“Dusty Roads” – a Paint Color Palette for the Ages

Sherwin Williams Colors on Display – Antique, Soft Tones -1914 Craftsman – Seattle, WA

Matthew, Angela and little Ruby came to me while remodeling their 1914 Craftsman. They were in the throws of “analysis paralysis” while making wall color choices, and in my experience, this is usually where people get stumped. It was my role to navigate the dusty road of individual color perceptions with this family, with all of the twists and turns.

Like many people at this stage in a remodel, Matt and Angela were doing a color dance…he likes dark warm tones and she likes light cool tones. The trick was to come up with an overall color palette that flows from room to room that everyone can live with!

With their painting contractor Brad already on board, his preference was to use the Sherwin Williams brand of paint. Also, Matthew and Angela had already explored Martha Stewart Living colors and had landed on a few definite likes! Sometimes I mix custom colors for clients, but in this case, with their move-in date rapidly approaching and some budget restrictions, we decided that using ready-made tones made the most sense. (It also gave me a chance to use Sherwin Williams ColorSnap app. It’s awesome!)

As we walked through the house together room by room, I saw the many wall paint colors they had considered: along with selections for tile, countertop, cabinetry, hardware, furnishings, and lighting fixtures. I always take a good look at the fireplace too – as it is a defining factor in an early Craftsman, and it helps to lead me to the color palette that reflects the sentiment of the home along with the folks that live in it.
Matthew, Angela and Ruby’s wall color palette was created with what I call “antique, soft tones”; colors that have the appearance of what the original colors of this home would have been after being faded by the sun. At the same time, with respect to this historical context, we came up with colors that are modern, and suitable today for this young and vibrant couple. Little Ruby is happy that Mommy and Daddy agreed on their colors. The color layout we came up with and can be viewed here.

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