511 Meets 39 (we’ve only just begun)

As I mentioned last night, our besties are moving, and are giving me the distinct honor and true pleasure of consulting with me on things like design, space planning and paint color.
I. am. In. Heaven.
Today, the husband and I were talking a lot about color, and I think they’re on a great track. Their home is beautifying before my eyes (in my imagination, that is).
One room he had a question about was the study, which is a small room with wood paneling, with dark wood built ins. His plan was to paint the paneling (to open up the feel of the room) but keep the built-ins in their natural wood color. They have a ton of natural light in their house which is wonderful, and that small room alone has 3 windows. I had two ideas:
One, was to go bold. I thought that despite the size of the room, they should think of navy paint, as a really chic statement. So I created this:

And I liked it. But then I decided to try what the husband had been thinking, and tried this:

And I liked it better. The Cream makes the wood pop, and they could have fun with the decor on the shelves.
Ahhh, do I love the beautiful canvas of this house.
And my besties.