Color Theory, the Best Method for Chosing Paint?

He asked: "What color are you going to paint the room?"

She responds: "I'm thinking a creamy beige."

He replies: "Oh, but I thought last time you painted a room beige you hated it? And didn't you say you didn't care what all those real estate shows say about neutral colors, it's your house and you're going to paint it whatever color you want?"

She says: "Yeah, but didn't like it because it was facing another room that had a light value and the two didn't play well together. So I repainted with a dark shade."

Him: (perplexed doesn't say a word)

She continues: "And since this is the sewing room it really needs to be a neutral tone. Otherwise it could cast a strange color onto the fabrics and make matching difficult."

He says: "But wouldn't it cast the same color on all the fabrics?"

She gives him that look and proceeds: "And it needs to be a light tint to keep the room bright. So I think beige would be the color."

The conversation continues around task vs ambient light and the possibility of a new light fixture when they pass the local Dairy Queen. There was a huge sign outside that read, "Closing Tomorrow for the Season." Both their eyes and ears perked up and agreed that they better stop there on the way home. There would be no more opportunity for ice cream until next spring! Never mind that there is another one a few miles up the road that stays open year round. It was a grand excuse to stop for ice cream.

As they stood before the gallery of paint chips, comparing one to the other like everyone does, He asks: "Why are you choosing chips from the Craftsman Bungalow collection? Why aren't you choosing the American Farmhouse one's?"

Without even turning her head from the chips she explains, "I like the Farmhouse colors, but because the Bungalow collection are warmer shades, their earthy color would harmonize better with the wood tones in our house. All the colors for the house are from this collection and so they'll all harmonize well with each other."

He says: "Okay. That's good, I like those colors better."

So after all that scientific thought and discussion we ended up unanimously agreeing on a color called caramel. (Gee, no subconscious decisions being made there.)


I like it, I think it really does help warm up the space. It looks good with the wood trim. And it's yummy.

It even coordinates well with the cat!