HouseBeautiful + FAVORITE PA!NT COLORS

According to a recent survey, nearly 80% of the design community recommends Benjamin Moore over any other paint. See who else loves Benjamin Moore at facebook.com/BenjaminMoorePaints.

Benjamin Moore paints are sold at over 4CXXl retaUers nationwide. Visit BenJamlnMoore.com to find the one closest to you.

A For Those Who Know More.- Benjamin Moore'

QUI':: COI D R I JE RSO.\!. \ 1 , I T),

Trying to figure out the colors you really love? Just fill in the blanks below. We're pretty confident you'll find the answer on this page.

500- FAVORITE PAINT COLORS

I. What's the first color you see in the morning?

2. What color are your eyes?

3. What color do you wear the most?

4. What color do you never wear?

5. What color do you wear when you want to feel sexy?

6. What color gets you the most compliments?

7. What color is your lipstick?

II. What color was your favorite crayon as a child?

13. What color was your prom dress?

12. What color is your car?

14. What's your favorite gemstone?

15. What is your favorite flower?

16. That colo kesyou

happiest?

17. What color depresses you?

18. What color calms you?

8. What color was your living room when you were growing up?

19. What color makes you grind your teeth?

9. What color was your bedroom when you were growing up?

JO. What color are your sheets?

20. What color would you like to try, but are scared to?

,

.

500' FAVORITE PAINT COLORS

THE BEST WHITE . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

NEUTRALS . .

25 COLORFUL NEUTRALS.

. 12

'4

Colol" Iw (:0101" " "

THE BEST BLUE . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 THE EDGE OF BLUE.. . . 24 THE BEST PURPLE. ......... 26 THE BEST PINK " THEBESTREO . . ........ 30 THE BEST ORANGE 3' THE BEST BROWN. . . . . 34 THE BEST GREEN. 3' THE TRICKIEST COLORS .... 38

HOUSE BEAUTIFUL

Spring I Summer 2010

THE ENTRANCE HALL . . . . . . . 42 THE DINING ROOM .. 44

THE KITCHEN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

THE BEDROOM

THE BATHROOM . . . . . .. . . . . . 50 THE HALLWAY. 5'

11011 do ou 1I'(tnl Otll l"Oorn lo r(d"l"

WHArs YOUR COLOR PERSONALITY? . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56

CALMING COLORS . . .. . . . . . . S8 COZY COLORS. ..60

COLORS TO MAKE YOU FEEL GOOD . . . . . . . . . . . . 62

SEXY COLORS!.

COLORS THAT MEN LOVE . . . . . . . . . . . . 66

COLORS TO MAKE YOU LOOK YOUNGER. . .68

COLORS FOR BLONDES.. .70 COLORS FOR BRUNETTES . . 72

THE MOST POPULA R column in House Beautiful magazine each month is two simple pages that recommend triedand-true paint colors. People have stopped me on the street and in elevators across the country to tell me how much they love it. It turns out, we each think we're the only one who has a hard time matching the color in our head to a paint chip. Fouryears and soo-plus colors later, we've decided to bring aU our color columns together in this book for you, not for the coffee table, but to dog-ear, bookmark, spatter with paint, use and reuse whenever your home needs a lift. Designers are our lifeblood at House Beautiful. We are hugely grateful to them for their generosity here, sharing what they've learned about color so that we can enjoy the magic in a can of paint with some of their confidence.

----Stephen Drucker, EDITOR IN CHIEF

COLORS FROM THEGARDEN76

THE COLORS OF SUMMER ... 78

101 COLORS FROM NATURE .. 80

CONFESSIONS OF A HOUSE PAINTER.

CREDITS & RESOURCES.

BALANCE YOUR HOME WITH COLOR!.

110\\ I)Olci (uoe yOU? "

TAKING THE PLUNGE ... . . . . . 88

UNDERAPPRECIATED.

DREAM COLORS . . . . . . . . . . . . 92

OUTRAGEOUS'. 94

GREAT NAMES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96

FOR MORE COLOR STORIES FROM THE HOUSE BEAUTIFUL ARCHIVES. GO TO HOUSEBEAUTIFUL.COM/COLORS

Sol\in

"We \vantcd to make feal ly good use or the natural light. Por continuity \ve painted all the\nlils i n the main rooms the !'lame color. It's a soft, milky white, with no yellO\v or pink or blue in it. And not a bright white, which can sometimes be a little too harsh." SJ\A SC"'QlIOE PRATT & LAMBERT SILVER LINING 3232

NeuLrals These are the colors most of us want to come home to. Whites, an entire rainbow of them. Off-whites, cozier and creamier than ever, thanks to new and better paints. And a whole new world of neutrals that turn up the volume with just a hint of color-beautiful, interesting, yet still so easy to live with.

IN THIS CHAPTER:

THE BESTWHITE

NEUTRALS

25 COLORFUL NEUTRALS

1 NEUTRALS

'0

T I I F . B F .ST \\,I I iT F .

"If you have a wa 11 wil h a bow in it ora floor that has settled, this will make an old room feci graceful rathcrthan brand new. It has morc pigment and therefore more character." PETER PENNOHR FARROW" SALL STRONG WHITE 2001

"It's the classic formula. Linen White looks as if it's been on the wall a long time, which works very well with old English and French furniture. But it can be a little too yellow, so I usually cool it down with Decorators White to make something a bit lighter and more sophisticated." KEITH IRVINE B!:NJAMIN MOOR LINEN WHITE 912 DECORATORS WHITE

If you've ever tried to pick a white paint, you know there's such a thing as too much choice. We asked the experts, and they didn't hesitate.

"Elleryt hing looks good against a Irue, clear. eyechilling, freezing-cold while. II'S l ikca snow blizzard, or Ascot. ur Huck Finn'swhitcfcnce, or marshmallows, or sugar. A nythi ng placed against that background project s Ii kc Tt.:ch n icolor." IoIUIIIIAVIoiOSS BENJAMIN MOORE SUPER WHITE

"You can seecvery color in it-it's a charnc1eon that changes with natura I light. Anything ),011 put ncar it is comfortable. This wh ite isgoingtobc wilh me for Ihe rest of my lire. M.lIIIETTE HIMES GOMEZ DON.lLD AUFMAN COLOR DKCSI

"II'S tough loget a crisp lookwilhout bcing cold. That's where Ivory White does thetrick. It's also the moSI flexible wh ite J 've come across and works with any color. I'll often carry il through from rOOI11 10 room on I he I rim." THOIoiAS PHEASANT BEN}.lMIN MOORE IVORVWHITE925

MI never paint every wall in a room the samecolor. light hits each wall in a different way,so 1 have toadjust the shade. It's usually white, out not une white. All White isa pure white, Puinting hasa little ocher, Slipper Satin has more gray. and between the tl1f

11 NEUTRALS

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"['ve been using Bella Donna a Jot. It's a smoky lavender gray, the color ofa twilight sky. I used ilon the parlor floor of a brownstone, and it looked nat-out sophisticated. ['m in the bedroom of my country hOllse right now, which is painted this color. Bella Donna i s a sexy, adult coloI', but itcangoa lotor different ways." DD ALLEN C2 PAINT BEllA DONNA C2316

"When in doubt, linen White. You can phone that in. II mightsccm I ike a cop-out, but it works beautifully. 1 1Lse it when people are unsurc.Thcywant something light and ai ry, but not stark wh ite. No matter what light you put it in, il looksgood. MATTHEW PATRICK SMYTH BEJAMI MOORE LIEWHITE912

I :::::,:;: :;:;. room i I Coconut skin, a decp mocha brown with some milk in iLn'S cozy and comfortingwithout beingkidsy: grounding with pastels, weighty wit h bright colors. Even with a runky, kitschy color like lime green, you'vc got an elegant combination." MARY McDONALD DUNN-EOWARDS COCONUT SKIN DE1055

Which neutrals do interior designers always keep coming back to? Here are the colors that experience has taught them to trust.

"I'll doent ire houses in "'ushroom, which is pretty darned fabulous. tl 's a beige, bul it eha ngcs drastically-one minute it's putty utld the ,lcxt, it's rosier. Chameleon-like and mysterious, it takes on the propcrtiesor thecolorsaround it. You wanllo putyourhand out and touch thewall because it doesn't look solid. H's almost cloudlike." ElLEN KENNON FULL SPECTRUM PAITS MUSHROOM

My standby is Gmnt Heige. H's like a ravorite puiror worn khu kis. It works wilh modern spaces and traditional ones. fares equal!ywellwilh Iheligh\ of Texas or the East Coast. Iryou wanl lo keep your pa k ite dean with whites, creams, and acccnts of black, it becomes very architectuml.oryou can wal'm it upwit h son reds, blucs, and grecns," CHRISTOPHER RIOOLFI BENJAMIN MOORE GRANTBEIGEHC-83

"1 10vc grayish blue as a backdrop-I he blue of a washed-out sky just after a storm has passed. I'm sitting here in my office right now with this color on the wa lis. I havt:swedish painted grayish-blue chairs, an ISth-centll ry mahogany desk,a shiny modern chrome lamp, a painting done in black oils by a friend, and bright red curtains! Almost anything looks great with this blue. That's what neutrals are all about, aren't they;''' CHRISTOPHER MAYA BENJAMIN MOORE GLASS SLIPPER 1632

,. Khaki and celadon arc my picks. These arc colors, but they're st i II very neutral in their integrity. Each one is softly beautiful. They don't scream. Theydon't dictate-you can put them with any thing." M ... FlIETTE HIMES GOMEZ FARROW & BALL STRING S FARROW&BAll GRUN GROUND 206

"The most enduring color ['vefound is BCIamin Moore's I'apaya, which looks like homemade vanilla icecrcamwith a littlecaramcl in it. hly wholeapartmeru is Papaya! J love it with the blues. greens. and blue greens ofthe sea and sky, and with various soft warm pinks. There's nothing edgy about it, which suits me fine. [ like pretty furniture, pretty people, pretty books, pretty music, and [ like a I'(H)m to be beautiful." GERRIE BIlEMRMANN BENJAMIN MOORE PAP"'V '" 957

"[ always come back to Horizon, a pale gray that doesn't turn blucor green on you. It 's a sophisticated, perfect background t050 many interiors, Blues,of course, look beauTiful against this gray, but soda pinks, lavenders, and the legs of sofas and chairs that have been stained a d riftwood color." STEVEN GAMBREL BENJAMIN MOORE HORIZON 1478

I "',k';q"i'" is a flMtering light moss green without much yellow, I love it because it doesn't shout 'I'mgreen!' [tsays, '['m a vcry beaut iful color.''' JENNIFR G ... RRIGUES BENJAMIN MOORE MESOUITE 501

"I use spri ng green as a neutral. It's the colorof buds and bulbs popping oul of the ground after a long winter-a rcassuringcolor, great in a bedroom. Thecoolncss is Therapeutic." JEFFREV BILHUBER BENJAMIN "'OORE PALE VISTA 202960

"It'scalled Wenge and it's from Benjamin Moore's Affinity line. It's a rich blackish brown, the color of that bittel' chocolate with 70% cacao that everyone's calling health food now. A neutral should get along with every colol' in the fan deck, and this one is like the nicest girl in the sixth grade. It goes with silvery greens. It looks beautiful with creamy yellows. It is wonderful with red. And if you're really having a color mood swing, it wiJl SUppOit lilac," ALLORV MARSHALL BENJAMIN MOORE WENGEAF'180

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1 NEUTRALS

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2S COLOH F L L . \l I LT R \ LS

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Some colors are so gentle, you can use them the way you'd use neutrals. You'll be surprised: They go with everything .

