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scarlett001

Paint color ideas for this shabby chic bedding??

Scarlett001
9 years ago

In light of the gorgeous duvet that I ordered for the guest bedroom (discussed in my other recent post), I have decided that my very French-formal style master bedroom is due for a change. I want something lighter and airier a la shabby chic.

So I ordered this shabby chic duvet cover, and I will get similar sheets and bedskirt as shown in attached photo (photo is not my room). My current paint colour is a very dark pink/burgundy. It will suffice in terms of working with the pink roses in the duvet, but is not the look I want.

So my question for you is what paint color might work with this duvet cover? My carpet (cannot afford to change at this point) is a lightish blue/gray color. I will be getting new shabby chic type furniture. The room is south-facing, but it is situated very close to side of neighbour's house so not the brightest room. I find that off-whites are very tricky in my house as they play up grey or green if not careful. I live in a climate that is very cold in winter, so while I want the room to feel light and airy, I don't want it to feel too cold if that makes sense.

Given the troubles that I have had with off-whites, I was thinking of a very pale pink (something very subtle) and had thought of a pale blue - but I thought that the pale pink may not feel as cold as the blue. I will attach a promo photo of the duvet to this post (not my room), and then a photo of one possible paint color I had been pondering...

Comments (43)

  • Acadiafun
    9 years ago

    I would not go with pale pink as I have tried this and regretted it. I would go with a cooler blue/grey or lavender grey to compliment the bedding and the floor. You can always add some more sage green accents if you feel the room is too "cold" in the winter.

  • Scarlett001
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    This web site shows various photos of the BM paint color "pink bliss".

    http://projectnursery.com/projects/vintage-inspired-classic-soft-pink-nursery/#

  • Scarlett001
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Early Sunset by BM

  • Scarlett001
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    What did you regret about pale pink?? Curious to hear...

  • Holly- Kay
    9 years ago

    Scarlett, maybe Annie could do a design seed for you. I think the blue and pink in the duvet cover limits you to pink, blue, or ivory but Annie can work her magic and come up with something awesome.

  • Scarlett001
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Who is Annie?? :)

  • Holly- Kay
    9 years ago

    Annie Deignaugh. Just post something with Annie and design seed in the post title. She is amazing. Maybe if you do a GW search using design seed as your keyword her posts will come up.

    I had pink in my master bedroom too and though pink is one of my favorite colors I hated it in the bedroom. The po painted it that color but I can assure you it wasn't the lovely shade that you posted above. The BM Early Sunset is so glowy and pretty. If it would actually look the same in your bedroom I think it would be a lovely choice.

  • Scarlett001
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Thank you for info re Annie. That early sunset colour resembles a bit that pale ivory-pink wall on the right hand side of the bed in the attached photo. If I could capture this kind of look, it might be pretty. Fondant and Etiquette by BM also seem to be ivory shades with a pink undertone.

  • Acadiafun
    9 years ago

    I would not go with pale pink as I have tried this and regretted it. I would go with a cooler blue/grey or lavender grey to compliment the bedding and the floor. You can always add some more sage green accents if you feel the room is too "cold" in the winter.

  • yayagal
    9 years ago

    I would go with the gray lavender also.

  • Scarlett001
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Can someone perhaps suggest a BM colour in the gray lavender family so I can get a better feel for what is being suggested. Why gray-lavender and not gray-blue?

    I wonder if there would be too much greyish tones in the room if I went with a grey/blue/lavender type paint - blue/grey carpet, grey-based walls, blue duvet. And I really want a shabby chic light blue dresser (love the way they look). I feel as if I might need some more contrast in the walls since so much else is in that color family.

  • Olychick
    9 years ago

    I'm not a fan of pink at all, but that Early Sunset looks like it would be wonderful with that gorgeous bedding. Something about the color of the lampshade in your promo pic.

  • Annie Deighnaugh
    9 years ago

    Holly Kay, thank you for the kind words, but you really oversell me!

  • Sueb20
    9 years ago

    We recently painted a powder room BM Soft Sand, which in my room reads like a slightly grayed, soft pink.

    Early Sunset looks like a contender, too.

  • Sueb20
    9 years ago

    I couldn't find my pic of my powder room color, but it's in this thread along with more discussion of pink colors!

    Here is a link that might be useful: grown-up pinks

  • mtnrdredux_gw
    9 years ago

    Call me a dullard, but when I think of Shabby Chic, I think white walls. I love the duvet by the way.

  • Annie Deighnaugh
    9 years ago

    The problem with pink and blue is you don't want it to go baby which it can really quickly, especially those shades of pink and blue. And especially since you want to go lighter and airy. My first bent with that spread would be to go deep and dark with the walls so the bedding really stands out.

    I had a pale blue room and it wasn't cold at all in the winter as I expected...rather it was complementary to the winter light and made the room very light when the days were darkest. If you think about it, a lot of Swedish design uses blue and white and they have many many days of darkness. However, with that spread, I think it would be entirely too much blue.

