I have color in the house…like…
everywhere.
And on top of that…
I have a ton or okay maybe a few…
accessories that I bring in that are definitely colorful…
I finished talking and she nodded with one of those ‘Sure, whatevah you say’ looks
and off I went to Lowe’s.
More shades of white.
I don’t think there is any simple rule.
Whites and neutrals are of course the most popular color on walls.
They are easy to live with.
You can add pops of color with artwork, curtains or furniture
and you don’t have to change everything in the room to get a new look.
But you choose the wrong white and your room can feel stark and cold.
Or dreary and depressing.
Or even like you live in the foggy rain clouds all the time.
If thats the look you like- go for it.
But for most- dreary is not what they had in mind for their home.
is one of the hardest to choose?
in each shade to consider.
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I don't think there is one perfect white for everyone, or even for every room in your house. It all depends on the light, and also the colors already in the room because the walls will reflect those colors back at you, no matter how subtly. I have found (with any wall color) that even the reflection of the outdoor foliage can affect a room's color. I once wanted to paint my livingroom a "tan" color. Every sample I put up had a green undertone that I did not see on the samples. I finally put up a sample with a pinkish undertone, figuring it would fight the green reflected off of all the trees outside. It worked perfectly. And by the way, no matter how hard I fight it, I am ALWAYS swayed by the name!
Right? Me too…good marketing 😉
I love white in every nuance. Your post is full of wonderful impressions
Anxious to see what your top choices will be. I had this dilemma when choosing a grey for my living room. It ended up looking way different than I thought it would, too cool and I wanted a warmer gray. But I'm living with it.
Hi Syl- same thing happened to me in my office; and just living with it – a shame, as I am here 16 hours a day and absolutely loathe how cool it is. I am sorry it happened to you, too. If you ever find a good fix please let me know!
Whites are my favourite color for walls, as well. Some may think my rooms are all painted the same white, but not so. I pick up on the fringe of decorator cushions, the linen of a side chair, etc. I carefully label each can for the times I need to touch up.
Thank you for this! I've been wondering about your paint colors and hoping for some direction! I have no fewer than 6 different white samples on my walls at the moment–yeah, my daughter gives me a hard time too! She has her friends play, "guess the white". Sigh…..
A few years ago I was searching for the perfect white. I had a bunch of paint chips taped up on the bedroom wall.My son came in and said…they are all white and just shook his head. Two pretty ones are Delicate White…think it's from Lowes…and Powdered Snow… from Home Depot. It's just a little warmer.What white is on your kitchen cabinets?
I have been using BM Chantilly Lace. I have it on my ceilings, and have used it to paint my board and batten trim. I have also used it on window & door trim. In rooms with lots of light, it is a nice, clean white. In my rooms with north facing windows, it is softer, not as bright. I love that it has not shown any undertones – it stays white pretty much all of the time.
I just finished painting my bedroom white. Thats a first for me. I have never painted ANY room white before. I had no idea how to choose from the millions of whites. Except, I just chose 4 and put them on the wall and lived with them for weeks. But even then, when I actually painted the first wall, I was afraid I had made a mistake. It seemed SO white. So so white. But now that I've got my curtains up and am rehanging pictures, I think it is going to be perfect. 🙂 I look forward to your trials.
SO, WHAT WAS THE NAME OF THE ONE YOU FINALLY CHOSE…??? DON'T KEEP IT A SECRET
I do think it all depends on the space. Most of my trim is Benjamin Moore Decorator's White. It seems to work well in my rooms. My kitchen cabinets are White Dove and every time I look at them I am so happy I chose that color!
Shelley
Wow! Wonderful post, Courtney! You should call this post "White Paints 101." A great reference article to save and share. Thank you!
We are building our house, on our own…we are building it. Not having it built. It's crazy and we are now too old for this nonsense, but it's almost done. The decisions are insurmountable (I've never used that word in my life!) I went with "creamy" by Sherwin Williams. Creamy on the walls, creamy on the ceiling. When I paint another room I go through and touch up all the walls where they've gotten nicked and scratched. Here a creamy, there a creamy, everywhere a creamy creamy. I could not make one more decision when it came time to paint, so I decided on creamy, and then I can add color in other places, just like you said. I don't ever want to paint again. EVAH! You hear me!!!
Cindy Bee
White Dove by Benjamin Moore works best in my home!
Can't wait to hear what you choose..I am trying to pick whites for our home and really struggling!
I have a two-inch thick book of paint samples from our painter and many choices to make. Two 17th century apartments in the south of France that we're renovating. Paint not just for walls but for moldings, carvings, doors, etc. I am overwhelmed. (Lucky for me, they have numbers, not names!) But I know what you mean about the white. In our home, I wanted the rooms to have that warm glow like the light at dawn. I prefer the warm undertones, but had started to think that all the Gustavian trends were going toward cooler, grayer shades. Your post really gave me something to think about. Thank you!
