Six years ago when we moved to this house we nicknamed it the Peach Pit for obvious reasons…
All the walls and trim were either a varying shade of peach, or orangey oak. It was SO gratifying to paint everything and give the house a fresh new look with paint in that first year!!!
Since our existing kitchen appliances are off-white, I repainted the cabinets in there White Dove, which is a creamy white that worked well with the appliances but still reads as a white, and then I carried that color throughout all the trim in the house.
I wanted a neutral backdrop so I painted all the walls on the first floor Ben Moore’s Muslin (the background color below). I’ve used Muslin in our other houses and liked it, but something about the light in this house and maybe my wariness of paint colors over the years wore out it’s welcome pretty fast.
As my father-in-law likes to say, the square footage of our house has shrunk thanks to all the coats of paint I’ve put on the walls trying to find the perfect color. I’ve painted our living room 4 – okay maybe 5 times, and several other rooms have multiple coats of paint. I love “greige” tones as a backdrop and have used many over the years for myself and to help friends, family and clients find the perfect color, but I just could not find the right one for this house. Let’s just say I’m choosey, okay? That or insane. Or something.
Well I am oh so very happy to report that the search is over!
After sampling a few whites against the White Dove, I got a quart of Benjamin Moore Simply White for the foyer, just to see.
The board and batten in the foyer is all White Dove, and the upper portion of the walls is Simply White, which reads like a true white for me in this house. I’ve heard other people find it to have a tinge of grey or green, but I don’t get that undertone at all.
The whole house feels so fresh and clean and NEW (even with old worn out wood floors and our sweet faux-wood linoleum).
These are the pantry doors that face that slider. What do you think about the black doors now that the walls are all white? I’m on the fence about them these days. Love them but am also loving LIGHT and BRIGHT.
This little hallway leading in from the garage is usually dark and dreary. I can’t believe this area in particular brightened up so much with a coat of white paint.
My boloney countertops aren’t even feeling so yucky anymore!
(Here’s a closeup of their beauty – you’re welcome)
The family room.
Last spring during the ORC, I painted the walls BM Tapestry Beige, and right from the start it felt soooooo blahhhhhhhh – especially in this room that only gets early morning light.
The time of day and natural light in a room when you take a picture makes a big difference to how photographs, but still, can you believe how much better and brighter in white it is?! And it *almost* blends the built in AC into the wall. Almost.
My grand plan is to add some major moulding to these rooms, starting with that half wall that I was so keen on removing. It’s not bothering me that much anymore and I’m thinking I could bling it out with trim, add crown moulding everywhere, maybe some more floor-to-ceiling board and batten action, are you seeing it?
I spent years and years painting all the walls of our houses anything but white, but I finally listened to this abode and figured out white is just right!
You may like Simply White too if you’re looking for a white paint that is doesn’t have any strong undertones, leaning toward the creamier side rather than stark white in my opinion. Sampling is truly the best way to determine if this white is right for you!
Save this color recommendation to Pinterest to try in the future!
Do you have a favorite white paint color? I’d love to hear what has worked for you!
