Is Rose a Good Color to Go With Natural Pine Paneling?

Tonal Contrasts

• For colors to match and create a visually pleasing color palette, they should have the same base color. Rose has a pink base whereas pine has a yellow base, which means that they contrast rather than match. While tonal contrasts can be used as highlight colors, when creating the base colors of a scheme, the colors should be of similar tones. Hold a white piece of paper next to the paint swatch and pine panelling to help see the difference.

Choosing a Color

• Yellow-toned neutrals look good with pine. Use a yellow-toned cream, beige or biscuit. If you want to introduce a color rather than a neutral, use a soft color with a yellow-toned base tone like a pale yellow, orange, or warm yellow green instead of a rose color. Paint an artist's board with a sample of your choice of color, and hold it next to the pine at different times of the day to give you an idea about how the varying light affects the paint color.

Style

• Identify the style you are trying to achieve as different color schemes suit different interior styles. For a feminine look, choose pale yellow as an alternative to rose, or for a modern look use a cream-toned neutral. For a farmhouse style, red and white checked gingham would be a good pattern to go with pine.

Change the Pine

• If you're set on rose as a wall color, change the tone of the pine. Stripping the wood and applying a lime wash would create a pale, more neutral tone that would look good with rose, or stain the paneling for a darker look. Another alternative would be to paint the pine so that you could choose a darker rose shade or a cream.