What I like most about Ellen Kennon’s beautiful palettes of paint is that her colors are blended from the seven colors of natural sunlight. Without light-absorbing black or gray, her paints reflect a broader range of light.

By using several pigments, rather than the usual two or three, Ellen creates colors that seem to change in different light and space. [more...]

I recommend Ellen Kennon Full Spectrum paint Edgewood Green for this great room that I thought would look even greater in green.  Below is an spectacular stairway painted in this color.

I also thought that this dining room in icy green would be so much lovelier in a palette of sophisticated neutrals and suggested a few flattering new colors for a currently green powder room.

Check it out and add your own suggestions…

I’m looking for help with natural oak trim and wood floors. Pretty good light and great artisan wood side tables and hutch. Anything but yellow? Anything bolder? What about something in a green?

2nd question– I’m interested in some ideas for color for living room and dining room with beautiful natural oak trim and molding. There is no way we are going to paint this wood, but we would like ideas for a natural match. Help!!!! –Eileen

Kate suggests…

Green would be great choice with your oak floors and trim.

When I read your question I immediately thought of Edgewood Green from Ellen Kennon Full Spectrum Paint. This is a subtle green with brown undertones that would be perfect with oak trim and floors.

It also coordinates amazingly well with many other colors.

In this picture ‘Greige’ is in the foreground with ‘Edgewood Green’ in the middle room and ‘Peridot’ in room beyond. A similar scheme might work in your home and all of these colors would look nice with oak.

Here you see it with slate in the dining room. Gorgeous!

A complementary scheme with ‘Red Berry’

And another with ‘Shell Pink’

I think you are on the right track with green and I hope these images have given you some good ideas for colors you can use in the other rooms of your home.

***Readers if you have other ideas or suggestions I welcome you to add them in the comments. I’m sure Eileen would love to hear your thoughts too!***

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.

Ever since my signature color ‘H2 Ahh!’ was added to the Full Spectrum Paint designer palette I have received many questions about this line so I have updated my review page to include more information that answers the questions I was being asked.

You can view the page where I share my thoughts on my Sensational Color website in Ellen Kennon Full Spectrum Paint

Hi there Kate!– Your paint color H2 Ah! sounds like just what I am looking for to paint my home. Do you have a recommended color for the trim? Thanks! Emily

Emily, I’m glad you like this color and I have found it to go with so many colors. I asked color maven, Ellen Kennon to share what trim colors she has been selecting for her clients that are using ‘H2 Ahh!’. –Kate

Take it away Ellen.

Ellen suggests…

Kate’s ‘H2 Ahh!’ is a great color because it can be used in so many situations.

Kate Smith’s Signature Color is available through our Full Spectrum Paint

When used in a bathroom or bedroom, for instance, with crisp white tiles and linens, I like to use brighter whites for the trim, like our ‘White Opal’ or ‘Snow”.

However, it works equally well with cream colors, like the undertones of travertine for example. In those instances, I’d use softer, creamier trim colors like our ‘Classic Cream’, ‘Bone’ or ‘Mushroom’, depending on which works better with other elements in the room.

Just recently, I specified ‘H2 Ahh!’ for two separate projects here in Louisiana where we wanted earthier looks. In one home we used our ‘Sage’ for trim, cabinet and millwork color throughout the house because the green in it helps pull your eye out towards the woodland views and it worked quite well with ‘H2 Ahh!’, which we had selected for the upstairs bedrooms.

In the other home, we used ‘H2 Ahh!’ with ‘Mushroom’ trim which was used throughout the home. In this instance, we wanted a soft look (i.e. less contrast), yet something fairly traditional as this was for a spec house.

However, in most homes, I would stay with whatever trim color blends with the trim you already have throughout your home. You can adjust it slightly so that it works with the furnishings and ambiance you are trying to create, yet still flows with the rest of the home.
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.

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.

I have gold/yellow furniture with bronze/tangerine accents and a deep Victorian rose carpet with yellows and yellow/green flowers. There is dark wood around also in assorted antique furniture.

I have a panoramic view of the San Francisco Bay, fortunately, and am thinking of doing the walls in a water color….I love the water also. How would you describe this color? Can I find H2 Ahh! at CSI paints in San Francisco?

Then what to do with the ceiling which is now white? It is 8 foot tall only.

Thanks, Kate in Frisco

Ellen suggests…

We’d be delighted to send you samples of H2 Ahh! and a complimentary set of cuttings of our other colors if you’ll send us your mailing address. The ICI stores do not stock our samples, they just mix the paint up in their product once we fax them our special formulas.

H2 Ahh! Kate Smith’s Signature Paint Color

available through Ellen Kennon Full Spectrum Paint

There are several ICI Paints stores in your area that we can use. San Francisco is one of our biggest customer bases, so we use them often. H2 Ahh! Is a great “water” color that works well with most anything.

The color is sort of one of those “no color” colors in that it’s not quite blue, not quite green, not quite gray. . . I could see it working very well with your panoramic view of the bay. We also have “Gustavian Grey” and “Christine’s Cloud” which are lighter versions of this color and while many may use one of these on the ceiling, it depends on whether your room has crown molding or not.

A color that is close to H2 Ahh! but lighter is Gustavian Grey

Seen here in a room designed by color consultant Lori Sawaya

If it has crown molding, then I’d do one of the lighter colors. However, if there is no crown molding, I would paint both walls and ceiling the same color as it will visually raise the ceiling height. It also softens the space so that it’s not so geometrical and cloaks the room in color.

