The McClearys coastal oil painting "was used as a departure point, but we didn’t match the colors,” says McMurray. “I think a common error is to use the predominant color in a piece of art as a wall color. When you do that, you don’t see the artwork as much.” McMurray created custom variations on a theme of blue: a deep teal for the walls, an aqua for the back of the bookshelves and a lighter aqua for the ceiling. Louisa is thrilled with the room’s revamped ambience. “Before, it was kind of depressing to look at all that taupe,” she says. “Looking at colors that are this deep and this pretty, it almost gives you physical pleasure.”