Software
Houzz Logo Print
okpokesfan

Office paint color

6 years ago

I am redecorating my home office/piano room. I am inheriting the lovely Pulaski chest from my grandmother, have ordered the pictured desk, and have the piano. My trim is dark stained wood. I do NOT care for white or off-white paint. I want some color to it. Right now it is painted BM coral bronze but it is a little too bright—it clashes with the wood a bit. The rest of the house is mostly painted SW Anew Gray but I want a little color. The room is very well lit.

Comments (103)

  • 6 years ago

    We usually do eggshell but I'm buying paint at ACE and the sample pots are satin. I will call SW to see if they have the primed boards. Thank you Flo!


  • PRO
    6 years ago

    Yes, SW is taking phone orders around here and then you drive over and they bring items out to you. Ours is even taking credit card over the phone. I think each store has some flexibility.

  • 6 years ago

    Here are pictures of my new samples, constant coral and coral clay. It is evening here and overcast so I will get better pictures tomorrow. The colors tend to mellow a bit after a day or two.




  • 6 years ago







  • PRO
    6 years ago

    Good job. With the amount of light you have in this room at least in this light I lean to Coral Clay. Let me look up it’s DNA. BBL

  • PRO
    6 years ago

    OK, As you know, the Coral Clay has a LRV of 29 so it is more light reflective than Constant Clay at 35. (that scale is 0-100; 100 being most reflective "think light"). I also has more Chroma so it gets darker with more graying. It is also In the Red Hue family but solidly in the red; whereas Constant Coral is more toward the Yellow Red segment and has less Chroma so overall will be lighter and brighter. I think you need deeper tones in this room. You have your photos of the Secretary, so you can compare and see what you think. I like Coral Clay. Let me put a little comparison slide together for you to help you see the difference even though you have the sample boards.

  • PRO
    6 years ago

    OK, I used my Color Muse to measure the "actual paint chip color" on my SW Paint deck. Here are the results. Now remember there will be slight differences in notations from different sources, but they are close. The previous numbers I gave you were from easyrgb.com.

    paint analysis · More Info


  • PRO
    6 years ago

    There is a 19% difference between these two colors and I hope this helps you "see" the differences. With your big natural light, the Coral Clay will wash out somewhat and at night it will be dramatic and beautiful.

  • PRO
    6 years ago

    Here is mock up with both colors and mini pics of the furniture pictures. Sorry the "cropping" feature isn't working on Houzz so try to just focus on the colors and pictures not the border junk.

    mock ups · More Info


  • 6 years ago

    OP, if either of those coral shades fails ya, you could try BM Cool Lava. Which may or may not be in a similar ballpark...only @Flo Mangan can tell us for sure!

  • 6 years ago

    Coral clay is my favorite of the two.

  • 6 years ago

    Morning light pics



    First pic is constant coral

    Second is coral clay

    third is the correct color of coral bronze

  • 6 years ago


    Coral bronze

  • 6 years ago

    Again constant coral

    coral clay

    coral bronze




  • 6 years ago

    Same order




  • 6 years ago

    Same order






  • PRO
    6 years ago

    OK, I have looked up BM Cool Lava and BM Coral Bronze. Your current color Coral Bronze is the least reflective-so deeper in color. Cool Lava has an LRV of 38.6 or say 39 so much more reflective than the others and I think in your light it would read too pinkish. Unless your walls really need painting, I would stick with your current color. I think it works well and why pay for paint and go through the effort and expensive of painting if you don't need to?? Coral Bronze has an LRV of 27, so it is least reflective which you need in this room. In fact, I am looking at one that is a bit deeper and even less reflective! It is SW 6326 Henna Shade. I has an LRV of 23 so it is darker and has a bit more red but still has plenty of Chroma (grayed). It would be similar but darker. I suggest this mainly due to the natural light in this space. Any of these would work, except possibly Cool Lava (too pink) so you can't go too wrong. Just depends on the look you want. As a first room you see upon entering the home, a rich color with your dark trim doors would be really pretty. Do you have a ceiling light in this room? It could use a great ceiling fixture to make a statement! How high is the ceiling?

  • 6 years ago

    Flo---that is exactly the dilemma I am having. I just painted the coral bronze last week (it was previously Anew Gray like the rest of the house). At first I hated the coral bronze but the longer I am in here, the more it grows on me to the point that I'm not sure if it is worth the hassle to repaint. I feel that the coral clay is a little "softer" but again--is it worth repainting? Especially when I get all the furniture and accessories added back in.


    The ceilings are 10 foot ceilings. I will add a picture of the light fixture in. It is a ceiling fan because the window is south facing, although there is a covered porch in front of it.

  • PRO
    6 years ago

    Oh heck, I would put money into a great chandelier with those ceilings!! With covered porch, you won't have a big problem. You can always get a tower fan to set in a corner for air circulation if you need it. Oh boy, let's shop for chandeliers! I think you should keep the color you have. Done. More mood lighting is in order too. In my layout, I put a floor lamp next to the Secretary. This would be a great place to have some peripheral lighting especially in the evening. Or you could open the desk part of the Secretary and put a small lamp on that for an interesting view. Just depends on how much the "desk" part extends into the room. I do love styling open Secretary pieces. Overhead light should be on a dimmer so you can pump it up or down. Your desk has a "transitional" look to it, but your other two pieces, especially the Secretary are traditional. So I would find something "transitional" for the chandelier. Then a nice "task" lamp at your desk, plus a "piano" light or if you do art over the piano, even a painting light would add nice look, especially from entry. A super slim light for your music on the piano would be good. Lighting is so important in spaces and so often given short shrift. I have to go shopping now! haha!

