Designers' Favorite Paint Colors

I'd like to share an interesting magazine I bought on one of my recent visits to Barnes & Noble.

Published by House Beautiful, the book is called 500+ Favorite Paint Colors, and is a compilation of their monthly columns featuring "tried-and-true" paint colors, as recommended and shared by those who should know -- designers.

The colors are broken down into categories such as Neutrals, and the Best White, Best Blue, Best Purple, Best Red, Best Orange, Best Brown, and Best Green.

And then, they are categorized even further by rooms ... For example, The Entrance Hall, Dining Room, Kitchen, Bedroom, Bath, and Hallway.

There are also Calming Colors, Cozy Colors, Feel Good Colors, Sexy Colors, Colors Men Love, Colors to Make You Feel Younger, and even Colors for Blondes and Brunettes. There are also Garden Colors, Colors of Summer, and Colors from Nature.

The book covers just about any subject related to paint, and even includes a "Color Personality Quiz," which will help you figure out "the colors you really love." What more could you ask, and it's all at your fingertips for just $9.99! It’s a great reference tool to help narrow down your unlimited paint color choices.

And speaking of choices, have you ever wondered how paint colors get their names? I can just see a group of distinguished-looking executives sitting around a long conference table suggesting names like:

"Cat's Meow" (Benjamin Moore)

"Snugglepuss" (Benjamin Moore)

Elephant's Breath (I kid you not!) Farrow & Ball

Icing on the Cake (Benjamin Moore)

Going to the Chapel (Benjamin Moore)

Dead Salmon (Farrow & Ball)

Borrowed Light (Farrow & Ball)

Kitten Whiskers (Benjamin Moore)

You've got to admire the imaginations and marketing skills that came up with those names and actually sold them to paint companies.

While browsing through the magazine, I found several colors that I really like. For instance, I love this elegant soft apricot color, which is listed as one of the "Best Oranges." It's from Benjamin Moore, and is called "Soft Marigold." Our daughter and son-in-law are going to build a new house, and she is considering it for their master bedroom and bath.

And I love, love, love this elegant "mossy green" color from Benjamin Moore, which is called Aganthus.

I have to admit that I am partial to the Benjamin Moore colors, and as a member of the "less is more" school of decorating, I tend to favor neutrals. Here are some of my favorite neutral colors (the photos were collected from various Internet sources):

Linen White (Benjamin Moore)

Ivory White (Benjamin Moore)

Vellum (Benjamin Moore)

Acadia White (Benjamin Moore)

This is a Farrow & Ball paint called "Pointing." I'm going to try to find the nearest paint store that carries Farrow & Ball and get a sample of this one.

Isn't it elegant!

Powell Buff (Benjamin Moore)

I know those colors may seem drab and boring to some of you, but I prefer to use accessories and accent colors to add color and interest. However, there are some really bolder, brighter colors that appeal to me, even though I don't think I would ever be tempted to use them.

Like Benjamin Moore's "Orange Parrot" ...

Madrid (Portola Paints)

Philipsburg Blue (Benjamin Moore)

Merlot Red

Chinese Blue (Farrow and Ball)

Bashful (Benjamin Moore)

Tulip Red (Fine Paints of Europe)

Humble Gold (Sherwin Williams)

Clover (Pratt & Lambert)

While writing this post, I discovered that my taste in colors has a wider range than I originally thought. While I would probably stick with the "tried and true" neutrals when it comes to my decorating, I found hundreds of bright and bold colors that I really like. Hmmmm ... perhaps I can persuade my daughter Whitney (Avery's mommy) to use them in her new house. What do you think, Whit?