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Paint Home Decorating Design Dilemma

Coordinating whites bt. Cabinets, ceiling, trim & walls!?

3 years ago

I searched for a current thread on this but only found ones 6-10 years old....I’m in a paint debate for my new build & am having a hard time pulling the trigger on anything bc I don’t know what makes the most sense for coordinating multiple whites and getting vastly different info from my resources. I have white cabinets that are a stock color from the company, so have to be color matched if I re-use that color....it’s similar Looking to SW Pure White I would say. But I want very light walls, like a BM white Dove type of light....so I figured I should use the same “white” wall color on the trim as the walls and probably just ceiling too...but builder says ceiling white on ceiling, cabinet lady says cabinet color on trim and ceiling....and now trying to pick a wall color and what will go where is a nightmare. What’s the best way to mix whites and what type of white should go where!? to make matters worse, my countertop is a creamier white (calacatta look) but the greys in some veining keep it from feeling “yellow” I hate yellow. It's All so confusing. If I do the same color on trim as wall then I’d really be scared to pick anything w a yellow hue to it. Picture of my space....more northern facing and great room 18’ ceilings.

Comments (4)

Molly
3 years ago
You can use the same color in different finishes for each area. I’m assuming the crown will be painted the cabinet color, correct?
Jennifer P
Original Author
3 years ago
Yes, the cabinet crown will be cabinet color. can you drag the Pure white cabinet color onto the ceiling just in the kitchen, and then when it opens to the great room switch to the color of all the walls? or is that weird? Essentially, I didn’t want to be dealing with 3 whites....I was trying to stick with the cabinet color and color choice for the wall when it comes to trim/ceilings/walls. If I do all ceilings/walls/trim the same more off white color, then the ceiling in the kitchen is darker than the pure white cabinets. I didn’t wants brute white ceiling in the vaulted great room as I wanted it to be seemless w walls. Designers say if you’re doing an almost white on the walls anyways, just use it on the trim in a different sheen So you don’t have 2 whites that aren’t big contrasts from one another on walls vs trim. I wish I knew more about this stuff.
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Mary, how paint will read is determined by many factors, including what direction a room faces, the furniture in the room, the light factors in both the room and outside , how each person sees color, and of course, the paint itself. I normally do not recommend toning paint (adding white) to achieve a lighter look. The reason is that it is that, as Lori points out, it is a guess as to whether or not it will work and I can predict better from a paint chip. However, sometimes clients want to try it. Ironically, I just had a client paint a room SW Requisite Gray. She is one of a only a few of my clients willing to paint her ceiling. She wanted to try Requisite Gray at half. It turned out perfectly. Does that mean it would work in your space? You cannot be sure. I always recommend painting on a piece of lightweight drywall instead of on the wall or ceiling itself. That way, you have the opportunity to move the piece of drywall around the room at different times of day to see if it will work for you. Much success to you in your project!
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I don't think all white will ever be out. Recently we stayed in a lovely Air BnB in CA where every room was white, and frankly is was soothing and refreshing.
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Help! We’re moving into a new home and before we do I want to paint EVERYTHING the SAME Benjamin Moore Simply White? I think, ! But I’m ignorant as to “finishes”. Eggshell on walls and gloss (or is it satin) on trim/cabinets/ceiling/doors? In other words, the trim can be same finish as ceiling, doors, and kitchen cabinets (the walls being the only eggshell finish) but everything the same color? Also what do I do with the brick like fireplace wall thing? Can I paint it white too? I’m worried about it reflecting yellow onto the white walls. I want to open up the space and make it fresher/brighter but hate how yellow it is now. Also, none of this furniture belongs to us so please disregard. Kitchen cabinets will also be painted white, after deglossing. All help appreciated!
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@Gaby Buller Take a look at SW 7042 Shoji White, for the walls. You can definately do a beautiful white palette. Since all color has a DNA (Hue family, Value and Chroma), you can be guided by framework to create a palette that is harmonious and pleasing to your eye. When pairing whites, a good principle that works is having at minimum 0.2 difference in Chroma (last number) between your whites. A little spacing on the color wheel also helps. This principle ensures there is enough contrast between your whites so that one will look more neutral than the other, and they don't look dingy or dirty. The other way to add contrast is to change the sheen level. For example, you can play with sheen levels on BM White Dove and use it as the Trim Color, in a higher sheen than the cabinets and use BM White Dove in Matte on the walls. This will also provide the contrast your eye needs without looking dull. Other colors that may fit your vision and work with the above mentioned framework are: SW 7013 Ivory Lace SW 7010 White Duck SW 9586 White Sesame BM OC-13 Soft Chamois
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Jennifer P
Original Author
3 years ago
Molly
3 years ago
Yes you can do pure white in the kitchen and another color on the vaulted ceiling since there is a definite break. I had my place painted late last summer and used China White on the walls and Super White on the baseboard (crown was not painted, but it ended up so close to the wall colors the painters were convinced it was the same color). The difference is subtle, hopefully you can tell in this shot. I have a VERY light blue on the ceiling.

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