Aah, have re read your original post. Apologies.

Yes, I was thinking of doing the fireplace wall in Van Courtland Blue. That wall is giving me so much trouble, I have no clue how to decorate it. I’ve had black open shelf bookcases flanking it, I’ve tried consoles flanking it, one console/one bookcase, a mirror over the fireplace, art work over the fireplace... it makes me want to scream! lol! I’m thinking it all boils down to me hating the wall color in this house. I thought maybe an accent wall would help. I might be wrong but it seems like a good place to start.
And yes, I was wondering what trim if I did Revere Pewter and Van Courtland Blue. I will also need a ceiling color. I will be hiring a painter for those.

Just looking things over,,,

Thank you!

White Dove could be a great ceiling colour with Revere Pewter as it has that little touch of creaminess. In some lights the somewhat crisper, Green-Yellow more neutral whites, can look a little more greyed on the ceiling. White Dove might have enough chroma to lessen that effect.

Should you fancy though something a little more crisp and neutral on the trim you might want to look at Oxford White or Super White. They will pair well with White Dove.

Seattle Mist is a touch darker and a little more neutral than Revere Pewter. Revere Pewter is likely to read slightly warmer, but should it shift purple than that difference might be all you need to inhibit that happening.

Hope that helps a little to get you started?

P.s. Sweet Spring as mentioned above is also worth getting a chip for. It’s a little lighter than Revere Pewter and further again away from that tendency to shift purple zone. It could possibly have a blue aspect in imbalanced light but you would notice that if you test/chip it and view in different aspects.

Marylee H - oh my heavens! Thank you sooooo much for chiming I’m on my thread! I never would have known about Mountain Mist if you didn’t post. I still have a lot of thinking and swatch painting to do but, that color is amazing! It is going somewhere in my house for sure.
Here’s a quick little mock up board of the colors I got today.
Van Courtland is the blue at the top. Starting at the bottom left is Seattle Mist, an open bare spot with no paint, Mountain Mist, and then Sweet Spring.
I need to do dig out my can of Revere Pewter and paint that in the blank spot. Later today I’ll try and get some large swatches on the walls.
Thank you again!

Forgot the photo!

You are a FAST worker! 😆 Brilliant!

Do let us know how you go?

You may find it easier to do your big swatches on lining paper rather than the walls, then you can move them around.

It’s probably in those more shadowed corners you need to consider most carefully.

Good Luck!

🌈

Haha! I’ve been living with that ugly Adobe Sand for 5 years and couldn’t take it any longer. I was on a mission today!
I think I have some foam board I can paint the larger swatches on so I can move them around.
I will keep you posted :)

I finished the fireplace wall yesterday and have been looking at the Revere Pewter and Mountain Mist swatch boards. My thoughts are this... Mountain Mist is amazing in my north facing two story foyer, it doesn’t seem to play well in the other parts of the house throughout day. Revere Pewter will work in all the spaces BUT... I’m thinking the Van Courtland Blue and Revere Pewter would look too traditional.
Any other other colors come to mind to go with the Van Courtland Blue?

Sweet Spring is going in my laundry room off the kitchen, thanks for that color Judy!

Hi, just a few thoughts,

Are you considering something the same value as Van Courtland Blue (lightness) or lighter again or darker still?

Also a few options amongst harmonising options,

From the same Hue Family, (monochrome).

palette including colours from adjacent Hue Families, (analogous) = gentle contrast in Hue.

Opposite Hue Family (complementary). more dynamic contrast.

🌈

I’m thinking something lighter than Van Courtland and in an opposite hue.

This is Revere Pewter and Van Cortland.

This is Mountain Mist and Van Courtland.

I think the mountain mist looks more modern but I fear it’s not going to look as good in my kitchen and family room as it does in my foyer.

Oh and my hubby is going to treat me a new couch for that room! So I’ll need to pick a color for that too. I was thinking navy blue but then my red chair will have to move to another room.