--------)\-------"Lavender is the ncw beige. From lilac to

amethyst, it's an extraordinary neutral and a great unifier- a soothing, peaceful color that is timeless. It used to be there \vere 110 arguments with beige, but suddenly beige seems old-fashioned. Lavender is a morc up-to-date staple, and like beige, everything looks great with it." JEFFREY BllHUBER, aENJAMIN MOORE. PEACE ANO HAPPINESS 1380

"['II be stoned for saying terracotta-it sounds like such an '80S and early 'goseolor, back when everyone had that fnux-Tusenn moment of using Mexican pavers and spongingthewalls, But [have olle really excellent color. The bcnutiful thing about it islhat it isearthen and Old Wurldy, but itean work in a modernselting,and it looks great with really dark floors or pa Ie, washed-out oak." KEN FULK, IUP'S PRFECT COLORS ADOBE PPCOB

"It's onC' 0/' l hose f'lusive non-colors that rcminds meof thc time bet wecn morningdewand sunrise-a pederl marriage bct\\TCn khaki grcen and pale bluC', Whalen'!' room you put it in, it creatcs a calm, scrcne mood." DARRYL CARTER, BENJAMIN MOORE. LOOKOuT POINT 155

"I like very pale teal. It's a nice background for highly textured washed-out beige textiles, and together they make a kind of faded beach story, pull ing together the greens of the earth, the grays of the sky, and the blue-greens of the water." STEVEN GAMBREL BENJAMIN MOORE, SEA STU 212330

"Anywhere you're going to use white, consider pastel pin k instead-for wa 115, cei lings, furniture, lampshades, and evcn t he mats you use to frame art. Then paint your floors pastel pink! You cnn't belic'le how many colors look great with it. It's feminine, and I like 1 hi ngs t hat arc really reminine. wh3t people don't realize is Ihal you can also make il masculine by adding deep, rich saturated hues to your color schemechocolate brown, dark gray, navy,oreggplallt," MARY McDONALD, BENJAMIN MOOR ROMANTIC PINK 200470

"One ufmy favorite no-brainers is called Honied White. It looks I ike white with sunlight in iI, Youean usc il with saturated eoloTs aT the airiest whitesnndereams.nnd it works from the East Coast to the Wcst-no mnltcfwhal the I ight is, it never I urns funnyculurs. It adds sunshine and sparkle to dark, dreary rooms. What more could you askofpaintf" JENNIFER GARRIGUES, SHERWIN WilLIAMS, HONIED WHITE SW71 OS

"Chocolale brown setl les a room and receives creams, reds, ycllows, and blues beautifully. If you have insipid architect ure, you should den nilely consider it because walls fade away and everylhingyou put againstt hem shows belter."or instant personality, put up some wai nscoting, paint the bottom halrPratl 8: Lambert's Pearly Gates and thc lop half a gorgeous malte chocolate brown, along wit h I he ceiling." NANCY BRAITHWAITE. BENJAMIN MOOE, VAN SUREN BROWN HC70

" Wejust gOlback from Avignon, France, where t couldn 'I help nOI icing thaI in ali i he chic restaurants and shops, c'Icryt hing is painted whall call Avignon taupe-t hal flaxy nal ural color that's a lillie on the gray side. And everyone uses those wonderful coarse Ii nens Ihat arc so natura 1-looking. Of course Ihis raw Ii nen color looks great with white and off-white," GERRIE BREMERMANN, BIiNJAMIN MOORE, RACCOON HOLLOW 978

"In the intense light of Palm Beach, real colors make great neutrals, but colors that are quieted down. I like pale coral for a Jiving room. It looks great with aqua, rattan, and bamboo. While it's true we have different color rules here, it could work in smaller amounts for someone in any city who wanted to be a bit daring." JACK YOUNG. 8'i:NJAMIN MOOE CORAL SPICE 2170-40

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" I\enjamin Moore's BearCreek isa mysterious, warm sort of aubergine that's great for paintingcxposed steel strue t ural clements. 1 got it directly from the painter I'rancesco Clemente. We're designing his st udio. All the doors, winduw frames. rilings, and steel struclureare painted BearCn . .'ek, with a concrett: floorand pale green cement board wlllIsvery beautiful:' RICHARD GLUCKMAN. SEN1AMIN MOORE. BEARCREEK 1470

"I love pearl gray for a foyer, bedroom,or hallway-anywhere you want a sense of intimacy.lf thcre's a big white space with a niche, I would paint only the niche this soft gray. I always like shadowy, mercurial colors that play up the mysteries of architecture." IIICEtoTE WOLF. BENJAMIN MOORE GRAYTltor 1611

"Navy blue is a fabulous neutral. I recently did a dining room with these dark blueberry walls, a chocolate brown rug, gold curtains, a mahogany table, and chairs upholstered in burgundy. It's beautiful with pink as well. Navy makes a great, sexy evening room-after all, it's the color of night." 00 ALLEN, C2 PAINT, SORCERER C2326

"Ocher feels like a neutral to me-a deep, t::H! hy yellow that remindsmeofsouthern lIaly and Turkey. II looks good with other earthy colors, like terracutla ur grayblue, and it is really beautiful with lilac, limt: gret:n. and auber gine. I'eople don'tlLseocher su much in th is counl ry, They look at it and say, 'Oh no, I couldn't possibly; thinking it's too mlLeh color. BUl l he cart hiereolors. because I hey'rt: from nat urt:, can be really relaxing." SARA SENGUR. DONALD KAUFMAto COLOR. DKC20

"I love Fllrruw 8: Ba II's Cooking Apple Green. It has gray in it, but there's still brightness wit h in. To me it louks great with all metal finishes bronze, wrought iron, nickel. Ijust uscd il a s theeolorof walls. I rim. a nd everyl hing i n the great room of a New England brn. This ruum louks onto a n expansive green lawn and duwn tu the ocean. and Ihe walls just pull all thegreensoutofthe landscape. CHRISTOPHER RIDOl fi. FARROW {I. BALL. COOKING APPLE GREEN 32

"Green is the great neutral. ail lheway from pund scum to soft sageor palecdery. I recently moved intoa new house surrounded by green ery.and wht:n I was thinking of what color 1 might use for a drapery lining. it came tu me to reflect I he green I hat is presentyearruund right outside that window. U immediately shifted from being a decorat ive idea to an integrated one, and I likt: lowurk in Ihal way. SAR8ARA SARRV. DONALD KAUFMAN COLOR.OKCg

"Try light blueon yourwalls. It works well for bedrooms. balhrooms, and espl'Cially work spaces, because it'sa powerful yel gt:nl lt: media tor. bringing calm toall that clutier. Tu me. Ihe must diplomaticshadeofall is FarruwS: Ball 22. which approximates the color uflakt:water. Neut mlsdun't need to go awaythey simply need tusootheand anchor a room." SUSAN FERRIER. FARROW {I. SALL LIGHTBlliE22

"It's not for the faintof-heart, but orange is a wonderful neutral . It can't be a washed-out orange-it has to be a color you'd want to lick, which is why the good oranges are always called Salsa or Punch. For it to work, you have to be just a little bit afraid of your orange before you paint." MALLORV MARSHALL. SHERWIN WILLIAMS. DETERMINEO ORANGE SW6635

"Wejust finished decorat ing a bunga low where we st ruggled picking paint colors bccause the owner had just stripped all the wood trim and didn't want to paint it. A II the colors we picked changed totally in the presence of that orangeylight brown wooo. A contractor finally told us about Benja. min Moore's Novt:mberJtainit's a puttyeolor, warm but not too warm. and it looked great everywhere we put it." SHARONE E!NHORN & HONEY WOLTERS. SN)AMIN MOORE NOVEMSER RA!N 2!4260

" But tt'rsl'oll'h m;lkt,s a nict' burnished b,ICh:' drop. lIl'hang;('s \\ il h I Ill' light-it can look like \\ht'

" Ihe first words out of my client's mouth were ' I love the color purple.' Such an exotic, unusual place to start! She has a romantic soul. She wears clothes with great silhouettes and really fun modern jewelry from Africa OJ' France. She loves Pucci, painted furniture, and parties. This purple is a beautiful backdrop. Any flmvers look great against it-and so do people." HAL WILLIAMSON BENJAMIN MOORE SEAFROTH10750

Color bv color Choosing a color is always fun; if only getting it right were as easy. Paint is full of surprises. Color intensifies on walls (except when it doesn't). Color changes at night (except when it doesn't). This chapter should help. The color you want is almost certainly here, with years of experience behind it.

IN THIS CHAPTER:

THE BEST BLUE

THE EDGE OF BLUE

THE BEST PURPLE

THE BEST PINK

THE BEST RED

THE BEST ORANGE

THE BEST BROWN

THE BEST GREEN

THE TRICKIEST COLORS

COLOR BY COLOR

"This isan intense ISth-century blue-green with a great history, They used to make it by pouringacids on cupper and usingthevcrdigris as \ he pigment for the paint. A living room wuuld be killer with this on thewalls,dead-white trim, and mahuganyor black-painted furniture. I'm fair-haired and blue-eyed, and we go for these incredibly sharp colors. Youcouldn'\ sell this toa brown-eyed person." RALPH HARVARD SHERWINWILLIAMS/DlJRON. COLORS OF HISTORIC CHARLESroN VEADITEA BLlJEDCR078

MThis is the coloror the sky in Old Master paint ings, when the varnish has yellowed. It has a luminous quality. You cou ld paint I he whole room or just the noor-you'd fcel as if you were noating. Be careful about blue in a north-facing room-it can gel chilly. And it's hard to mix morethan two blues together. They start to fight." THOMAS JAYNE BENJAMIN MOOAE HEAVENLY BLUE 709

"Blue is my secret agent color. I'm always sneaking it in these days.] guess it's like a bit of sky pecking out, which ma kes everythi ng work. Blue is lightness and air. r used to usc white to lighten things lip, but now I'm using blue. I t gives breath to everything:' WILLIAM DIAIoIOND SHERWIN-WILLIAMS SASSY BLUE 1241

I""m's," ",III those pa Ie . Whatyuuwant

is an evening blue, an Yves Klein blue. Deeper lhandee]>. Yuu s(:e it on Byzantine ccilings, in Jean f'aul Gaultier's stripes.lt'sconlcmplativc, !Tleditat ivc. myste riuus. When] want tu be cnveloped, blue is \ he only color that will doit formc," WHITNEY STEWART C2 PAINT. ELECnICC2-275

I"Th;,;,,"", "hlh", .. not too cold, with a lot of green, which makes it feel grounded, Illue is so regenerative_ There's the idea of water, renewal. It's powerful, regalthink of blue bloods, blue ribbons_And it looks great wil h most 01 her colors, especially browns and camcis and beiges:' (RICCOHLER FARROW & BAll CHINESE SLlJE 90

From light and airy to deep and mysterious . . . they're all beautiful.

