I would prefer a "green as the new neutral" color....but considering what you are doing....slap on one coat of white and be done with it!
sure as you put on neutral green....someone will look at it that hates green!! With white, a looker can more easily visualize it as a blank canvas and envision their own favorite colors.
you're right....she's wrong!! LOL!
Linda C

I think Atrium White is fine. If you go with a color you risk someone thinking "ugh, I'm going to have to paint all that (green, blue, yellow, whatever) paint". I think a white with a little more color, maybe with a touch of buttercream, is better. But not "better enough" to justify all the extra work.

A neutral beige is easy on the eye. When you watch those real estate shows the buyers always comment on changing a wall color but rarely comment on changing a light beige. Just make sure it does not have a pink undertone. I think it would be nice with wood trim also.

Are you sure the paint is Dutch Boy? I can't find that listed, but I do find an Atrium White with Ben Moore.

If it is the Ben Moore, then I completely agree with your partner. Given that it has a light reflective value of 87(!), I'd consider it a "trim" color, not a wall color. If you market your house like a fixer, you will just get lowball offers and will potentially alienate clients that will only see all the "work" they'd have to put into it. The BM Atrium White even looks somewhat pink to me, which I can't see complimenting the wood trim either.

Now, does this mean that ALL of the rooms need to be repainted? Maybe not. How badly do you want to sell the house? With the market as bad as it is, I would not hesitate to change the color. There are PLENTY of neutrals that have mass appeal. Check out the Gallery side of this forum and you'll see loads of examples to get some ideas. Post some pix of your house and you'll get a ton of suggestions :)

I really dislike white walls. And I think the last thing you want to do is remind potential buyers of their first apartment.

I'm sure its Atrium White. I did a BM store locator check and the place where I bought it came up. I'll have to check the can tonight when I get home.

Funny thing is she picked that color about 10 years ago. Thats how we got started with Atrium White.

If you redid it in some clear, on-trend pastels and pale neutrals, one coat would do it because the white acts as a primer.

But fiorst, fix all the busted things and clean everything that doesn't fight back.

Frankly, all colors are the same to me. Some of these responses to my posting, on this forum and others, caused me to do some googling on Atrium White. I'm feeling better.

a very recent garden web posting about new construction

"So the color consultant suggested just picking Atrium White for the whole downstairs open space"

A color consultant? Holy Moly. I'm starting to feel all warm and fuzzy about Atrium White

Nice place http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/paint/msg0422101225570.html

"Atrium White -- I couldn't remember the name, but that's my favorite. It's an off white with a slight hint of peach. It's warm. It is not beige nor yellow."

This Realtor recommends Atrium White as a current color for staging your home

"One of the best things a homeowner can do in a remodeling project is to paint the walls in a current color. Not only does it freshen the appearance of walls but it updates the entire space for about the same money as a new throw pillow!"

http://www.prudentialnewjersey.com/teri.d/Blog/Paint_Colors_for_Home_Staging

I'm feeling better.

I'd love to see photos!

If it's been 10 years, the paint color needs to be replaced. Try a nice Traditional Tan by ICI, or go a shade lighter, maybe a darker tan for the dining room or living room to give that "stand-out" look.

Good luck!

Notice difference between the white ceiling and walls.

Umm...not to flog a dead horse here, but did you consider that some of the suggested paint colors from prudentialnewjersey were intended to be used for TRIM? Additionally, the house in the first link has bright white trim, so a pale wall color is not going to have much contrast with it and will tend to make the room feel larger. (Anyway, as I understood the post, they were trying to get a color they could slap up on the walls to get the job done.) You have stained trim, right? Well, the contrast between white walls and trim will only serve to chop up the space and make it feel smaller. Presumably not what you want when you are trying to sell.

Please don't misunderstand, I'm really not trying to be argumentative, but I really see your partner's side of this :) Since you admit that "all colors are the same to me," why not let her have her way?

Dead horses are OK, just as long as IÂm still kicking :)

We have dark, early American stained trim, its been Atrium White for ages.
IÂm sure you could also use it for trim, I took the Atrium white recommendation by the color consultant to imply itÂs a safe choice, will go with almost anything, sounds perfect for a buyer.

Its not a matter of letting her have her way. I will be doing 99% of this myself, that includes going through 35 years of accumulated "STUFF" in 2 basements, 1 attic and a packed garage. IÂll be doing all the physical moving out and in, with the exception of the "BIG" stuff. She is really incapable. And then thereÂs the new kitchen floor and new countertop with tiled backsplash among other planned touchups.

My plate is overflowing, I need to clear something off. That 2nd coat looked like a sure candidate.

I didnÂt think you were argumentative. I appreciate all opinions.

Sounds like you need to call HGTV. :-)

Go with the same color. If the house is going to sell, it will sell with any neutral color.

If you are repainting I agree with your partner. Atrium white is described as an off white with a pink undertone. I suggest a neutral beige or tan color without a pink undertone for resale.

I've never had to do more then one coat of paint with lighter colors so you should be fine with a beige or tan color doing just one coat of paint as long as you use quality paint.

I'm going to suggest that you're asking this question in the wrong place --

Don't get me wrong - this is a great group of people!
But we're here because we like to decorate, and I'm sorry, but off-white paint is just plain B O R I N G when it could be Pittsfield Buff or EK Sage... To the general mindset of this group, it's a 'non-decision' and a missed opportunity to do something better.

But for resale, Boring Beige is supposed to be just right. The kind of color no one says 'Yuck!' to and that everyone can see themselves easily painting over in their own favorite colors.

