Dear Linda,
For years my studio was painted in a soft white -I have two of my four walls punctuated by very large windows. I had way too much light.
Bill Whitaker suggested painting the walls in a darker green fondly called "Leffel green", but which I subsequently learned would be more appropriately credited as "McGraw Green." One of the large studios at the Scottsdale Artists' School was painted in this mid-value grayed-down warm green.
The green that was used here (if you would like I can locate the formula) was a little more saturated and a little yellower that I felt I could live with. Instead I painted my studio in a color called Mesa Grey, from Home Depot. It is a Behr color from the Deck, Fence & Siding Stain series. I had it mixed in the new flat enamel surface. The color is a mid-value, very neutral, cool gray-green. Not only does it help mitigate the overabundance of light, every painting I hang on the walls looks better (my studio also functions as my gallery) but I have a beautiful background against which to photograph my subjects. The self portrait on my website was from a photo of me in front of Mesa Gray.
Linda Brandon has one room in her studio that is a beautiful, cool gray - I have bought a sample color in the same Behr line called Colony Blue, and will try it out in our guest room. I will tell everyone that it's the
perfect soothing color for guests, despite my ulterior motives
Then I will have an alternate mid-value temperature against which to photograph people.
P. S. Don't let anyone insist that you get white carpeting. Explore some of the new artificial "faux-tile" surfaces that are cushioned, and impervious to anything that might spill on them. And let us know what you find out!