1

" This bright, pretty turquoise reminds me of summers on Lake Michigan when I was a ch i ld, skippi ng stones and looking upat lhe sky, and feeling the sun on my body. Bluecalms me and reenergizes me-just as the ocean does." MARMHAM ROBERTS PARKER PAINT WATERSIOE1S13M

" I've never met a blue I didn't Ii ke, Everyl hing from I he darkeSl to the I ightt:st-and I h is is in the middle-with a hint ofaquiunarine. A blue living room would be glamoruus. especillily wilh bOlllegreen sil k vclvelupholstery llnd a touch of silver or gold on a chair, or liebacks for a curla in. A nd I he wa 115 should be slick, which gives a room a sparkle. It can ne\'er be 100 glussy for me:' JOfHoIYUNIS BENJAMIN MOORE AOUARIUS 768

'"0"' "'" baby blueor skybille-t likedark. strong cobalt blue. I t reminds me of Ell rope. in the senseofluxuriousness and Ihe privacy it creates in a room. It shields you. I'd use it ina st udy or a library, and then snap it upwilh furniture fromlhe '405 or 'sos and a fauxzebra rug." ROGER OE CABROl BENJAMIN MOORE PATRIOT BLUE 20S420

color. lts ccrtainly the must telegenic. That's why politicians wear blue shirts. and why Ihe White I'[ouse pressroom is blue. It'scoul. It's calming. tt'sallabout blue skics and fresh air. This is an el herelll hlue, with a touch of red that gives it a lavcndereas!.f loveil with ivoryand cyclamen pink." JAMIEORAKE BENJAMIN MOORE WINOMILl WINGS 205160

"Blue is tricky. It can go gray and sad. But nul this warm i\lediterranean blue. It's the blue in ail ihosc Pucci prints. a bright, happy. notacloud-in-Ihesky blue, as if you're in vacat ion mode and having lobster and rose at Tetou on the beach ncar Cannes. I love it in a bedroom, where you could crisp it up with a navy-and.white st riped fabric and oncofthose great Elizabeth Eakins plaid rugs." ELISSA CUllMAN BENJAMIN MOORE BLUE WAvE 2065 50

i isa pcacock blue,a \'cry happy, exuberant blue Ihat would selofT all the objl..'(;ts in a room. I'd usc il in a high-gloss finish with 10tsoFwhite moldings. and maybe pull in marigoldorpuce. Blue is one of the bct colors around forcrispness and contrast. A ftcr all. what looks bettcr than a nava I officer in his dress blucsf" RoslNsnL BENJAMIN MOORE PAOOINGTON SLUE 191

"I grew up in a house that was all turquoise, and for years 1 couldn't look at blue. But this color is so terrifically pretty and filled with joy-sort of like you were inside a robin's egg looking out into the light_ I'd use it in a bedroom with whitc lacquered trim, a four-poster bed lacquered white, and crisp white bcd linens." OAYIO KLEINBERG BENJAMIN MOORE COLONY GREEN 694

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TI II: IWST Ill.U:

"Som e h ow we fe l l intu th isculurand now that's what w("re known f or. II's t h e Gract' Ilomt' blue-a brigh t, crisp uqUJ that conj ur e s up imag('

"I grew up in the desert in ew Mexico, and when llake my childl'cn homc far a visit, \\'e always say, 'Big blue sky!' Evcrywhere you look is this clear, pure blue, right down to the horizon line. It's the ultimate serenity" for me. Ihis paInt color

has the same kind of clarity. It gives this sitting room the mostnatural, vibrant lighL" SHAZALYNN CAVIN'WINFREY VALSPAR STillNESS 70052

1 "",'< .hee""e'," trick in the book-deep marine blue in high gloss with lots ofwhite trim. You get something crisp and snappy without hardly trying and it instantly connotes that nautical feel ing. This reads as a marine blue, not royal blue or navy. Navy at night goescomplctely black, but th is Slays blue. A nd like any kind of dark room. it rca lIy shows offartwork." TOM SCHEERER FINE PAINTS OF EUROPE DELFT BLUE D03

'"God knows, [ love blue, and l love Farrow & Hall's blues because they always have thaI little th ing that's different. This has a greenish cast, which warms it upand keep it from being too sweet. That's why it looks so beautiful with pink, rose, coral, and red. It doesn't scream 'bedroom': ii'S neutral enough for a dining room or a ha Ilway. CAROLYNE ROEHM FARROW & BALL lIGHTBLUEn

'"This reminds me ofa Tiffany box, and what's bctterthanTiffanyr It's like a dear summer sky wit h a t ingeoftwilight on the horizon. l would use it on a porch with lotsofwicker. llring in pink, lime green. White, to keep it fresh. I used it in a kitchen and it rca lIy opened it up. It's a boundless color." St!SAH ZISES GREEN BENJAMIN MOORE RHYTHM ANOBLUE$ 758

range doesn't work. It's got to be either the palest you can get or the da rkest, like I his indigo. It's very Japanese, an inky blue-black thatl'dusei n a den or a bedroom where yuu want to be really quiet. I'dthrow ina lotuf natura I linens. and m3ybe sume paleyelluw or mint green." LAURA BOHN 1:lEN)AMIN MOORE NEWBURYPORT BLUE HCI 55

"wh31 Virginia girl wouldn't lo\'eJamestown Bluer I n certain lights, it's blue; in others, it has a haze of green. lis speet rum includes aquamarine, robin'segg, and faded I'russian blue. It's Iate mixed with fog. And it's recept ive toa range of part ners, I ike Verunese gold, Chinese red, and cantaloupe. You can decorate with it. You can wear it. It's the perfect color for an evening dress, or a mass of beads, ur a brocade mule, and, and. and . . . " CHARLOTTE MOSS 1:lENJAMIN MOORE JAMESTOWN BLUEHC148

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T I I F . F . DC F . 01 : 1 3 1 , L I

COLOR BY COLOR

"I'm no! fond of rooms with hard ede:es. either in looks

or in feeling. This color is all shimmery opalescence,

a cool, silvery gray-blue that fits in anywhere and can

pull all the different blues in a room together. Usually

I cut it half-and-halfwith white so it ends up looking like the paint chip, because

it gets darker once you have all four walls reflecting

on each other. I'll even pour a bit of blue into the

white I use on the ceiling to give it a tint. You don't really

notice the blue-it just softens the white."

NANCY caRliNE BENJAMIN MOORE ICEBER(l2122-S0

"This is the blue for people who aren't really SUfe

if they like blue. It should be called Fearless Blue,

because it never turns on you. It won't look like

Easter once you get it on the walls. lt"s a breathy blue,

the color of water with clouds passing over.

And it goes with pretty much any color that a good

cashmere sweater would come in. This blue is like

a white blouse to a Frenchwoman-you can

wear it anytime. and it always looks perfect."

"'''LLORY '''''R5H''LL SHERWIN-Wllll""'S

ICICLESWS238

'Healing Aloe is such a great name. I happened

to have a mother who thought aloe was the cure

for everything, and I'll bet this color also has

healing properties. It"s a blue with a lot of gray

in it, and a little bit of green. Vel""( soothing. Great for bedrooms or bathrooms or a child's nursery. Not

too masculine and not too feminine. I'd use it with crisp

white curtains. It reminds me of sitting on the

beach with my feet in the edge of the water, staring

into infinity." PHOEBE HOW"RO eENJ""'IN "'OORE

HEUING "LOE 1552

Beyond the obvious shades . . . somewhere between gray and green and silver and clouds and midnight . . .

"You know how you can have cloudy skies that look luminous? That's how this

color feels. lts vel""( atmospheric. It could fool you into thinkinQ: it's gray.

espeCially dUring the day, but the blue comes out

in dimmer light_ It'S kind of wonderful the way that

works. People often object to the somber aspects

of blue. but all you need to counteract that is white

trim. When we see a high contrast of light

and dark in a space. we think it"s brighterthan it is."

DON"LD K"UFM"N DONALD KAUF"'AN COLOR

OKC9S

"This fabulous turquoise is just the right combination

of blue and green. It has depth. The gray in it gives

it some weight, so it doesn't become garish_ I think

it has a European sensibility. like something you'd see

in one of those great Parisian drawing rooms with

tall windows on the left Bank. You know how so

many colors jump out at you? This one recedes.

It brings you in. You feel as if you're diving into

a deep. clear lake. It"s all-encompassing."

SUZ"NNE K"SLER GLIOOEN

SEVEN LAKES 90(;G30-19S

"I've been using a lot more blue lately, and I think

it's because I'm attracted to the cooler side of warm

in a room. This is a grayblue with a touch of green, perfect for a room where

the intention is to dial it back. It's calming,

contemplative-a wonderful correction color for a

type A personality. This one has real depth-your

eye looh at the surface and then goes deeper into it. It's like falling into a soft

pillow. You hit the surface and then you sink:

SUSAN FERRIER RALPH LAUREN PAINT

BLEEKEA UL30

"Blue is such an amazing color. This has some

gray in it and a tiny bit of green. It could be used

as a neutral-it works with everything on the color

wheel. I'd use it i n a family room, a den, even a

bedroom. It's a liule more on the masculine side,

but it still has some femininity, It all depends on

what you put with it, It would be really pretty with

golden yellow. And sexy with black-not black-black

but a brown-black or a gray-black It just feels

very rich and sensual to me." KfllV WE.lRSTUR PATT & lAMBERT DELFT BLUE 24-21

When I'm dealing with older houses, I want a soft,

restful color that looks good with antiques but

doesn't feel like your grandmother's house. This is a robin's egg blue-green,

classical yet fresh. You could add sweeter colors

like melon and peach, or go another way with brown and black. I used

it in my guest room, and funnily enough,

I often end up sleeping there myself just

because I like it so much.H.lL WILLIAMSON BENJAMIN MOORE

PAllAOIAN BLUE HC144

"Dark colors on walls feel a little more edgy, more

contemporary. But then they're also very 18th

century. This pitch blue, with a touch of teal,

has a lot of dignity. I love it i n an entrance hall. What a wondrous thing to open

the door and look into a room this saturated in

color. It takes you by surprise. It's that same

sensation you get when]"" step outside on a col

winter's night and look up at the black-blue sky shimmering with stars.

It takes your breath away." J(FFREV BILHUBER BENJAMIN MOORE

VAN DEUSHJ BLUE HC-1S5

"This reminds me ofthe blue-black ink in fountain

pens in my youth. I always thoujht that was

so elegant. can think of tons of marvelous ways

to use it. On a front door, in high gloss. On

wicker furniture. Shutters. It would be really divine

in a library. Wouldn't all the books look beautiful against this? Or in a powder room in high-gloss

with off-white woodwork. I can't really tell if it's

blue or black It's mysterious, and that makes

it more interesting." SUlANNE RHEINSTEIN

FARROw & BAll H.lGUE BLUE 30

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T I I F . B F .ST PL RPLF . COLOR BY COLOR

k'l1JC kncejCl'k reaction to lavender is that it's too ferni nine, too pastel. Bul t his is the most un-gi rly color. It's very complex. It has notcsof silver. and tht: reds and blues arc finely ba lnllccd, so it reads both warm and cool and lilt imately aCIS as a very unCKpccted neutral. The effect is extremely at mospheric-th i nk of one of those overcast daysa\ the beach. II has the ability todiffusc t he corners and edges of a room and make the space feel larger." SCOTT flAX DONALD AUFAN COLOR DKC36

people arc afraid ofaubcrginc because it's dark. but it's rca lly incredibly easy to usc because it has blue and red and green-even yellow-embedded in it, and yuu can pull any uf thcmouL lt would look vcry nuvel and ncwwith celadon. Ilright wh ite trim would make it more intense and gille it that Dorothy DrapereS(lue tlegeney feeling."

