1) Neutrals will take an undertone, so it is important to know which neutrals according to the primaries...red, yellow, or blue? 2) Then, once you know that, choose cool or warm of those undertones. Then, light or dark. (think skin here. Why does gray look so bad on some people and yellow look great? Why does yellow make some people look sick, and gray makes them look fresh and hip?) 3) Natural daylight. No natural light in the house? Unless you like a cave-like feeling on a Sunny day, limit yourself to the first top 3 colors of the card in the paint fan. If you like a cave look during the day, go ahead and use the bottom 3 or 4. If you have a house with tons of windows and natural light, lucky you, paint every room in deep saturated color....it's great in the day with light, and there is nothing like dark walls at night. Okay......that being said, here are some great colors I've used. BM Aura .... HARMONY This is the ultimate beige/ neutral. It goes with yellow, taupe, green, blue. It can be warm, or cool, depending on what's in the room. It's nice. Cut it in half and the color is a light, pleasant creamy color. BM SMOKEY TAUPE....the EXACT color of that beautiful linen sometimes called 'flax' (the sample looks like it has a green undertone, but it goes competely gray gorgeous taupe in my cream and white bedroom. It's classy, and fabulous with white trims. SW NUTHATCH: Dark and gorgeous brown without looking like you tried too hard. I had it in a bedroom with white trims and off white carpet. Caution: Ceilings look really bad when you have these dark colors if you leave them white. Paint the ceiling a few shades lighter (go up the card sample in the same color....that always works.) BM - PATRIOTIC WHITE. This is a quick change white. It can go white with a tinge of ocean blue, or ocean blue-green. It's cool one minute, then turns warm in the sunlight. At night it's warmer. It's a very fresh white. It's great if you need light in the room from lack of windows. Pair this wall color with very white trims. With ebonized floors,blacks, browns and greys, driftwoods, and touches of sunny yellows this color would be so chic. SW Spaulding grey, Garret Grey, : these are great deep colors of taupe/brown. I painted my exterior with Garrett Gray....it was a dark purply taupe. I had blue-green shutters, soft white trims, and a cherry stained front door. Very, very beautiful. Inside, Spaulding grey is a dark purply brown. Very nice with cherry wood, or maple. Great for a feature fireplace wall. Makes medium or light stained wood, stone, brick "pop". SW Mystic Beige: a medium light nice warm beige...goes with everything. Some people would call it boring, but if you have nice architecture, or nice furniture, fabrics, or paintings, this color will let them be the star. One opinion: I really don't like the paint "rules" you'll be told at the paint store. I'd stay away from asking advice in there. Find out if they have a color consultant on the payroll who you could talk to. Also, if you read decorating magazines, keep a file in your file cabinet for "paint color" .......almost all of these magazines have a section on what colors to use. Rip out the pages, and stash them in the file. When you need to pick a color, you'll have the names, and the descriptions, and sometimes pictures of the rooms using the colors.

The concepts of color "depth" and "complexity" might be the most difficult to pinpoint and explain. Deeper, depth, complex are words that get tossed around a lot. No one wants a Plain Jane paint color when "complex" sounds like it would be so much prettier and better, right? These descriptions of color are about nuance. Nuance is not the same as LRV. Lightness value (LRV) and grayscale value (usually 10 gray squares) is where most people get confused. And, really, it is understandable. They're both scales of gray squares - but the gray squares are not the same grays. LRV and grayscale are inextricably tied but are distinctly different parts of color that can be measured and plotted separately. LRV is measured by device. Grayscale is a visual assessment. I just answered a question on the Paint forum that's similar. I think the images included help illustrate the difference. Here is a link that might be useful: LRV and Nuance

Your idea about the mantel is spot on ! I think your new rug is nice, but....(sorry), I feel like you dont need a rug in here or you need something lighter, smaller possibly even a free form like faux bear or even round. the space is so small the rug is closing you in. recliners will eat up a lot of space here........ you will have to forgo the coffee table I suspect. have you toyed with the idea of an ottoman instead, especially since if you are reclined you dont really face the tv so it might not be as awesome lol. You could do a reclining chair and sofa with an ottoman, might get more function out of that. Leather sofas really only have so many looks, so I would argee that gray is not really great I would lean toward beige if it was me. might I also toss out there the light bulb you have shining on the fireplace is a bit to daylight for my taste and also seems to be very bright! I think diming it down, narrowing the beam spread might high light the art better, its a bit washed out right now. https://www.costco.com/campania-leather-power-reclining-sofa-with-power-headrests.product.100390699.html https://www.macys.com/shop/product/kaleb-tufted-leather-sofa-collection-created-for-macys?ID=2672877

Your Bedrosians Makoto tile in Shoji White has a soft, warm undertone (slight creamy beige base), so avoid cool whites that can make it look dull or muddy. For Benjamin Moore, try: White Dove OC-17: A warm white with a whisper of gray-beige that harmonizes with your tile’s warmth without clashing. Simply White OC-117: A brighter, clean warm white that keeps the space fresh but still complements Shoji White’s subtle creaminess. Cloud White OC-130: Slightly deeper warmth for coziness if your vanity oak is medium-toned. Your husband isn’t wrong about the can lights being sufficient, but a vanity light adds dimension and prevents shadows on your face (critical for makeup/shaving). For your small bath: Install a slim, 2-light gold fixture (like Rejuvenation’s Cary) centered over the mirror. Use 25W LED bulbs (3000K) to match can lights’ warmth without glare. Alternative: A small wall sconce on each side of the mirror if space allows (more balanced than overhead). This keeps the room functional and polished. The gold will tie into your fixtures while the warm white paint unifies the tile.