MARIA KILLAM

MARIA’S BONUS BOOK OF COLOURS

www.mariakillam.com
Maria’s Bonus Book of Colours

A pretty paint chip does not necessarily

make a pretty wall colour.
You need to remember that all colours intensify and, in most cases, become twice
as light and bright when they get painted on all four walls. This is why designers
spend most of their time “graying” down or choosing more muted versions of the
colours their clients initially suggested.

Yellow is the colour that most clearly shows how a colour intensifies and becomes
twice as light and bright. Have you ever tried to choose a lovely yellow only to
have it scream like a caution sign when it’s painted on all four walls?

This also explains why even a pale colour on the walls looks better when it reads
slightly “grayer” on the paint chip. Of course this phenomenon is also responsible
for the, “Boring!” reaction I sometimes get when I pull out colours like Muslin,
Manchester Tan and Edgecomb Gray. This can even happen with my large
samples.

So, if I’m clear that this kind of colour is what will work in a client’s home, I simply
say, “Here you need to trust me – it’ll look way more interesting when it’s all over
the walls.”

The right paint colour does make a pretty wall colour.

www.mariakillam.com Maria Killam, CMG

Maria’s Bonus Book of Colours

Undertone Canadian Code US Code Colour Name

CC-60 1030 Brandy Cream

CC-110 1037 Muslin
HC-45 HC-45 Shaker Beige
Pinky-Beige
CC-120 1039 Stone House
HC-48 HC-48 Bradstreet Beige
CC-330 1033 Hillsborough Beige

If you’re looking for the right pinky-beige colour, these six will serve you well
almost all of the time. One of these six colours will usually coordinate with most
pinky-beige tiles, counters, fabrics or anything else you’re putting in your home.

Muslin usually looks like linen on walls and is more beige than the grayer Revere
Pewter and Edgecomb Gray (see these two in the Grays section). It’s a good
overall neutral with a slight pinky-beige undertone. Muslin works very well with
natural linen fabric as this fabric has a slight pink undertone. If all else fails and
you don’t know what neutral to choose, Muslin or Manchester Tan are good go-to
neutrals as their undertones are very subtle.

Shaker Beige is beige with only the slightest pink to its undertone. It works
particularly well with brown. When you need a pink beige to pull a space together
because no other colour is working, first try Shaker Beige. If that’s not pinky
enough try Stone House and then Bradstreet Beige.

If you’re trying to avoid pinky-beige at all costs – take a sample of Stone House or
Bradstreet Beige on your shopping trips. Compare these two colours to the item
you’re considering purchasing. If your item looks anything like Stone House or
Bradstreet Beige, it has a pinky-beige undertone and is not for you.

Colour names that are in bold print are part of my large sample colour board
collections. Colour names not in bold print are the bonus colours and not part of
my large sample collections.

* US colour chip only – paint available upon request in Canada

** Canadian colour chip only – paint available upon request in the US
www.mariakillam.com Maria Killam, CMG
Maria’s Bonus Book of Colours

Undertone Canadian Code US Code Colour Name

CC-230 240 Delaware Putty

HC-32 HC-32 Standish White
Yellow-Beige HC-26 HC-26 Monroe Bisque
HC-35 HC-35 Powell Buff
CC-150 1046 Sandy Brown

Delaware Putty and Monroe Bisque tend to show more green undertones in a
northern light, but they can be the perfect yellow-beige in other warmer, southern
light. This set of five will work almost any time your space calls for a yellow-beige.

Colour names that are in bold print are part of my large sample colour board
collections. Colour names not in bold print are the bonus colours and not part of
my large sample collections.

* US colour chip only – paint available upon request in Canada

** Canadian colour chip only – paint available upon request in the US
www.mariakillam.com Maria Killam, CMG
Maria’s Bonus Book of Colours

Undertone Canadian Code US Code Colour Name

HC-81 HC-81 Manchester Tan

HC-99 HC-99 Abingdon Putty
Green-Beige HC-80 HC-80 Bleeker Beige
HC-83 HC-83 Grant Beige
HC-92 HC-92 Wheeling Neutral

Manchester Tan usually looks like linen (as does Muslin from the pinky-
beige section) and is also more beige than the very neutral Revere Pewter and
Edgecomb Gray (see these two in the Grays section). It is one of the most truly
neutral colours with only a slight green-beige undertone.

Colour names that are in bold print are part of my large sample colour board
collections. Colour names not in bold print are the bonus colours and not part of
my large sample collections.

* US colour chip only – paint available upon request in Canada

** Canadian colour chip only – paint available upon request in the US
www.mariakillam.com Maria Killam, CMG
Maria’s Bonus Book of Colours

Undertone Canadian Code/ US Code Colour Name

HC-34 Wilmington Tan

HC-38 Decatur Buff
Gold-Beige HC-28 Shelburne Buff
HC-37 Mystic Gold

Decatur Buff, Shelburne Buff and Wilmington Tan are the three gold-beige
colours that will work nine times out of 10 for any situation requiring a paint
colour to coordinate with gold-beige granite or fabric or anything else gold-beige
in your space.

