ASK A DESIGNER SERIES: Part 1
It's Monday! And the first day of our "Ask a Designer" Series - who said Monday's are always bad, right?! I actually love Monday’s, but I digress… We had soooo many great questions submitted and I loved reading and sorting through them and getting to learn a little bit about some of you! After reading them all we picked the top five frequently asked questions and will answer one each day this week. So without further ado, we will kick off day one talking about paint colors!
"I just painted my living room white and thought we couldn’t go wrong with that. Well after it’s all said and done it looks PINK! Do you have any suggestions for a good white, like actually white paint?” - Kandace
Questions about picking the right paint color is probably one of my top questions ever—and I mean ever. It really is just down right hard. Thousands of shades to pick from each with an underlying hue that can be easy to spot or will fool you until you put it on your walls. One color will be perfect in the store or your friend’s house, so you decide to paint that in your house but then when your done you’ll want to cry yourself to sleep or move because that seems easier than the thought of repainting…again. We just painted our home last summer before we moved in I drove my husband nuts with the number of paint samples I kept sending him out for. White is not just white, there are warm whites, cool whites, bright whites, whites with underlying shades of blue, red, yellow and green. One of my all-time favorite {classic} looks is white on white. There, I’ve said it! You can’t go wrong with white walls and white trim unless you choose the wrong type of paint. Just promise me right now you won’t paint your trim with a flat paint and a sheen on the walls. Ew. Anyway, I’ve rounded up my favorite white paints that you usually can’t go wrong with. That being said, grab a sample, test large sections on all four walls and check it out at different times of the day (aka different lighting). Not ready to throw paint splotches on your wall? Grab a sheet (or two) of foam core or piece of sheetrock and make a moveable sample. Easy peasy. And side note – all of these colors are from Benjamin Moore (BM) but ANY paint store can color match these days. Just tell them the color code and they will whip it up for you. I personally like Sherwin Williams and Valspar paints.
First color up, Simply White by BM. This shade is also the 2016 Benjamin Moore color of the year so you know it has to be good, right!? This is a soft white and can be timeless and very versatile in your home.
Super White by BM is also said to be Vincente Wolf’s go to white paint so you probably can’t go wrong this one either. I like this color because it a nice crisp white. It’s the whitest white I think you can go with, without getting a stark, cold feel.
Next is Huntington White, also by BM. This is also a soft, warm white. What I really love about this color is that is responds well to different lighting and looks good in almost every application.
Paper White by BM. This white I really love in kitchens and bathrooms. It is on off-white with an ever so slight tint of gray which pairs beautifully with marble countertops or white porcelain fixtures in a bathroom.
And last but not least, Chantilly Lace by BM. Like Super White, this is also a crisp white without the blue or yellow undertones.
So there you have it Kandace! I hope this answered your questions and helps you in your repainting endeavors! Here is a review of my top five white paint colors:
