Neutral creamy white for walls

3 years ago

last modified: 3 years ago

Hi there! We are a young couple who just purchased our first home, a townhome. Due to COVID I have been caring for elderly parents so am trying to minimize trips the paint store for swatches. Most of these recommendations I've found online:

I was hoping to share my ideas for paint colors (all Benjamin Moore) and get some feedback, as we've just hired painters:

My main question was on the living room and dining room (open floor plan) and hallways. I am looking for a pretty universal flattering creamy white shade that would pair well with warm or cool tones on the walls, and a lighter white for trim. For reference, most of the windows face southeast (this is what it looks like before painting--taken later in the day, and there is typically more natural light. I am removing the window treatments and will be bringing in lamps for more light):

Walls: Timid White, Chantilly Lace, Decorator's White, Swiss Coffee? (not sure which is the best--open to other suggestions)

Trim and Doors: Decorator's White, Cloud White or Dove White?

Accented interior for the front door: Hale Navy or Kensingston Blue (would love suggestions on this too)

Den/downstairs (I am pretty set on this as I think it looks great from pictures)

Walls: Gray Owl

Trim and Doors: White Dove

Thank you so much for the help! :)

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Comments (10)

PRO
JudyG Designs
3 years ago
last modified: 3 years ago
First off, South light can spoil many whites, but Gray Owl is perfect with South light. And I wouldn’t waste it in the den. Put it in all the public spacesI would pair it with the cleanest white to get its virtue. My recommendation for that white is Chantilly Lace. With its high LRV, it has virtually no undertone. Put in on the ceiling in flat finish and the woodwork in semi-gloss.

For the blue: because gray owl is, well, gray, it also has a tiny bit of green for an undertone. IMO, the best blue to pair with it, is B.M. Witching Hour. Yes, it looks black, but the strong undertone is blue.

For the den, something soft, green, which shows well with the perfect white:

B.M. Tranquility.
PRO
JudyG Designs
3 years ago
last modified: 3 years ago
But, that’s my opinion on southern exposure and you want a white. Here is a quote from Kylie, who really knows her stuff and her comment on a white for you:

Best cream, beige neutral paint colours. Living room and kitchen, Benjamin Moore Ballet White and Gray Cashmere with White Dove trim and fireplace. Kylie M Interiors Edesign, online paint colour consulting and advice blog

Gorgeous!
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tartanmeup
3 years ago
A creamy white is usually thought of as warm or yellow-tinged. Is that what you're envisioning when you say that?

I can tell you about some of the whites you listed as I've a few of them on art canvases for testing. I recommend you get the idea of "the best white" out of your head though because whites can drive us loony in no time. There are so many (especially with Ben Moore) and once you start seeing the nuances between each, they're easy to overthink. There's no such thing as a "best" white for all situations.

Are there any white fixed elements in your home that can guide you? Kitchen cabinet or counter, fireplace hearth or stone, etc? What are your furnishings?

I have Chantilly Lace in my office (trim and walls, different sheens). It's a true bright white, can turn a tinge cool in a cool light. Light, as you probably know, is everything when looking at colours. Make sure the lighting in your new home is optimized for 'daylight' colour rendering. Otherwise, you might get annoyed that your wall colours aren't looking as they "should" when the lights are on.

Your 3 trim and door options:

Decorator's White is very much cool-toned.

Cloud White is the most neutral of your three. (I'll be painting my hallway Cloud White. It's just a very soft white and neutral. Nothing jumps out at you when you place it next to a white sheet of paper (that's how you quickly gauge whites). Truly lovely but doesn't have the "heft" of Chantilly Lace, if that makes any sense.)

White Dove: this is is a warm white that will look yellow or even dingy next to a sheet of white copier paper.

There's a user here (Marylee?) who might chime in (if she hasn't already in the time I take to ramble) with the actual colour analysis of a few whites to show the difference in chroma. This can tell you if they pair well as trim and wall colours. Really depends on the type of contrast you're seeking.

Hth a bit. :)
PRO
Beth H. :
3 years ago
last modified: 3 years ago
I'd go w/Simply white. for any of your whites.

I did Simply white on my walls and my trim (semi gloss) and it's a perfect neutral white.

White Dove looked 'dingy'. I actually chose that first, but didn't like it. Painted over it w/Simply white. my room gets good afternoon south/west light.

Chantilly is a cooler white.

see white dove compared to Simply? it's slightly grayer. alabaster will be warmer. Ditto Cloud white. Simply is the perfect neutral that leans very slightly toward the warm side.

Pale Oak and I think, White dove on the trim.

Swiss Coffee is going to be creamy compared to the other white choices. I would not use that on the trim work.

this is a beautiful color for doors, especially against any wood.

goes great w/gray owl too.
tartanmeup
3 years ago
Beth H. finds Simply White neutral while I find it looks yellow in my space (in daylight). (Not the first time I've read a Pro describe Simply White as a bright neutral BM white.) I live in Northeast Canada while Beth H. is in California, if memory serves. Light (and how one perceives colour) is everything.
Marylee H
3 years ago

Walls

Trim
PRO
Beth H. :
3 years ago
last modified: 3 years ago
tartan,,,,lol. yeah you guys up there at the arctic circle get strange light!

they say it has a yellow undertone to it, but honestly, it's a nice white in my room,,,no flash. just the west window light. (and yes, our 300 days (give or take) of sunshine prob make a diff in the overall look of paint color)

I had done the entire room in White Dove, and didn't like it at all. like I said, it was dingy looking. like a grimy new york cloudy day ! lol.

The BM White is a also a nice color. Chantilly would probably be fine too. the differences are very subtle.
Marylee H
3 years ago

Hue - to which Hue Family a colour belongs

Value - how light a colour is. (Higher the number = lighter the colour)

Chroma - how colourful or neutral (lower the number = more neutral

LRV - how much light a colour reflects back into a space.

Pairing 2 colours of white/off white together? Look for a minimum difference of 0.2 in Chroma between them to ensure one doesn’t look dirty next to the other.
Marylee H
3 years ago
PRO
JudyG Designs
3 years ago
last modified: 3 years ago
I like Simply White, too, but I find it goes yellow with South light.

I was in a condo recently and it only had North light. Walls were painted White Dove…awful..yes, walls looked dirty.

Besides the direction of the natural light, another influence on how any white will look on the walls is if you are pairing it with another white…like a slipcovered sofa.

We look at all the gorgeous photos of white rooms, but after my experience with the magazine photographer (it took 2 full days to shoot 3 rooms), we are not seeing “true”. Light coming in the windows not working? "Let’s take a coffee break and wait an hour or two and the light will change to our advantage."