You might want to check out a series of threads on using design seeds....it might help you with a color scheme and how to pull colors through open spaces so they coordinate...lots of ideas there...maybe something will strike your fancy. Here is a link that might be useful: using design seeds

I would go with a light wispy gray! We use Benjamin Moore's Gray Owl all the time and it adds warmth while keeping spaces bright and fresh. Good luck!

mark, I intend to, just thought I would ask a wider audience as well. apple-pie, The finished floor needs to be 2' above base flood elevation which is 52'. Current house is a hair over 48'. i don't want to go higher because it would look weird for our area. I am not on a waterfront of any kind. The home will appear about 3' up when finished with siding. In addition to being opposed to more stairs than necessary , I have relatives with mobility issues. A ramp can easily be constructed for the times we need one.

Sometimes decorating around what is often a "design mistake" is a 2nd mistake. If one does not like the first mistake, the 2nd won't somehow neutralize it. I once had a client who carpeted the entire, LARGE first floor of her house with rust, somewhat "shady" wool carpet. A VERY expensive mistake and one she should not have tried to decorate around. She finally gave in and had it taken up, to her husband's great chagrin. A mistake is a mistake. I'd save my money and replace those floors before doing anything else.