It’s likely the same Hue Family as your flooring, Yellow-Red. If you do find you fancy near neutrals from around 40°-90° then they will definitely require testing in your space. If the light is well balanced they will appear exactly as you imagine they might, but there is potential to show some colour shift towards lavender/purpleish.

I don’t mention this to put you off, just to ensure you examine them in different light in your space.

An alternative to bear in mind is a split complementary palette. Perhaps walls from the Yellow Hue Family and accessories from the Red.

🌞

Oh Lordy... I think you lost me. lol!

I do know what you’re referring to when you talk about shifting to lavender/purplish. I used Edgecomb Gray for the rec room in our old house and it pulled purple and when it didn’t it looked like putty. I do not want that again. I was looking at Gray Owl? I found a post on here where someone was looking for a color for their sunroom. The rooms leading into that sunroom were Gray Owl and she ended up using Van Courtland for the sunroom.

I will also say that I am not 100% attached to the Van Courtland and would consider other palettes. I would like to keep the morning room in something saturated from the rest of the house so when you come in from the front door it pulls you back there.
Am I making any sense???

🤓Yes I do understand about the desire for something with depth.

Yes, Edgecomb gray is an example of potential colour shift from that region. It doesn’t happen in every room, it just depends upon the available light. There will be plenty of people who find it appears just exactly as the paint chip looked in the paint showroom.

Just keep referring back to your fixed elements in the space. You appear to have a wooden floor from the Yellow-Red Hue Family, so anything you choose will feel more harmonious if it sits well with that.

If you feel able to be more specific about the colour you are aiming for, you may get lots more helpful suggestions? Would you consider a colour as dark or darker than Van Courtland? More colourful or more grey etc? Any detail you can explain, will help You further.

🤓🌈

Gray Owl sits just almost at the end of the Yellow Hue Family, toward the Green-Yellow Hue Family. In appearance it suggests a near neutral gray and because of its location it sometimes shows signs of its Green-Yellow proximity. In imbalanced light it has been known to shift blue. This maybe less of an issue for you, if it were teamed with a blue colour anyway? Just be aware, it may or may not happen in your space.

All of these low Chroma colours are far more susceptible to changes in light, than their more colourful relatives. The skill comes in managing that and enjoying those changes.

I have used BM Gray Owl, BM Van Cortland Blue, BM Smoke, BM Chantilly Lace in adjacent rooms

Well, I’m back at the paint store 😆
I’m grabbing a sample of Gray Owl and Stonington Gray.
When I have a better connection I’ll post back with a follow up and some more details, Marylee H

We have success! Well, almost. I’m down to two colors; Stonington Gray and Gray Owl. On this cloudy day I’m favoring Gray Owl. I’m going to move them around and watch them this weekend when it’s sunny and hopefully have a decision made by Monday.
Here are some rugs that have colors I like. Which do you think would work well under the dark brown dining table that I have in my morning room?

I’ve decided on Gray Owl. What do you think Marylee H? Did I do ok choosing a wall color and rug options that work with the warm wood work?

Gcubed - what color flooring and cabinets do you have in the rooms with gray owl, van courtland, and smoke?

Hi - did you manage to make a good size sample of Gray Owl to test in your space?

It is a lovely colour, whether it holds true to its colour notation or if it shifts more blue. You just dont want any surprises!

To balance the harmony between Van Cortland Blue & Gray Owl, you might want to consider using this Double Complementary colour wheel as a guide to choosing textiles and accessories.

Your flooring appears to come from the Yellow-Red Hue Family,

Gray Owl is from the end of the Yellow Hue Family, close to Green-Yellow. (in some lighting situations it may show blueish)

Van Courtland is from the Blue Hue Family,

So including accessories which incorporate tints, tones and shades from these families plus some from the Purple-Blue Family, would help round your colour selection out.

Where feasible, limiting further colours to these 4 Hue Families, will help give your space a much more cohesive feel.

It may help you narrow down your great rug selection!

🌈

Here are the 3 colors with Chantilly Lace trim. The floors are sane color throughout.

