I have done that and gone with Benjamin Moores Dove grey, with Dove white high gloss enamel on woodwork and trim. Same Dove Grey on the ceiling. Very classic, goes with everything. I am not a fan of browns or beiges though. I pick up what ever colors I want in rugs, art, upholstery and curtains.These are all easily changable when I get bored with the look. Have fun!!

BM's Revere Pewter has been mentioned numerous times.

We would suggest a neutral beige color. It goes with most decorating styles, and is pleasing to the eye.

Some suggestions:
Clay Beige OC-11 by Benjamin Moore
Manchester Tan HC-81 by Benjamin Moore
Matchstick No. 2013 by Farrow & Ball
Savory Beige 3002-10C by Valspar

Dy !!!!!

I think you have to consider your location and whether you want warm or cool colours. Most greys can be cold where beiges are warmer. A soft white will also allow you real freedom of colour choice if you think you might like variety from room to room. Consider your colour choice for furnishings too and the look you want to achieve in each room. Sometimes it is possible to run a subdued colour, like a sage green, through a house and you can still create a different look for each room. Think of what colour makes you happy.

Every happiness in your new home.

Bonjour, In our new traditional construction properties we always use BM natural linen (CC-90) and in our contemporary properties we use BM november rain (OC-50).

I don't know if vixenhouse means dove wing, but it looks like a beautiful soft, warm grey
http://www.benjaminmoore.com/en-us/paint-color/dovewing

Dy!!! Revere Pewter??? Yes in an eggshell finish; NEVER in flat! It's so b-o-r-I-n-g!!! Oh, I'm just shocked at you Dy!

Carolins, you are right!! My old Victorian is a mixture in and out of Dove Wing, Dove White and Dove Grey.and a Copper Finial on the turret! And I agree on the eggshell!!

Oh, and Dove Blue for the trim. All from the same B. M. Color card.flows nicely together.

Beige, grey, blue these are nice, but if this is temporary you have 4 problems to deal with. I would strongly you sit down and pick some colours or on second thought maybe there is a way around it.
When they paint the drywall they tape spackle sand and create dirt dust etc that is in your closets clothes nose hvac carpets sofas etc. The same when they change a color if you pick a pale green over a grey they might prep the wall start again prime smelly and a low Vic paint. Same job 2 x the cost.
No house is one colour, but you can do one primer in white in prep for painting. You will not have long and you still have floors and carpet.
You generally pick your color from your floor as a starter.
So, take this slow room but room.
Let's start with the kitchen you have tour floor your cabinet and your top there are probably 5 really good colors.
Same with bathrooms, pull the color from your tile and your tops.
Closets simple benjamin moore cement great clean crisp grèy with museum white trim. Why because most closets accessories or California closets are white or mahogany.
If mahogany go with beige forgot no., but a crisp cream simple color
So you have kitchen simple you can do this
Bathroom
Laundry room grey and white
Getting there
Dining Room, I would do this in all museum white and one wall a beautiful wallpaper. Contemporary out traditional.
Living room carpet wood floors. I know you can tell us and that just leaves
bdrooms.
It is so much better to move in done then later.
If you feel stuck on a few rooms than paint them museum white reason you can always use art work as your color.
Try and go slow and I would bet you get 3/4 done.
Enjoy you beautiful new home.

Angela, I appreciate, very much, that marvellous post. You are right, I should work at it bit by bit. And all of you, your advice has been wonderful.
Vixen - I think I'd like to veer towards grey rather than beige, and that Dove Grey is lovely. It's great to think that I could use that one colour card.

My floors downstairs are going to be Silhouette Nostalgic wooden floors. LIke this...
http://www.silhouetteflooring.com/product/nostalgic-collection/18

Upstairs we are doing the cardinal sin of having carpet (neutral - seashell from Mowhawk)

The house is colonial style, so fiercely traditional. I'd love to keep the actual fixtures traditional and then play around with more modern touches that can be removed.
The kitchen has a dove grey island and white cabinets (I like to follow the herd when it comes to originality!) although it's going to have strange grey and pink blinds (don't ask - they sound awful and are fairly out there). There is a black granite counter and the island has butchers block.

Our bathroom is white (mainly) with bevelled subway tile. I'd love an eau-de-nil or duck egg blue in there. Our bedroom is absolutely a work in progress and I haven't a clue. Paint the bedroom the same as the bathroom? Paint it white and accessorise?

The kids bedrooms are okay, I've chosen this.

The living room is probably going to be very Laura Ashley-ish - with a hint of new england. What a mess!

Aaargh!

Oh, all sounds good. Please post photos as you're progressing. Bedroom paint... depends on your bedding.