  • 6 years ago

    Lol! I am hoping to get lots of mood lighting. The lamp I have on the piano in the pictures is from my bedroom so it will go back but I love the look of it. I will post a picture of what I'm thinking about for the art over the piano. I also have no curtains currently, only wood blinds and would like to get some lovely drapes to frame the window.

  • PRO
    6 years ago

    Love the lamp but not for your piano!

  • 6 years ago

    Ceiling fan.

  • 6 years ago

    Ceiling fan

  • 6 years ago

    Ceiling fan

  • 6 years ago

    Oops. It kept telling me it had an error. Sorry it posted so many times.

  • 6 years ago

    Also, what size rug would you suggest?

  • 6 years ago

    I was thinking of something like this over the piano.

  • PRO
    6 years ago

    I have gathered several possibilities for chandeliers. Tried keeping cost under $1,000 and if you like one we can shop around for better pricing or similar one. I put them together on one board so I didn’t over load your thread.

  • PRO
    6 years ago

    Halfpricedrapes are having great sale. I am thinking plain white panels. Here’s one I like. Great pricing right now.

  • PRO
    6 years ago

    Awesome pricing for lined, hem weighted panel. They also have faux silks. Might want to take a look.

  • 6 years ago

    Hi Flo. I will probably have to wait awhile to replace the light fixture. I still need a rug, lamps, art, and drapes. The price for the drapes was right on target lol. My budget for a light fixture would probably be $300 no matter when I got it.

    Do you think the white of the drapes would clash with the antiqued white of the desk?

  • PRO
    6 years ago

    You might want a cream. You probably need the desk in the room so you really know the finish color. Have you seen it in person anywhere? I just think the white is so crisp against your wall color. And it is a more modern look? I hear ya on chandelier. I can find something in that range, but can you look at the shapes and see if one appeals? Then I can hunt and you can have that as a "future" plan. Did you post the art idea for above the piano?

  • PRO
    6 years ago

    Oh! It just popped up. Let me check it out.

  • PRO
    6 years ago

    I think the art is a little "trendy" for your room. Your room is going to have a pretty elegant look. I'd keep it along that line. Great price though. The black and white doesn't relate to anything in the room either. The content is ok. Let me see what else I might suggest. Of course, can't beat the price!

  • 6 years ago

    The desk is an antiqued white, similar to what the lamp on the piano is. I have not seen it in person and it won't arrive until the end of the month. I probably won't order drapes until it gets here. I'll post some up close pictures of it.

  • PRO
    6 years ago

    OK, then we probably need a off white. I don't think you want too much color because it could look "old" against other elements if you know what I mean. A pattern will fight with the Secretary. And a color would be very hard to select. Once you get the Secretary in the room, you might be able to take a drawer to the drapery shop and see what color might work with it. But I think that is going to be very hard. Maybe order some off white ones to assess that color while you are waiting for the stay home situation to clear. Ones you can easily return, like from Home Depot. The big box stores are open here. Just use it as a trial and you might get lucky too. How high are the windows from the floor to the top of the window trim? Do you just want panels on the ends?

  • 6 years ago

    These are up close pictures of the desk.

  • 6 years ago

    It is approximately 100 inches from the top of the window trim to the floor. I only want them on the ends. They will be more for decoration than for blocking light since I have the wood blinds.

  • 6 years ago

    On the lights—-I am pretty picky unfortunately . I don’t like bare bulbs. The top left is ok except for the bare bulbs. The bottom left is ok—again I don’t like the bare bulbs.

  • PRO
    6 years ago

    That desk is sooo pretty. It is going to be beautiful in there. As to drapery, that means the next standard length is 120”. Those are much harder to find and will need heming too. Ok. Thx.

  • PRO
    6 years ago

    Ok good explanation on lighting. Thx.

  • 6 years ago

    Flo any thoughts on rug size/color? I was thinking ivory/light gold? I would like a 9x9 or 10x10 but those aren't the easiest to find.

  • 6 years ago
    last modified: 6 years ago

    okpokesfan--Would you mind sharing the link for that beautiful desk? Your room will be beautiful!

  • PRO
    6 years ago

    What was size of room again? Going to be tricky with doors swinging in, desk chair (is it on rollers?) etc.

  • 6 years ago
  • 6 years ago

    Flo, all doors are 30 inches. Room is 12’1 by. 11’11. Chair is on rollers.



  • PRO
    6 years ago

    I laid this out and I think you can use an 8x8. That would clear the French doors and sit under secretary about half way and sit under desk about 12-14" and might stay sit just to front of bottom of piano. I wouldn't go any bigger.

  • 6 years ago

    Thank you Flo. My doors have enough clearance to not get caught on a rug if it is not high pile.

  • PRO
    6 years ago

    Think about if you would be OK with the rug sitting just in middle of room? A 6 x 9 could work too. You can put some blue painter tape on the floor where you would "like" the rug to sit, and measure that out. You can always get a piece of broadloom carpet and have it bound to your exact size requirements.

  • 6 years ago

    I will think about those things. I know it needs to be under the chair because of the rollers. I just don’t want it to look off balance.