Letter to The Nester, or, Adventures in Decor

I LOVE reading the Nester's home decor blog - "It doesn't have to be perfect to be beautiful" is just my speed.

Here's a letter to Nester, maybe one of these days I'll work up the nerve to email her!

Actually I think the prep process of making sure I emailed without sounding like an idiot has almost superseded the need to email her. It's about the LIVING ROOM project. I really want to finish before my in-law's arrive for Christmas. I took down the nasty 2" wooden blinds (broken) and will do some white sheer drapes after painting.

Hi Nester,

I wanted to reach out for your advice on paint. I have been paint intimidated until I decided (uncharacteristically) to do an under-the-stairs Harry Potter office as a surprise for my hubby (who is writing a youth fiction novel). Here's a link to the video where I revealed it to him.:
That's just a little teaser so that you will notice me out of your hundreds of fan emails! I look like poop from working on the closet but couldn't wait to film until after I cleaned up. I used Behr Scotland Road and literally about hyperventilated as I hovered over the wall with a roller. This is just a closet, mind you, but I had never painted before!! I always thought it would be such a commitment. The shelves are Container Store Elfa. Everything else I took from around the house. When I got the lightning stike for my gift project, I started looking for home decor blogs and found you. Now I'm hooked. Am looking to venture into mistreatments...it is a real leap for me but I am getting more confident as I scour your archives! Now I have the bug and want to paint everything after I saw how easy and inexpensive it was! Enter living room dilemma....

I have a white fireplace, green couches, with dark brown wood trim furniture and also black frames in my living room...lots of light and not much wall. I do have a lot of pairs in the room as I bought the set from Rooms to Go. Also there is gold in the rug and accent pillows. What a palette when I started to think about paint! I thought orange but hubby vetoed it (that's part of the slow intro to home decor adventures...I am fortunate enough to have a husband who has an opinion on all the home decor things. I guess he does live here so he's entitled). He's a painter (canvas, not walls) so he does have an eye. But not the gumption for home decor. Yet.

Eureka! What about GRAY say I in a burst of novice enthusiasm. Here's a Behr room from their website that I found tonight (AFTER I already thought of gray might I add). Couldn't believe I found an example of gray walls, white trim, and green couch!

And all of this leads up to ... Creek Bend is the leader but I look at 5 paint cards to either side of it and love all of the top ones. (Flint smoke or squirrel or anonymous or milestone?)
But how do you pick the gray? more blue or brown? brighter or lighter? Should I get samples of each to try on my walls and see? Just picked up samples of Squirrel (more yellow/ brown grey) and Creek Bend (more blue). Is there a wrong answer? I wanted to then do gauzy white mistreatments and perhaps an orange or coral red trim? I LOVE dark colors but hubby is skeptical.

How do YOU decide within a color family?

Thank you, Nester!!