Colors for Walls & Trim - Please Help Sort Out Whites

9 years ago

Currently my open plan main floor is painted in SW Dover White - flat on walls, semi gloss on all trim. I am getting new cabinets in Plain & Fancy's Buttercream painted finish. Countertops will be New Golden Beach granite - a creamy sage. My counter stools will have dark walnut{{gwi:807}} frames and woven cream and sage seats.

The adjacent (but separate) DR is in BM Philadelphia Cream{{gwi:807}}. It doesn't get the sun the other rooms do, so it reads more cream than yellow.

Can you recommend a neutral or off white wall color that will work{{gwi:807}} with the cream and sage tones that will harmonize with the Buttercream cabinets, so neither the walls nor cabs looks dingy? And a white that will pop my windows & trim?

The floors are golden oak throughout.

Edited to add that P & F Buttercream is a proprietary color, but to my eye it is very close to BM White Dove.

This post was edited by amck on Mon, Aug 4, 14 at 17:16

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Comments (6)

tibbrix
9 years ago
BM White Dove. Definitely.
amck2
Original Author
9 years ago
Tibbrix, I was editing my post & fielding a call, so hadn't seen your reply when I updated. Since White Dove is almost a match to the cabinets, I question if I should use it for all the walls, as well. One wall will have 3/4 wainscoting painted in same finish as the cabs. I planned to hang art on the wall above it.

Should I consider getting a lighter mix of the White Dove, or go with a shade that offers more contrast?
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You'll find colour experts/fanatics on the Home Dec forum who might be able to help, especially if you post a picture of the house. I know just enough to know that some very subtle differences could make a real difference to the outcome. For example, there are whites, and whites, and then still other whites. If it's a cool white with blue tones vs a warmer white with yellow or pink tones, your choices may look different. Of course, it may just be a white white - ours was too, by the way, when we bought it; white all over, inside and out. I came to appreciate that as I started stripping paint and realized that at some point the house was likely sort of an acid jade green on all surfaces inside and out, as were most of the houses in this neighbourhood. We did paint the house, and I'm happy we did - not an original colour though. I'm not a huge stickler for maintaining original colours for the sake of authenticity. You obviously do feel that way, and I respect that, but I would question your belief that changing the whole house colour would be more work than merely painting the trim. You might like to visualize whether you'd be happy with white trim if you changed the house colour. This is because painting trim is more work than you might think, especially if you have three porches. Having said all that, with a base scheme of black and white, your range of colour choices is enormous, and personal taste is going to play a huge role, as will the kind of presence you want the house to exude. Obviously earth tones won't go (rusts, olives) as they go with beige, not white; nor beiges or navies, being too close to your two base colours. I tend to think soft pastels might be your best family to look at, and you could go either two-tone (light green and darker green) or two contrasting colours: blue and yellow, blue and pink, etc. Those would be a bit country, I suppose, or maybe a little feminine. If you prefer a really dressy look, grey might be your best option, perhaps with some black highlights to connect to the roof. Taupe and black might also work for that look. You might consider photoshopping a few ideas, or if you prefer the non-tech route, taking a few photos, printing them out, and colouring on them. I'm linking below to a blog entry by Maria Killam on choosing exterior trim colours in which she also talks about different whites. The rest of her blog may also be of interest to you. KarinL Here is a link that might be useful: Colour me happy blog
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Thank you again for your advice on colors. I love the combination of colors you have chosen. But I feel that again, I have not been very clear. The "landing" I am referring to is on the 1st floor. Unfortunately, in that dark niche outside the two bedrooms, I cannot hang anything because a thermostat was placed on that wall, and the A/C man just confirmed that it cannot be moved without a lot of work and expense. That is very unfortunate!! There is a "landing" on the 2nd floor too, along with a long hallway that connects bedroom to bathroom and study. In my opinion, the color of the stairwell will have to also be the color of the walls on this 2nd floor hall. Walls of study are BM 1077; walls of bathroom are SW Krypton; walls of bedroom are BM 1075. Please let me know if the colors you are showing are BM 1077 and SW Dover White. Those are colors I would like to stick with in my color scheme in general. I just believe I need to go lighter than BM 1077 on the walls of this hallway and on the 1st floor landing.
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tibbrix
9 years ago
Oh, I'm sorry. I must have misread your post. I thought you were looking for a color for trim. Indeed, I did misread it!

This is for your kitchen walls, right? Do you have any pics? If you have very little wall area, I'd go with a bold color, like chocolate brown. It's actually very neutral, but it would really make your cabs and granite look gorgeous.
tibbrix
9 years ago
Do you have any pics?
amck2
Original Author
9 years ago
Only have pics of my current kitchen and the configuration will be different in the remodel. My new cabinets will go to the ceiling & a small window will be replaced w/ a 6' bank of windows, so there won't be much painted wall space in the kitchen, save for the area over the wainscot on one wall.

The issue is the kitchen flows right into a small sunroom/keeping area which flows into the LR. There is nowhere to break from one wall color to another, which is why I can't choose a bold color for the kitchen. Too bad, because I like your choc. brown suggestion. Especially since the kitchen will be even more light-filled w/ the new window, I could risk going darker in there. It would also add warmth in the winter.

So, I need a color that will work throughout. I haven't disliked living w/ Dover White, but I do want some distinction between the walls & trim this time. And Dover White isn't an option as it is not at all complementary to the Buttercream door sample I have.

Those cabinets are going to make up a lot of my main floor real estate which is why I'm agonizing over whether to go off white or do the walls in a light neutral. I'm going to have to live with and decorate around that paint choice for a long time.
Fluffeebiskits1
9 years ago
SW Bamboo Shoot, Netsuke, Studio Blue Green, Downing Straw, Softer Tan, Whole Wheat, or Sand Beach or PPG Moth Gray, Moroccan Sand, Sand Fossil, Spiced Vinegar, or Craftsman Gold based on pics of the granite you named (assuming colors are accurate). Is the sun room the same color as the kitchen now? I'd probably lean towards a neutral so that it won't look like you tried and failed to match the off-white tones.

For trim SW Cotton, BM Cloud White (don't know why White Dove gets all the credit since Cloud White is the PERFECT warm trim color to me), and dare I suggest Behr Polar Bear ( great trim color btw). If you could post a pic of the granite sample or a sample cabinet door that would really help. Also, do you have any fabrics or patterns that you want to incorporate?

Colors for Walls & Trim - Please Help Sort Out Whites

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Colors for Walls & Trim - Please Help Sort Out Whites

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