I would not bother with 50% of anything because over time you may need more or have other things to match to it and it will be problematic. I just moved into a place with China White all over and I know what you mean about how it changes. I thought it was creamier when looking at the card comparing it to pure white, but sometimes it reads grey and cold. when I painted it over white primer, I was surprised it was creamy in contrast. Doesn't feel it. At my last house I liked Timid White and Sparkling Wine. They were both my moving over to the "white" side of the world after having been on the definite "cream" side. Both were very neutral and clean with no undertones - recommended to me by the BM color guru. One was a little whiter than the other. I forget which was which.

Your comment that you liked Mascarpone but that it looked too bright makes me think that looking at LRV (light reflective value. generally higher=lighter, lower = darker) might help you. Mascarpone is 92.25 on the LRV=it will read white. It is a beautiful soft white, but it is NOT an off white/cream. There's also undertones to consider, but LRV is one easy tool to help you generally make sense of how the colors you're looking at compare to each other. It's pretty overwhelming when there are 100+ benjamin moore whites!! If you like Acadia White (85), you might look at Calming Cream (85.7). If you like Linen White (84.4) you might also looke at Navajo White (81.1) or if you want quite a bit darker, maybe Gentle Cream (73.5)? Of course there are literally dozens of colors and undertones in between those few I mentioned-dizzying! A designer I worked with swears that Navajo White is the perfect "cream" (he uses it as a wall color paired with Super White? Simply White? trim.) I actually think the perfect cream is Farrow & Ball White Tie. I'll link an older thread where I babbled on about this topic. I struggled and sampled endlessly and finally selected Calming Cream (85.7) for the kitchen cabinets and Simply Irresistible (79.4) for the trim color throughout the rest of the house. The color consultant at the BM store kept reminding me that colors look completely different based on their light exposure and the surrounding colors and urged me to just select the colors that worked best in their respective spaces. I was so worried that I was making a mistake using two different trim colors, but the undertones on these two particular colors are so similar and walking into our home, you'd never know we used two different colors because the lighting is so different. Here is a link that might be useful: blog about selecting off white

Is it possible to pick a white for cabinets and trim without knowing your wall color yet?! My countertops are Caesarstone Nougat and my appliances are white! Yes. The countertops and appliances are major components in the overall "envelope" of the space you're creating. Use those as the benchmarks for choosing a color of white for the cabinets and trim throughout the whole house. To make it easier, just use the same color on the cabinets and trim. I'd use the countertops for the #1 component to determine which color of white is the right one. Appliances second most important. Becuase odds are the appliances will be replaced way before the countertops. The cabinet color/countertop color relationship is more important and more permanent. If you have a well-color-coordinated envelope of major/permanent elements, it will be a harmonious foundation to build on and it will also inform your furniture and decor choices going forward.

I may be replying to an old post...having a white dilemma! Moving to a new home soon, and I need to choose a white for the painter soon! I used BM Cotton Balls in my current home in 2 bedrooms, one is north facing and the other is south facing. worked well...nice and bright but not stark, however the hallway to the rooms look beige, which I am not fond of. New home has both north and south exposures + a hallway without a lot of light. Considering Simply White. Second question...the baseboards are lovely and very high, I would like them to remain a feature, which white to choose for trim? Your comments are appreciated!!!