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mlweaving_marji

Once again, with feeling: help with colors - Library

mlweaving_Marji
9 years ago

SCREAM....I just wrote this long post and Firefox crashed and I lost the whole thing. argh!

remember my library? Link to original thread
Well, it's built now and I need to submit colors to the painter by the end of the week.
My original vision had this room Relic Bronze, which was not a very popular choice here, but more importantly, dh hates it and this will primarily be his room. Compatible cream is out for the same reason, as is anything cream, tan, beige, or bronze.
We painted up boards in the Downing Slate and Foggy Day and they were far too dark and too grey.

The decision is now between Benjamin Moore Fort Pierce Green and BM Affinity Azores.


The dining room in above pic is painted Ft Pierce Green, the empty room is painted Azores. The closeup is of my rug.
We have swatches painted on the wall, but I didn't think that would tell as much as pics of actual rooms painted these colors.

This is the actual room - floors are hickory and will be stained md/dk. The room is south facing and gets a lot of natural light, even under the porch overhang. All trim will be white and the windows get white plantation shutters.

And this is what is going in the room. We already own the rug, the artwork, the lamp and the end table. The leather chairs (navy) will be ordered when we move in.

The next picture is the palette of what is going on in the rest of the house. I inserted Ft Pierce Green but that is still in question.
So what do you think? Fort Pierce Green or Azores?

Comments (27)

  • tibbrix
    9 years ago

    Hey, I'm redoing my bedroom in Languid Blue! It's a beautiful blue.

    That SW Smokey Blue is gorgeous too.

    For the library: c2 Karma. Rich, elegant...

  • tibbrix
    9 years ago

    oops, sorry. Didn't see the "decision is betweenâ¦" comment before I went and forced Karma on you. I'd pick the Azores .That is a gorgeous blue and perfect for a library, IMO.

  • mtnrdredux_gw
    9 years ago

    It'd be easier to compare if both colors were in the same format (the "drop of paint" for Fort Pierce Green).

    To me, the empty room looks more green and the painted room, blue. The painted room in blue looks too colonial. I think the colonial backlash (which disdains slate blues and mauves, for example), is ongoing, so I have negative reaction to those blues.

  • schoolhouse_gw
    9 years ago

    I'm not sure about the white trim but as it is already there, I think a darker color on the walls would still be better for a library. Or is it too late for some type of wainscoting on the bottom of the walls? Not the narrow beadboard type but a wider board or even a classic designed wainscoting which I don't know the name of but doing a search of "wainscoting styles" presents some fine examples.

    A wallpaper instead of paint? This and wainscoting probably would up the budget.

    This post was edited by schoolhouse on Wed, Apr 16, 14 at 12:29

  • tibbrix
    9 years ago

    Maybe a richer blue for a library, like this?

    Btw, can anyone here take a guess as to what this blue might be?

    Here is a link that might be useful: [Library/Office[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/crisp-architects-traditional-home-office-new-york-phvw-vp~193110)

  • mlweaving_Marji
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Swatches on wall, blue sq is leather swatch for chairs.
    Next post will show wall more straight on but it's really hard to see color that way.
    Mtn, I had the drops in the first post that crashed. HTML on them was huge, didn't include it in second post. I was looking at color on room that got a lot of light so wasn't really concerned w context. Are you saying you don't like the color because it's shown in a room that reads colonial?

    School, thanks for input. This house is being built in coastal South Carolina. We have so much wainscoting in this house, except in this room.
    Along the side wall that has the window in the corner we intend to put a tall long bookcase, natural wood, and the back wall gets a big TV.
    I'm going for cozy library, without having any natural finish trim in the house it's a challenge.
    So I really just need a color.

    This post was edited by mlweaving_Marji on Wed, Apr 16, 14 at 20:56

  • mlweaving_Marji
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Tibbrix, thank you for looking and coming up w alternatives.
    I'd been avoiding a deeper blue because the base of the rug is deep blue- it's in storage so I can't get at it to match it, and the leather chairs are blue.
    I didn't think the room could handle a deep blue on wall too. Sort of tried to match but missed?

    Azores

    Fort Pierce Green

    This post was edited by mlweaving_Marji on Wed, Apr 16, 14 at 21:03

  • tibbrix
    9 years ago

    matching blues is very tough. If you can really determine the base of the blue of your chairs, then you can pick a blue for the walls. Some blues are gray, others purple, others yellow..

    I'd figure that out first. Then it will be easy to pick a wall color, and light or dark won't matter at all (in that context).

    If your carpet is a Persian/Oriental, also don't worry about matching it. It'll go with anything.

  • lavender_lass
    9 years ago

    Of the two...Affinity Azores.

    If another color is possible? I'd consider a warm, soft gold. Something really lovely with the wood and navy. Just an idea :)

  • tibbrix
    9 years ago

    Lavender, that is why I originally recommended C2 Karma. It is a gorgeous, soft gold and perfect for libraries.

  • schoolhouse_gw
    9 years ago

    My original thought was a deep gold also. Ok, no more wainscoting then! ha. I bet your house is lovely.

  • mlweaving_Marji
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Did you see that I originally wanted Bronze Relic?

    Dh, who's room this really is, wants no gold, no cream, no tan.
    And ok, the doors are glass leading from a foyer that is Topsail (a sea glass color) above the white wainscot which is very much board and batten style, And there is a sea glass chandelier in said foyer, so all in all, a deep gold isn't in the cards.
    But I fully appreciate the thought.
    Marji

  • lavender_lass
    9 years ago

    Blue seems so cold in a library...but I live way up North! LOL I'm sure the blue will seem cool and relaxing in SC :)

  • ppbenn
    9 years ago

    I like the Ft Pierce Green. More of a contrast to what you have in the foyer. With all the artwork, ships, maps, etc. you have multiple blues/greens, so I kind of like the stronger color. Will you have tall wood furniture, bookcases? That will help settle the color.