I don’t know know how to edit my post on my phone, but should add that the VCB is in an adjacent space separated by doors/trim but the GO and Smoke are in more open spaces next to each other. I have a lot of trim/moulding/built-ins though, in the CL.

Marylee H - I made a 16”x20” sample board of each color. I really do think Gray Owl is the color I want to go with. I just went through my sample cans today and have tried 14 colors in the last 2yrs!

This is what I’ve tried in no particular order.

Vale Mist
October Mist
Raintree Green
Valley Forge Tan
Shenandoah Taupe
Seattle Mist
Wind’s Breath
Sweet Spring
Mountain Mist
Van Courtland Blue
Stonington Gray
Gray Owl
Revere Pewter
Classic Gray

If there is some amazing color out there (that isn’t white/off-white) that I haven’t tried please point it out 🙏😂 Right when I think I have my mind made someone chimes in telling me what a horrible color choice I’ve made (not this thread 😁). I will say this. I like blue. I’m happy with the Van Courtland. But....... I looked up “double complementary” color schemes on Goggle and I didn’t see anything appealing in them. So did I made a poor choice? I was thinking a navy blue couch would be nice?
These were two other rugs I was considering. So you would recommend keeping all colors to Green-Yellow and Blue-Purple hue families?
I’m sorry to ramble on. I’m new to choosing and following a color scheme and I want to understand it and get it right.

Gcubed - is this the photo order?

1. Gray Owl with crown molding
2. Van Courtland with door
3. Smoke with baseboard and floor

Hi - is this the line-up so far? 🌈

I’m so sorry. I’m a mess! There will be NO Revere Pewter used.

These are the colors that I’ve put together. I like them (my husband likes them) and I’m pretty sure they work well together.

From top to bottom they are...

• Oxford White (trim)
• Gray Owl
• Van Courtland Blue
• Mountain Mist
• Hale Navy
• Sweet Spring
• Webster Green
• The chip on the right is Stonington Gray.

My plans are this...

The foyer (including the open upstairs hallway), kitchen nook, kitchen, laundry room hallway, and two family room walls will be Gray Owl.

The fireplace wall and morning room will be Van Courtland Blue.

The laundry room will be Sweet Spring.

The dining room will be Mountain Mist on the top half of the wall and the lower half below the chair rail will be Hale Navy.

The Webster Green is for one of my children’s bedrooms. The Stonington is for the children’s bathroom.

I do not have a color chosen for the powder room.

And the counters will be changed, along with a tile backsplash added. Just not this year. So the dark counters with their flecks of red don't have to play a huge role in color selection.

Yes, that is correct order. I have Smoke in my entry/hall and dining nook wall. Gray Owl in my LR (East facing). VC Blue in a small office. We have similar taste in colors: I have Stonington Gray in my kids' room and Hale Navy in my kitchen (VERY little wall space)! I have a small apartment so none of these colors are taking up crazy amounts of wall space. And all my doors/trim/millwork (have a lot) is Chantilly Lace.

Hi - looks like you have a great line-up that you are pleased with, for your renovations!

Just have a think about the Oxford White though, if it’s to be teamed with Gray Owl. A minimum difference in Chroma of 0.2 between the two colours will give breathing room for each to look crisp next to the other. Less difference in Chroma, as in this case and there’s a chance one might make the other appear dingy.

Super white is an alternative suggestion which maintains that difference in Chroma.

I think Hale Navy with Mountain Mist will look just lovely!

Gcubed - great minds think alike! What color sofa do you have in your living room with the Gray Owl? And what accent colors have you used in the space?

Marylee H - I will happily change the trim to Super White. Is that good with all of the other colors I've listed? I would like to stick to one trim color for the entire house, if possible. Do you have any color recommendations for the powder room? Maybe Mountian Mist?

Sofa is a very light gray fabric. Some may say it blends into the wall but it's a very small room so it works. Primary additional color is a navy/royal blue, but also I have neutral animal print (gray/black), other blues and some hints of red/bright pink too. Most of the lighting in the space is antique brass/black.

