Paint colors seem to be the most vexing of design decisions. You ask your daughter to pick a paint color for her room, and what looks pail pink on the chip looks like Pepto Bismal on the walls. The soft cream for the living room ends up looking like lemonade.
In the kitchen, where there is a lot of activity and heat, I always gravitate towards soothing colors. A calming environment is a great balance to all that activity. Colors that look like nothing on a chip can be so subtle and powerful in a room. Muted taupes, soft greens, buttery creams; colors that always look great. Some of my favorites: Benjamin Moore’s Linen white for trim, and ceilings- Never ceiling white For taupe, 975 or 976- enough green in it to keep from Beige.
As for greens, I love the 2141 series. A lovely grey-green that is soft, but not avocado…
For blues, I like the 1569 series, a color that looks like nothing on the chip, but is rich and lovely on the walls. Creams, and any warm color, are best done by Farrow and Ball. There is something about their pigments that makes warm colors softer, not harsh (no Pepto!) .
In the end, it is the colors that please you that count. Remember that is the house’s job to take care of us, not the other way around.