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Reflection: My Favorite Neutral Color For The Home

Reflection: My Favorite Neutral Color For The Home
October 10, 2016 Sabine H. Schoenberg
Neutral Color

When we got to the finishing stage at The Greenwich House we were hearing one common question from you above everything else.  “What is the paint color used on the walls?” Well here’s the ultimate reveal and some tips to getting just the right intensity and hue in your home.

Personally I’m drawn to calm, neutral color hues. I’m not a huge fan of overly bold colors and I like a paint color that let’s art, accessories, and furnishings stand out and be showcased. Cool colors are known to inspire calm and serenity, but if they are overly cold they can also be a barrier to the warmth we seek when in doors, particularly in the winter.

This is where I come to classic gray tones and “Reflection” from Sherwin-Williams is a nice balance between cool and warm gray. The hue also has the ability to play off it’s design surroundings. For instance, in the master suite where the color tones are more white and cool, the color adopts this and reflects a more cool and calming tone. In my guest suite where I have warmer toned tiles the color adopts a warmer tone.

I find this almost magical and chameleon like as a designer. To have a color hue that perfectly sits in the middle of so many opportunities is perfect for the home. This balance also lends the color to being an attractive alternative to crisp white or linen colors when you are getting ready to sell your home.

As a Realtor, I often see homeowners attempt to increase the saleability of their home by neutralizing their home. They paint all the walls linen or beige which does have the effect of making the home fit into a broader reach of styles, but it reads as dull and boring too.

Reflection from Sherwin-Williams by contrast demonstrates a tone that can play as that neutral, while still achieving visual interest.

Here is another tip. Don’t just use standard paint colors as the company formulates. I encourage people to play around with intensity. When you order your test cans, request 100%, 75%, 50%, maybe even 25% intensity. This correlates with the amount of pigment used in  the paint base and let’s you maintain that perfect color match, while adjusting how intense that color appears on the wall.

At The Greenwich House, most of the paint is at a 50% intensity allowing it to have a softness. The walls are the perfect backdrop for architectural details and finishes to stand out and take center stage.