  • texasgal47
    9 years ago

    I'm no help with colors other than I love rooms painted gold. Gold goes with almost anything and makes everything look like the name implies, "rich."
    O.K., I would appreciate the name of the artist who did those pictures of the sailing ships--- absolutely love his (or her) work.

  • tibbrix
    9 years ago

    How about a deeper blue, like BM Marine Blue?

    it'll make the gold in his paintings really glow and give the library and rich feel.

  • SparklingWater
    9 years ago

    My first impression of the two was the Fr. Pierce Green. Just love the color with the rug.

    Your subsequent swatches with the chair color, allayed concern they would clash (of course, I should have known better since you do such a nice job). Sample colors from the rest of the house thinks this will be an nice adjunct to the blue/green mix. A bit of deeper ocean color as I see it.

    Tibbrix: to your deeper blue color question, is that Wedgwood, second guess Delft? Mr. Crisp is my favorite! Love his works.

  • kswl2
    9 years ago

    I would avoid any dark blue with navy leather and the dark rug. Have you considered a cranberry color from the rug? I'm assUming you will have bookcases in the room, did you mention what finish they will have?

  • tibbrix
    9 years ago

    Sparkling, it is BM Marine Blue.

    And kswl is correct, re: the dark blue leather chairs. I forgot about them. I'd nix the dark blue idea.

  • Holly- Kay
    9 years ago

    Hi ML, great to see you posting again. Out of the two that you posted I like the Ft Pierce Green, it's a lovely color. I don't know what your husband's taste is but I would be tempted to pick up the terracotta shade in the carpet. BM Casabella is a pale terracotta and I like it but BM Firenze is a deeper, richer shade that I love. I think your blue leather chairs would look smashing against a terracotta shade and would really make your rug stand out!

    Here is a link that might be useful: BM Firenze

  • mlweaving_Marji
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Thanks for all the input.
    To answer questions, up in NC around Christmastime we almost bought a big bookcase like this, but were afraid it was too big.


    We're thinking wood, tall, maybe some drawers, maybe glass front. It won't happen this year, too many other places we need to fill in furniture after getting rid of so much 4 years ago. Don't even remember all of what we kept!

    Thanks texasgal. The artist who does the classic racing yachts is John Mecray. His website is here. A lot of his work is still available for very reasonable prices.

    I should add that the last house we built was all painted a very soft gold, which was gorgeous. Except the dining room which was a Ralph Lauren red. But that was in a cold climate place. I just can't imagine living with those colors here in coastal SC. And after living on a boat for 4 years where inside my cabin the walls are all teak, I'm so ready for less heavy, lighter finishes.
    Hi HollyKay. I've been posting, but mostly over on the home building forum. That and dsd's wedding was this past weekend, so that's been a bit time consuming. ;-) I don't know that it shows well in the pic I've posted, but one thing I do remember about my Persian rug is that it has a deep red border. In our last house it lived in my dining room and the red of the border was perfect with the RL red walls. A terra cotta would be way too orange for the red of the rug. In fact, The roses at the center of the rug almost run to a rosy-pink.
    It's one of the few things, the only thing with color in fact, that I'm bringing into this house from our past. It is limiting, but I love the rug and so am going to work with the limitations.

    So, the greys didn't work.
    no gold per dh
    no tan per dh
    no cream...you got it, per dh
    Terra cotta is out because of the conflict with the rug.
    KSWL, cranberry may be out for the same reason, although I'm thinking I remember some burgundies in the rug. It's still in storage, and we have to paint this room several months before I'm going to have the stuff in storage delivered here, so I have no access.

    That's sort of how I've arrived at the bluey-greens. By eliminating what won't work.

    It looks as if most here prefer the Fort Pierce Green to the Azores, is that correct?
    Actually, most here prefer something else!! LOL, I did ask.

  • tibbrix
    9 years ago

    Those paintings, though, are screaming to hang over a bold color. They're so beautiful, and a bolder color will really make them stand out.

  • Holly- Kay
    9 years ago

    The colors in your rug looked coral or terracotta on my monitor. Now that I know the colors are rose and burgundy I understand why terracotta is out. I love the colors you chose and definitely like the Ft Pierce green the best!

  • Annie Deighnaugh
    9 years ago

    Ft Pierce.

  • jdez
    9 years ago

    The Ft Pierce matches the colors in the carpet better than the Azores. The azores is too light. But I would have a pumpkin orange kitchen if DH would let me so take it for what its worth...lol.

  • badgergal
    9 years ago

    Fort Pierce is a great color- that's why I have it in my bedroom. My room also has a southern exposure with patio doors providing the natural light but I have light golden oak trim. I don't find the color too dark. The photo of your room with swatches painted on the wall makes it look quite dark. I hope that is just the result of taking the picture toward the windows.
    Just thought you might be interested to see the color in non professional photo.The wall shown in my picture below was painted with Fort Pierce in a semi gloss sheen and then alternating diamonds had a matte varnish put on them to provide a subtle pattern.

  • edeevee
    9 years ago

    I like the azores. And now ... hijack alert! badgergal, could you start a new thread re the process you used to paint your walls? I've got a bathroom that could use a little something extra.

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