How we narrowed down the search for the perfect white paint and nailed our hue.
It’s no secret that paint has the power to totally transform a space. And when it comes to colours, white paint would have to be up there with the most universally popular choice. It lightens and brightens and in turn, helps to lift the whole feel- and after all it’s all about the feeling a space gives us.
So, it’s no surprise then that there are, what feels like, a million shades of white to choose from - cue the overwhelm! But before you give in to the urge to just choose a shade you have seen used on Pinterest or Instagram (I totally get it, I was pretty set on Swiss Coffee by Benjamin Moore thanks to Shea McGee- I mean if it’s good enough for Shea isn’t that all the confidence I need?!), I’m here to help you narrow down the options and select the perfect hue for your space.
Swiss Coffee by Benjamin Moore is one of Shea McGee’s favourite shades of white. See it here used throughout the whole McGee home at 75% strength.
Side note- it turns out Swiss Coffee was not the shade I needed as we don’t have the abundance of natural light that this beautiful home does, but Benjamin Moore was still a winner -more on that to come.
Since we purchased our home in April, (House on the Green, we have called it for those following along on social media) I have been itching to paint our master bedroom and transform its dark charcoal walls into a more uplifting space with more natural light. It has 3.6-metre-high ceilings and minimal sunshine by lunchtime, so I knew it was a delicate balance between choosing a colour that was bright enough, whilst still being a cocooning room despite its grandeur. That helped to eliminate cool whites from our selection and hone in on warm and neutral shades of white.
Our process: 1. Nail the feeling and therefore the undertone; I wanted this space to feel cosy and calming.2. Assess the lighting in your room or house and note the orientation. 3. Order fan decks and take paint cards from your local paint store.4. Choose 3-5 of your favourite shades in sample pots.5. Take your time.6. Enjoy the transformation! 1. The Starting Point: Warm vs Cool Vs Neutral Undertones
The reason there are so many shades of white on the market, is because they all have different colours mixed in with them to varying degrees, referred to as the undertone. They can be classified into 2 groups- warm or cool.
Warm whites have an undertone of yellow, red, brown or pink, whereas cool whites have a blue or grey undertone.
Before you start ordering any samples or even visiting any paint stores, like every design decision we make for a home, work out the feeling you want to achieve in your room. Do you want to feel bright and energised and love a crisp modern look and feel? Turn your attention to the cool whites. Or do you, like us, crave warmth and a softness to your home? Eliminate any cool selections right off the bat. From here you can start to gain direction in your search.
The before shot of our Master Bedroom in House on the Green
2. Room orientation- assess the space before you begin.
Now turn your attention to the room you are transforming and take note of the amount of natural light it receives throughout the day. With our bedroom, it is east facing and only has windows on that side of the room, therefore it has great morning light but it’s reached its peak by lunchtime. So, although I wanted a warm white, I needed to be sure it didn’t lean too beige or cream by the afternoon and evenings. Alternatively, if your space or home is flooded with natural light thanks to its orientation and abundance of windows, be mindful of ensuring you don’t choose something that is too bright or cool as it will risk feeling stark and clinical.
3. Order fan decks and take paint cards
My favourite designers are based in America and Benjamin Moore is featured in so many of their projects, so I knew I wanted to see their range. In South Australia the only option for their paints was online, so I ordered a fan deck along with visiting local stores for Porters Paints and Dulux sample cards- keeping in mind I was looking for warm whites.
Seeing the shades of white side by side makes it a lot easier to see the undertones even to an untrained eye and helps to quickly narrow down the selections. This process can be quite intuitive, and you can immediately see what shades you are drawn to over others.
We chose White Dove, Cloud White (warm whites) & Simply White (neutral white) from the Benjamin Moore range to sample. Along with Porters Paints Piraeus (warm).
4. Choose 3-5 of your favourite shades in sample pots
Time to get the roller out! Using a large piece of card, paint out the samples so you can take them into the space and visualise them in the light that it receives. Be mindful of doing 2-3 coats before doing so.
Paint cards in progress. Keeping in mind the way the shades look here in direct sunlight was drastically different to the way they appeared in the bedroom.
5. Take your time
I get it, patience is not my strong suit either, but this part of this process you really don’t want to rush. Watch the cards over the course of a couple of days, checking back on them at different times of the day and in natural and artificial light. It turns out colours I loved in the early morning, really didn’t turn out so well in the later parts of the day as they became too dim. It was all about striking the right balance between bright and warming. After a couple of days mulling it over, I settled on Benjamin Moore’s Cloud White and by that time, I felt confident in my choice.
Benjamin Moore's Cloud White in our Master Bedroom
6. Watch the transformation!
This is the fun part where you see the image in your mind come to life! We also removed the plantation shutters on our windows (controversial to some I know!) and replaced them with black curtain rods and linen curtains and we were so happy with the result. You can see we also painted the dark timber frames Black by Dulux & added timber detail to get a gridded look. The combination of the fresh, subtly warm white paint and window furnishings allowed for so much more natural light into the room and created a sense of space that wasn’t there before, whilst still being calm and inviting. Plus it ties in beautifully with the European Farmhouse look we are going for.
I hope this was helpful, please let me know your thoughts below if so, I’d love to hear from you.
Until next time,
Warmly, Lottie xx