Wow, that's a post loaded with all kinds of issues and to top it off, the warm/cool thing is the most challenging part of picking colors -- IMO. Need a big swig of Diet Coke and I'll try to tackle a few the way I look at the warm/cool issue.

Do I pick a cool tan to go with the cabinets or a warm tan to neutralize it all?

A warm tan with cool cabinets (and whatever) is not going to neutralize anything. *Neutralize* is not what happens when you juxtapose warm and cool colors. Warm and cool is a level of color contrast. That means that something is going to happen when they are next to/near each other. You create a color relationship with warm and cool colors and an effect (or is it affect?) of that relationship will fall into becoming a part of the room's atmosphere.

What makes a color warm or cool largely depends on the other colors it is next to, around, among. In a word context. That means you have to look at the colors in situ and decide what's warm and what's cool and determine how to balance the varying color temperatures. THIS is what's hard, IMO. Finding the balance that is wanted with established warm and cool colors.

I really like the tan called "White Sand" but am now second guessing that that is too "cool"

Yeah, that balance thing I was talking about. I'm guessing the White Sand and Cabs harmonize well because they share cool characteristics and they look good next to each other. But you're concerned about how that nice, consistent, cool color relationship is going to spill over into the atmosphere -- will the cumulative effect/affect feel too cool for you.

Tugging the other way on your color sensibilities is to add a warmer tan with the cabs to *counter* some of that coolness of the white and bring a sense of warm/cool balance instead of cool/cool consistent harmony.

I metnioned "challenging", right? :~D

Because it is tough, what you will find out there are all kinds of "rules" about what you're suppose to do with warm and cool. Those aren't rules. Those are personal preferences and various options for designing with color that people confuse for rules or tips and tricks. They understand one way, or read somewhere that's the way to handle warm/cool and then make the mistake of believing it's the *right* way. Not.

I'll list the options and as you can see, some of them will make better sound bites about color than others.

That's the other thing you have to beware of with the peddlers of color wisdom and info, catchy sound bites but no explanation or substance to speak of.

The options not the rules:

Keep it all warm
ÂKeep it all cool
ÂCan mix warm and cool as long as the colors are the same value (light/dark)
ÂCan mix warm and cool as long as the colors are all the same intensity (vivid/dull)
ÂCan mix warm and cool, light and dark, vivid and dull, cats and dogs, as long as you got the skilz to pull it off and the human beings who will live with it have color tolerances to tolerate it.
ÂOther various combinations of the above that I can't think of right now

Ultimately, it can come down to preference and philosophy. My personal philosophy is color balance and balanced color and I try to shove that off on as many people as I can get away with. Reason is I believe that a mix of warm and cool colors creates a more interesting, supportive, and satisfying environment for human beings to thrive. Mom Nature does it this way and it's worked for her so far, but she also has mad color skilz.

All the other options to do the warm/cool thing are easier than trying to find that perfect pitch, that balanced balance like Mom Nature does. I think it's an admirable goal to try to achieve with color. I go thru a lot of Diet Coke and Advil and naps are important.

The room that the kitchen opens to is tan also, but I guess it has more warm colors--chocolate brown rug, light tan sofas, red brick fireplace.

See, ya gotta decide. Keep it easy and go mostly warm and find a way to balance the few pops of cool, like your cabinets, so you're happy or get your color maven on and work it out balancing warm and cool from one end of the house to the other.

Another question-Do I try to match the trim/beadboard on other side of the room to the cabinets or should I go with just a pure white?

If you like the white of your cabinets, just go with that. No need to add another level of color choice/challenge to deal with. Strike consistency with the white elements so you have more bandwidth to deal with the other issues.

Should I stay on the cool side or warm side for colors?

You get to pick what you want and how much work, challenge you're up for. You do have options.

I would like this to be uniform throughout the house (it all needs to be re-painted) The other rooms vary in color from grey/tans, dark browns, yellows, and greens. how do I match it to all?

If you matched it all it would be boring and flat. Somewhere in there you're going to have to determine the ratios and balances of warm and cool that you really want and that looks good room to room, light exposure to light exposure.

I would be looking at full spectrum or multi pigment colors because of their ability to morph and mesh with other colors in the space and their interactive nature with light. Comes in handy when, if like me, a nice mix of warm and cool is the goal.

