Picking white paint sucks even more.
Do you know how many shades of white are out there? Like a ba-zillion. I have lived with a bedroom that was a Ben Moore color – Barely Beige. I picked out the color. I matched the color to the hallways and closets. It was meant to be subtle. However, my master bedroom gets so much wonderful, natural light that the Barely Beige read SUPER, ANNOYING, BIG TIME Beige. I hated it.
I really wanted something softer and lighter. I wanted something more white. So, I returned to my beloved Color Wheel paint shop to find some more tile samples. Turns out they don’t sell those any longer, so I poured over the little, itty-bitty samples.
I narrowed my choice down to about four when one of the owners (3rd generation!) came to rescue me. She knew her whites. Thanks, Renate!
I brought home three samples to try in my room – White Dove, Marscapone and China Grey. I bought the pints, one of these sample boards and a little roller. Having a large board helps tremendously! Yes, a bit of hassle, but better to get the right color and view it on a large scale than to start your project and hate the color…again.
Here is the sample board that I did of my three colors. I use the word color loosely!
Painting walls require tape for most of us. Some people can paint a straight line, but if you can’t or are not sure if you can, then tape your trim. DH happens to be very good at this. He’s actually very good at painting walls too so I took the kids to church and he got down to business. He taped, then moved everything from the walls…
I ended up choosing WHITE DOVE and I am so pleased. It is a great white color with just a hint of….aged white. It is slightly warm, but without color to distract me. I will be posting images once, well, we are done with the room.
What started all this paint talk was because we are putting wood flooring in our master. After 6 years of kids and pets it was dingy and well, I can’t stand those buckles. Yes, we could have gotten those straightened out, but I have my heart set on wood. Here are the terrible buckles…
Of course, I then decided I needed a new chandelier, area rug and to paint a few things like my pedestal table, but I think I better post this now before moving onto more projects. The lesson today is that WHITE DOVE is a perfect white if you are on the hunt for one.
I have made mistakes picking out paint soooo many times. What I discovered is ask the paint expert at your paint store to share the formula (one squirt grey, 1/2 squirt blue, etc.) and this will help tell you the hue cast off the walls. There are a bazillion whites. I’ve learned my lesson with beige…. If it has a red squirt added to the base, it will most likely have a pink tint. Happy Painting Christen. Can’t wait to see the finished bedroom.
I have quite a collection of sample boards that I painted and at least 20 cans of sample paints. It took me about three weeks to get the colors right when I moved. If I hadn’t been doing the painting myself, and had some contractor hurrying me up, it would have been a disaster. The lighting in this house is not the same as my old house, and my colors that looked fresh over there, just looked dirty here. I am happy now with what I ended up with, but only because I was willing to spend the time and money on samples.
Now I lend my sample boards to my friends.
I just repainted my bathroom and decided to go with a white too…who knew that there were a gabillion of them! Like you I painted sample boards and hung them to see what it looked like at all times of the day. It took me about a week with 3 samples but I got the one I liked the best and it looks so fresh and clean, I think I may repaint every room that color now and let my accessories shine with color instead. A little paint tip for painting straight lines. Keep your hand and wrist straight and move your arm instead, you’ll get a perfect line every time with no tape! Old painters trick from my Dad who painted for over 60 years of his life, never once used tape and neither do I. Thanks for all your inspiration!!
My Dad swears up and down by Benjamin Moore White Dove- good choice!!!!!
Beautiful color choice. I have twice NOT heeded the color choice the paint expert advised…ended up with a hefty investment of sample paints. Funny thing is both times I ended up with the expert’s choice. She was right on!! I wanted a white coastal sand color for my family room…BM Elephant Tusk was perfect! I’m repainting my trim in White Dove.
Looking forward to seeing the finished result! I love shades of white. I have a color called bleached lined on several of my walls and I love it. It is a warm white that seems to suit the lighting in my house very well. Based on your current color, I’d say mine is just a tad lighter.
I am wanting to paint a large cupboard that I have – I’m thinking some shade of white in a chalk paint. I noticed the armoire in your picture looks like it has a chalk paint finish – could you share the paint that you used?
Christen,
It was a pleasure helping you. I look forward to collaborating with you soon.
Renate
Your style inspired me to try white walls at our house and I quickly became obsessed with Farrow & Ball Slipper Satin, Pointing, White Tie, etc. The FB color cards make me want to melt into the colors!