I'd suggest you ask over on the Buying and Selling Homes forum. Those folks are in 'Resale' mindset, not 'Decorate' mindset, and might be the more appropriate audience for this particular question.

I depends on what your current version of "Atrium White" looks like.

The BenM Atrium White you reference in the GardenWeb post you linked to isn't really "white".

It's categorized as white but it's actually a very pale, milky, slightly flushed, blush color. Kind of glowy in certain light exposures.

It's not a stark, cold, arctic white.

The color name Atrium White is like Antique White, Navajo White or Linen. Every paint manufacturer has colors with those names and none of them are the same color -- only thing they have in common is that they are all organized in the respective palette's "whites" category.

I am familiar with the "color consultant" thread and if you read closely, the Atrium White was suggested for the ceilings in the entire downstairs.

I have sold two houses in the last two years where there was plenty of color. Not one realtor or potential buyer balked at the color or suggested I paint over it with white or beige. I think white screams rental. You want your house to scream "home" to someone. A little color is the cheapest way to do that.

With all due respect, I wish people would stop insisting that one coat is enough.

If you're going to paint anyway, I'd go with Manchester Tan, Navajo White or Shaker Beige and call it a day. If you want to go more to the gray family (since gray is very popular as a neutral now and it would instantly update your house) then you could use something very light and inoffensive, such as Benjamin Moore's Titanium, Moonshine or November Rain. If you really wanted to make a good impression, you could do a combination of both. I'm always a little turned off when I see every room in a house painted the same paint color, like somebody got a good deal in the oops section of the local big box store. You could do the living spaces in the beige and the bedrooms in the gray.

If you're set on repainting the house white, I would at least make it a more neutral white. I have BM's Moonlight White on my office walls and it's a clean, modern white that doesn't turn funky on the walls with crazy undertones. Just good, pure white, without being too cold.

Wow, it sounds like you are just overwhelmed with stuff to do, and nobody to help you with it. Since that's the case, perhaps just pick a few rooms to change the color in and leave the rest. Focus on first impressions. I'd say that the foyer and/or living area is hugely important, since that is what buyers see as they initially enter your house. Then maybe the dining room and master bedroom.

I'd also suggest posting a question on the paint board. Ask if anyone has experience with paint that really can cover in one coat, at least reasonably well. I've never had it happen, but came close with SW's Cashmere line. I think others may have used Kilz or Aura with one-coat coverage. Isn't there a primer/paint Behr paint now? I wonder if anyone has experience with those that they can share with you.

I really feel for you! I'd be overwhelmed in that situation too :) Hang in there and keep us posted! Good luck with the projects!

Don't foeget to pick a color that will compliment that dark stained trim. ;)

Thanks for all the opinions/replies.

Turns out the Atrium White was made by Benjamin Moore not Dutch Boy

Best Wishes to all

So what color are you painting?

Don't listen to your realtor. I checked out one of our local realtors and his listings and what he considered decorator finish looked pretty garish to me.

White isn't a color at all. Even worse is the old corporate beige. It depends on the condition of the house. You aren't going to get any more for your home than what your neighborhood comps are so to save money I would touch up the white.

The wall color is unlikely to be a deal breaker. Go with your plan of repainting it the same color you already have and move on to the other tasks involved with selling a house.

I wouldn't stress over this because, as you mentioned, your house is more of a "fixer upper". As long as it's clean and people can envision moving their furnishing in, the wall color won't matter to most people. In fact, many people like a clean slate and the ability to chose their own color.

Is white a colorless color or it is the most essential color? It is elegant with a vengiance. It is proud, fresh and fashionably optimistic.

But I think they were talking about white furniture. (lol)

Just forget about painting if it's a fixer upper sounds like you are over flowing with work.

I say stick with the white, it makes the rooms look larger, provides a clean look, allows shoppers to envision their own colors and furniture in the space. Another advantage is it will be easy to paint over when the new owners start their interior decorating. If the paint is in good condition...I agree, don't paint, save your money, just do some basic staging.

Anyone know a source for Benjamin Moore Atrium White in 5 gal pails?

Let me just add that arguing over paint color isn't worth it. There are so many bigger things in life to cause discord among lovers.
Oh and our home sold in three months, perfect timing for the move into our current home, with walls in various colors from builder beige to neon yellow. Yes, you read that correctly. Our carpet was a deep deep blue too. We did give a carpet allowance. I figure if you paint neutral there will be those that hate how boring it is. If you paint it colorful there will be those that think it's too loud. You can't please everyone, so why bother.

I sold my house at the peak of market within one weekend...for much more than I expected. I had moved everything out into storage in preparation for my move. I had a 4 bedroom 2 bath small track home with living, dining, freshly remodeled kitchen, 2 car garage, large lot, within walking distance to high school.

Things I did:
~new roof
~painted outside
~very minor landscaping in front
~painted all rooms (except kitchen)in white
~new mirrored closet doors
~carpets shampooed
~minimal staging

I tried to do as little as I could, but my home had not had any updates in many years and I had crazy decor in every room. I think the best thing I did was empty the house and paint it white inside. I would love to go back and see what the new owners have done to it. :-)

Best of luck tosk...keep it clean and simple...you will do fine.

BM can mix the paint and put in the larger pails for you.

TOSK - take a paint chip to Home Depot and have them match it in Glidden 5-gallon buckets.

I would think that if youÂre selling the house then painting it any non-neutral color may not be the best idea simply because colors are such a personal choice. WhatÂs bright and sunny to you may be loud and harsh for someone else. So, I would say stick to neutral shades of interior paints and be done with it.