DARREN HENAULT FARROW & BALL BPINJAl222

l" lh;, ;, i;,'" midnight sky. It has a sense of mystery and a bit ofsexiness. Howdocs it make me /cel' Rich. Purple has always been associated with royalty. Cleupatra had purple silk sails on her barge. I'm tired ofbeige-on-bcige. r crave something mure exciting. Try it in an enl ryway, with silver tea paperon the ceiling.' ERie LVSOAHL BENJAMIN MOORE GALAXY 211720

'"I'm in the mood forlhis kind of happy, soothi ng colur. II's the palest of I he pale lavenders-a pctallycolor, a flower color. J Ihink it's very pure and fresh. I'd use it ina bedroom, where you could mix itup with everylhing frum mirrored furniture to pale wood furniture todark mahogany." lAURABOHN PITTSBURGH PAINTS ORCHID PETAL 0411

' I theculurofaspring crocus. Bold, but not too sweet. That litlle bit uf black in it keeps it from being too Easlcrcgg-y. I'd love losee this in a bedroom ora library wit h a light Ch ristian Diorgrayon the trim. Thegraymakesil more sophisticated, and grounds it,sowedon'l go offintoairy-fairy land." .... M .... NO .... NISBET BENJ .... MIN MOORE SNUGGlEP\JSS aos

It's rayal. lt's papal. It's eccentric. It's feminine. Most likely you either love it or hate it. But you can't argue: Purple is looking very good right now.

"I '\"( a I \\ ,l\"S Imcd luvcnder.

'To me,

it's slich a comfort COIOI', particular1\ in a bedroom. It sort of lulls you to sleep. This has a lilt Ie gl'uy in it> ,,hich keeps it calm. If! \,anted tomixit up, I'd throw in some lla'Y or 01 i\"(.' grecn. Becausf' this shade is so subdued, it 'mrks \\'ell wit h just about any printed fabric. It's a Iso a great backdrop rOl' at't:' I(I GILHOOL CALIFORNIA PAINTS FAOEOlIlAC?490W

saint Laurenl's I'aris apart ment before it wasdismantled for the Christ ie's sale, and it was unbelievable. Lifechanging. The music room had these dark aubergine lacquered walls and ceili ng (imagine the decades of pal' ties and cigarette smoke) mixed with Claude lalanne mirrors and Art Deco lamps and 19305 hammered metal vases. So sophist icated and fabulous. When I came back. [just had to usc aubergine, in high gloss for t hat sat iny glow." FRANK DE BIASI BENJAMIN OORE DARK PURPl 2073-10

a little bit of mauve corning through a kind oftaupe, with very warm undertones. tt's muted, but it doesn't go away. It's not a wishy-washy color. I might usc it with 3 very pale taupe trim and dark mahoganybruwn baseboards. This i a culor for a room where),ou want tuget cuzy. Snow can be fall ingoutside and you'd still feel warm." SUZANNE RHEINSTEIN FARROW & BAll DEAD SALON 28

an overly ripceggplanL It hovers somewhere between brown and purple. ll'seomplexand sultry,yet somehow subtle atlhe same time_ It would look great with crisp. cool whites. grays. or medium shadesuf green, as well as lightly stained orcerused woods. Try it in an ent ry hall, library. puwderroom,or mudroom. There is a real warmth to this shade." SHEilA BRIDGES FARROW & BAll.PRT 25

My grandmother had an ent ire garden full of purple lilacs, and when I seethiscolor, I can almost smell that fragrance again. This is a veiled I ilac. which takes it down a notch. Sume uflhe brightness is sapped out, so it blends well with otht:r colors-pale gray, pcriwinkle, graygret:n. suft wh ite, deep gray-brown. I'd love tusce it in a dining room with lots of windows. soyou get that playoflighL" SUSAN FERRIER BENJAMIN OORE SANCTUARV AF 520

This very pa Ie lavender rem inds me of wisteria and wintersunsds. It'sjllst so pretty and serene. The react ion you get depends on how YOII use it. [t can look lovely and old-rashioned with chintz, orvery hip with orange. I saw it ill a living room last night. lacquered to bringout t he colora little more llfld make il shimmer." lYNN MOIIGAN RALPH lAUREN PAINT MAJOREllE BLUE GH05

'\".Then J hear the word 'purple,' I bristle a bit, but this is a vel'v approachable color. It's like a Pinot Noil'. It would be beautiful in a nighttime room, maybe a med ia room or a librarv. I see it in a high sheen, glowing in the lamplight. It \\-ould em"elop you and feel \"ery calming and peaceful and quicl." SUZANNE LOVEll BENJAMIN MOORE CAPONATAAF6S0

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T I I F . B F .ST PI .\ I\ COLOR BY COLOR

"lI.ty daughter had just (.'ome back frum India when we did her room in this vibrant. extravagant hot pink-thecolor oh zinnia-withcranberry and orange accents. Hcrcousin walked in and said.

'Wow! Can I sleep in herd" If'S a passionate colnr. r think it would be fabulous in 3 breakfast room ora powder room, in semi- or full sheen. You want that effect of bright, liquid colol'on lhcwalL SUZANNE lOVEll BeNJAr..IN "'OORE PEONY 2079-30

MThis is a ballet-slipper pink with a hint of beige, which keeps it from lauld ng too sweet. When picking a pink. always go to the top ofthccard and get the palest versiun of what you're drcamingof, becaue even if it louks subtle on thechip, it won't be so subtle on the wall. A nd watch out-thc brighter it get, the more childlike it becomes." ALEXA HAMPTO" BENJAMIN MOORE LOVE AND HAPPINESS 1191

". Iike using pink in an unexpected plaee like a kitchen oran entryway. It's flattering and familiar, soft and warm likeskin. We thinkof pink as an old lady color. but it can be very young ifused the right waywit h touches of cobalt blue, red, orange, or green. rfevt:rything is too pastel-y, it looks likca nursery." }AeI(IE TERRELL VALSPAR PARIS PINK MS037

.. Pink nil by itselfcan be perceived as rem inine, but what you pair it with makesall the difference. Think ora man in a black suit wit h a pink shirt and t ie, or ploppi ng a pin k sofa intoa listless beige room. ]'in k is suddt:nly daring and electric. The right shade of pin k can energize any space." KELLYWEARSTLER PRATT&lAMl!eRT CORAL PINK 26

So you think pink is too sweet for you? Well, how would you feel about passionate, daring, flattering, energizing, soothing, inviting-and really pleasing to men?

"] Iove pink. It makes me feel warm and fuzzy. Ijust want to slipon a ruFfly boudoir jacket and lean back into the pillows and eat chocolate. This pink is very soft and feminine, but it's not sticky. Pail' it with white 01' metallic surfaces to make it ethereal and inviting." PHOEBE HOWARD SHeRWIN_WILLIAMS WHITE DOGWOOD SW6315

"I like looking at oldfashioned color schemes, ami t here's a lotofpink in 18th and 19th-cent ury del."oration. You sec t his soft pink in old Sevres porcelain. It hasa slightly yellow cast. whieh makes it warmer and more flat tering. Everyone looks good against it." THOMAS JAYNE BENJAMIN MOORE PALE PINK SATIN008

'"I flhere's such a thing as a masculine pink, Ihis is iLIt wasJohn Fowler's favorite and he'donen usc it indiningroomsor on a ceiling to cast a rosy glow. It hasa 101 of salmon in it. Some pinks don't mix well with othercolors,but this works beautifully wit h any shade of brown, olive green, inky blue, orgray." BARRV DIXON FARROW & BALL FOWLER PINK 99

'"This pa Ie pin k reminds meofopalsand pearls, Jean I'lariow and silk charmeuse, 'New Dawn' foses and a baby's rosy checks. Who wouldn't want a perpetual glow like thal When il comes to decorating, it's perfect with black and white and every thing in between. And feal men do like pink-they just might not admit il at first!" CHARLOTTE MOSS PANTONE 70SC

"I'll often look at the French mats on old drawings for ideas. because t he colors they used are neverobviouslike this dusty pink. II has a little yellow and a bit of brown in it. II's the color oft he pink sand in the uahamas. Very soothing and restfuL I used it in a guest bedroom to convey a senseofpeace and tranquillity." ROBIN BELL SENIUUN MOORE OLOCOUNTRVOC76

"It 'sjust a whisperof pink. Very, very prettybut nol sweet. Those candysweet pinks arc not myeupoftea. This has a teeny bit of brow 11 in iL lt'soneofthose dirty colors that look as if they've been around for a while, wh ieh I like. ]n a living room, it would bc"erysmart with lobaceoand white, or citrus green, or a very pale turquoise." JENNifER GARRIGUES BENJAMIN MOORE WflEATBEPRY 209970

"This really docs look like the insideofa mouse's ear. It's a good clear pink I hat has very I itlle blue in it. so it doesn't turn cold. Pink is acolor with a lotofanimation. There's almost:l fey quality to it. You could bri ng in apple green or bachelor button blue or stay with white, ] once did a living room in pink and whiteand beige, like a conch shel1." LIBBY CAMERON BENJAMIN MOORE eAT'S MEOW 1332

" ('his is a color you'd see in Rome. It's a more ancient pin k with a lot ofterra-coLta in it. Think oran old Italian villa that has been baking in the sun for years. It just glows. I used it in this library in high glussbrushed, not rolled-because then it glows that much more." KATIE RIDDER FARROW & BAll RED E"RTH 64

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T I I F . B F .ST l i F . D COLOR BY COLOR

"Red isa neutral forme. Like red nail polish, it's classic. It goes with every! hing. r actually had that Coco Chanci red laC(IUCrnail polish matched and I painted the floors urmy living and dining rooms with it. They're !hemust fun floors Ivec\'erhad. ALISON SPEAR BENJAr.tIN !.IOORE RUBVRED2001-10

I ", """1,,,, """ warm, i I reds to the

historic reds, which a re beautifu I but sedate. This is a daring red, a real fi rc engine red. I've used it in a pool. hOllse bathroom and on bookcases. It has a playfulness that reminds meofa I iltle red schoolhousc. RUTHIE SOMMERS fiNE PAINTS Of EUROPE TULIP REO 1001

and I i in dining rooms. r prefer the warmth of earth tones to the bluer reds, wh ich arc trickicrsome make me think of nail polish. I'm fine with bluer reds on my toes, but not neccssarilyon my walls." ALEXA HAMPTON BENJAMJN MOORE TUCSON RED 1300

There's no red room as famous as Diana VreelBnd's

"garden in hell," above right, by Billy Baldwin (above). The Braquenie chintz, Le Grand Arbre, is still available to the trade from Pierre Frey. Nobody knows exactly what red her room was, but we found a good match in Benjamin Moore Sangria.

What other color wakes up a room so brilliantly? But it can be tricky choosing the red that's just right.

