Here is your trxt to make it easier for the folks to answer: We have a 1920's home with a drop ceiling basement and brown 70's paneling in most the living area, but the laundry room itself is open wood beams on the ceiling, with pipes, conduit, vents, etc. running in every direction, unpainted. The walls are exposed cinder block previously painted and dreary looking, along with some sad amateur looking shelves. The "living areas" with the drop ceiling - we will be spraying the drop ceiling black. I realize this may make the ceiling look shorter, but such is life. The drop ceiling is old and dingy looking, we've put enough money in this house and don't want to spend a great deal in this area, but it definitely needs a face lift. The paneling will be painted as well. While the rest of our house is traditional, our basement will be decorated more contemporary as our old furniture from our apartment living days is contemporary, but I think the key is to stay with warm colors throughout. The exposed beam ceiling in the laundry room will probably be painted BM Linen White, just to give a clean brighter look in there, but I'm guessing this will be a huge undertaking as I have to figure out how to paint around all those pipes. Not sure if the pipes should be painted or not - galvanized steel, copper, cable wires, vents, etc. I am looking for suggestions on a wall color for the laundry room, and for the other living areas. We'll also be adding some custom wood shelves in the laundry room which is a workshop/laundry area all in one, and I'm trying to decide if I should paint the shelving the same colors as the wall or the ceiling. Should they blend or stand out? We tiled the basement floor with alternating charcoal and light grey ceramic tiles that we got on clearance at a discount warehouse years back, a decision on a whim, so we're stuck with that. Going back, I wouldn't have chosen grey. I would consider this a cool/neutral color, though I prefer warm colors on the walls. Regardless, I have oriental rugs everywhere, so it will have a somewhat eclectic look I suppose. The laundry room floor is not tiled, but it will be painted with a floor paint. Suggestions? Has anyone done this? I have a can of black floor paint that I've never used. Too dark? The rest of my house has warm colors throughout. I like yellows, but nothing canary-ish. Some examples are P&L Popcorn, Caramel Tint & Bay Rum. Also SW Viva Gold. My friend has BM Pine Brook in her living room (interior decorator), and it's fabulous, I'd love to try in my basement, but I fear it will look too dreary as it's a deep color. I dislike MOST pastels, pinks, blues, light green and beige/neutrals. I love rich colors, nice deep reds, but again I fear it will be too dark. I was looking at my paint cans in the basement, and the colors throughout my house that look good upstairs, don't look the same with the basement lighting, and that's what I've read everywhere about choosing colors for basements, the light doesn't reflect the same. We have glass block windows that let some light in, but not really a bright basement by any standard. Most of the lighting is fluorescent (unfortunately), but may eventually be replaced with canned lighting...not sure at this point in time. My original thought for the paneling was BM Philadelphia Cream (a historical color), as I think this is a great combo with the black, but undecided as of yet. I'd like suggestions for paint colors, and pics would be spectacular to give me ideas. My basement really needs a facelift.

I'm another person using a cool color in a lower level (a half-basement, 3.5 feet below grade). Still, although windows are normal style and size, there aren't enough of 'em. So our family room is a low natural light area. I've done a ton of research on blue here, paying attention to blues that worked well for someone else in a low light setting. You'd still have to try these in the specific setting. For whatever reason, more Benjamin Moore colors are mentioned. Those could be matched by SW or just look for something similar. Here's a few to start with: BM Woodlawn Blue or BM Wedgewood Grey (same strip) BM Mount Saint Anne or Beach glass (same strip) BM Palladian Blue (very popular) A couple of SW colors mentioned: SW Sea Salt SW Hinting Blue SW Rainwashed One that sounds interesting to me, again not SW, but "works" in someone else's low-light situation is: Faro and Ball Borrowed Light Found it interesting that a comment on a thread here claims that Faro And Ball has the "best blues". So it has me curious. Anyway, sort of a starting point. Wellspring

Sherwin Williams is a decent paint. I have used both it and Benjamin Moore. Personally, I will never buy Benjamin Moore again, but many love it and use it all the time. You also need to be aware that bases are different for paint brands, so you may not get the same exact color in another brand, so its better to go with the Sherwin Williams. Reviews are not always accurate. A paint job depends upon the prep that goes into the project. Also what kind of paint is on the wall right now. Is it the type that needs a primer? Flat paint is less washable than matte. Matte paint is less washable than eggshell. Eggshell is less washable than satin, and etc. The sheen you pick is dependent on whether you have little ones that often put hands on walls, and will need to clean it often. It is also dependent on the condition of your walls. Anything with a sheen will show wall imperfections more. Flat or matte, will not show the imperfections so much. Also, I would want some type of washability in bathrooms and kitchens and in my case, my hallway, which always seems to have finger prints for some reason.

Hello - hard to tell actual floor color from photos but uploaded a few angles to give an idea. Looking for help choosing paint from SW! Think it’s best to do a white vs a gray since floors are light gray. Just don’t know which white would be best. House gets a lot of light. Need help with wall, crown molding, and ceiling THANK YOU!!!!!!! Just don’t like beige-ish whites