Great essay, funcolors. You hit on a lot of interesting variables and I agree with you - there are NO rules, just personal preference and sense of style to pull off what you envision.

I find it helpful to start with the old fashioned color wheel. This website is a good start to the basics.

http://www.paintquality.com/color/colorwheel.html

It's also important to choose colors you like to surround yourself with. Look in your clothes closet. What colors do you like to wear? What colors are you drawn toward, which you feel complement your personality or your complexion?

My closet has primarily creams, blues and greens with khaki and black as my basic neutrals (pants, skirts). In the "Color Me Beautiful" analysis, I am a spring and those colors are most complementary to my skin tone, hair and eyes. Even before I learned that I was a "spring", I knew what colors looked good on me and they were my favorite colors. Color Me Beautiful just confirmed it. My best color to wear is a creamy ivory with a hint of yellow. I once had a suit in that color and I was always amazed at how my skin glowed when I wore that suit. I loved that suit.

Sometimes a good starting place for choosing color is just to open the door to your clothes closet and analyze what color combinations you enjoy wearing.

Thank you so much! That is very very helpful. I really appreciate you both taking the time to write that all out.

I think I'll explore a tan in the warm category and see if I like that better. It is so freeing to not HAVE to pick a cool color just because my cabinets are cool.

So, does anyone have a nice light BM tan that they like? I'm thinking the color "muslin." Think I'll try to get a sample of it. Send any other ideas my way so I can check them out too!

Thanks again!

"Reason is I believe that a mix of warm and cool colors creates a more interesting, supportive, and satisfying environment for human beings to thrive. Mom Nature does it this way and it's worked for her so far, but she also has mad color skilz."

Funcolors said a mouthful there! That's why I think a color consulatant should have the heart (and eyes) of an artist.

The shade garden, in our last house, was made much more interesting by the addition of the cool colored Japanese ferns mixed with the warmer greens.

If only it was that easy in our homes.

I had to look up Japanese Fern. Source link below. :)

Parma, the phrase "a synthesis of art and science" is common when it comes to many things to do with architectural color guidance and there really is a good reason for that. Remembering that art+science angle helps to keep important color goals front and center.

Ran, I don't do the clothes closet thing so much nor the physical color association stuff when I'm looking to color structure. I will say that my opinion about it has become more open over the years. Have grown a lot more accepting of that way of coloring than I used to be.

I used to think it was kind of ridiculous. i.e. So, if you predicate paint color choices on someone's hair color, what happens when they get up and leave the room? Or, what happens when more than one person lives there? Who's hair color, eye color and closet are ya suppose to put in the center of the color wheel before you go spinin' it looking for a paint color? If you go with one person's favorite blouse collection as the color catalyst with the goal to paint so that person looks good *in* their environment, will everyone else who lives there or visits look like sh1t? :)

What I have come to understand is that there is a whole philosophy about personal color. As is so common with the subject of color, a philosphy can span from New-Age-woo-woo-spiritual color to strategic color engineering with everything you can imagine in between. It's no different with looking to personal color for color cues.

I'll never say never, but I honestly do not see myself ever being able to fully get on board with those kinds of personal color axioms because of what I consider to be extreme color myopia and narrow focus on the closet, the hair, personal color set-points and what-have-you; they tend to ignore the same things that the inspiration piece and pulling-a-color business ignore. I'm not 100% on board with that either.

We have to remember one other option when it comes to choosing paint color and that's just freakin' pick one and conciously decide that it IS going to work and move on. :~D

Good discussion. I have observed enough of the personal color matching to truly believe it is on target, not only on myself but on others. But that applies to how clothing color flatters, not to wall color. I don't think it makes a difference what's on your walls to how you look - although some think warm bathroom tones are more favorable to how you look when you are grooming.

Everybody has their favorite colors to wear. My curiosity is whether or not the colors people are drawn to for clothing are also the colors they are drawn to for painting.

I just find it very interesting the method people go through to decide what they want.

You know, I have become more accepting of thinking outside the box as well. Years ago, I would never have considered painting a room lilac, yet recently I find I am drawn to a rich, pure lilac - not too pink or blue. I have some light golden toned pecan furniture in a small guest room and I keep envisioning painting that room lilac. Can you have lilac without having frilly, because I don't like frilly. I don't even really like floral that much anymore, and I used to love floral.