"A II my life I've pursued the perfect red. I can never get painters to mix it for me. It's exactly as ifI'd said, '( want Rococo with a spot of Gothic in it and a bit of Buddhist temple'-they have no idea what I 'm talking about." 01.0.".0. VReeu."O

I '"h'""""" has a sl ric effect, very obvious brush marks that appear as it dries. It can take a drab space and give it dignity. Paprika iswarm, welcoming, and slighlly dramaticit makes food look great, people look great, candlelight lookgrcnt." JOENYE PORTOLA PAINTS

I ' " '"e"" ',"g",d i t has a historical reference: the Greek vases. t he palace at Knos"os, and all that business. r love red, always have, always will. Eithcryuu likcstcakor you I ike hamburgers." DAviD EllSTON FUROW &SALL BLAZR 212

r fed. I like the temperature ofil: it's a bit cooler. But a I iltle red goes a long way. so you ha\'c to be careful. It's good in arCllS where you don', spend much time or in boring areas that need a 51 rong burst ofcolor. RODERICK SHADE BENJAMIN MOORE MILLION DOLLAR RED 2003-10

every room-it brings life. like red lipson a woman. I did an ent ire library in MerloL lt looked great." MARIO BUATTA 6ENIAMIN MOORE MERLOT RED 2006-10

I I look for Ted. I want a pure, true red. I ike the color in the American flag. Ralph lauren does absolutely the best. It's t he essence of red, that American classic red. It makes me think ofboati ng or polo." SUZANNE KASLER RALPI1 LAUREN PAINT DRESSAGE RED TH.l

's not too orange, not too blue-it looks likean antique red,a Pompeian red. I used it in a bathroom with white Cal'rara marble floors from a monastery. It made them sing. AI most everything looks good with it." PEHRDUNHAM PRATT & LA"IBERT PAGODA RED 5'15

I love red-it's Illy favorite color. Red rna kes me very happy. Lately I'm on this anti-completelyneutral kick. 'ou have to have some seasoning in your Iooms. Sangria is a good, universal donor red-not too blue. not too orange, not too dark." ELISSA CULLMAN BENIAMIN MOORE SANGRIA 200620

I never goes out of style. It's full oflife-a Iways fresh. a Iways fun to wake uplo. \Vego for reds wit h less blue in them and more orange because they're happier tolivcwith." WILLIAM DIAMOND ANTI10V BARATTA RALPH LAUREN PAINT LATTICRCIB57

Estee lauder's Fig lipstick is a top-selling red, and we liked the color so much we wanted it for our walls, our ceilings. our bookcases -just about everything. Red Red Wine by Behr might make that possible.

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COLOR BY COLOR

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T I I F . B F .ST OR \ .\C F .

"This is a luxlI riOliS mastcr bath. \\'ith an 18th-ccntury Italian d rcssi ng table, hi lIow ing clirtains, a!ld a vicw of Sa n rr.wcis('o Bay. I wanted a warm, dusty apl'icot lor the \\3 lis. 0,'3 nge can be romanl it' und sexy. II makes you 1'('('1 like you'v(' jU;1 come in from the bc::u:h and yourskin is glowing. It looks almost like a sunset in there. And at night, with the sconces und the In ntc-rll I it, it's even more d rca my." STEPHEN SHUSEL BENJAMIN MOOAE SOFT MARIGOLD 160

, 1 r the pulse and excites the eye. It brings back the hue and the scent ofblood oranges piled high in I he market smlls of Tuscany. With a blaekand-white floor and Benjamin Moore's Linen White trim. it would be the perfect foil foran array ofdrawings. ARCY ASTERSOH SYDNEY HARBOUR PAINTCO BLOOD ORANGE

Orange doesn't have to look like a Popsicle. Pick a paint from one of these top designers and prepare to be dazzled.

"[ used this in a butler's pant ry offa dark. mahogany-pancled dining room, and the effect was like putting a bright sil k handkerchiefin the pocket ofa man's suit. Very fresh, elean, a nd energizing. [ wanted theessenceof orange. not pumpkin or terraeotta. which is aeopout. Orangedcfinit ely creates a sense of arrival. It draws you in." PHIllPGOAAIVAN BENJAMIN OOAE CALYPSO ORANGE 2015-30

This is a pale, pa le orange. It 's really the color of candlelight, and it docs the same thing for yourwalls. [I gives them a glow. [I will lurn any room inloa lighl box. You could playoff Ihewarmth with some cool gray-blues. or if you want to bumpupthe volume,bringin mustard or celadon green or periwinkle." CHERYl KATZ BENJAMIN MOORE PALE DAFFODIL201760

h'o" """",1ctorangescare you. [ rclyon it topunch upa dreary corner. I'aint this warm, brieky orange on the insideofa bookcase and it will add WleKpt.'Cled depth loa small spaccormakea big room seem more intimate. One ofthe most fasdnatingrooms j'veeverst.'Cn had ivory walls and a ceilingpainled this color. VcrycO"t.y." JOHN PEIXINHO BENJAMIN MOORE AUOUBON RUSSET HC51

in your orange to keep il from getting tooeireusy. This reminds meof saddle leather. ['ve seen it in t hose great Palm Desert houscs, with mideentury modern furnit lire and a flokati rug. BUll'djazz it up with hot pink, apple green, or peacock blue. A nd a heavy dose of while or cocoa brown would really soften it." ERINN VAlEHCICH ACE PAINT YUMAB216

"A red dining room is perfect ly accept ablc. so \\hy not a de e p persim mon silting room f 't'he colol' is so wann and CO;t)' that it make s you feci as if there's a fire in I he fireplace, ('\'en when there i.., nont'. It r e minds me ofthosc Hegency period interiors. wit h a 1I lhose vivid colors inspired by I h e {'xca\ a l ions at Pompeii- They say pe ople who choose orange arc \'cr y selfconfidt'nt a !lei extrovcrted. For this library, we borrowed I h e unusual fi nish from th e parlorofthe rhomas En'rard House in Colonial Williamsburg. w h e re varnish is appl ied ovcr jOlu'basc paint." COUIITNEY C:OlEMAN CALIFORNIA PAINTS PUMPI(IN

easy to get a great orange when you're workingwith skilled dl"Corative painter doing a mult ilayered custom glazcjob.l\ut if you're trying 10 pick a ready-made color from a paint deck. I find Ihe darker, more subdued shades work best. This oolor has great impact without lookinglike thaI garish NFLor:lnge. I'd use it with h'ory, black, and brown fora sophist icated c1assica I look, or wit h coba It blue, navy, and white if you want togu bolder, younger. MAIIKHAM IIOIETS BENJAMIN MOORE cOIILSBUOC:ANVON071

MOrange isour gO-locolor, bt:eausc il makes a room feci young, fresh, and modern. We use it where othcrpt:oplcmight usc rt:d, I would fl.:d really happy in a room painted this pretty golden orange, with Imvy, turquoise, or pinkaslnaccent.i\nd I lo\'e Portola Paints bl"Cause t heil'colm's are just slightly off, like the designer colors you're always tryingto get and don't often find.M HIOI80NESTEU PORTOLA PAINTS SUMMER SOUASH022

"l lovetheorangecolorof theslucco I grew up with in thewarm Mediterranean sun. There'sa very soft ft:t:lingabout it, bul at the same time ii'S quite strong. Thisorange has depth and a touch of shadow, so il looks as if it's always ix-en Ihere. lI lends itst:lfllery nalumlly tobrownsand grecns and watery turquoise, Orange is kind of an underdog in this country, lI's 1II0re a ooloroftheEast. MONAHAlJ fAliROW & BAU OIIANGtRY 10

"This terra-cotta is elrlhy and elegant-how lIlany colors can claim that combinalion It's a muled brown Ihat goes a little rosy, which makes it very warm and flatler, ing. Darkwoods look greal against it. and so docs llrl. I like it dead flal, with white trim and black baseboards 10 play up thaI Grccian U TlI thing. Very IJridesiJeo{/ f(elJisite{I, CAllEY MALONEY DONALD KAUfMAN C:OlOIi DKC3S

"Orange is far more "ersatile than most pcoplethiuk. You don't have topul il with marabou fealhers and J!)Gos furniture, Try il wit h a Louis X v carved gill wood consolellnd sec how sophisl icatcd and European it looks, This isa Veuve Clicquol orange that we used inside kitchen cabinets, for a boll vivant whose signalure pour is Champagne. Coat the painl with bct:swalC if you want an anti(lue look.M MAUlilEN fOOTEIi BENJAMIN oont ORANGE SKY 2011-10

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T I I F . B F .ST BHO\\'\ What is it about brown? Every designer we know is infatuated with it! Could it be its depth and richness? Its elegance? That it's earthy,

COLOR BY COLOR

"Thisrcminus mcof those wonderful neoclassical ruoms by Karl l'ricdrich Schinkel in Berlin,or !lobert Adam in England. It has ancxcitcrncnt that straighl brown doesn't have because ufthut hint of red, and [ love red. r would glaze it lor ext ra dept h and do the woodwork in faux-stone. Bring in a I illic gold, adccpgrccn. Modern furnit'urcon bare wood floors with a Greek vase in the middlc. 0,,'110 [ASTON FARROW & BALL ETRUSCAN REO 56

neU! raL It's mOfe cour:lgCOlLS than taupe. J like mybrownsthcway I l ike my chocolatcsdrk and rich. I'd usc it in a bed room, a library, a TV room and add magenta, turquoise, purple,oremerald green. I'eople a re gener ally afraid of dark colors but this is a classic, right up there with navy blueor burgundy." LAIIIIY LASLO BENJAMIN MOORE APPALACHIAN BROWN 211510

this in my bedroom and I abso lutely love il. II's a tea lcaf, caramely brown wilh a hint ofgrcen in it. which gives it more life than the typical brown. It docsn'tdie at night. Very earthy, yet sophist i cated at Ihesametimc. 1t brings out other colors. Try il with mustard, lavendcr, ccrulean blue. Orcinnabar red, blush pin k, black, bone. DAVID McCAULEY PRATT & LAMBERT AUTUMN DUSK 1219

as sensuous as melted chocolate? All of the above-and then some.