Gcubed - Sounds like I'm on a similar color path as you. Do you have any recommendations on the color of a new ceiling fan for our family room? Should I do white so it fades into the ceiling or a bronze finish with wood colored fan blades? We are having recessed lights installed in the kitchen nook area where the drum light is currently. We are also replacing the hallway light fixtures to 6" flushmount LED lights. So the only ceiling fixures that I will have on the first floor are the foyer chandelier, family room ceiling fan, and the fixture over the morning room table. We are undecided on what to put in the morning room, we homeschool and use that table for so much more than just dining. Aesthetically we would prefer just a light that is hung at a more appropriate height but, the room does get warm and a fan is very helpful.

Marylee - would you be able to tell me about some other colors that I’ve recently found? As much as I like the Gray Owl I am beginning to see how it might not play as well with the cabinets and floors as I would like.

Hi - I’ll help if I can. Tell me what you like about it and what you aren’t happy with in relationship to other elements in your space. Heading out shortly but will look at anything you send later.

I'm really just not loving the gray colors. While I think I could use the colors I chose above and most people would walk in and think it looks good, it just isn't reading right to me. I went back to an old sample color from last year, Wind's Breath, and liked that over Gray Owl. I still wasn't loving Wind's Breath enough though; so I headed back to the store and grabbed some more chips and they also gave me a Williamsburg Collection fan deck to take home. I looked through that deck, found some colors that I like, and compared them to all the gray's, greiges, and beiges that I've already tried. The one that stood out to me was Bruton White. What are your thoughts on that color for the main living area with the oak floors and the reddish kitchen cabinets?

Bruton White would pair beautifully with your flooring. It is very close in Value to Gray Owl but contains less innate greenness, moving it further back into the Yellow Hue Family where it sits at 95.33° in comparison to Gray Owl’s location of 107° on our Color Wheel.

As always, it still needs testing with a large chip or moveable sample in your space. In balanced light it will appear as a bright, greyed ‘knocked-back‘ member of the Yellow Hue Family. It may show a suggestion of green in certain light, due to its location and in some spaces possibly even hint blue, but certainly not in every setting. And it will be less inclined to either of those moods in comparison to Gray Owl, which sits much closer to the Yellow-Green Hue Family.

Bruton White has a point more Chroma than Gray Owl which makes it that bit less gray too.

So I think it would be a great choice with your flooring but I can’t comment on how it might pair with the cabinetry as I don’t recall seeing those, sorry. 🤔

Thank you! I will go and get a sample today. I’m happy to read that the differences I was seeing in the samples are really there and not just my eyes playing tricks on me after looking at so many colors 😆

Here is the kitchen. We just had recessed lights added to the nook/open hallway area this week. I’ve asked on Houzz before about painting the kitchen cabinets and everyone has said leave them as is, so that was my plan. In that thread, neutrals with greens and some blues were mentioned as good paint colors to go with the cabinets. We plan to replace the counters soon and add a backsplash, so there won’t be too much wall color near the cabinets.

What white would you recommend for the trim if I go with Bruton White walls?

SW Extra White will give you a crisp white trim against Bruton White. Or for very slightly less contrast, PPG Delicate White.

Any Benjamin Moore whites that you would recommend? That’s my closest paint store.

OC-57 White Heron or OC-65 Chantilly Lace for a crisp contrast or OC-118 Snowfall White for a somewhat less contrast whilst still keeping that 0.2 chroma difference.

Following

User, do you have any final photos to show? i’m interested in Van Courtland Blue for a bathroom to get away from grays. would love to see your place!

I know this post is from awhile ago but just thought I’d add that Edgecomb Gray HC -173 is a very nice light neutral. We had our stairwells and hallways and foyer painted in Edgecomb Gray and our bedroom in Revere Pewter. Right now I am looking at Van Courtland Blue for painting an armoire.