Last week I attended a seminar on Benjamin Moore’s 2011 color schemes. These are not new colors; rather they are 18 existing colors that Benjamin Moore has arranged in three palettes of six to help you convey a certain mood in your home. The three moods are Dreamy- which has sophisticated, subtle hues; Spirited-a bold palette with high contrast colors; and Soulful-a selection of warm hues and rich tones. Pick two to three colors from each palette to create the color experience you want to create. The combinations are flawless: each color works perfectly with the others in its palette, so you don’t have to worry about picking monochromatic grays to match or using the right value of purple.
Which leads me to the 2011 Benjamin Moore color of the year: Vintage Wine. This is a sexy color. At times it looks like eggplant when paired with the chartreuse green in the same collection, but put it against some of the more subtle earthy hues and its brown tones really show up. It would work well with the historical detail in many of the homes in Oak Park, giving a beautiful, rich backdrop to highlight cove moldings and other architectural details.
If you’re considering painting your home this fall and you don’t know where to start, stop in to Paulsen’s in Forest Park to pick up color samples from each collection below. Once you’ve chosen your colors, ask owner Rick Stephanie to help you choose the right finish.
Color Palettes
Dreamy
Genesis White 2134-70
Kendall Charcoal HC-166
Gray Mirage 2142-50
Porcelain 2113-60
Etiquette AF-50
Smoke 2122-40
Spirited
Storm AF-700
Lucerne AF-530
Royal Flush 2076-20
Paper Mache AF-25
Wrought Iron 2124-10
Grape Green 2027-40
Souful
Hush AF-95
Vintage Wine 2116-20
Etruscan AF-355
Casco Bay 2051-30
Wasabi AF-430
Amulet AF 365