I ",hi, i" warm. taupey brown. Not toodark and not too light. II's the color of raw unblcachcd Irish linen,ofsand ami shadow,ofl'rench lime stone. Actually. it's like a Swedih brown, ifthere "''CTC such a t hing. lt has thaI bcaulifullygra)'ed tone. I'd bringin a grayed blue as an accent," KERIIY JOVCE FARROW & BALL LONOON SlONE 6

"My favorite is a warm bronze brown, like you see in a Van Dyck portrait. It's the color of a coroma ndel screen, of black after a hundred years. And I'd lacquer the walls, which is the closest I can get to that famous Billy Baldwin room, with bl'own lacquered walls and those iconic Cole Porter bookcases. All the beams and bumps of that postwar apartment were obliterated by that rich, deep, intense brown paint." RANOALLBEALE tlENJAMIN MOORE NIQHTHORllON 213(10

I "Be,,",,, is a museu I inc color that looks great with femininccolors I ike pink and cora 1 and robin'scgg blue. It's onc ofnaturc's ncutra Is. wh ieh is why it works with just about anything. This is the colorofthc peat moss that covered the flower beds back home. It has some red in it, which makes it warm. I n a high.gluss finish. t he walls UfC there but it looks as if you could almost gothrough them,likcdarkwatcr," TOODKUIN RALPH LAUREN PAINT GAlVANIlEOUL12

t radiliuna! ur vcry modern. RCIllt!mbcr the I.9Gos That was brown and gold and orange. which r would not do. Too period. l likc it with lotsofwhitc-and pink or lavender or apple grccn. ljust used it in a powder roomwilh a white plaster mirror and pcony-pink ac(.'(:nts, Tht: whole thing looked like a SI rawberry-cream chocolate bonbon. Very yummy. STEPHEN SHUBEl BENJAMIN MOORE CHOCOLATE TRUFFLE 209620

I 1 aparlmenl was undcrGoo square feet, and r painted it this dark graybrown. i\ly husband and r havea lotofstuff: and samet hingabout thedarkwallsmade everything look orderly. even ifit wasn't. Furni lure :wd fabrics and artwork suddenly stood oUl.Alllhemoldings were painted white, and thateontrasl really crisped it up." ALEXA HAMPTON BENJAMIN MOORE MIDDlEBURYBROWN HC68

I feel about brown the way l-IollyGolightly fell about Tiffany'snOlhingbadean happen lu me in a bruwn room. I I ike I he color as close to Coca cola as pussible, not 100 umber and not tuo blnd:. Mix il with /o.tcCloskey's glazing compound, which gives il a depth and resonance you're not going to get with gloss paint. I used it in my bedroom and it feels very I ranquil. I go into that room a nd instantly fall asleep:' ERIC COHlER BENJAMIN MOORE MINK21 1210

r lise a lUI of brown because cveryth i ng goes with it. This is like mclled chocolalesenSIlOIlS, smooth, \'eillety. I don't think of il as dark, but rich. It anchors a room and gh'es you a luxurious feeling. ['ve used it 101 s ill librar ies, with white trim. A II the beige. camel, and parchment colors look handsumewith it." OAN CARITHERS BENJAMIN MOORE TUDORBROWN EB2

sideofa portobellu mushroom. II has some gray in it. andjust the right balanceofrcd and green. which makes it easy to live with. !looks look great against it. r n a foyer. it would bewarrn and inllitingbut also ext remciyciegam, moody and atmospheric." EVE ROBINSON SEN/AMIN MOORe SROWN HORSE 210830

A package! If you feel a flutter of anticipation when you see that UPS brown, try Martha Stewart Living Paint's Tilled Soil MSL 223.

the bathtub, color you'd get. I've used it insmall rooms. large rooms, sun ny rooms, d3 rk rooms. I think Ihe reason it works so well is I hal it's gOI l lot of red in it,soit brings out t he pink in your skin. I>cople think a room louks gaud if they look good in it." DARREN HENAULT FARROW & 8All BUFF 20

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T I I F . B F .ST C H F . F . .\ COLOR BY COLOR

You'rcalmost not sure what color this i. Crccnf CrayfTaupd I I ike colors that have a gray undertune. They read more I ike architectUfe than decoration. Glaze it for more depth, or whitewash it fora wholcotherquality.1 sec it in a kitchen, a mudroom, a bedroom. There's somcthingquict about it. Gorgeous wit h lIc1g;all lincn or Bennison prints in rose, terra-colta, cognac, or gmy-bluc." SUZANNE KASLER FARROW & BALL STONE WHITE 11

"This is the perfect luminOlLS spring green-like a lett lice leaf. It's vcry difficult to get thiscolor right. [ first saw it in the diningroomofthe Town huuse. Charlutte Moss's shop. done with a brilliant finish. Trust Cha rlOUe to know it's available. It'sa happy green t hat brings a room to life and can go dressy orcasual. JOHN VUNIS PANTONE

VOUNG WHEAT 120521

I"Th;" h,"",fg,,," ;, oneormy favorites because it reminds me of patina ted copper. It worksin anystyle room-contemporary. ethnic, tradit ional. It's the perfect accent color. I like to usc it on shutters, moldings. and windowcasings because it outlines the space and makes it more linear ami graphic. nLVWEARSTLER PRATT & LAMBERT CLOVER 2220

"The all-time best is Vert de Terre, which isjust the right mixofgreen and gray. Eart hy, yet e1egant. lt reminds me of awonderful old potting shed or the ISth-century buiscrie in sumt! amazingl'arisian town house that you've always wanted tosneak inside tu sec. It's alsooneofthe only greens that looks equallygood in bright sun orcandlclight." TIMOTHV CORRIGAN fARROW & BALL VERT DE TERRE 234

"""",eo 111 thost! vegetable colors. theonesthatare nut toodearand nut tuo crisp. This is real thicklooking. like pea soup, with a lotofyellowin it. It's a wonderful foil for hot pin k orora nge or burgundy. Ncutra I, but not boring. [t'scheerful in a hip way without bcings:tppy." JACIE TERRELL MARTHA STEWART LIVING PAINT SUL1ANAMSL 101

Green soothes, uplifts, and makes everything around it look good. No wonder it's nature's favorite colorbut it has its fashion side, too!

"Th is !:ioft grccn has a wondcrfu I mossy quality. It feels like a cool walk through deeply shaded woods. I like the way it grounds a room. Anything looks good against it-blues, rcds, corals, browns. Ilow can you do bettcr than a color found in nature7" PHOEBE HOWARD BENJAMIN MOORE AGANTHUS GREEN 472

"ljust did this in a double parlorwith a lotofwhite woodwork in Charleston, South Carolina, and I'm so pleased wit h it. It looks exactly like a green apple, Very fresh and very pretty. Dogs love it beCausclhey th ink they're out in the garden. Green is one of the easiest colors because everyone relates to it. I added touches of geranium pink, ycllow,and blue. MilRIO BUUTil SENJilMIN MOORE CfllCLIME 396

"This is a I'al m Beach green, very strong and vibrant with a shot of yellow in il. lt takes me back tothe 'Gos and '70S, thatearefrt:e David Hicks and lilly Pulitzer period. I thinkofpartieswith ice cubes c1inkingin glasses and 10tsorJaughter. There's an optimism to this green. YOII feel like the world's going to be all right. Bri ng in pink, persimmon, and lots of white,orhangsome interest ing photography to give it more depth and sophistication." CHRISTOPHER MAYA BENJAMIN MOORE

I , !:;::::::ir:f':',:':O;:';':;"COlor. to design away f rom because I'm sodrawn 10 it. Thisisacoloryou might sec in a vintage English ehintz ora summer garden. now todescribe itf l\laybc fresh green peasf Yes-that's it. II worksjust as well in Palm Beach with hot pin k as in New York with black and white. I often IISC it for playrooms because it's fun and vibrant and looks great with loysand kids."

" This is one of those great 18th-century French greens. II COil ld be the silkon Madamcde I'ompadour's dress. Green, when it doesn't go too yellow or too blue, is the complclc ncut ral. I can't thinkofacolorit wouldn't work with. Great with red. Absolutely fabulous with aubergine or chocolate brown. I love it in an en! ranee hall because then you canjump off in any color d il1.:ction for t he other rooms." PAMELA BilNKER SENJilMIN MOORE HilNCOCKGREEN HC_117

Tranqu i II il y, scren it y, cleanliness-t hat's what [ sec in this green. II's a celation with a little gray and a touch of yellow. I like to usc it in bathrooms with lotsofwhite marble and polished nicke1. 1t almost shimmers, and crcatcs a very watery effect. YOll can face it every 1Il0rningand nol gel tired ofil. And it gives you a good idea of what you're going to look like when you step outside." JULIA DURNEY

DD AllEN PRATT & lAMBERT DONALD KAUfMAN COLOR DKC.23 HillE GHN 1830

"G1'cen is a soothing color. Traditionally, it's associated witll healing. This is a sage green that stavs muted, C\'en with the sun on it. It makes me feel rein xed, It's not a color that is shouti ng to be noticed. It's calm and comfortable." ilMELIA T. HANDEGAN BENJAMIN MOOE

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I T i l F . T H IC I, I F .ST COI ,OHS Color often gets lost i n the translation from your imagination to your walls. Which color is the hardest to get right? They all are! But here's some advice . . . COLOR B Y COLOR

"RED is hard. There are so many bad ones. They're either too bordello or too raspberry nail polish. Or they're so brown it's like eating in a Southwestern theme restaurant, OT so primary and overly frank that you want to ask,

'Where do I put the presidential seal?' I'm always lookingfor either ajuicy pomegranate red, a Chinese lacquer red, or a really good oxblood. Because it's such an important color, Ted needs nuance, subtlety, and depth, so in those raTe instances that I break it out, I like to do it as a glaze, a lacquer, a fabric upholstery, or as red leather walls so there's variation to the tone."

"TAUPEthat duplicitous stony gray-brown. Taupe can either go green or pink. but if you have a green taupe next to a pink taupe, the room ends up looking like some powdery, tragic form of Christmas. Taupe is a really good color to use in main rooms because it's companionable you can always carefully introduce a beautiful blue or a great green or brown. But taupe's a politiciansociable yet slippery. And there are no near misses. You either nail it. or you blow it completely." SOSANFERRIEA

CHERIE KElo4aLE

"It's going to blowyour mind, but I think it's W!l{)0TI'I!. This became painfully clear to me when I did my apartment in New York. I'm on the 42nd floor with cream marble floors and a lot ofwindows. I wanted a great white to show offmy art and I thought. 'This will be easy, I've certainly done this before!' But white after white didn't work. I ended up opening 2S cans and painting 4-inch-bY"12-i nch swatches of every one of theml Each was so different, and they changed with the weather and by the hour. I was shocked. Only one was perfect. Which one? I can't possibly remember." NANCYCORIINE

"BLUE . It's such a gigantic colorit covers the ocean, the sky, and everything in between. Whenyou're trying to get a blue right. YOU're always working with whatever blue light is coming in the window and you have to add that factor to the paint chip, or else you'll wind up with year-round Easter. Always go one or two steps lighter than you think. The color most people think of as blue is really a warm gray. but it reads as blue. It took me years to realize this! There's a lovely Benjamin Moore color called Stonington Gray that's a much more confident blue than people might imagine. Or if you're a blonde. Ralph Lauren makes one called Basalt-it's the palest, clearest blue. as if you walked outside in the early spring and captured the color behind the forsythia." MAUORYMARSHAll

"TERRA-COTTA You see it in nature and in bricks, but getting it in paint is nearly impossible. It looks too flat or too orange. You never capture the depth and warmth properly. The only way I know to get the right color is go to Roussillon, France. It's an amazing little medieval village in Languedoc, and the entire town is painted with this natural pigment that they mine out of the ground. They use it as a wash on stone, where it seeps in, and the colors range from this really rich yellow to this vibrant terra-cotta and every shade in between. It's a vision. You can buy the dry pigment and throw it into a paint recipe." ANNIE SELKE

MDuring college, when I was working full-time for my father [the decorator Mark Hampton], 1 rented an apartment and I Just couldn't take time orfto paint it. 50 I went there one evening and stayed up all night painting thE place what I thought was a lovely pale YELlOW When the sun came up, I realized I'd painted the walls the colorofinsan' ity. 1 had to immediately mix in all my trim col to tone it down Yellow is an electric color and whol ly misleading. It becomes more yellow With the sun'syellow light on it. The moral is, even if you think your yel low is the one,qo Jaler ALEXA HAMPTON

