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PAINTS- HOW TO PICK A SHADE OF WHITE

Please paint your walls even if it is a slight shade of off-white.

White builder grade paint is stark.  Off-whites are much more effective as neutral backgrounds.

My mother never knows what color paint she wants to use.  She buys every beige, tan, off-white, egg shell shade in the store and then she puts patches of them on the wall to test them.  Great idea, right?  Well, you do not have to bring home every paint in the store.

• Go to your paint guy and if you have a piece of wall paper or piece of material or upholstery from the room, bring it with you.

• Pick out all the chips that appeal to you.  Put them next to your upholstery.

• Also, put the chips up next to a super white to get a sense of the shade and tones in the chip.  When I do this, I see that there is an orange tone that I might not like and then I can eliminate that chip right away.

• Once you have narrowed down the number of chips, you can ask the paint guy to tell you what the "formula" is and when you see the base tints, you may decide to eliminate a few more.

Here are some off-white colors that might work for you:

1- Benjamin Moore Ivory White (925) is the off-white shade to use (above) when you are not sure.  Some off-white shades have yellow tones, some are too orange but this one has a seemingly more grey or brown tone that does not give off those oranges.  

Here are some other similar shades:  The first one should be the Benjamin Moore Ivory White. 

2-  RALPH LAUREN  Cove Point WW29. Cool and grey, great for a loft or an urban look (below).

3- Behr has a great website that allows you to find your color on-line.  You can even find your color virtually by taking a photo of your space.

• Make an account on the website.
• Launch ColorSmart by Behr, choose your colors and select "preview."
• Start Paint Your Place by clicking on the option to upload your own photo.

http://www.behr.com/dsm-ext/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=902a3dba0ff8b110VgnVCM1000006b0910acRCRD&vgnextfmt=default#view=24;vgnextoid=78f8ea6621ca5110VgnVCM1000008119fea9RCRD;channel=EXPLORE

4-  What mood are you trying to create?

In the bedroom- a restful and quiet place.  You may want a white with a tint of blue.  It is important to use different tones of whites and creams so that the room feels layered.  I like how the room below has different textures and patterns and colors but that all blend.

In the bathroom, you might want a tint of rose or peach since that is more flattering to skin tones.

According to Elle Decor, five paint companies divulge their top selling whites

Choosing the perfect shade of white is an exercise in subtlety and anything but simple. Here are five time-tested hues—top sellers for each of the paint companies.

• 912 Linen White, Benjamin Moore

• 2003 Pointing, Farrow & Ball

• SW6385 Dover White, Sherwin-Williams

• 7002-6 Du Jour, Valspar

• 0001 Hollandlac Brilliant White, Fine Paints of Europe

Remember that if you do not like the paint color, you can always paint it again.  It is cheaper than any other form of decorating.  Good luck!