Thanks Carolins. I'd post photos, only at the moment it's just a basement as there is suddenly a construction workers strike. The problem is, I am going abroad for 6 weeks so I need to choose before I leave, having seen a wooden bit of scaffolding. And I change my mind every 2 minutes... Thats why I wondered about painting neutral and then reassessing, but this will certainly be more expensive!

And the bedroom - I saw a wonderful wallpaper of scattered blue flowers that looked as though they were trailing off a branch in the magazine 'Traditional Home' but I can't find the image anywhere, even on their website. Gutted.

Oh too bad you can't find the wallpaper again.
Here's a site with lots of gorgeous wallpapers... who knows...
http://www.fabricsandpapers.com/

http://www.grahambrown.com/us/index

Thanks Carolins. I'll give it a try. Sob.
I just wish I could find that magazine. I think it was Traditional homes but it could have been Verandah, or another one. I'll have a good browse on those websites you've given.

Oh, good lord, I adore this one from that website...

http://www.fabricsandpapers.com/item/view/cow-parsley-and-butterfly-wallpaper/category/floral-and-bird-design-wallpapers?image=2032

Gorgeous. If you don't have sweet dreams with that on the wall(s) of your bedroom...

You're right. And it combines a few of my fave things - cow parsley (being a Brit!) butterflies, duck egg and splashes of periwinkle blue.
In fact, I'm totally in love with the idea of wallpapering this on one wall then continuing the colour as a paint or at least a gentler version of the paint into the bathroom.
Thank you so much! I love this even better than the one I saw in the magazine!

I can only say hip hip hurray! :-D

Sanderson has some nice papers,classy but not trendy. My master in the turret has lots of white woodwork, original 1890 wood floors with a nice shine. I used a sanderson paper with coral and duck egg blue stripe. Very fresh and happy. You may find some papers can't be sold in the US by some companies, but there is one in Scotland that gets around it somehow. You can make yours truly unique and one of a kind if you go with what you LOVE and forget what is in current style. There is more than Waverly out there. Also, try Scalamandre website, fabric and papers...go to their "third floor" for great prices.

One color? I am going with the concept that my wood work is BM simply white. So one color for my walls would be BM Collingwood.

Tutorials or grey and greige below. I suggest when you find the one you want, you work that chip card throughout the house, or at least the main floor, even using the lightest shade on ceilings. Then get playful with bedrooms, upstairs, basement.
https://www.houzz.com/magazine/50-shades-of-gray-stsetivw-vs~2901301
https://www.houzz.com/magazine/going-greige-tips-for-choosing-this-all-around-neutral-stsetivw-vs~577375

The site is Wallpaper Direct, from the U.K. Decent prices.

And Vixen, that just happens to be where we are on holiday for nearly 2 months. Awesome!
(loving the idea of a bedroom in the turret BTW)
I will have a look at those idea books deco enthusiast. Great idea.

ooops, meant to attach this

[houzz=]

Thanks so much olldroo - that is exactly the kind of restful (and enormous) bedroom I'd love.

I absolutely love the idea of using the wallpaper as a 'print' in the bathroom. What a sweet idea.
Goodness me I love all the helpful people on this website!

hi, housewife...I was thinking about your holiday in England. if you have time before you go, look up a site called SALVO. it is in England and lists all the antique lawn sales and fairs. they have wonderful and interesting architectural salvage items, as well as small things that might be fun in decorating with. and since you will be there, shipping might not be a problem for you.they have nice hardware, tiles, things you won't find over here.

wonderful idea! Reclamation yards with the kids are a grand plan. The little darlings will love it and I'm taking over an extra suitcase. Perhaps I'll be able to fit in an extra butler's sink in there...

you will have great fun and bargains galore! I go to paris twice a year on holiday and visit the countryside Brocants...back roads are very winding..a large copper pot I got for 10 euros came in way more handy than I planned for :).. ..you may be able to find something to design your color schemes around. Have fun!

I bought a lot of samples but ended up using Sherwin Williams Oyster Bar in every room except my dining room. The painters used an eggshell finish and I am happy with it.

I have a friend who has an absolutely beautiful house... It is the talk of the town with mixes of modern, traditional and hints of country... She painted her whole house simply white and it is gorgeous!! All the trim and ceiling is this colour too. Her kitchen is all white too with a light or white-ish Granit. She has medium color wide plank flooring throughout and black accents for lighting and door knobs ect... She also has a little grey Stone walls. She has higher ceilings so it looks fabulous and fresh.

Simply White by Benjamin Moore

Painted the interior of my beach house all in Pratt & Lambert Winters Gate.

White Dove or Swiss Coffee. Nice warm white that goes with almost everything.

Benjamin Moore Squire Hill Buff!!!

a warm creamy white

Benjamin Moore's Brandy Cream. It acts like a full-spectrum paint, looking different as the light changes! I love it but wish I'd tried other choices for the "white" trim than Woodland Snow, which is lifeless in comparison.