"The color I find most beautiful and chic is GRAY. But it's very hard to procure that perfect, soft, luminescent, silvery gray shade you see ingunmetal, silver, zinc, or pewter. To try to get that color in a surface that's nonreflective and doesn't have a three-dimensional quality is the challenge. I often try a dozen samples just to find one gray. But if it's simplicity you crave, there's a divine gray that almost always works: Benjamin Moore's Horizon, If aJriend calls me and says, 'Help! What do I do?' I reply, 'Paint the walls Horizon and the trim white,' Think of a gray suit with a white shirt. It's a nice clean story, and you can go in a hundred different directions with the tie," snVEN GAMBREl

"YELLOW, because it reflects on itself more than other colors. It reacts with natural light and artificial light in totally different ways, so a particular yellow might be perfect by day, but look awful by lampl ight at night. I once had about 22 versions of yel low on a wall for a cl ient's poolhouse l iving room. I have since discovered Donald Kaufman Color #28, which seems to work perfectly almost everywhere." MALCOLMJAMfS KUTNfR

"The word 'PINK' seems to carry a lot of baggage. Everyone reacts strongly to it and has certain expectations of it. For a house in Palm Beach, we painted the living room a very soft pink. like the inside of a seashell. We even showed the painter

"Deep navy BLUE is one of the most difficult colors. If it goes too red or too green, it gets ugly very quickly. A neutral navy blue can be beautiful. But watch out! Always use a low luster eggshell or the paint will 'chalk' and the wall becomes a nightmare and you'll have to repaint again and again." NANCY BRAITHWAITE

"Earthy, NATURAL colors are so beautiful, but how do you capture them indoors? I'm always trying to re-create the effect of wet rocks or dried leaves on walls. Lately, I'm obsessed with agates. How can you achieve that depth in paint? Painting on drywall, the result is always particularly flat. That said, oil-based paints, like those from Fine Paints of Europe, create more complex colors. Oils have a really interesting relationship with the light that hits them, which helps make colors like grays, whites, and browns more luscious." ROBIN STANOEFER

"wr:rlr:. Benjamin Moore offers at least 150 versions. I'll select six and have my painter put samples on the wall. I visit the space-in the morning light, after noon when it's in shadow, at night in artificial lightstudying the nearly invisible paint squaresfrom every angle. Finally, after having painted the walls the most exquisite shade of white, someone inevitably walks in and asks, 'So, what color are you thinking of painting this room?' Never fails, but a perfect white is worth the effort." TORI GOLUII

"People either like or hate pale BLUES, depending on really subtle differences. Ifit looks too sky, a tad purple, or powdery-babyboy clothes-clients can't stand it. We almost never use a stockformula and usually doctor the mixes we get. You can add more pigment to make it richer, and you can brighten or dull it by addingwhite or black. There's not a real science to it, though. Youjust have to keep trying, and it can take several rounds." STEVEN SClAROFF

"RED. Darker colors in general can read very flat, so use a high-luster finish. With red, especially, that reflective qual ity makes it appeal ing both during the day and at night. Good prep is key to any high-luster paint finish, so skimcoating the walls really helps. If the walls are well prepared, you can get a deep, rich gloss without goi ng to the expense of lacquering. Add a bit of black to the primer, too, which makes it slightly grayish. That will help you to get good coverage in fewer coats. I've found Farrow & Bali's Blazer and Benjamin Moore's Merlot great to work with." MEG IIRAFF

a real shell to get the color right. We just repainted the room after 10 years and matched the color exactly, but added a Venetian plaster finish. It still looks fabulous and the lustrous finish makes it even more shell-like."

"BLACK. But when it's done right, it can be such an astonishingly warm and lively color for walls. I was inspired by the Octagon Room at Beauport, an incredible historic house in Gloucester, Massachusetts, where the pitch-colored walls and tiger maple furniture make your heart skip. The trick is to capture the effect of years passing, the color building up over time. How to re-create that patina? Eventually, I found Pratt & Lambert's Obsidian, which is viscous, rich, deeply saturated, yet highly nuanced."

ANNE CARSON JEFFREY BILHUBER

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"I started out with navy but that felt too nautical, and kept going da rkef u ntil l got to this color you can't quite define. The conversa tion in this kitchen is so relaxed and intimate-very different from the conversation you'd have in a formal dining room." WINDSOR SMITH BENJAMIN MOORE POLO SLU 2062-10

I {oo ln bv roo m The old rules have finally fallen away. You can have any color you like now, in any room. But maybe you need a little inspiration. Would you ever think of painting your kitchen midnight blue, or your entrance hall raspberry, or your dining room chocolate, or . . . ?

IN THIS CHAPTER:

THE ENTRANCE HALL

THE D I N I NG ROOM

THE KITCHEN

THE BEDROOM

THE BATH ROOM

THE HALLWAY

3 ROOM BY ROOM

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T I I F : F :\T R \ \C F : 1 1 . \ 1 , 1 ,

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"It's olle ofthos{' spact's that ppoplt go through quickly, so ou can afford a higher leve\ ()fdl'ama . Oftell tiwJ'c\ no I1atural l ight. so YOU nccd a heavily S

"/\ vdv.;:ty gray wit hjust the right amount of lavender. lfit hd ny more lavender in it, it would oewell beyond mypain threshold, but it doesn't, so it's perfect." MERRY JOYCE SHERWIN-WilLIAMS STUDIO MAUVE SW-()()52

ent ry ha lis. You want to make Wow!, out at the sallle time you have to be neutral because it's the opener for the rest of the apartment. So what to do? I'ai nt your hall this fabulous graytaupe, which isstill neutral but dark enough to makea statement." WHITNH STEWART C2 PAINT OUHOG C2U()

"Right now, we're into this traditional oil pai nt in a color that looks like whipped cream. Get it in t he Brill iant finish and it's very sh iny, like gclato.Seriously, make your entry refreshing. Cool off. TOM BRITT FINE PAINTS OF EUROPE SPINNKERWHITE 7032

Those great ISth-century British architects kept the front hallway somberto recall the color of the stone outside, on t he facade. 1 like that ideaofbringing the outside in. but stone doesn't necessarilywork for me. I tend to usea skybluish colorlhal hasa pretty heavydoscofgray and green." STEVENGMBRH PRATT&LAMBERT ARGENT 2429

opening 10 n lo,-cly green

foyer. This is nol the usual dark bottle green, it's paler and softer, a really good goesanywhere green that feels very peaceful." JENNIFER GARRIGUES FARROW " BALL FOLLY GREEN 76

"/\ hall takes such a bealing. Mine looks like the shipping departmenl at Macy's. So I'd choose a cooL calm white. Fill a mayonnaise jar with il and keep it in theclosct for touch-ups." T. KEllER DONOVAN BENJAMIN MOORE LINENWHITE912

pink, as masculine as you can get in a pin k, with a nice shine to it. t n a sma II ent ranee hall I like to use deep, st rang colors to hclpdcfi ne the space_ Otherwise, you lose it." JOHN BARMAN RALPH LAUREN PAINT RACER PINK IB51

ranch house where you came inton low, '-cry enclosed front hall before being released into this huge living room-that famous squeeze-a nd-squirt thing t hat architects love. So we painted this tight little space an intense barn red. Everyt hingaround you was red-walls, ceilings, doors. You were complclelyencapsulated in red. so you couldn't really lell the dimensions." HERIoiES MAlLEA DONALD AUFMAN COLOR DKC'17

3 ROOM BY ROOM

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T i l F : 1 1 1 .\1 I .\G ROO.\ I

"It's very close to a color in a 19405 Billy Haines house 1 festored in Beverly l lills. 1 love pairing it with yellow ol1 the ceilings and ivory crown moldings l ike he did . Doesn't it sound \Vild' It's a really exolic fun orange that creates drama, yel lcts you know the inhabitant is very playful." MARTYN LAWRENCE'BULL"RD BENJAMIN MOORE ORANG PARROT 2159-20 FARROW & SALl BABOUCHE 223

Do you want to feel cozy. casual, glamorous, elegant-or have evenings cfall-out fantasy?

ill it, so there's a warm aspect to it that mal;es people 1001; good. In high gloss. it really sparI;leswithcandlc1ight.1 thinl; chocolate brown part icularly suits a city dining room." ARTHUR DUNNAM BEN)U4IN MOORE BRANCHPORT BROWN Hc-n

n you're eating, you want a space that feels fresh, and green feads fresh to me. This isacrispccladon. With white linens un a wooden table, it reminds mcof eating outdoors. I adore eating outdoors. Everythi ng tastes bctlcreven mycool;ing!" CHARLOTTE MOSS rUROW & BALL BREAKrAST ROOM GREEN 81

ruby, sapphire. and emerald. This is lil;e the missingjewel tone we only get in peacocl; feathers. U's rich and still playful-it can be a formal or sort of decadent color, and it 1001;5 beautiful withaccentsof while lacquerordarl; wood." ClERiE KEMBLE FRROW & BLL MERE GREEN 219

MA pale, yellow-based springgreen is dazzling tothecomplexion. Greens bring out the pink in you.Just think what haricots vertsdo for a good lambchopthe green is what completes the plate. It's the perfect foiJ. JEfFEY BllIjUBE BENJAMIN MOOE WISPYGREEN .l.

blue with a certain nobility. somcthingyou would have seen in a colonial house in \Villilmsburg. llut it's alsoacasualand comfortable color. A dining room hould be approacila ble-don 't think it's only for holi day and special events." BACLAY BUTEA RALPH LAUREN PAINT CALYPSOVMI38

"II's kind of robin's egg blue, and with mahogany furniture and neut ral upholstcry, it looks great. I sl'edining rooms as mostly evening rooms, and t his has enough life toit that il doesn't die. It' very soothing. The right blue is always soothing." MAIETTE HIMES GOMEZ BENJAMIN l.400RE SACETINT.S8

"There's a pa leness 10 it but alsoa warmth. It's like a bla nkcanvas, so anyone who sits in front of it, or any food. any color, looks rca Ily attractive-amazing, in fact. Everything pops. The dining room isall about t he table and t he people silting at it." 811ET WITKE BENJAMIN l.400RE POWOER SANO 2151-70

.. a blanket ofvelvct that wraps thewallsit's a really saturated rich bruwn. very deep. a Imot aubergine. People in the room almost become the charactersofanoil painting. It has the fcciingofthe background in an 18thcentury portrait." MICHUl BERMAN RALPH LAUREN PAINT OESERTBOOTTH3S

oat mcal, camel color, and the reasun I luve il is it's a vcry neut ral backgruund but Ihegold hue makes everybody look like they just came back from somewhere fabulous. It's a very flatleringcolor." COLIN COWIE BENJAMIN MOORE SHELBURNE BUFF HC-28

l lLsed it in adiningroom in Palm Beach.lfyouare :Ichocoholic like me, youjust walk in and gel hungry. The keyword here is chocolicious. II's a really rich. deep, milk chocolaty color, and wedid white brackets with white vases allover thewalls." T. KELLER OOOVAN BENJAMIN l.400E BROWN SUGAH 21 1220

