White Out
| image courtesy of @ginnyau |
We love a bold wall, but white has always been our go-to for a clean, light foundation. When in doubt, we always start with white. We can layer on color later if we change our minds.
| image courtesy of of Nicole Franzen |
We have an affinity for the Benjamin Moore color palette for whites, as they cover all the bases. Your local paint store can re-create a Benjamin Moore shade in whatever brand you like.
We've narrowed down our absolute favorites, each for its own special qualities
| image courtesy of My Scandinavian Home | photography by Mikael Axelsson |
Super White to give your room a very bright, light bouncy quality. This is good for rooms without much light, rooms with a loft-y feel, or as a base for an all white room to allow the subtleties of softer shades of white to shine.
| image courtesy of Jaime Haller | photography by Jenna Peffley |
Chantilly Lace to give your room the creamy quality of a Parisian apartment.
| image courtesy of Tracery Interiors | photography by Jonny Valiant |
China White for rooms that are flooded with light so the white is not too blinding.
- Pick a color you like and two similar colors on the same or surrounding color cards.
- Paint two sets of large swatches of each of the three colors.
- Post one set of swatches in direct sunlight and one set in shadow.
- Morning, mid-day and night, check your swatches and make a mark on the one you like best at each time of day, and have someone whose opinion you value do the same.
By the end, there will be a clear winner.
I'm a big fan of painting the trim to match the walls for a chic, clean look.
Or a completely different color for drama. (That's another blog post for another day.)
But if you'd like just a touch of contrast, go one shade lighter or one shade darker on the color card.
Visit our pinterest page for inspiration (and a bit of courage) for your own white out.
Then don your coveralls and get to work transforming your room into a light-filled work of art.