Dear Annie,
We moved from our first house in Nashville after it flooded in May into an amazing 100-year old bungalow in a historic neighborhood.
The last thing on my immediate design list is paint color for the living room. I am leaning toward a grayish blue to pick up on the blues in the LR rug and the gray in the throw pillows.
The color swatches on the wall are from Sherwin Williams. The darkest one (on the right in the pic with the factory cart) is SW 6227 and it is the one I am leaning toward. I just came back from Benjamin Moore and it is closest to Nantucket Fog (AC-22) but slightly toward James River Gray (AC-23).
My husband is concerned that any of the blues that I sampled will make the room look cold and dark but the room does get a lot of natural sunlight on most days…the day I took the pics happened to be rainy…
Thanks! – Adina, Nashville
Hello, Adina! 
First of all, I LOVE the rug and pillow combo. Brilliant. And I can’t believe you made the pillows; I pay someone a fortune to do it for me b/c I can’t seem to sew in a straight line. They look gorgeous.
While you know I’m a fan of bold colors, I share your husband’s concern a bit that going too deep on the blue-gray might shut down the room too much.
I also worry that once it’s everywhere, it will be so contrasty with all of your white trim and blinds that it’s going to look “blue and white;” you’ll be distracted from the subtle gorgeousness of the rug, pillows, and furniture, which all work really well together.
So here’s what I suggest. Why don’t you lighten up the wall color by one notch, to Benjamin Moore’s, HC-146 Wedgewood Gray – I have it in our master bath –
or HC-150 Yarmouth Blue, which I used in a dining room not long ago.
Both are a bit warmer than your Sherwin Williams blues, and they’ll set off those bricky pinks beautifully. But they’re still not “light blue” – no fear of a baby blue LR.
AND THEN I suggest painting your woodwork (I – ADORE the reclaimed wood doors on the bookshelves) a much creamier white – almost a tan. In Benjamin Moore, look at OC-14 Natural Cream and OC-5 Maritime White.
Any plans for drapes (even side panels) over the blinds? I bet you could make them, Madam seamstress…that would be the icing on the cake.
I hope this is helpful, Adina! Keep us posted!
Annie Elliott – aka bossy color – is an interior decorator and design blogger in Washington, D.C. She’s also the creator of the “bossy basic,” a one-time service to jump-start the interior design process in your home.
