Colors That Calm

BENJAMIN MOORE OVERCAST OC-43: "I think of this as celadon or blanc de Chine. It's the color of water in a bathtub, of the pale early morning sky. When you look at it on a chip it's not very exciting, but once it's up on the walls it reflects itself and becomes richer. Of course, it's not just the color on the wall but how you expand that idea into the rug and the upholstery. You want subtle variations on the same hue, to make it calming." -BARBARA BARRY

MURALO PAINTS DAYDREAM P380: "I was looking for a color that was as honest as E.B. White and as inspiring as Carl Sandburg, and it took me ages to find. I went through many that were too strong or too insipid, too feminine or too masculine. This is the color of a deep breath in early spring, a true gray-blue, like the gutters in Paris. It dries lighter than it looks in the can. And this is the genius of it — it never feels cold, even in the north light of Maine." -MALLORY MARSHALL

VALSPAR TOADSTONE 319-2: "I've had more people say, 'What in the world is this color? I've got to use it.' It's definitely green, an earthy green-beige. There's a tinge of yellow in it. You need to have one anchor color that you can put everything else against. This would be the calming force, and then you could bring in something risky like red or orange or purple." -SUSAN NOBLE JONES

BENJAMIN MOORE CELERY SALT 938: "This is a lovely pale green, dreamy and soothing, that worked really well for a young couple's master bedroom. And I love the name of the color — celery salt is the secret ingredient in my Bloody Marys!" -ELISSA CULLMAN

BENJAMIN MOORE SEASHELL OC-120: "This reminds me of the lightest color inside a shell — a little warmer than white. It makes me think of days in India after a cup of tea on the terrace and then a nap. It would turn a bedroom into a lovely retreat. It's the coziness that's calming. It takes away the buzz in your head after a hard day's work." -JENNIFER GARRIGUES

FARROW & BALL CARD ROOM GREEN 79: "This is one of those hard-to-pin-down colors, conjuring up woodland streams and wet clay and summer shadows and greenback trout. Actually, it's the color of most of my fishing gear. It's wonderful on old wicker or cabin floors. It would make a beautiful dining room with dark wood furniture and blue-and-white Canton ware." -ROBIN BELL

SHERWIN-WILLIAMS TOPSAIL SW6217: "I can't say it's aqua and I can't say it's gray. It's in the space between those colors. It's a very pale blue, and blue is a color that evokes calm. When the clouds clear and the sky displays its depths, or water reflects and distorts the sky, it reveals shades and hues that defy description but are deeply felt. Blue transports you inward to a contemplative state." -MICHAEL SIMON

BENJAMIN MOORE DURANGO DUST 2165-60: "I love colors that change with the light. This is the palest apricot that can look white during the day and then as the sun goes down it gets this warm rose blush. It's beachy, it's warm, and it's a great transition color. I've used it on cathedral ceilings and hallways and stairwells. It goes with anything. I noticed that my paint store stocks it now. It's taken over from Linen White and Atrium White and Antique White." -LORI FELDMAN

PRATT & LAMBERT SWEET LADY 1114: "I fell in love with purple when I was traveling in Germany and saw these huge fields of heather. This is very tranquil and serene — a grayed-down violet, not too sweet. It's an unusual color because at different times of day, it changes and can look almost beige or gray. Great with creams and vanillas. Throw in a chocolate brown for dimension. It can also hold its own with jewel tones." -SHERRILL CANET

BENJAMIN MOORE ICEBERG 2122-50: "This is a lovely pale blue, so faint that it brings the sky into the room. It's neither cold nor too blue. Instead, it simply adds a crisp background for a calming sleep or a restful read. Raw woven silks in blues or soft whites react well to this shade. Surprisingly, to get the most out of a blue-and-white scheme, every room needs a serious hit of black. I suggest glossy doors or ebonized furniture." -STEVEN GAMBREL