I can totally relate to your challenges in finding the perfect off-white! I think I've tried just about every off-white in the BM collection and could probably paint a house with the remains of my tester pots,lol. Most recently, I went with BM Vapor (from the Affinity collection) in the basement and am happy with it...very soft which just a hint of color. Yet, I tried the same color in the upstairs hallyway/stairwell and read as too yellow so the search is still on! All comes down to the lighting in your home. I've tried Marble White too and really liked that one (but again-for the hallway, it was a little too yellow next to the Beacon Gray family room) Ballet White and Soft Chamois could be worth looking at as they do have less yellow if that's what you're after.I've also considered White Down and Maritime White (at 1/2 or 3/4 strength) Just throwing another option out there in addition to lots of great colors already suggested...White Dove oc17. Maybe too white for what you're looking for too, but a good one for a 'whiter' white without being too stark (if this makes any sense:)) FYI~ I came across the listing of some fave off-whites/descriptions 1. Edgecomb Gray - HC-173 (Benjamin Moore) Soft Beige 2. Revere Pewter - HC-172 (Benjamin Moore) Gray/Beige 3. Coventry Gray - HC-169 (Benjamin Moore) Soft Gray 4. White Down - OC-131 (Benjamin Moore) Soft Cream 5. Natural Linen - CC-90 (Benjamin Moore) The Perfect Beige 6. Ballet White - OC-9 (Benjamin Moore)Very Light Beige WHITES: 1. Moonlight White - OC-125 (Benjamin Moore) Soft White 2. Cloud White - OC-130 (Benjamin Moore) Classic, Warm, White 3. Cotton - SR15 (Sarah Richardson) Creamy White I've used Cloud White on any furniture that I've had sprayed...love it for that application, but I've not used on wall (yet!) Good luck!! Let us know what you go with:)

I actually find that all acrylic exterior paints set up too fast, not just Aura. Extender doesn't help enough either. Doors really need to be rolled and backbrushed. The roller is just used to get the paint on faster. You just need to be fast. Of course, DIY'ers are not fast and neither is every painter. Basically, the bottom line is that painting outside in the year 2009 sucks. I hate it and I'm a painter. The trend seems to be that manufacturers are making paints that are thicker and dry faster so it probably isn't going to get any better any time soon. I feel sorry for homeowners doing their own painting outside these days...truly I do. If I struggle to get decent results, how hard is it for them?

LOL, I am sooooo sorry I have not been in here for a bit. I must say, I feel really bad about not being here. Not making any excuses but, I've been stressed out about this whole ordeal (having nightmares about this). Also, both my boys have been and still are very sick. I have not had much time to come to the computer and follow up with you all. Again, I am sorry. I want to thank all of you for helping me out with this project. It really does mean a lot to me. Those pictures really give me a better vision. So, here is the update... I went with the SW Golden Fleece color for the exterior. The side coins are an off white color. Actually, the exterior color looks like Squirrels #5a photo. I will admit (only to my buddies here in GW) that I am not fond of how it came out. It looks "okay". I will be making a trip to the home just to take a picture of it and post it in here. Interior home: Great news! After consulting with a "2nd" opinion professional painter, He pointed out a few drywall & texture problems. Unacceptable problems that only one with experience would see. He told me to tell the builder to come out to the home and see for himself. The sloppy job done in my interior walls. So, I did. Builder went to the home and I pointed out to him all the unacceptable walls, which included the great room ceiling hahahaha!! Turns out that some walls (drywall & framing) AND ceiling have to be redone ~~"Do over"~~, YeY!! Which means that they will have to repaint the ceiling at no ADDITIONAL cost to me ;0) Guess what color I am getting for the cieling, yup'ers.... DOVER WHITE! However, this will only be in the great room. I am fine with that because the great room is pretty much the majority of the home. I feel good about having someone, not affiliated with the builder, come out & give me great advise. Landscaping: I absolutely love, love, love the last photo Squirrel posted. I can't wait to show it to my husband! It is totally what I had in mind. I just love every detail you put into the landscaping. WoW, just amazing. You watch and see how I am going to do the landscape just as your photo shows. Timing: Unfortunately,my home will not be completed in time for us to move in for Christmas (Errrr). Looks like maybe by February we will get the keys :( As you know, I am new with GW. I am still trying to figure out how I can go back to the threads I have looked into. Right now, I go to each page and look for the subject (time consuming). Is there an easier way to look into threads I have looked into? I can't express to you how excited I am to have read all your comments in this thread. Makes me feel really important , LOL. ~Muah~

busybee3, the problem with the khaki brown is that the color changes depending on the light. It can be a beautiful beige brown or it can be a pinky, washed out mess. The shutters are going to be changed to black board and batten shutters to match the carriage door look of the garage doors. My light fixtures are a similar style in black. les917, I would agree to make the bays beige but I'm afraid it will make the house too dark if I paint it the darker color. I'm also a little afraid of putting black shutter on the darker color. I was doing it on the khaki brown to try and bring some weight to the siding color but I am afraid it might be too severe with the darker siding. bluebird, that is definitely a version of my house. I actually just redid my walkway to resemble your walkway.