My office is now looking like an outpost of the local paint store and I am collecting paint samples from far and wide. 
I understand that everyone wants to give their input, but some of the comments I’ve heard have not been pleasant. And, as always, I am getting new suggestions all of the time, the latest of which was burgundy.
We’ve decided that since we’re painting, we will paint the stairway, all the way to the top of the house. There is some light on parts of the stairway, but not on others, so there will be very dark spots.
I would like what ever colour we use to continue all though the stairway and the hallway. I put two new colours up at the suggestion of our property director – New England Green and Signature Blue.
I think that we need clear colours to help warm the north-facing space, not muted colours. I applied a swatch of original favourite, Silver Sage, and really like the way it looks. 
I also put a coat of the Cowslip #4 on next to the Pale Cowslip.
I am leaning towards either the Silver Sage or the taupey Spice Bounty, which you can see on the wall and also at the end of the hallway.
But in the end, the decision is not up to me, it’s up to the CEO. However, your input is more than welcome and has been a huge help in looking at colours.
I like the yellows, particularly if the stairhall has dark spots. How lovely would it be to open that front door and get sunny yellow in one's face. The silvery sage is pretty but cold (think about that marble floor) and a bit noncommittal.
ReplyDeleteJust finished Janice Lindsay's All About Color I mentioned to you yesterday. Now, more than ever, I urge you to read this. Her last words about color: "To respond to it with the conviction of a lover, the confidence of a child and the wisdom of millions of years. Then colour, like a companion, will make you happy and bring you home.
ReplyDeleteShe also notes that "colour psychologists have found that young children like warm, clean colours and that cool colours are an acquired taste."
Whatever you do, I think the whole space would looking smashing decorated by art done by your clients.
Meg- You are brave beyond measure- Nothing is harder than being assigned a task and working with many, too many Opins. I stick with the Pale Cowslip from my 10-7 comment. The 2 CEO colours are nice-but too dark la
ReplyDeleteI love that stair -what a great space and I'm glad you are all taking such care to make it welcoming! I love the spice bounty, pale cowslip (the most!) and the silver sage and am confident that whatever is chosen will be delightful! I can't wait to see the final result!
ReplyDeleteThe spice bounty is nice and warm. I like that.
ReplyDeleteWhich ever direction you take Meg, have a happy birthday!
ReplyDeleteI really like the 2 you have picked. Calm and beautiful Interesting to see which color is picked.
ReplyDeleteSpice Bounty ......
ReplyDeleteL
Cowslip, cowslip, cowslip. Classic sunny yellow! I love it!
ReplyDeleteIn full agreement with Mrs Blandings who said, in the previous post, that yellow can be tricky. In fact it is downright treacherous, and one of those colours that works beautifully when applied as a glaze. Otherwise,
ReplyDeletethere is that "cheerful kitchen" taint about yellow.
The good thing is having an attractive, architectural
dado to support whichever colour you select~ which the hall in questions does have. I like the subtlety of Spice Bounty, but in the end it must be decided by those who view it in the daily context.
Oh, Meg, you've got your work cut out for you. Picking colors is hard enough when there isn't a CEO involved. I love your choices and think your instinct is spot on with the silver sage or spice bounty. And they will both stand up well to a variety of artwork, too.
ReplyDeleteTry F&B Lulworth Blue in Estate Emulsion for the walls and F&B Slipper Satin in Estate Eggshell for the woodwork.
ReplyDeleteMeg, seriously listen to me - I wish you would take this to Maria Killam who writes
ReplyDeletehttp://colourmehappyblog.blogspot.com/
She is a great color theorist - send her an email with these new pictures of the hall - they certainly put a different "light" on the subject - and let her give you her opinion. Trust me on this, please - it will be worth it. You don't have to agree with what she says - but her opinion is worth a lot. Just email her. Please. This is such a large expanse to paint, I would hate for you and the CEO to get it wrong which you easily could - a professional should really help out with these. Paint is SO hard to get right.
silver sage is my favorite. this past weekend i was at a concert and the space reminded me of your painting project - the walls had white wainscotting with green/sage on the wall above - it looked good
ReplyDeleteSilver Sage or Spice Bounty would be on my short list. The top two samples are very dark and harsh, imo. Anxious to hear more of the decision as it is made!
ReplyDeleteJust noticed on Maison21 that it is your birthday- Happy Birthday from a new fan of your blog. I just discovered you last week and have been re-reading all of your old posts. Nice to see someone curating such a lovely blog here in Baltimore. All the best !
ReplyDeleteSpice Bounty gets my vote. Muted but assertive and natural ... beautiful.
ReplyDeleteI vote silver sage or go slightly lighter on the yellow. I always feel like yellow comes out much heavier in two coats. Can't wait to see!
ReplyDeletePaint is HARD. Courage.
ReplyDeleteLove the pale cowslip, Spice bounty and the silver sage.
ReplyDeleteI think your preference of the spice bounty and the silver sage are right on. There is no question the other two dark colors are too dark and the yellow a little over the top. To bad the decision is not your as clearly you know what you are doing and I am sure that is why the have asked you to take on the role that you have. Good luck with some subtle persuasions.
ReplyDeleteI don't envy your position right now. We just went through the choices of paint color in our new house and have a bin full of the color samples. It takes time. To through out one more suggestion: Benjamin Moore "Quiet Momements". Similar to Silver Sage but a little more blue.
ReplyDeleteCourage!
hope your birthday was delightful, and i also hope you try to cut the pale cowslip with white! that hall screams for sunny yellow!
ReplyDeletesilver sage is also really pretty :-)
as many readers have noted, paint is hard, especially trying to please multiple people with it as *everyone* perceives color differently, and the color you choose will also have different effects on different floors and different times of day. so SWATCH SWATCH SWATCH! i've worked on projects where the walls have looked like patchwork before we decide!
yellow IS difficult. it changes with the light. with that said: i'm voting for pale cowslip. though i also like the spice bounty -- especially with the floor. however, watch for changing light through the seasons for it not to get too dingy with that blue light that shines through the windows during the dead of winter. silver sage i think of restoration hardware in 2000. one yellow i have been successful with is ben. moore's 'cream yellow' -- just enough yellow but not (as TW said so well) that screamingly happy kitchen yellow.
ReplyDeleteBack again with the Janice Lindsay, who is Maria's mentor. In rereading sections of All About Color, she notes that too happy, sunny yellow is the color children who who behavioral problems like to destroy most! I reaffirm Cote de Texas on the colorist. But I'd go with the one who wrote the book. She is in Toronto.
ReplyDeleteMeg...Either of your final choices would be fine but I'm partial to Spice Bounty. Good luck, Rosemary
ReplyDeleteI'm loving that Spice Bounty.
ReplyDeleteSpice Bounty and Silver Sage are my favorites too. I think either would be beautiful.
ReplyDeleteSpice Bounty hands down.... but I'm a taupey kinda gal....
ReplyDeleteHey, do you want to exchange blog links? BTY you need a strong colour to go with the black and white tile!
ReplyDeleteGreat, great, great and – did I forget something? Oh, yeah: Great! thanks for sharing that with us.
ReplyDelete