I'd categorize Backdrop and Functional Gray both in the yellow-red hue family.

As far as the green slant you have to work with, it all depends on what kind of green you're talking about. Is it a yellow-green, green-green, or blue-green. Because it matters. There is no such thing as just a "green undertone".

The bit about red and green "undertone" is interesting. Saturated red and green on a classic 12 step color wheel are considered perfect complements. So it's interesting someone would perceive the same colors in their muted states as clashing or discordant. Color relationships and color order isn't a sliding scale.

I would partner Backdrop and Functional Gray with colors with a hue bias/slant from the true green or blue-green hue family. If the color is edging toward the yellow-green hue family, it is not harmonious and will not work with Backdrop and Functional Gray.

Here are the London Clay and the Light Blue together:

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The blue with the green undertone is Farrow and Ball's Light Blue, the adjacent room to it is Farrow and Ball's Light Gray and the hallway in front of both of those rooms is their Shaded White.

Palimpsest, I like the two next to each other in the first pairing, but not at all in the second. Hmmmn.

Will either the Backdrop or Functional Gray work with my palette that, so far, has shaded white, light gray, and light blue? The Functional Gray or Backdrop would be for the foyer, up the stairs, and either continue into the upper hall or stop at the cased opening and do Shaded White from the cased opening down the hall to the back stairs.

Will either the Backdrop or Functional Gray work with my palette that, so far, has shaded white, light gray, and light blue?

No. Because light gray and shaded white are green-yellows.

So here is shaded white on the left, next to functional gray. I'm no color expert, but they seem to work to me. Am I really off-base here and it's obvious that they don't work?

If samples were streakless, even full coats it would be more apparent. But, no, those two colors do not harmonize perfectly. They're okay but it's not a perfect pitch pairing.

All the reasons why shaded white works really well with light gray are the reasons why shaded gray does not work with functional gray.

The wall was very uneven underneath when I painted those samples. I also had an old cheap brush. Anyway, ok, they do not work well. Can you offer a suggestion for a shade that works with Shaded White that is in the color family of functional gray or backdrop, but with a more suitable undertone for the rest of my colors (light gray and light blue and maybe calke green, or green smoke from Farrow and Ball)? Thanks so much.

At least you used a "brush". I've had clients use socks, shop/paper towels or just their finger. :)

I'm going to restate what it is I think you want. You want a near neutral, or "gray", like backdrop/functional. You want that color to be around the same value, or darkness, of backdrop/functional.

But you need that color to be from a hue family that will harmonize, not clash, with light gray, light blue, calke green, and green smoke.

I would pull four SW colors for you to sample: SW 7053 Adaptive Shade, SW 7054 Subtle Brown, SW 6151 Quiver Tan, SW 6152 Superior Bronze. Chip to chips, Adaptive would be my front runner that I'd expect to fit best.

Awesome, I'll look at these tomorrow! Thanks :)

Upper Grouping is Green Smoke, Light Blue and Shaded White paired with Functional Gray

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The Lower Grouping is Adaptive Shade suggested by funcolors, Light Blue, Green Smoke, Shaded White

This post was edited by palimpsest on Wed, Feb 6, 13 at 9:17

I am preferring calke green, Saxon green, and lichen for the keeping room. I'm not sure which will be best for me. I'm also completely undecided on a dining room wall color. Since this is very visible from the foyer, hallway, and kitchen it could be tricky. I don't want red.

Have you seen Sutcliffe?

Kitchen detective, who makes that color?

Farrow and Ball Sutcliffe Green.

It must be in the archive because it's not in their current collection.

Nothing to add but I just LOVE funcolors posts! I learn so much.

I'm leaning strongly toward Calke Green. I should probably order a sample.