[tracery tips] best basics

Since we started the Tracery Blog last spring, we’ve received a lot of questions about the paint colors used in many of the photographs of our work that we’ve shared.  We’ve always been a little reluctant to reveal too many details about projects we’ve completed–our wonderful clients pay us to make selections for them and we want to be respectful of that and not give too much away.  We do understand though how difficult it is to find really great paint colors (or faucets, or light fixtures, or tile) so today we bring you the first installment in a new series, [tracery tips]

A quick review of our work will reveal that more often than not, we prefer neutral paint colors.  That’s not to say we don’t love a colorful space from time to time, but we tend to prefer adding color through artwork, a pillow or a well-selected piece of colorful furniture.  Today we want to share our favorite basic neutrals:  the best white, the best natural, a wonderful charcoal, a solid chocolate and basic black.

 

We’ve been known to use pure white from time to time, but most of the time our go to white is Benjamin Moore’s ‘China White’ (#I-74)

China White has just a touch of grey to it, which makes it sophisticated and calm, and helps it avoid being too glaringly white.  We’ve used this color, a lot….several clients’ homes, the Birmingham office we share with Dungan Nequette and The G Brand and Doug’s own house all sport China White.  We’re about to have our Rosemary Beach shop repainted China White as well.  When doing an all white room, we like to paint the walls, trim and ceiling all the same–it helps make the space feel huge!

—

You’d think it would be easy, but finding the perfect natural color for walls can be very difficult.  Almost everyone has lived in an apartment at some point with supposedly neutral walls that were too pink, too peach or too vanilla.  Our preferred color in a situation where we want walls that aren’t white, but aren’t anything else either is Benjamin Moore’s ‘Grant Beige’ (#HC-83).

Grant Beige is the color of linen.  It’s just slightly grey, but never picks up any other color…it’s great when paired with another basic like white, chocolate or black but also works well with color.  It’s a wonderful, serene color and works every time we try it.

—

Charcoal grey continues to be everyone’s new favorite color.  After much experimentation last year (in which a certain kitchen island was repainted no fewer than three times!) we finally found the perfect charcoal, Benjamin Moore’s ‘Kendall Charcoal’ (#HC-166).

We’d consider charcoal grey to be a generally cool color, but there’s something very warm about this shade.  We love it so much, in fact, we chose Kendall Charcoal as the basis for the new charcoal color scheme we adopted for our brand identity late last year.

—

Chocolate brown can get green, or worse red, if you aren’t careful.  We think Benjamin Moore’s ‘Otter Brown’ (#2317-10) is great because it does neither.  It is chocolate, pure and simple. 

Pair it with Grant Beige and you’ll have a very sharp combination for sure.  We’ve used this color inside a lot, but have also had great success with it as an exterior trim color.  Colors often change a lot when transferred outdoors but Otter Brown looks great in either setting.

—

Paint color names can get a little ridiculous, so the simplicity of this one is hard to argue with…Benjamin Moore ‘Black’ (#2132-10)

Pure black is crisp and sophisticated, and this shade won’t get blue or green when combined with a bright accent.  Use it with China White and you’ll have a classic combination that will never go out of style.

[color swatches via Decorati]