“Avalon Mist” was named after the legendary island of King Arthur lore because it’s a most mysterious color. It’s one of my complex neutrals that can’t really be defined in a color category. It’s so chameleon-like it constantly changes with the light and when you put two samples of “Avalon Mist” side by side, they look like two different colors! If you’d like to see a hand-painted sample, visit my Online Store where you can order free hand-painted cuttings, larger hand-painted samples and sample jars.
“Avalon Mist” on the walls and ceiling of this hallwaywith “White Opal” trim. “Avalon Mist” walls with “Silk Road Plum” accent wall.“Avalon Mist” walls in the same home from the same gallons used to paint the Powder Room in the photo above!
So as you can see, Avalon Mist is very mysterious–definitely not dull! The image below is a screenshot showing where to order free hand-painted cuttings.
“Mushroom” was House Beautiful‘s “Editor’s Pick” as one of the top four brown paint colors in their App House Beautiful 500+ Favorite Paint Colors as well as in their bookazine by the same name. I call it a complex neutral because although it’s a beige, it’s definitely not your typical boring beige!
Beige, included in the brown family, is a purely physical vibration firmly grounded in the earthly plane, promoting stability and groundedness. It is similar to green in that it is a ray of balance. It carries with it a person’s natural desire for reasonable comfort, home and security. It typifies home and hearth and the satisfaction of basic human needs. The color of living wood and the earth, it can be rich yet subtle–extraordinarily restful to look upon, creating a feeling of coolness and warmth at the same time.
House Beautiful Magazine’s 500+ Favorite Paint Colors & their paint swatch of “Mushroom”
“Mushroom” walls and ceiling with “Sage” trim pull together a variety of colored furnishings. When you compare the “Mushroom” walls in this living room to the photos above and below, you can see how chameleon-like it is.“Mushroom” walls and ceiling with “Wedgewood” cabinets.
If you’d like a free hand-painted sample of “Mushroom” or any of my Full Spectrum Paint colors, visit my Online Store where you can order all kinds of paint samples and now, you can even pre-order my daughter’s book, Classic Restaurants of New Orleans, that’s coming out November 4th!
Internationally renowned color expert Kate Smith of Sensational Color named this color that I created especially for her. I included it in a special Designer Palette many years ago and it has become one of my most popular colors. I describe it as a complex neutral in that like Gustavian Grey in my previous post, it shifts from blue to green and although darker than Gustavian Grey, the color is so subtle, it’s very organic and quite neutral.
“H2 Ahh!” walls with “Gustavian Grey” ceiling in this California home. What I especially like about this color is that it’s very organic and works well with views of nature.A current project where we painted “H2 Ahh!” on the walls with “Barry’s White” ceiling and trim. It works beautifully with the cabinet doors and tile, no?“H2 Ahh!” walls and ceiling envelop this bath in color that is both soothing and refreshing.
To read what Kate Smith had to say about her newly painted office in her signature “H2 Ahh!”, visit this link: Sensational Color. If you’d like to see a free hand-painted sample, visit my Online Store.
“Merlin’s Mist” is similar to the “Rainbow Fog” color I wrote about in my previous post. It’s an atmospheric “no color” complex neutral that works well as a wall color and equally well as a trim and millwork color. I initially created it for the interior of a law firm’s office in New Orleans and was so intrigued by it, I named it after my favorite wizard. I actually have quite a story about Merlin but I’ll save that for another post.
I had such fun color consulting with talented designer Brandon Branch on a project in Houma that’s not finished. However, the kitchen was just repainted in “Merlin’s Mist” so I got him to send me a photo. The first photo is the kitchen “before”. Everything in this newly purchased home was painted some sort of gray or taupe so it was quite dreary. I can’t wait to show you the finished project after everything has been painted. We specified quite a few different colors!
This is the “before” photo where both walls and ceiling were painted this mid-toned taupe. The cabinets were quite nice and since “Merlin’s Mist” is so versatile, it blended beautifully with the cabinets as you can see in the photo below.The client loves the colors at the St. Francisville Inn so Brandon chose the same “Silvery Blue” for most ceilings including the kitchen. He plans to replace the island light fixture.We used “Merlin’s Mist” on the trim on this bungalow in Baton Rouge’s Garden Districtwith “Titanium” siding, “Sacre Bleu” door and “Light Kennon Ivy” porch floor.A close-up of “Titanium” siding with “Merlin’s Mist” trim and “Haint Blue” ceiling.
If I were to describe the difference between “Rainbow Fog” and “Merlin’s Mist”, I’d say “Merlin’s Mist” is less warm and more of a taupe. And although famed interior decorator Alexandra Stoddard used to say “I can’t cope with taupe!”, this is not your ordinary taupe. When on the walls, it has an almost misty, atmospheric quality about it. It’s the last of the colors in my range of what I consider whites. My next post will be all about the color blue.
If you’d like to see a sample of this or any of my Full Spectrum Paint colors, visit my Online Store where you can order free hand-painted samples, sample jars and color charts.
Ellen Kennon Design, Furnishings & Full Spectrum Paints
As an Interior Designer with over three decades of experience, I’ve learned that color and light have a tremendous impact on our well being.
Color is the quickest, most affordable way to define the overall character and feel of a space so the selection of paint colors and the spectrum of pigments which produce colors are critical.
Our paints are blended from the 7 colors of natural sunlight, so they reflect a broader range of light and coordinate more easily with the colors and furnishings around them. They are chameleon-like in their ability to pick up colors from adjacent materials and don’t turn muddy or lose their character in low light conditions like standard paints.
Although we have never advertised, we have been featured in numerous national publications including Architectural Digest, House Beautiful and the Wall Street Journal.
Featured in House Beautiful as “Three of the Best” Color Consultants
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