You want white walls. The easiest color to pick right? That is until you walk into the paint store and see a entire section dedicated to whites and you all the sudden realize white is not white and this is not a easy as you thought. There are a lot of different hues in the white category: Cream, pearl, snow, vanilla, ivory, bone, linen the list goes on.
One of the hardest colors to choose is white believe it or not. Did you know there is more than 150 shades of white in Benjamin Moore alone, not to mention the hundreds more in the other popular paint lines.
Here are a few tips:
Pure whites tend to often times make you feel very sterile & cold so this is often one that I recommend staying away from.
Whites can be influenced more than other colors by what the surrounding finishes such as floors, and light. That said, I recommend using a warm white which will bring out the details in the surrounding art and wood work.
Always, paint a 2'x2' sample on a board and move around the house at different times of day trust me this little extra step and time will pay off in the end even with whites.
I recommend sticking with a eggshell or flat finish in the white paint, with a few exceptions for rooms which will require easy cleaning. The reason I recommend these two types of finishes is because white is a cold color you can offset some of the visual effects by using a less reflective sheen which brings a slight level of warmth to the color when the light reflects. Also, the more sheen the more imperfections you will see in the wall itself.
MY GO TO WHITES ARE:
Benjamin Moore-
Mascapone - A True white when painted on walls but much warmer than the pure white. When put right next to pure white looks a little yellow but alone it is a nice warm white
China White- This is a warm white and often when held up next to pure white looks off0white with grey tones but alone it is a lovely warm white
Decorators White- A great true white that is both warm and modern
Paper White- This is a color I often use in Bathrooms & Kitchens because it blends nicely with white marbles and the white of sinks, toilet.
Mountain Peak White - A much warmer creamer white used often in older homes, French Inspired Homes or Farmstyle homes
Swiss Coffee- The Builders go to white that is sold on the shelves of Home Depot and other home improvement stores.
My favorite Greige color ( a combination between a grey & Beige) is Benjamin Moore Revere Pewter at a 75% saturation or the Wise Owl from Kelly Moore at a 75% saturation. These are my two favorite go to neutrals now offset with any of the above whites.
