Painting multiple rooms the same color

[FoxInFiji]

Our remodel is in full swing and extremely fast paced right now so I'm trying to pick paint colors fast. We'd like to get the drywall done, walls primed, and possibly painted before we put the HW floors in...on Wednesday. :-|

My problem is I keep picking more or less the same color for the master bedroom and bathroom as the color I just bought for the LR, Entry, and Hallway. It's not exactly the same because it has a slightly different undertone (which I notice way more than most). But I'm wondering if (a) I should just paint them all the same color and not need to keep so many different colors for touchups or (b) it's going to be super boring walking from room to room of essentially the same color or (c) should I just switch the LR, entry, and hall to a white color.

Right now I have a bunch of cans of SW Maison Blanche ready to pain in the LR, hall, and entry:
www.sherwin-williams.com/homeowners/color/find-and-explore-colors/paint-colors-by-family/SW7526/

For the master bed and bath I was thinking of SW Canvas Tan, Neutral Tan, or Neutral Ground or BM White Sand:

www.sherwin-williams.com/homeowners/color/find-and-explore-colors/paint-colors-by-family/SW7531/
www.sherwin-williams.com/search/?siteSection=&Ntt=7567#
www.sherwin-williams.com/homeowners/color/find-and-explore-colors/paint-colors-by-family/SW7568-neutral-ground/
www.benjaminmoore.com/en-us/paint-color/oc-10

So basically they are all the same color...LOL.

[simpsongal]

Wow, you were not kindding about the similarity. Honestly, I'd pick one color and go with it. Alternatively, pick a lighter or darker version and just use the two colors.

[wawa]

oh...jeez. when you were saying that i was about to be all "oh yeah, we had a similar issue with all my blue/gray/greens" but no, really, those are the same color.

Just pick one and go with it unless you're comfortable going darker or lighter. Those are way too similar to bother with the hassle of multiple colors.

[Susie]

I tend to be an advocate for picking just the right color for each room. I'm guessing there's a reason you chose all those different shades, and light can be different in each room. But that is certainly taking it to an extreme, with how similar they are!

I would not worry about it looking "boring" going from room to room that's painted roughly the same color. There's SO much more to rooms than wall color. It's like the blank canvas that you do everything else on. I wouldn't switch to white just for the sake of something else.

[ssmjlm]

I actually prefer canvas tan out of all of them, but people probably won't notice that they're just slightly different.

[TBM]

I can see the differences, and would use the different colors.


I am not sure the differences would be obvious, but it would have a nice effect that people would pick up on some level. It would add interest in a subtle way, like when people have an 'all white' room that is really many shades of white.

[FoxInFiji]

You're right Susie it's the lighting that's slightly different and the bathroom tile. Originally I was going for a more white/ivory color in the bathroom and a coordinating color from the same strip in the master bedroom but when I put those colors up next to the tile (OMG the last bit of shower tile went up last night and it's gorgeous!!) it looked washed out and harsh. So I was going for more of a cream/tan color and well I picked essentially the same color as the LR. LOL it must be the lack of sleep and thinset fumes that I keep picking the same colors.

The other thing I was thinking about is just priming the bed and bath and waiting to pick a paint color when I have some more of the bedroom items like the curtains, chair, rug, or artwork. Of course it's just a lot easier to do it now with no new floors to drip on. And it would feel really good to be done with something...anything. We'd like to move back into the bedroom right after the floors are dry (around Christmas) but maybe we'll have to delay that some more and paint instead. I won't have any of those items by then though.

Here's what our master bathroom is going to all have:


The shower tile is the marble looking tile and it's what is giving me the hardest time with the paint color because it has a gray tone to it even in the white sections.

The master bedroom will have natural hickory flooring, cherry everything (bed, nightstands, dresser, and trim), a white duvet with tan and cream patterned sheets, and this light:


I'm eventually going to have neutral curtains and roman shades, a tan tuffeted back chair, a persian (or similar) rug, and some sepia toned vintage photography (plus other more colorful artwork to go along with the rug). Basically everything is neutral but the artwork, rug, and some accessories so I feel like the wall color is that much more important to get just right. Does that make sense?

Here's the rug I'm lusting over but can't afford right now:

[FoxInFiji]

Haha I love some of these responses! I get a couple posts a year where I can ask crazy/stupid questions right? I'm going to use mine up now.

[FoxInFiji]

To keep replying to my own post...here are some of my bedroom inspiration pictures. Basically a sea of those same colors.






Hmm maybe I need to go a little more greige with the bedroom to break things up a bit and add a little more contrast. I want to keep it a warm color because it looks best with the cherry IMO and I want the beautiful wood of the furniture to be the show piece.

As soon as I get some primer on the wall in the bedroom I'll slap some of the LR color up there and see how that looks. That should probably be my first step...

[ssmjlm]

The first thing I thought of when you posted the rug was going very light blue/gray in the bedroom.

And yeah, painting before floors would be awesome, but I wouldn't necessarily rush it.

