Color to complement knotty pine

Today’s color dilemma…

My dining room is approx 17\’x15\’. It has a large archway into den (approx 17\’x15\’)which is all knotty pine (not paneling). The dining room is currently white & has been for years. I\’d like some color but am afraid of making the den/dining area seem like a cave because of the knotty pine. The ceiling is white plaster swirls. It has pine base boards and pine around archway.

Kate suggests…

If you fear a cave-like appearance in your home, it would be best to choose a color that is warm or has a warm undertone rather than a cool color or any shade that tend to go gray in dim light.

I most often suggest a full spectrum paint for any room that has low light beause there is a noticeable difference between full spectrum paint colors and many standard paint colors.

Many standard colors are blended using black pigment, which absorbs light. Full spectrum paints omit black pigment and use a broader range of pigments in formulating the colors.

They reflect a broader range of light and because of the absence of black and the perfect balance of a full spectrum of pigments, they don’t tend to turn muddy or lose their character in low light conditions.

I think that in your dining room a soft creamy yellow would brighten the spacce and work well with the knotty pine. It’s difficult to tell from the picture what color your carpet is but this type of color would go with just about any carpet color.

You could try a color from Ellen Kennon’s new designer palette. Two that I like are:

‘Morning Yellow’ selected by architect-interior designer Richard Morrison, is the color of pure sunshine, radiating warmth and cheer, much like Richard’s personality. Richard is a much sought after architect/designer in Menlo Park, California.

‘Classic Marc’ named after designer Marc Charbonnet of MECA Productions in Manhattan, is a very soft creamy yellow—a color so popular with his clients, it has been used at least somewhere in almost every project! You may have seen it in Michael J. Fox’s homes in Architectural Digest Magazine.

Resources:

• Ellen Kennon Full Spectrum Paint
  
• Do you have a color dilemma? Post it in the Makeover Gallery at RoomVues.com and you could be the next reader to have your color question answered on the Color For Your Home blog.

**Please note: Due to individual computer monitor limitations, colors seen here may not accurately reflect the paint colors. Please refer to an actual sample of the paint for an accurate rendition of the color.