Benjamin Moore has a neat little tool on it that might help you pick a color -
http://www.benjaminmoore.com/wrapper...proj&N=intproj
I played around with it a bit - I definitely like warm, rich, neutral tones - especially in contrast with white trim. The finished look is always fantastic - contemporary and classic at the same time. It depends on the color of your carpet though - you'll have to decide based on that. You can definitely go lighter/darker than your carpet, but you'll want to pick a cool/warm paint color based on whether your carpet has cool/warm undertones.
I really liked:
Bradstreet Beige
Huntington Beige
Adams Gold (might be more like what you were thinking)
Lots of great colors on there to choose from - hope this helps!