Beverly, wow thank you for those beautiful renderings. So helpful and definitely food for thought! :) I have decided I will probably be refinishing the floors in a few years to a mid tone (less orangey) brown, because that is what I'm bumping on. The texture in the ceiling is from the weight of these massive beams in the attic. The window is probably a newer addition as the home has changed a few hands since it was built in 1921. I actually don't mind the stone on the fireplace. Maybe I'm crazy but I like it! Thank you again for all your thoughts! Holly, our furniture all rather neutral (think medium to dark woods, mid tone grays). Most added colors or accents are in the blue and gold and silver families). I will have oil rubbed bronze leaning towards black knobs and pulls throughout the house. Liz, I will definitely get a sample of soft focus. I also love your trim/woodwork...bit of sugar is so pretty. Thank you!

White paint is a very difficult color to choose! I too am trying to find the perfect shade for us. One of the very talented professionals on this forum often recommends PPG’s Delicate White which is sold at Home Depot! Because I value her experience, I had to give it a try. Home Depot sells small sample sizes for a few bucks. I have painted several foam core boards with this color so I can move them around and see how they look. So far, I am loving this color. :-)

If you'd like.... Check out some pics& info I recently posted in the (old) menards ultradeck thread. My main point there (& here!) is..... It's not really about the "Brand" of stain you use. It's about the long-run UPKEEP. A 10 year old unsanded deck ISNT gonna hold stain (I don't CARE how good the stain is.....) for long, OR very evenly.

I am so grateful for all of the many helpful comments, thank you! Toni and Home Reborn, I agree with the suggestion to bring the paint chip to HD to match. Choe, thanks for suggesting Lori, so grateful she did chime in. @funcolors you really defined the issue for me when you stated that the base paints are different. Light bulb moment for sure! Thank you for creating that chart for me. It's really helpful. I'm going to print your chart and go to SW for a paint chip, then take it to Home Depot. At SW you can request the tint formula (particular to a certain type of base paint), the "color recipe" and they happily print it out. I've asked for this at Home Depot however, I have not been able to get it there. A different business model with less emphasis on that kind of service. However, I will add that the poorest customer service I've gotten at a paint counter is, hands down, Benjamin Moore stores. I love the BM counters tucked in neighborhood Ace Hardwares but not at the BM stores. Perhaps they are too busy... I have a lot of confidence in my contractor so I'm not worried about differences in quality. It's all about trade-offs when you renovate, or at least, when I renovate. I am prepared to be realistic and flexible in order to focus on the completion of my project. And absolutely Patricia, I'm looking for close enough and that will be good enough. Thanks again for your truly heopful insights! Lori's Amazing Website