This came at a perfect time. I have a 2-inch thick block of paint samples (with numbers, not colors) and have to choose for many rooms in a pair of 17th-century apartments we're renovating in the south of France. Not just walls, but moldings, doors, carved decorations. It is mind-boggling. In our home, I went for off-whites that were on the warm side, to give that feeling of light at dawn. Then I had second thoughts in light of the Gustavian trend toward cooler gray shades. You've given me lots to think about!
Taste of France at francetaste.wordpress.com
Some of my favorite whites are Simply White from Benjamin Moore, Right White from Restoration Hardware, and All White and Wimborne White from Farrow and Ball.
I'm trying to pick a white to cover our yellowy knotty pine panels… I don't want a bluey, chalky feel to the room, but thinking that the background from the pine will kind of give a plain white (whatever that is) a warmer tone. Does that sound about right? haha So confusing! I'm leaning towards a white/taupe paint, but maybe will just try Lowe's off the shelf white. Any suggestions? Thanks!
My house is all white too – like your daughter said – nothing but shades of whites, but I love white and enjoy it`s neutral, clean look. There is no magic formula, but the best way is to have a few shades on the wall, before you decide. Recently I find this article on Elle Decor – 20 BEST WHITE PAINTS ACCORDING TO TOP INTERIOR DESIGNERS- http://www.elledecor.com/design-decorate/color/advice/a3448/the-right-white-a-70889/?src=socialflowFB, maybe this can help… I`m going to paint my living room soon, so I know I need a very bright shade because of the lighting, but not cold white…. Which one..I don`t know… What a struggle, hahaha…
It's amazing to me how white on the walls has made such a come-back. We used to think it was too much like the generic white walls you always had to live with in an apartment. (I think it was called "Apartment White". Just teasing. No one would pick that by the name, would they?) I haven't had white walls in years but I'm getting close to trying it in my LR and DR which are adjacent to each other. Right now I have a barely, barely pink in the LR and a shade darker of the same color family in the DR. But somehow I am wanting something a little crisper and cleaner. I haven't started to seriously look for one but I think it's harder to choose now days because there are more choices of white than there used to be. More subtle differences, I think. Makes it more complicated to choose.
Thanks for your post on the subject. I'll be interested to see what you choose for your rooms.
In my home Simply white showed as a creamy almost pale yellow white. I tried so many, but BM Chantilly Lace was the only white to stay pure white in all lighting conditions.
Okay, sisterhood of searching for the right white! Make it simple for this 70 year old newly wed, s'il vous plait.
C'est dicficile pour moi.
You mentioned how important light is in a room. Would you please give us some tips on choosing the right light bulbs – day light or soft white? Thank you!
i always enjoy seeing your posts! thank you.
Benjamin Moore’s Simply White is the predominant white in our house remodel. No complaints.
I am in agreement with you about the color white!!! There are so many shades of it and I add the color with the things that I put into the rooms!!!
I so agree about Simply White from Benjamin Moore!! After trying several shades of whites throughout my small home Simply White was the winner!
Adter teying wo many whites I settled on Simplu White for my house and Still like it so much!
You are so very helpful w color selections. After reading you blog i ordered color samp of simp white and collingwood. Can wait To see how ever will look in the rooms. Thank for your input. Keep it co.
BM-SWISS COFFEE: I LOVE HOW IT WILL PICK UP THE UNDERTONES OF THE ROOM. IT REMINDS ME OF FRESH CREAM.
Check out Maria KILLam. She is a colour expert and can give you all sorts of info on Undertones. Fascinating!
My first renovation of a two story ultra modern house i had no idea whatsoever. Neighbours said we like the red bricks if you don’t want to paint it. I told them this wasn’t happening all the cement in the bricks was uneven and ugliness wasn’t what i had in my mind. A girlfriend who is very quilty- judith newman got all the exterior colours and interior colour for me… even to painting it on the walls and ceilings showing the difference of colouring from white and white with a touche of green. the painting man looked disgusted but when they had finished the beautiful coastal soft blue exterior with cream guttering, roof etc he was in awe of his own painting skills. similarly with the interior the softness of the green took the edge of the stark white he had envisaged as i had huge and i mean huge windows and french doors… since then i’ve moved house 5 times and renovated each one learning white isn’t white.
Most of our houseis a very pale gray that looks white or pale Blue depending on the light. It is “Thin ice” by Olympic. Our house is quite small so our common areas- living, dining, kitchen, and hallway are all the same color as it SEEMS to expand the space. I am looking for a white with punk undertones for the bedroom and am excited to find just the right shade.
My entire home Sw alabaster white…swOon!!!!
It was the 2016 coloR of the yr