Colour names that are in bold print are part of my large sample colour board
collections. Colour names not in bold print are the bonus colours and not part of
my large sample collections.

* US colour chip only – paint available upon request in Canada

** Canadian colour chip only – paint available upon request in the US
www.mariakillam.com Maria Killam, CMG
Maria’s Bonus Book of Colours

Undertone Canadian Code US Code Colour Name

* 1045 Lady Finger

CC-400 1100 Sundial
Orange-Beige CC-410 1102 Boardwalk
HC-42 HC-42 Roxbury Caramel
HC-41 HC-41 Richmond Gold

Anyone who is currently in love with gray doesn’t want orange-beige

(butterscotch) colours anymore. This is why I’ve only included one of these
colours in my collection of large samples. I can’t remember the last time I picked
one of the orange-beige colours in the past two years. But, if you have a house
with primarily orange-beige undertones and none of the colours from the yellow-
beige category works, you may need one of these colours to pull your space
together.

The colour of Ladyfinger is right between yellow-beige and orange-beige and can
be a very useful “bridging” colour for these two undertones.

Colour names that are in bold print are part of my large sample colour board
collections. Colour names not in bold print are the bonus colours and not part of
my large sample collections.

* US colour chip only – paint available upon request in Canada

** Canadian colour chip only – paint available upon request in the US
www.mariakillam.com Maria Killam, CMG
Maria’s Bonus Book of Colours

Undertone Canadian Code/ US Code Colour Name

HC-173 Edgecomb Gray

HC-172 Revere Pewter
AF-685 Thunder
Green-Gray
AF-100 Pashmina
HC-108 Sandy Hook Gray
HC-105 Rockport Gray
HC-104 Copley Gray

All of these green-grays will almost always read like a neutral, putty shade.
Rockport Gray and Sandy Hook Gray are both excellent exterior colours as,
when painted, they look like the colour of stone. To achieve the colour of stone
(complementary to many of the cultured stones available) your gray needs to
have a green undertone.

Colour names that are in bold print are part of my large sample colour board
collections. Colour names not in bold print are the bonus colours and not part of
my large sample collections.

* US colour chip only – paint available upon request in Canada

** Canadian colour chip only – paint available upon request in the US
www.mariakillam.com Maria Killam, CMG
Maria’s Bonus Book of Colours

Undertone Canadian Code/ US Code Colour Name

HC-170 Stonington Gray

HC-169 Coventry Gray
Blue-Gray OC-64 Pure White
OC-52 Gray Owl

Here is a short-list of the best blue-grays. A word of caution over using grays
with a blue undertone – no matter how slight the undertone, your walls will end
up looking bluer than “putty” gray. Great if you were aiming to have walls with a
hint of blue. Not as good if you were aiming to have a more neutral “putty” feel.

The colour Pure White works well with Carrara marble as the blue undertone of
Pure White is the right match for the grayish blue tones of Carrara marble.

Colour names that are in bold print are part of my large sample colour board
collections. Colour names not in bold print are the bonus colours and not part of
my large sample collections.

* US colour chip only – paint available upon request in Canada

** Canadian colour chip only – paint available upon request in the US
www.mariakillam.com Maria Killam, CMG
Maria’s Bonus Book of Colours

Undertone Canadian Code/ US Code Colour Name

AF-65 Fossil

Violet-Gray OC-28 Collingwood

2109-60 Portland Gray
2109-50 Elephant Gray

The list of violet-grays is quite short as, in terms of purple (violet), these colours
are not as popular. If purple is on your list of desired colours, you’ll typically look
for an actual colour rather than look for a violet-gray neutral.

If you’re looking for a very neutral-feeling gray, Collingwood might be your choice.
This colour technically has a purple undertone but it also can look green and
blue. A great option if you have a lot of pinky/purple undertones in your existing
finishes.

Colour names that are in bold print are part of my large sample colour board
collections. Colour names not in bold print are the bonus colours and not part of
my large sample collections.

* US colour chip only – paint available upon request in Canada

** Canadian colour chip only – paint available upon request in the US
www.mariakillam.com Maria Killam, CMG
 Maria’s Bonus Book of Colours

Undertone Canadian Code US Code Colour Name

HC-171 HC-171 Wickham Gray

* 1558 Fieldstone
Blue/Green-Gray OC-49 OC-49 Titanium
2138-60 2138-60 Gray Cashmere

Fieldstone is a very popular colour for cabinets right now, and, like Pure White, is
pretty with Carrara marble.

Colour names that are in bold print are part of my large sample colour board
collections. Colour names not in bold print are the bonus colours and not part of
my large sample collections.

* US colour chip only – paint available upon request in Canada

** Canadian colour chip only – paint available upon request in the US
www.mariakillam.com Maria Killam, CMG
Maria’s Bonus Book of Colours

Undertone Canadian Code US Code Colour Name

OC-16 OC-16 Cedar Key

CC-460 ** Inukshuk
CC-490 984 Stone Hearth
Taupe
CC-500 985 Ranchwood/Indian River
HC-87 HC-87 Ashley Gray
HC-86 HC-86 Kingsport Gray

Inukshuk is the lighter version of these taupe colours and will read pinky-gray. If
your finishes are a combination of pink and gray, Inukshuk will look lovely with
them.

