank you for the nice comments. : ) It is so rich and warm--I am loving it. I only wish I wasn't such a perfectionist--I notice the flaws too. But I know that most anyone who walks in won't be looking for them/at them. I should put out a public "thank you" to members of this board for suggesting Carrington Beige. I was looking at something even warmer, and it was pointed out to me (correctly so!) that it wouldn't work with my runner and upstairs hall carpet. I had worried the Carrington would look more grey, and it certainly doesn't! Lynn, I'm thinking something warm and beige/gold for the dining room, too. I could go green, but I wonder if it might be too dark against the moss green end chairs. I'm open to all suggestions--as long as they will look good with Carrington Beige. : ) The small living room (in back of the dining room) has the same color scheme, though more transitional furniture. I don't know much about the wood. This was not a custom home. We bought it 95% finished. The floors are oak. I don't know any more than that. I'm sorry! The little boy is my 4 1/2 year-old, Joshua. : ) He has a 7 year-old older brother named Jack. : )

Funcolors thank you for your reply. After reading many of your posts here I'm happy to get your knowledgeable advice. :) I've tried out 9 different paint samples and looked at probably 100 tan/beiges before finding Sierra Hills so glad to hear my choice is a good one. :) Seirra Hills looks close to SW Nomadic Desert to me on paint chip which is one up from Latte. I've thought about getting sample of it. What would you say would be different in these two colors? We are painting the upstairs hallway the same color. What should we do about the hallway ceiling? I don't want it to be too dark going down the long hallway. Should I leave it the off white or paint it a shade or two lighter then the foyer. We had changed the original house plans to add a office downstairs and bedroom upstairs so this is how the foyer struture ended up. There is a wide ledge/shelf under window then the front door below. The walls have needed painting for a long time so I'm excited to get it done soon. Nancy

well..neutrals can be deeper too. neutral doesn't mean "light"..it just means a color that will most likely be a background that most people would find natural to be a background color. Even though a lot of colors can be easily considered neutrals, since they're so prevalent in nature...say some blues or greens..If it's something you see a lot outside, and I mean a lot-don't worry you'll perceive it as neutral. If beige is neutral-then brown is a neutral too..technically it's a much darker beige, as far as i understand..or should I say-beige is much much lighter brown lol they all are colors. and some neutrals are very capricious actually. take white for example-it is a perfect background but it needs light to become perfect background..and it will accentuate a lot of things. which you sometimes want to accentuate, if you have great architecture for example..and sometimes you don't. if you have a dark bland small room-white won't do it any favors. of course one should remember there are many whites..) in short, no, deeper colors won't necessarily make a place small. they won't make it big either lol. they can make it livelier though..cozier. you usually don't want to go really dark in a big space, not because it will make it smaller, but because it might change your feel..too much dark might feel oppressing. but just a tad deeper color and real dark color are two different things. you know what you're ready to commit to..took me some years to go more colorful, and I do prefer muted colors so it still reads pretty soft. neutrals can be as deep and amazing as anything else..when you'll start getting samples, trying them in your unique space and light- you'll see what you are comfortable with. and what makes the given room lovelier to you. just don't believe the names paint companies give-these are very deceiving..:) if you're looking for a color, especially a neutral one-just look everywhere. looking for gray? great. check the whites too:) etcetera blue sectional sounds very cool. colorful furniture usually works well with neutrals allover the range. and colors too lol. put it in a gray room-it will work. or in a beige room-and it will work. or in a white room-still will work. or take a "real" color-still will work, in most of cases. i don't find your paneling that horrible btw-but maybe it's because i don't see it up close. quality of wood matters a lot of course. sorry for the ramblings..i get like that sometimes lol

Yes, to your first question. You can see the lower TV room ceiling here and how it opens to the foyer. That walkway measures 47" width ( including future baseboard.) I thought a post against that wall would balance the newel on the other side and allow for a "separation" between spaces? I don't know what the color should do in this area? My husband wants the darker brown for the TV room. Also, our color "cocoa" drives me crazy- it goes pinky (flesh beige) with an east facing window light-(the picture below was taken this morning) and goes blue(brown) and relaxed in the evening with sconce/lamp light. I love the color in the evening. Most mornings, I think I need to repaint! Thanks for your interest.