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Yet another BM white paint question

Linda Clyne
9 years ago

Hello. I never thought it would come to this but I am finally coming out of GW lurkerdom in a desperate hope that someone can help me make up my mind about the white trim in my kitchen. I have been looking at paint samples so long my eyes are crossed and my DH is feigning deafness so he doesn't need to respond every time I call to him to "come in here and look at these samples in THIS light!"

We are about halfway through our kitchen/living room/dining room reno. We gutted the kitchen and removed two walls and three layers of flooring so there is a smooth flow between these main spaces that used to be so segregated in our small, circa 1961 brick ranch house. All decisions regarding finishes have been made and are irrevocable at this point. They include:

Perimeter cabinets - painted maple - BM Dove White
Perimeter counter - Brushed Black Pearl Granite
White beveled subway tile wall over perimeter
Open shelving- java stained maple

Island - java stained maple
Island counter - honed calacutta marble
Appliances -stainless
Cabinet hardware - brushed nickel
Sink - white farmhouse
Faucet - chrome
Floors - new and refinished existing oak, think it's a "provincial" stain

The ISSUE: When we first moved into the house (and before we decided to do a major overhaul on the main living spaces) we replaced ALL the old, painted-shut, single-paned windows with energy efficient vinyl windows that turned out to be a very stark white, almost bluish. I never thought about the window color when I confidently decided, based on the many beautiful kitchen inspiration photos I collected, that Dove White would be THE white that would unify all the cabinetry, doors and trim throughout the entire house. Now, as i begin to contemplate wall color I am terrified that the vinyl windows will positively glow neon blue if they are trimmed in soft, lovely Dove White. Or worse, that the soft, lovely Dove White will look grungy in contrast.

In the kitchen the window will be surrounded by the subway tile wall. Those tiles are not as bright as the vinyl but still whiter than the Dove White. In the living room just across from the kitchen, there is a large, deep window that will be surrounded by sheetrock painted in whatever color I ultimately pick for the walls.

My Question: Would it be better to try to match the window trim to the window color and go with a much "whiter" white? Behr's Ultra Pure White seems the closest I can find that doesn't look gray, but I haven't seen a BM color that looks like it. Or should I "split the difference" between the color of the kitchen cabinets and the white windows when choosing a trim color?

The painter will be using Benjamin Moore paints, and I am at a loss for which whites to even consider at this point. Our contractor is very efficient and I dare not mess up his schedule with an more indecision. Cabinets go in tomorrow, he says we will be ready to paint in about a week, and I believe him.

Here is a photo of my "palette" on my fireplace mantle. The wood paneling on the fireplace wall had been painted not long before we bought the house and as you can see it's very white. I had hoped to soften it a bit by painting it the same Dove White as the kitchen cabinets, and the trim, now not sure what direction to take.

To tell you the truth, if I had spent more time with actual paint samples prior to picking Dove White for my cabinets, I probably would have gone with Simply White because Dove White looks awfully yellow. But I can not, WILL NOT torture myself with "coulda-shoulda-woulda" about the color of the cabinets that are DONE and coming TOMORROW. So now all I can do is try not to screw up the rest of my paint choices....

Any help/therapy is much appreciated!


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