    Hard to find a design seed that has both the pink and blue...here's the closest I've come...


    ...but you have the spread already so you don't really need a design seed.

    I ran it through the color palette fx and it came up with the attached. Note the complement color it selected to the light blue...that would be a bright and warm color to go with the spread, similar to the color in the pictured room.

    You could go with BM touch of gray

    But I think I prefer the warmer pinky beige that they used in your inspiration pic. The early sunset you selected is a fine choice.

  • Scarlett001
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    It is interesting that I was reading the Shabby Chic book by Ashwell and while she does mention white walls, she finds them too stark she says - so she prefers ivories, creams etc. What I am looking for is an ivory/cream but with pink or blue or some other color of undertone. I've tried pure ivories and off-white in my house and the lighting makes them look super stark and not very nice at all tbh.

  • Scarlett001
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    BTW, I should say that the bedding is from Ashwell's Shabby Chic line, so presumably she also had some say (or someone who works with her) in the attached photograph of the duvet that comes on the cover of the duvet package. She must have approved that pinkish beige color in this case. Not that one has to follow the photo, but I thought that I would mention this.

  • yayagal
    9 years ago

    Another view of the ''early sunset". I like it.

    Here is a link that might be useful: wall paint

  • Holly- Kay
    9 years ago

    Annie, I call it like I see it and you ARE amazing!

    Scarlett, your room will be so pretty. I like the blue grey shade that Annie posted. I know you are going for a beautiful, shabby chic look not baby nursery look so I do think your pink choice or the shade that Annie posted would look beautiful. That particular shade of pink is one of the prettiest I have seen.

  • Scarlett001
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Thank you everyone. Also thank you Annie for taking the time to do that analysis.

    I do think that I will get a test can of the early sunset and see if it turns out at all like it does in the photo. BM Frosted Café is a similar color, just a tad more brown than pink compared to early sunset so if Early Sunset is too pink than I can try that color out. If needs a bit more pink, then "Melted Ice Cream" is another BM option that is similar but just a tad more pink than Early Sunset.

  • Scarlett001
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Not sure I like Early Sunset on the large patch of wall I just tested it on. Altogether it is a tad darker than I want, but the real issues is that it is a bit too orange/beige/green (!!) if that makes sense. I don't see the light pink undertone to the beige.

    So perhaps in my house, I need to get a paint chip that looks a bit more pink undertone on the card then I might normally choose, in order for it to look pinky-beige rather than losing that pink undertone?? My house always seems to move every color in certain directions. Yellows, blues and now even pinks all veer towards more yellow/green and one has to exaggerate the undertone on the card to get what one wants on the wall (if this makes any sense). So I shall test a paint that is a bit lighter and with a bit more pink to it. Still not a bubble gum pink, it will be subtle but there has to be more pink to it..

  • juddgirl2
    9 years ago

    I haven't read through all of the posts but I'm not sure I would use a pale blue if you have blue carpet. An off-white or cream color with a pink undertone would look very pretty with the bed and bedding.

    If you are looking for a true pale pink, I love the SW Queen Anne color we finally chose for DD's bedroom. We went through many swatches of pink on her wall before choosing that one! Others had a lavender undertone but the Queen Anne is a pretty, simple ballet pink that complements her shabby chic, antique white furniture.

  • patricianat
    9 years ago

    I like a grayed down white wall with this. I think you could artisically provide one corner with a shingle/roof leak to make it more beautifully authentic. Juxtapose beautifully fastidious bed linens to the once-beautiful walls painted in a house with not-so-perfect roofing which could spring a leak at a corner.

  • Scarlett001
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Nice ideas in some of the above posts.

    Actually, I am considering all options now. I am going to test a very pale gray/lavender, a very pale gray/blue and a very pale pink (that removes the yellow/green undertones of early sunset). Will report back.

    For paint colours, I may test out BM Lily White (pale blue/gray), BM Whisper Violet/Dreamy Cloud/Polar White (grey with lavender/blue undertones). I have to figure out how to pale I can go without it looking essentially stark white which I do not want.

    This post was edited by Scarlett001 on Sat, May 31, 14 at 20:45

  • tibbrix
    9 years ago

    Try BM Raindrops on Roses. It's a very pale pink/lavender combination.

  • patricianat
    9 years ago

    Check out BM Grandma's China.

  • Scarlett001
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Update. I had to put this project on hold due to family medical issues, but am now returning to this. I've decided that I don't like the pinks that read a bit orange/yellow in my house but prefer pinks that read towards purple/magenta etc. I have narrowed things down to a few choices. I will repost the bedding, then post each of the 3 paint options that I like on the test walls that I have painted. I am willing to lighten the final colour if necessary (so mix it at 75% or 80% etc. to make it less intense).

    I would love to hear people's thoughts.

    First the bedding again...

