I think you're on the right track with a pale yellow, but I have a feeling that the bright accent colors will look better with a cleaner wall color, like maybe Jersey Cream or Full Moon. Ivoire is toned/grayed down and it may look muddy with lime, turquoise, etc. I also worry about potentially muddy colors looking even more so in north facing rooms. I like to keep colors clear and clean in north light. My DD wanted a deep blue room and we went with a BM Historic color, also somewhat toned down, not a clear blue. Instead of the off white and toned down gold I thought we'd be using, she opted for lime green. I think a cleaner blue would have been better for that accent. Luckily, she doesn't give a hoot about those kinds of subtleties and I only go into her room under duress. :-) If you have a Ben Moore dealer near you, take a look at Ambiance. It is a pale yellow with just a touch of pink in it. I used it in my north-facing laundry room and it is very subtle and pleasant. I think it would work well as a backdrop for your daughter's brights...will let them take the stage.

tribbix, I did start a thread actually but after having tried some of the suggestions, the colors just haven't worked out for me. I think I was trying to go for the "coastal" look and I really need to stop forcing the room in that direction. I've bought a ton of paint samples and I'm just not happy with any of them. The blues are too blue, the grays are timid (but at the same time I'm afraid of going darker) and I just do not like any of the yellows and oranges or reds. I've gone through all the colors on the spectrum and nothing is 'clicking.' My current wall is yellow so I've been using posterboards and leaving a white trim to get a better read of the colors. I loved the idea of Wickham Gray and Gray Owl, but they read as very pale on my postercards. I wonder if it's because I'm just not very good at mentally imagining what the entire apartment will look like painted? Or do postercards whitewash colors and make them lighter than they actually would be when painted on the wall? I need to paint the walls before I move in and the painter is coming Saturday! I work so can't spend all day trying out paint colors and seeing it at different times of the day. I am now stressed to the point where I'm thinking of just throwing a dart, picking a color and hoping for the best. artikllery9, I loved your picture posted up above. Is that of a north facing room? That is the kind of color scheme that I want - gray walls, brown wood floors (carpet in the livingroom, wood in the dining area) and white sofa and couch with dark brown coffee tables. The room looks stunning! I tried Gray Owl but it read as very pale on my walls. Maybe I need a heavier coat of paint? Or maybe it will look different once the entire room is painted in that color? My room does actually get quite a bit of light and has one wall of mirrors on the far side of the room. Massagerocks: did Clay Beige work for you in a north facing room? I really wanted to like Horizon and Abalone but Horizon didn't show up as a color for me and Abalone was pure lavendar - has anyone else had this experience? Thanks in advance for all your help!

I just painted my north facing room smokey taupe from Benjamin Moore. I tried BM Halo on poster board in the room and looked at it from all different angles and at all different times of day and thought I loved it. When the room was painted it looked mint green. I had to then make a decision about what color to repaint and snow made it so I couldn't go get samples -- so I did as much research as I could on other "grieges" and picked smokey taupe from a paint strip because the articles I found said it had red undertones versus green -- and I love it. Has a nice taupe-gray feel that's very neutral. The upshot is, pay attention to what research you can find about undertones -- I don't recommend picking from a paint strip, obviously, but the research helped a lot (and I guess I got a bit lucky). I know seeing is believing, but a little supplemental research can really help, too. Wish I had paid attention to it before I had to repaint!

Hi. I'm starting a master bedroom reno. Getting rid of grandma's traditional dark furniture and swapping in walnut mid-century modern. Also, going for a navy blue headboard/cream linen bedding. Room is currently "tan" and feels dark and masculine and I'm trying to drastically lighten it up with new bedding, curtains and paint color. I like a soft white like BM Simply White (my hallways are this) but wondering if I should go for more of a soft cream to give this low-light room a "warm" feel. Just worried I'll still have a dark feeling room. Any suggestions? A designer recommended BM Alabaster but it has a gray undertone that I don't love. Any advice appreciated!