It may still take some time before I would consider painting a room pink. I still have to grow a little more before I'd do that - LOL.

Twinkle, I wonder if Shaker Beige HC-45 from BenM might be a good chip for you to take a look at. It looks good with BenM's Decorator White and your description of the cabs kind of sounded like Decorator's White to me. I also like Powdered Pebbles from Ellen Kennon - plays well with a lot of other colors. Hard to tell if it's warm or cool or both - it's one of *those* kinds of colors. Two very different beiges/taupes to experiment with.

Randita, when you were talking about lilac my first thought was Inspired AF-595 from BenM. I've often wondered why most lilac paint colors look nothing like a real lilac. ??? Inspired does remind me of one of the colors you'd see in a lilac. Gettin' all Mother Nature-y with color reference again. :)

I totally agree that there is A LOT to personal color, authentic color. I have been on Jennifer Butler's website eleventy million times. Some day I would LOVE to do something like that for myself.

I like the way she talks about color. The inner essence, alignment, authentic self stuff is all right up my ally. This blurb from her site is excellent:

"Up to 55% of communication is visual. In order to be seen and heard 100% there must be a congruence between your inner self, your message, and your external presentation."

So very fun.

I'll check out the BM Inspired. I'm also drawn to SW Obi Lilac. Are they similar?

My favorite colors in combo for flowers are lilac/violet and yellow. My yard is full of perennials with those two shades. I LOVE purple azaleas. I always choose hanging baskets for my porch in violet shades.

Color Me Beautiful says that anyone can wear any color, if it's the right hue. Periwinkle is recommended for me, not a royal purple or red violet. It's just hard to find periwinkle on a consistent basis in clothing, even though I look for it.

You can actually figure all that color stuff out for yourself. There are questionnaires I've seen online that you can complete as to skin tone, freckles or no, basic eye color and what other flecks of color you have in your eyes, natural hair color (which I try to keep, but it's getting more challenging!). I fit the "spring" to a "T".

I like that saying from Jennifer Butler. I'll check out that website.

"...just freakin' pick one and consciously decide that it IS going to work and move on..."

That finally worked for me. I did my homework, tested, and it came down to a couple of front-runners. I painted one room with one color and another with the second. Loved both, but really loved one the best. Decided it was the big space color. Tried both white ceiling and same color as walls ceiling. Both work, depending on the color. I feel that experiencing both in my house, to which I'm emotionally attached, did the convincing that either one can work if you want it to.

I'm now so over the indecision and angst I once felt about choosing a color. I can see now that maybe another choice would have also been okay. Maybe next time. Now I'm ready to put my house back together and think about something else.

linelle, true that! :-) At some point you do have to reign it in and just get it done. Everyone guesses any way. All that you really can do is do the homework, preview the color the best way you know how and then pick one and move on.

Randita, I don't care so much for Obi for the situation you describe. It's kinda dark and it has a simple nuance. It'd be good for a kid, just don't see it as a grown up, sophisticated purple.

Randita, I am fascinated by color and read most of the posts that have anything to do with it.

FC mentioned Citron's Aubergine in the one I have linked. I looked it up and it is incredible.

Using a full spectrum paint with one of the *scarier* colors (purple or pink) might be one way to go. Pecan would look great with it and, IMO, the darker a color, the less frilly and pastel it appears.

Parma - LOVE the Aubergine - WOW. I love the color AND the name. That color would be fantastic for a guest room and a guest bathroom. Thanks for the recommendation. Definitely not "frilly".

BTW, because of your gorgeous dining room and foyer pictures, I am painting my living room and foyer Ivoire. Doing blonde in the dining room because it gets a lot more light.

I enjoy reading your posts.

Thank you so much, randita. :)

Isn't that Aubergine awesome?

Parma, would you believe, I painted a wall Aubergine in the FL house. It was early on, when I was experimenting with the idea of an accent wall...ick. But Aubergine is a great color!

"Parma, would you believe, I painted a wall Aubergine in the FL house."

I should have figured if anybody had used that gorgeous color, it would have been you, Amy.