  • Scarlett001
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Benjamin Moore's Raspberry Ice. Probably my favourite. It reads a purpley-pink. Not pure purple, nor pure pink. It probably looks a tad more pink on my walls than this promo pic of the colour, but still lots of lavender. Quite a bit of grey in it so more subdued than the next 2 colours that I will post, making it perhaps better for shabby chic. Also, it is not quite a "match" to the cabbage roses in the duvet, but is about a few shades over from more pure pink paint as it has some more magenta/purple in it - again mixes things up so not too uniform, but it is not too random. I rather like this paint.

    BTW the flooring is blue/gray carpet and I cannot afford to change it in any hurry so it is there for the next few years.

    This post was edited by Scarlett001 on Fri, Aug 1, 14 at 18:28

  • Scarlett001
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Benjamin Moore's Rosemist. Might be too much colour, so might have to lighten it a bit when mixed. But the tone is more pink than Raspberry Ice which is a pinky-purple combination. This is where I had to end up to get rid of any yellow/peachy undertones to the pink. It is pretty.

    This post was edited by Scarlett001 on Fri, Aug 1, 14 at 18:26

  • Scarlett001
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Finally, Pink Peony. I have not bought a test can of this yet, but it is very similar tone to cabbage roses on the duvet cover. But something tells me that shabby chic is more about mixing things up, and not being too "matched". So maybe this is not quite right. Also, it is much too "bright" for shabby chic, so this one would have to be lightened.

  • bbstx
    9 years ago

    Of the 3 you posted, I like BM Raspberry Ice. Have you looked at BM Organdy?
    {{!gwi}}

    May not be a nickle's worth of difference in Raspberry Ice and Organdy.

    I once decided that I wanted to paint the back stairway a warm, creamy off-white. It turned out baby-girl-pink! That may be why I'm leaning more toward the grayer colors.

  • Scarlett001
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    That Organdy is very pretty!! It's LRV is about 65 while Raspberry Ice is about 78 - I am looking for something closer to the higher LRV value. But that shade is super nice - maybe a bit less purple and a bit more grey than Raspberry Ice (??).

  • Scarlett001
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Sleuthing around the web, I do like the tone of the Organdy in some photos that I found online. I wonder how much I would have to lighten it to end up at something like Raspberry Ice in overall feel - maybe mix it at 75% (??).

  • Scarlett001
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Bridal Rose came up as a lighter version of Organdy. What do you think of this??

  • mdln
    9 years ago

    So what I did, because BM samples are $7/quart, and Home Depot sells Glidden samples for $3/8oz was have HD color match the BM colors with Glidden samples and bought several colors which I painted on the wall.

    It then became so much easier to choose. Once I narrowed it down, i bought a BM sample and painted it next to the Glidden - just to be sure. Much to my surprise & relief, I (and 3 of my friends) could not tell the difference.

  • busybee3
    9 years ago

    from what i can tell from the pictures, i think i would try a clearer pink rather than the greyed down--- the raspberry ice might be nice, tho a truer pink might look better, imo. rosemist might be nice...
    i would see if i could find a lighter version of the pink peony-i think the pink peony might be a bit too bright... you are not planning to use pink sheets, are you?
    i like the patterns blue, shown above, with it and think a similarly clear and pale version of pink might look nice.

  • Scarlett001
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Interesting thought about a more clear colour. Will ponder this some more.

    This photo below is relatively true to colour on my computer. The photo shows the bedding and some test paint patches that I did today. It shows Raspberry Ice (two patches with a blank strip in between) and Rosemist. Thoughts anyone?? I tried the Raspberry Ice on a few walls and on some walls it does tend to read a bit too purple. May try that Bridal Rose colour for comparison.

    I wonder if these have too much colour for Shabby Chic and if I need to have my final choice mixed at 75% etc.??

    This post was edited by Scarlett001 on Sat, Aug 2, 14 at 3:11

  • bbstx
    9 years ago

    To tell you the honest truth, the two colors look alike on my screen and I don't like either one. Both are too mauve-y for me. (Caveat - I don't like mauve; I've never liked mauve; I avoided mauve the last time it came around. So, my opinion may not be a good one for you.)

    What about a nice cream? Several houses ago, I painted my bedroom Pratt and Lambert Antique White. Then I had the ceiling painted the palest tint of blue. I loved that room.

    My best resource for choosing colors is the guy at the paint store and when I lived in another town, there was a woman at a paint store there who was super. I take a fabric swatch, describe what I want, and he figures out which color will get me there*. He helped me pick out colors for our 2nd home when we were 500 miles apart and I was pleased with those colors until the day I moved.

  • Scarlett001
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Someone suggested BM Raindrops on Roses and I am really liking it - Bridal Rose is close (more pink/grey) while Raindrops on Roses adds just a touch of purple that should play nicely with the duvet and blue carpet in the room. They are both very greyed down colours which might be good for the shabby chic thing.

  • patty_cakes
    9 years ago

    I've never used white on any walls, but have used ivory with a sage green/pinky wallpaper similar to the bedding, and loved it. Most of the furniture I painted ivory too, which really brought the space together. It was the sitting room off of the kitchen in a small condo, and I think that's why it worked. So I say ivory OR a very deep fuchsia pink!

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