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jamiea312

Help with paint color flow in small house

jamiea312
2 years ago

Hello, Houzz!,


My GardenWeb account doesn't want to let me in so I'm starting over, hoping this is still the same great community!


I have a very small 3BR raised ranch and I'm trying to be conscious of how things transition and flow as I prepare to paint the final two of the three BRs.

  • Doors and trim are BM Super White; windows in every room have white wood 2" blinds; basic white ceilings.
  • Hardwood floors, natural light (red?) oak that's about to be sanded and refinished again to natural; it's been 25 years and it's worn and I think a bit honey-colored; some area rugs that coordinate with the color schemes mentioned.
  • The LR and hallway are newly BM Adriatic Sea, which is a deep teal blue full-spectrum color. Furniture is plummy-brown leather and walnut; accent color is lime, with a smidge of purple. There is a wall of lighted, white built-ins with Adriatic Sea on their back wall, and a small rattan chest (matches the floor.)
  • BR #1 (office) and bathroom are both newly BM Lenox Tan. When you walk down the hall from the LR you're looking straight into the Lenox Tan, framed through the white trim and Adriatic Sea hallway. There's an oversized chair in a muted yellow-green windowpane plaid with a bit of teal blue, a navy-to-medium blue gradient rug, small walnut side table, and a dark brown rattan storage ottoman. There's a big plant in a lime green pot. It feels to me like it flows well.


The entry doors to the remaining two BRs are immediately adjacent to each other, about 8 feet away and 90 degrees from the tan office BR entry. As you exit the bathoom you're looking directly into both these BRs, again framed by the white trim and Adriatic Sea. What I'd like to do is to paint the other two BRs the same color, something green-yellow.

  • One is the guest BR, has a small black desk, black platform bed with storage headboard and black-and-white bedding. That's all staying, and I was thinking of accenting in bright teal or violet purple arena. One south window.
  • The last is the MBR. It has a black platform bed with a tall-ish open (not solid) headboard, and bright white bedding. No color pops or other furnishings yet (everything went in the trash.) I'm not one for matchy-matchy sets so planning a mix of walnut, black, espresso, and perhaps a rattan item. Large east/south corner windows.

I'm struggling with the green-yellow color. The lighting difference between these two rooms will no doubt skew a single color, but in an organic way that works for me, hopefully. The rooms will be the same, but different. (The thought of trying to shoehorn in yet another color - eek!)


A leading contender had been Pale Avocado but the longer I look at the painted swatch, the less I love it. Moving a little more green, I was considering Pale Sea Mist (too light) or Dill Pickle (too dark) and Hibiscus (too saturated?) I'd even taken a look at an old favorite, Timothy Straw (toooo yellow.)


Frankly, I think I'd be OK with any of those in a vaccuum but due to the small footprint of my house, I'm most concerned about something that won't pick a fight with Adratic Sea and Lenox Tan.


I'm not stuck on BM colors; that's the only deck I have (and it's an old one) so BM just tends to be my go-to.


Am I on the right track? Any suggestions (criticism is fine, but I can't change the Adriatic Blue or Lenox Tan, LOL) much appreciated.

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