[wawa]

Dec 4, 2012 15:44:16 GMT -5 FoxInFiji said:

As soon as I get some primer on the wall in the bedroom I'll slap some of the LR color up there and see how that looks. That should probably be my first step...

I can't see any of your inspiration pics (pinterest is blocked at work) but I think that sounds like a good first step. If the LR color works, then use it. If it doesn't, use something else. But I wouldn't worry about having too much of the same color when you have so much else to look at. (beautiful wood grain, pretty tile in bathroom, etc)

[FoxInFiji]

Dec 4, 2012 15:54:16 GMT -5 wawa said:

Dec 4, 2012 15:44:16 GMT -5 FoxInFiji said:

As soon as I get some primer on the wall in the bedroom I'll slap some of the LR color up there and see how that looks. That should probably be my first step...

I can't see any of your inspiration pics (pinterest is blocked at work) but I think that sounds like a good first step. If the LR color works, then use it. If it doesn't, use something else. But I wouldn't worry about having too much of the same color when you have so much else to look at. (beautiful wood grain, pretty tile in bathroom, etc)

Thanks. Yes I think that's my biggest concern that it's too boring but that's a good point. The decor between the LR and master bedroom will be different while the flooring and trim will be the same.

Just for you here are the links to those pics:
pinterest.com/pin/270427152594272320/
pinterest.com/pin/270427152594341240/
pinterest.com/pin/270427152594278766/
pinterest.com/pin/270427152594290020/

All from my board: pinterest.com/3acres/bedroom/

ETA: Duh if you can't see the images in the post you probably can't see them on Pinterest itself. Sorry.

[FoxInFiji]

Oh and apparently this high end designer used SW Maison Blanche throughout much of this house so it can be done. : )

cotedetexas.blogspot.com/2009/05/tile-house.html

[tarheels]

I considered Maison Blanche for something in House 3. Great color. I ended up using Natural Tan instead because of strong undertones in my space that ruled out MB.

If there's enough difference in lighting and tile that you need different undertones, go for it. If there's not, stick with one color throughout.

I'd be careful with greige. Greige, ok; wet cement, not so much. True gray:hunter green::2011:1986

My other suggestion would be to pick something deeper for guest rooms and guest baths. The eye will pick up on the change, but it's not COLOR.



Don't know what the one above is, but this is F&B Mouse's Back. I think it's what's in my LR, but that was 3 years ago and I can't remember anymore.

[FoxInFiji]

I like light blue but we used a color similar to silver sage in a different bedroom and I don't want to commit to that color scheme if I can't get that rug. Light blue is hard to come by in that style of rug.

TH&R I love that second color but I'm worried about using something that dark. DH still doesn't like the SW's Perfect Greige in the spare bedroom because it's too dark for him.

[lys]

I used 4 colors from 1 SW color strip. The difference in intensity makes them look different, yet similar.
Use different accents

[tarheels]

Dec 4, 2012 17:17:57 GMT -5 FoxInFiji said:

TH&R I love that second color but I'm worried about using something that dark. DH still doesn't like the SW's Perfect Greige in the spare bedroom because it's too dark for him.

Dark is relative. Your DH is being a sissy It's a guest room - he only has to walk by it, not be imprisoned for 40 years. I say exercise the veto power.

I was wrong, my LR is F&B London Stone, which is lighter than Mouse's Back.

[bunnymendelbaum]

I say listen to Tarheels. The colors you are posting are gorgeous!

[floridakat]

The Neutral Ground is different enough to me to be worth it. We did a dark greige in our living areas:

www.benjaminmoore.com/en-us/paint-color/irongate

And went with a true grey in our master bedroom:

www.benjaminmoore.com/en-us/paint-color/chelseagray#ce_s=chelsea%20gr

They were different enough to me to be worth going with two different colors, and a year later I'm still glad we went that way!

[FoxInFiji]

Dec 5, 2012 12:26:55 GMT -5 floridakat said:

The Neutral Ground is different enough to me to be worth it. We did a dark greige in our living areas:

www.benjaminmoore.com/en-us/paint-color/irongate

And went with a true grey in our master bedroom:

www.benjaminmoore.com/en-us/paint-color/chelseagray#ce_s=chelsea%20gr

They were different enough to me to be worth going with two different colors, and a year later I'm still glad we went that way!

Oh I like the Irongate color! I think you guys have convinced me to be a little more adventurous with the bedroom color. I decided to just prime the bedroom and paint the hall walls and ceiling for now. The rest can be done later when the floors are in.

[grey56]

On the one hand, my sensible side says to go with one color to make touchups easy, like you said. On the other hand, I get what you mean about the different undertones, and would like to see that little variety. On the (third?) hand, I like the idea of introducing a little color. Maybe do darker shades in the bathrooms? I feel like bathrooms can handle that type of color b/c there's the sink, toilet, tub, etc. to break it up. good luck - your inspiration pics are beautiful!