The color on the walls now, goes very good with the bedding. Maybe some nice pillows, and some nicer art work, would make her happy. The rug at the foot of the bed, is too small to be of any use. A nicer larger fluffy one along side the bed would be nice to have.

I also think the current color is a good match. If she is looking for a change, try new curtains, larger lamp and a rug.

Pale yellow would work good

Or something neutral like Analytical Gray SW that has blue as coordinating color

I've been walking her through choices on the SW site: peaches, corals, greens, yellows, even different blues. I think she's leaning towards something like SW Halcyon Green - a lot like the BM October Mist (thanks, Celery!).

But I'd also like her to get some updates on the rug, the lamp, and the curtains. She complains *all the time* about how she doesn't really like anything in there except the furniture and the quilt, and I'm the designated "interior design" daughter. Anyway, thanks for suggestions, everyone, and keep 'em coming! What could I suggest in place of that 40 year old wreath?

Maybe give her what she wants. Her dust ruffle is green and she likes green.

I would start by finding an amazing piece of art for her room. Something she really loves.

Then I would choose new carpeting, wall color additional decor ( art, vase, bedside lamp, throw blanket, curtains, trash can , , ,) based on the colors in the art.

All 4 of the paintings below would go with the bedding, but the wall color and carpet choices may be very different depending on which one you would pick.

https://www.greatbigcanvas.com/view/spice-poppies-and-eucalyptus-in-bottles-landscape,2587273/ https://www.greatbigcanvas.com/view/silver-and-sapphire,1051830/ https://www.greatbigcanvas.com/view/joyful-in-july-iii,2485365/ https://www.greatbigcanvas.com/view/field-of-flowers,1966079/

Yellows are so difficult. Sometimes you get it right the first time... and sometimes yellows can drive you crazy. I can see the sage green. I would go with a muted green gray. It all depends on how your mom's room looks with lighting etc. So many could look one way in a photo and different in her room. This is gray mirage by bm. In this space it looks like a cozy warm muted green. However, it might look different in your mom's room.

Thanks, Jennifer Hogan - that gives me some good ideas. She adores Van Gogh, and if she put a print of Van Gogh's irises up on that wall, it would pull in the blues and give her a jumping off point for the greens and other accent colors.

And to all, I really am working to get her what she wants (this is her guest bedroom), but she asked me specifically to help her with color because she has a track record of deciding she likes a color and then hating it when it's on the wall, and my dad will *not* repaint things. So I'm trying to help her pick something that she likes AND that actually matches so that she doesn't complain about it for the next ten years.

It is common to pick wall colors that are overly saturated. The swatches and test boards never look that blue or that green or that xxx until they are painted on more than 400 square feet of wall space. Sometimes it feels like it really is 400 times the amount of color as that one square foot sample.

We also sometimes forget that walls aren't the main focus, they are a backdrop for our art and décor. I want people to notice my lovely bedding and my beautiful art, not the big, flat, unremarkable wall.

Once we understand the goals and the risks, picking the right color gets much easier.

Thanks everyone for idea - now my mom's saying she's going to put the project off for a year or so, so I guess I can stop helping her with paint colors. I did suggest she get a framed canvas print of Van Gogh's irises in white vase, since he's her favorite artist and it would tie blues and greens and whites together so well.

Still want to help her update those curtains, though.

Sometimes it is hard for older people to deal with bigger changes. Start small, buy your mom the Van Gogh for over her bed and have it framed with a mat that pulls in the color from her bedspread and a creamy colored frame. (Mother's day isn't far away).

Valentines day is coming up - buy her a new lamp for next to her bed. Something with a light blue base.

For her birthday get her a pretty dark blue area rug for under her bed or have her other piece of art re-framed to match the Van Gogh.

Build it up one piece at a time, then when it is time to paint the rest has already been done.

When she looks around the room it will be not only things she loves, but also gifts from her children.

The lacy curtains seem to match her bed skirt. I wouldn't be in too big of a hurry to replace them if your mom likes them.