3 ROOM BY ROOM

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T I I F : 1, I TCl I F :\

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"Wedgewood Gray and Woodlawn Blue have that robi n's egg vibe. I always hedge my bets towa I'd grayed-down shades, because bright colors that look so happy in the paint stOl'c can look bizarre in real life. lfyou'rc nervous, start by painting the back wall inside the cabinets." Cl"'E DOtlOIlUE BENJAMIN MOORE WEDGEWOOO GRAV HC-l.6 WOOOLAWN BLUEHC-l"

l'I,,,,,hll '" ".elil make it cozy. Everybodycomcs in anyway. you can't beat them Ollt with t! spoon. l'latcswould look great un t he wall against this warm cayenne, and I'd do teak cOllntcrlops and cork on t he floorvcry soft and warm to bare fceL PAULA PERLINI BENJ ... MIN MOORE

"Kitchensoften havesu little wall pace you have 10 make thecolorcounL This is sunshine in a can. I likeayellowwith a liltle bit of brown in it, asopposcd toa yellow with green. Looks wonderful with wood." BEVERLYELLSLEY BENJAMIN MOORE GOLDEN HONEY 291

You're ready to break away from whitebut what color should you choose for your kitchen? Which is your favorite?

brown sugar. appetizing, with a lot ofwarmt h . l'd usc it on thewallswithwhite trim, custardcolored cabinets, and a lerra cotta floor." JO ... NE HUDSON SHERWINWILLI ... MS WHOLE WHEAT 5W6121

"1 have one of those little green boxe from ladurce, that Paris pastry shop, on mydesk. Turns out my client has one,tou,andwe re-created that LadurL'C green on her kitchen island.lt'an incredibly complexcolur, a weird combination ofydlow and green wi! h this red undertone. Beautiful." MARK CUTLER FINE PAINTS OF EUROPE P11130

su tired of all those off-white cabinets. I'd paint them this dark Swedish gray-blue. and make the whole roum very Gustavian, with chalky whitewalls, Carranl marble countertops. and stain less-steel appliances." SADR'" NUNNERLEY BENJAMIN MOORE WDLFGRAY2121.0

"Red is energizing, invigorating, and this is the perfect red, not too orange and not too blue, It works equally well in sunny or dark rooms and really sets off the cabinets, which we order primed and then paint on-site with a nice brushed finish." ERICA BROBERG BENJAMIN MOORE MER LOT REO 200610

1 " l'ickoo" wall. Apply two coats ofllllst-Oleum ,\tagneticprimer, paint it thisYlimmyraspberry color. and thcn put up yourchildren's art work. school schedules, and birthday invites with magnets." PHILIP GORRIVAI< BENJAMIN MOORE RAZZLE DAZZlE 1348

1" '0 ",,,,lid kitchen where thccabinets, counters, and applianccs werc all mismatchcd shades of white, we needed a distraction.Sowe paintedjllst the doors. not the frames.ofthe cabinets this teal-green aquamarine and replaced the cheap white plastieknobswith vintage hardware. Last touch-a blaek-andwhite tile floor." JASON BlL PRATT&LAMBERT TAMPlC0219

"You're taki ng a chance with orange, but it can be fabulous. It's playful during t he day for kids doing projects, and at night. with the lamps lit. it glows. Start with onc wall-thai may be enough." ANN McGUIRE VALSPAR SPRING SQUASH 2008'18

I ':;:,;: ::": in a small I i ' pl.'oplc don't

think of dark colors as an option, bul that's exactly where you need thedrama. This is a lovely gray-green, not too dark and very sort, kindoflike moss. Vcry elega1ll wit h white cabinets." MICK DE GIULIO BENJAMIN MoonE GREAT SARRINGTON GREEN HCI22

MThe Itome Depot has some great cabinet options. Paint them Cream Stone, a muted off-white. more gray t han yellow. Then usc rich. taupey Wcathcred Brown Oil thewalls forconl rast. Jt makes the kitchen a little more masculine. marc sophisticated." BARCLAVBUTERA RALPH LAUREN PAINT CREAM STONE ULS4 WEATHERED BROWN UL44

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T i l F : B F : D ROO.\ I

"What VOll want is anything that makes a woman look more beautiful. Lavender is great for blondes 01' brunettes, and very pretty with blue-and-white fabric.Just don't tell your husband it's lavender." t.!ARIO 8UATTA BENJAMIN MOORE MISTY lilAC 2071-70

" , between apple and moss, and it's I ike wa king up i n springevcry morning." AlES$ANDRA BRANCA PRATT & LAMBERT SEA OAT ,726

Okay, be honest with yourself. How do you really want your bedroom to make you feel? Sexy? Zen? Energized?

"The name says it all. It's the palest blue that they make. and it just shimmers. whcnyoll walk inloa room with white woodwurk and Ihis palc blue, YOll thin k you're in heaven. My painter went horne and told his wife aboul it, soyou knuw you'vegut awinner." T. KEllR DONOVAN FARROW !I. BALL BORROWED LIGHT 23S

'''" ',n" two fnvorite colors mixed together. Suft, but with 3 1ut uf vibrancy. Greens and bluesnre known for their rc1axingeffect." SHEilA BRIOGES FARROW !I. BALL GREENBlUE84

"Nothing is rnorcofa t urn-on than Champagne.and thisisthlll same uplift ing kind of invit ingeolor. I n the evening, it looks very warm and rich. and in the murning. t herc's a happy mood about it." BIRCH COffEY BI:NJAMIN MOORI: PAlEMOONOCl08

"I've always liked warm and cozy dining rooms and living rooms, but in I he bedroom I go toward cool and airy. Thal lo me seems reSI fu I, sleep-inducing. Myown parlicularbedroom is painted pale blue, with louchesof silver gray and coral. I'm a Pisces and I'm alwaystotitlly gravitating to water and cool colors: MilES REDO BENIAMIN MOORE BIROS EGG 20S1-50

'"It's a pale. pale,pfJ/e, almost fleshy pin k, bUI on the pink side rather Ihan the bcigeside. Why do I like itf Because of Ihewa)' it reflects on your skin. It's feminine and soft. It's almost like you've got a little glow in yourcheeks. That's what youwanl in the morning when you wake upand have no makeup on. Green was lIot going to work for me. CHARlorTE MOSS BENIAMIN MOORE BLANCHED COAAl886

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Donald Kaufman paints is that they're indescribable. They're almost edible colors. This pari icular shade has green and blue in it. and brownandgray.A February sea blue, that's what I'dcall it. I always usc it in flat, so it has this rich velvety quality, like soft moon light." MARSHAll WATSON OONALO KAUFMAN COLOR OKC37

.'] happen to love this color. I've mixed it with blackand-white photography and some pretty seriOllS Empire furniture, and it's really fabulous." BRIAN McCARTHY BENIAMIN MOORE CAYMAN BLUE 206050

"wejustdidthis bedroom in Floridawith sunshine-yellow wa lis. ]l's soeye-popping and energizing. 115 belHlliful at night when the lightsareon and everything turns golden. And when you wake up, wow! It's like having a glass of orangejuice thrown at you."' CHRISTOPHER CQlEIolAN BENJAMIN MOORE SUN KISSEOVHLOW 202220

"I just painted my bedroom this really amazingcolorealled Ilella Donna. Il'sa smoky, purply mauve, Ihecoloroflhe sky at sunset. It's a soothing. relaxing, mondycolor that looks beaut iful with raspberry eu rIa i n5, mauve bedding, and gray flannel earpet. DDAllEN C2 PAINT BELLA DONNA C2316

under water-relat i vely dark. but very warm and nuanced. It's wonderful to have II dark bedroom. Aren't there a few people who like to usc this room torsleeping" SUZANNE RHEINSTEIN RALPH LAUREN PAINT CRESTED BUTTE NA40

"It reminds meofthe sunflowerSlhat surround my house in " ranee. ItS bright, cheerful. Even when it's dark, it's always going tobe happy. I love what t hey do in France: pint a band aboul l:!.0r24 inches high-from the floor up-I ike a border around Ihe bottom of the room. Then do the doors and window frames in I hal same color." K"THRYN 1oI. IRlAND FARROW . SALl CITRON 7.

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T I I F : B. \T I I HOO'\ I

"In a bathroom, there's nothing better than clean, fresh, pure white. This is a very clear, soothing white. not too bl'ight and not too creamy. You never get tired of it, i t never looks dated, and you can easily change the look by changing the artwork." AHNEC"RSON BENJAMIN MOORE 6RILLIANTWHITE

"This is I-:i nd ora pa Ie I.: haki gray. It approximates the kind of light yougct on a doudy day, which makes all the othcrcolors around look deep and true, morc intense. Wcgcncrally usc while fixtures, and it rcallyst:lsthem off and makes them look absolutely deB n." OAIDMANN RALPH L.lUREN PAINT ARCHITECTURAL CREAM ULSS

Whether your style is ready-set-go or long soaks in the tub, these designers wi l l bathe you in just the right color.

strange color, sort of an old-fashioned blueprint blue. I actua lIy like dark bathrooms with very controlled artificial light. That way you can really hone in on I he problems when doing your toilette. Uesides, I thin k dark walls arc sexy." MICHAEL FORMICA BENJAMIN MOORE CALIFORNIA SLUE 2060-20

, eSI, sunniest day. a bright lavender blue, moderately intense, very cheerful. Some people will say, 'Oh, I don't like lavender,'but this doesn't corne offlike lavender. lt'sc1ean, fresh-guaranteed to perkyouup. RONALD BRICK PRATT &LAMBERT AUTUMN CROCUS 289

This is a beaut iful. cloudlike off-white with just the right amount orpink in it, so people look nice-but not so flattering that YOll walk out the door thinki ng you lookterrificwhell you really don't. ROOIN BELL rARROW &BALl DIMITY 2008

"I want a color that's subtle and refreshingat the same time. This lool.:s lil.:o: an old celadon that would have been popul r back in the 1940s. I'irsl thingin the morning, I don't want anylhingjolling that's going to give me a headache." ATHUIE DERSE PRATT & lAMSERT AI

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l always think it's a mista kc to try to make an interior room look hrightcrwilh white. I'd rather make it dark and interesti ng. This i the color of semisweet chocolate eh ips. [ used it in a great Georgian house with beautiful white moldingsand pcdimCnlcd doorways. [n an eggshell finish. so you get a bit ofshcCll. It doesn't feel dark lo me.jus! intimate and enveloping." TOM STRiNGER BENJAMIN MOORE VAN BUREN BROWN He-70

MUsually hallways don't get milch sun,SO I like ycllow-a color that cmanalcswarmth and lighLlt won't take on that gray pa llor t hat white and beige or tan can acquire when there's nowindow around. This yellow tends more to pin k than green, which combats those cold violet shadows. liang a series of black and white photog raphs-repel it ion works well in a corridor. MARSHALL WATSON FARROW /!o BAll YEllOW GROUND 218

"A hallway should bethe reverseofwhat's happen. ingaround it. Inhe rooms arc while, then Ihe hall can takeon a more dramatic color. But ifit has noarchiteclural features, thedramatic approach can look a lillie imposed. Thisseagull gnlydocsn't scream for alieni ion,yet it has pres encc. Light, yet deep enough to look sharp with a contrastinglrim." BIRCHCOHEY BENJAMIN MOORE REVERE PEWTER Helll

"Remember those boulique hotelswilh hallways sodark I hey made you fecl like a mole? 1 think thedrama should come from your art, and the paint should be fresh and light. r can't identify thiscolorit's nut white and it's not cream and it really doesn't Iccllik