Repainting Our Living Room - Sherwin Williams Colonnade Gray (Collonade Gray)

Our formal living room has been a work in progress since we moved in to our house.

Our living room the week after we moved in (Sherwin Williams Sand Dune paint color).
The week after we moved in – we really did have no furniture!
Our living room the week after we moved in (Sherwin Williams Sand Dune paint color).

At the time we moved in, the (slightly pink) paint color in this room was one of the least objectionable wall treatments in our house. It was (at least) a fairly neutral color in comparison to the various patterns of teal flower wallpaper that were in just about every other room on the main floor.

As we started removing the teal wallpaper and updating the rest of the main floor, though, the living room stood out as being a little less neutral than it had originally seemed.

Sherwin Williams Sand Dune paint in our living room.
The “Before” pictures (with Sherwin Williams Sand Dune paint).
Sherwin Williams Sand Dune paint in our living room.
Sherwin Williams Sand Dune paint in our living room.
I just noticed Haley’s friends (on the white chair) were photo bombing these pictures – ha!

The previous (pink-ish) wall color was Sherwin Williams Sand Dune (SW 6086). This was the same color we’d had in our north-facing master bedroom that looked super pink/peach. In the living room, the pinkness wasn’t quite as noticeable, but it was still there. I’d decorated around it for a long time, but when we started thinking about new flooring, I finally decided it was time to just pick a new paint color and stop working with one I didn’t love. It’s just paint, after all.

Picking a New Paint Color

I wound up picking Sherwin Williams Colonnade Gray (SW 7641) for the new color. It is the perfect compromise for our living room. It is cool enough to feel fresh and contrasts enough with our furniture to add a little interest, but still has enough warm undertones to feel intentional with all of the beiges and browns we have in both this room and the adjacent sunroom.

Painting the living room Sherwin Williams Colonnade Gray
Painting progress! (Sherwin Williams Colonnade Gray)
Painting the living room Sherwin Williams Colonnade Gray
I love how cooler paint colors make the wood tones in our house feel so rich!

Colonnade Gray is a really soft, warm gray. Sometimes it feels a little warmer and other times it feels cooler, but it always reads as a light gray. I definitely wouldn’t classify this color as a “greige” that switches between beige and gray depending on light. This one is solidly gray.

Our living room, painted Sherwin Williams Colonnade Gray.
The “after” pictures …
Our living room, painted Sherwin Williams Colonnade Gray.

For our old house, I feel like Colonnade Gray turned out to a perfect choice. It really feels at home in our classic formal living room, but also feels fresh and slightly modern – especially in comparison to Sand Dune!

Our living room, painted Sherwin Williams Colonnade Gray.

Undertones

As with all paint colors, it’s all about the undertones – and this one does have a bit of a green cast to it. In our living room, it doesn’t bother me in the slightest, but we have windows on both the north and south facing sides of the house, which means we have a mix of light all throughout the day. I feel like the green undertones would be a lot more noticeable (and maybe even objectionable) in a darker north-facing space (like our master bedroom) — and with southern exposure, I’m guessing they would likely be virtually indetectable.

As a side note: for a super thorough discussion on how different paint colors react in different types of light and which undertones are most prevalent in each, check out Kylie M Interiors. She has no idea who I am, but I’ve referenced her articles lots of times when I’m researching new paint colors to use in our home and always find them super helpful! Here’s a link to the one on Sherwin Williams Colonnade Gray – tons of good info!

Our living room, painted Sherwin Williams Colonnade Gray.
Our living room, painted Sherwin Williams Colonnade Gray.

Trim Paint

For the trim, I touched up some spots where it was scuffed or nicked, but didn’t change the color. The trim is still Sherwin Williams Modest White (SW 6084). It’s funny because (according to the paint sample) this paint color should also read just slightly pink throughout the house, but I never notice that. It might be because the color is just so light that the undertones don’t really show through – it just feels like a slightly creamy off-white.

Our living room, painted Sherwin Williams Colonnade Gray  with Sherwin Williams Modest White trim.

And, speaking of our off-white trim, I’ve really grown to love it. I used to think I would have preferred that the trim in our house be painted a true bright white (although I had no plans to re-paint it all). As we’ve painted and redecorated more rooms, though, I’ve found that I really like the softness of the off-white color. It feels right at home in our 100+ year old house in a way that I’m not sure bright white trim paint would.

Our living room, painted Sherwin Williams Colonnade Gray.

So, there you have it. We finally painted the living room and we love it. Colonnade gray has made my list of go-to paint colors because of this project. I actually still have nearly a whole gallon left over — which has me thinking that this might be just the updated color my laundry room has been waiting for!

Filed Under: Decorating,Painting

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One thought on “Repainting Our Living Room – SW Colonnade Gray

  1. laurie a andersen says:

    Thank you!

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