The last four taupes in this category read slightly purpler. These six taupes
are pretty much all you’ll ever need in this category of undertones. Taupe is
a combination of beige and gray and when you start working with the large
samples, you’ll start to notice how much tile exists with taupe as one of the
main colours! Even though the above-listed taupes have a slight pink undertone
to them, they don’t read pink if they are specified correctly. Taupe calms peach
colours and makes them livable.

Darker taupes are better for exteriors – Kingsport Gray and Ashley Gray are two
of my favourite taupes for exteriors.

Colour names that are in bold print are part of my large sample colour board
collections. Colour names not in bold print are the bonus colours and not part of
my large sample collections.

* US colour chip only – paint available upon request in Canada

** Canadian colour chip only – paint available upon request in the US
www.mariakillam.com Maria Killam, CMG
Maria’s Bonus Book of Colours

Undertone Canadian Code US Code Colour Name

OC-61 OC-61 White Diamond

OC-65 OC-65 Chantilly Lace
OC-118 OC-118 Snowfall White
White
OC-117 OC-117 Simply White
CC-40 967 Cloud White
OC-17 OC-17 White Dove
AF-20 AF-20 Mascarpone
CC-130 925 Ivory White
OC-35 943 Spanish White
CC-50 970 White Down

Chantilly Lace is the basic white against which to compare all other whites. Use
this colour to “see” the blue or yellow or gray undertone of another white.

White Diamond is the perfect white trim colour to complement already white walls.
The slight blue undertone in White Diamond provides the necessary contrast.

Snowfall White, Simply White and Cloud White are three good off-whites to choose
from. Don’t use them as a go-to white though unless you are forced to pick a
white before any of the finishes have been selected. You will still use Cloud White
probably 75% of the time a white is required because it’s off-white, positioned right
between white and cream. However, it should never be used as an automatic go-
to white. Read my post on “The best trim colours – NOT Cloud White.”

Mascarpone is the paint-colour equivalent of much of Ikea’s white furniture.

Colour names that are in bold print are part of my large sample colour board
collections. Colour names not in bold print are the bonus colours and not part of
my large sample collections.

* US colour chip only – paint available upon request in Canada

** Canadian colour chip only – paint available upon request in the US
www.mariakillam.com Maria Killam, CMG
Maria’s Bonus Book of Colours

Undertone Canadian Code US Code Colour Name

CC-530 977 Brandon Beige

Green-Brown CC-540 979 Stampede

CC-510 987 Buckhorn

Some finishes (fixed elements) or fabrics are not a straight-forward green-beige

as they have a slightly stronger brown tone. These colours, along with Bleeker
Beige (from the green-beige category) are perfect for any situation where an
in-between green-brown is needed.

Colour names that are in bold print are part of my large sample colour board
collections. Colour names not in bold print are the bonus colours and not part of
my large sample collections.

* US colour chip only – paint available upon request in Canada

** Canadian colour chip only – paint available upon request in the US
www.mariakillam.com Maria Killam, CMG
Maria’s Bonus Book of Colours

Undertone Canadian Code US Code Colour Name

Gray-Green CC-606 1509 Beach Glass

Yellow-Green 2146-40 2146-40 Pale Avocado

HC-116 HC-116 Guilford Green

Fresh-Green 2145-40 2145-40 Fernwood Green
HC-115 HC-115 Georgian Green

2123-40 2123-40 Gossamer Blue

Blue HC-150 HC-150 Yarmouth Blue
2122-40 2122-40 Smoke

HC-144 HC-144 Palladian Blue

CC-670 1570 Gray Wisp
Turquoise
HC-147 HC-147 Woodlawn Blue
AF-450 AF-450 Seedling

Colour names that are in bold print are part of my large sample colour board
collections. Colour names not in bold print are the bonus colours and not part of
my large sample collections.

* US colour chip only – paint available upon request in Canada

** Canadian colour chip only – paint available upon request in the US
www.mariakillam.com Maria Killam, CMG
Maria’s Bonus Book of Colours

This list of colours in Maria’s Bonus Book of Colours is divided into each of the
undertone categories you learned about in How to Choose Paint Colours – It’s
All in the Undertones. I still recommend proper testing of each colour by painting
a large sample board to move around your room. Or order a set of my colour
boards here. The exposure of each room, along with interior lighting and your
personal likes and dislikes will heavily dictate how the colour looks once it’s
painted on all four walls.

The division of these colours holds true under normal circumstances. Please note
that acts of God (lots of trees close at hand, reflection of the ocean, the particular
quality of light in the mid-afternoon on the eastern side of your house, etc) as well
as acts of man (the colour of your light-bulbs, the depth of your roof’s overhang
outside of your kitchen window, etc) can skew how your paint colours look. The
answer? Always test your paint.

www.mariakillam.com Maria Killam, CMG