When I am working with clients who are either renovating and/or building new spaces, I always point out that if they are blowing their budget towards the end, they can always opt out of having crown molding in some rooms and paint the walls and ceilings the same color. The ceilings seem to disappear!

If you haven’t already visited our “Photo and Reviews” page, you may want to see some photos that clients sent of rooms finished in various colors. Hopefully, if you end up using “H2 Ahh!”, you’ll send us a photo of your finished product.

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.

I created these new colors with some of the countries most talented designers, architects and color consultants. The Designer’s Palette includes colors representing 14 designers who use our full spectrum paints in a variety of applications and lighting conditions

“H2 Ahh!” is the color I created with Kate Smith

Here’s what Kate has to say about her signature color:

“I love the colors of water. All of the hues from the deepest, most mysterious sea blues to the soothing, subtle spa blues speak to me and “H2 Ahh!” captures all of what attracts me to these watery colors.

Inspired by the color water in a warm, relaxing bath, the complexity of “H2 Ahh!” gives it a sophistication that intrigues my mind and the perfect balance of this color has a meditative effect that captures my soul.

‘H2 Ahh!’ is a timeless hue that works beautifully with all other colors. When combined with rich tan, chocolate brown, antique gold, olive green, burnt oranges, or even navy blue, gray or rosy pink it gives the combination a sense of the unexpected making it more interesting to the eye.

Meet the other 15 designers and read what they have to say about their colors in this month’s newsletter…
Resources:

• The Designer’s Palette and all of the Full Spectrum Paint Colors are available at www.ellenkennon.com

**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.

I’m in need of help of any suggestions. I have new capert being installed at the end of the month and it’s a rich burgundy color. I have tan furniture in my living room, I just don’t know what color to paint my walls. Thanks for your time and consideration. Sincerely Josie

Kate suggests…

Josie, you don’t mention what type of home or decor you have but burgundy is a color that can work well with with either traditional or contemporary styles.

The constants: Burgundy carpet, tan furniture

A soft gold or wheat color on the walls in a light to mid value with cream trim could be beautiful especially if your tan furniture is medium to dark and has golden undertones. This would add a second value in the tan/gold family rather than introducing an entirely new color on your walls.

Martha Stewart Colors Primrose E22 or Corn Husk E32

Another color that would work is Ellen Kennon’s Buttercream. It is a soft yellow with just enough pink to give it a rosy glow without turning peach.

Ellen Kennon Full Spectrum Paint Buttercream

This color scheme would make the room versatile and easy to keep up-to-date. You could then bring in another color or two in your accents and accessories.

Adding hunter green and/or navy blue with gold and burgundy is a classic look and could work well but you could also update this combination by using use variations of these colors as shown below.

The cooler colors, such as blue-influenced greens, would add a nice contrast and balance your predominately warm color scheme.

Going with the blue-green that almost looks grey could be a bit more sophistocated while using the yellow-green could create a more masculine or even cozy feel.

I like the blue greens but you might prefer to go in an entirely different direction if that is what feels right to you. Depending on the undertones in the carpet perhaps a charcoal grey would be interesting or even try a color that doesn’t instantly come to mind such as rust, gold or plum.

You will never know until you look at the colors together so don’t rule anything out too quickly.

Once you have selected your wall color and the carpet is installed play with some good size swatches of accent colors you are considering and go with which ever combinations please you most. There really is not a single ‘right’ color.

Go with what makes you smile when you see it. You are the designer-in-charge so relax and have fun.

The wall colors I’ve suggested allows you to change the accent colors to suit your mood so trust your instincts and go with what feels right to you now. If later you change your mind or change your mood it is easy to change your accent color.

Resources:

• Find Ellen Kennon Full Spectrum Paint
• Martha Stewart Colors are available exclusively at Lowe’s. Type in your zip code to find your local Lowe’s

**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.

Have an idea of what might work with the burgundy carpet and tan furniture? Please share it with us in the comments.

“How do you spell desperate? That is ME! I am a mess.

I have just recently remodeled my master bath using carerra marble for countertops and bath deck with earthy shower tiles and beadboard 4 feet up the wall. All is fine! I KEPT the ocean blue ceramic floor and this is giving me heartache.

Any Benjamin Moore paint I sample in grey leans towards lilac with the shift of light – beiges are going peach and I just dont’ know where to turn.

I came across the Ellen Kennon line and while limited looks pretty yet unsure of WHAT color – I liked slate and adobe but what do I know after this fiasco!

Do you color consult via email? Any hope for me? Thank you! MC

Kate suggest…

MC it sounds like most of the choices you made for bathroom remodeling project were on target so don’t give up when it comes to getting the perfect paint color.

Ellen Kennon’s Full Spectrum Paint could be a good choice but do keep in mind that with any full spectrum paint the wall color will change depending on the lighting and adjacent colors.

I personally love that the color changes character at different times of day in response to the quality of the light and in lower light situations full spectrum paints don’t lose the underlying character of their color.

Slate or Adobe might work but the best way to know for certain is to get a set of EK’s hand painted samples if you don’t already have then so that you can see the actual color and not a computer rendition.

Order a sample pot of each color you like and paint a paint test board or two so that you can view the color vertically in the room at different times of day so that you know you love the color before applying it to your walls.

Also Ellen Kennon offers a free color consultation via telephone after you purchase a set of Full Spectrum Paint Samples. You can find the details about how to arrange the consultation at their website.