Paint colors are a key decision in a home. If you are a subscriber, you’ve likely seen the recent posts on the saga of my parents downsizing move and the assorted renovation plans for their new place. Today we are sharing the paint color selections from Sherwin Williams that we chose.

Choose a Cohesive Palette

As with all homes, but especially more compact  ones, having a unified color scheme plan for the whole unit is important.

Where to Start when Choosing a Color Palette

When choosing a color scheme, start with the fixed elements or key furnishings you plan to keep.  We were doing a complete renovation, and all the fixed finishes could be selected, so we started with the key furniture and textile pieces they planned to bring in the move in order to choose our color scheme.

The flooring is a big surface area and we selected an indestructible luxury vinyl plank in a warm oak pattern that could go throughout the unit including the kitchen and bathrooms to avoid floor transitions in this senior living space.   The color was selected specifically to complement their maple stained Hitchcock case pieces.

One of the biggest hiccups in the moving process was that the wrong color floor had been mostly installed and had to be changed once we arrived and discovered it.

Select your Paint Colors from the Color Deck of the Brand You Plan to Purchase

The preferred paint brand of the crew chief was Sherwin Williams, and while they would match colors from any other brand, I don’t recommend this as the colors are never QUITE the same because the bases and colourants are proprietary to a brand.  I like Sherwin Williams and specify either that or Benjamin Moore 99% of the time, so I was happy to select colors from the Sherwin William’s paint deck.

Choose the Main Colors First and then some Supplementary Accent Colors

I chose a white for all the trim work throughout the home that would blend with the white kitchen cabinet color and the white bathroom fixtures.  Sherwin William’s Alabaster is a friendly, slightly warm, but still bright white that worked perfectly.  We used it in a semigloss finish for all the crown molding, doors, door and window casings, and foyer chair rail and wainscoting.

The wainscoting is created with picture frame molding mounted directly on the wall and both the applied molding and the wall below the chair rail are all painted in semigloss alabaster.

The main color chosen was Liveable Green, drawn from the living room area rug.

The furnishings in the living area are in shades of cream, pink and green.  Because the furnishings and rug contained a good dose of our main green shade, we chose a more neutral warm cream for the walls called Divine White.

Both the kitchen and foyer hall are painted in Liveable Green with Alabaster trim. The green complements the porcelain herringbone backsplash tile and the gold finish on the lighting and cabinet hardware.

Green appears as the accent color in the master bedroom paired with deep blue Commodore on the walls. The master bath is a pale blue called Mountain Air.

The second bedroom is painted the same Livable Green only here accented with blue and yellow. The en suite bath for this room is painted in a pale creamy yellow called Décor White.

The green and alabaster provide the continuity throughout creating cohesiveness since the rooms all abut the main living areas, while still allowing each private space to have its own personality.

There is, of course, a punch list of remaining work …one backordered cabinet is missing, the under cabinet lights are yet to be installed, tile needs to be finished and grouted, etc. And there is still tweaking to do of the decor. Artwork needs to be selected for the bed wall in the master suite, some of the shelving still needs some styling refinement, and a few new small furnishings are needed for bedrooms and balcony, but we are FINALLY close to done!

I’m so delighted my parents have such a beautiful new space and I’m honored to have had a hand in helping make it a reality.

Other posts you might enjoy:

Downsizing Tips

Apartment kitchen renovation plans

Moving Saga Part 1 - when everything that can go wrong does go wrong

Moving Saga Part 2 - light at the end of the tunnel