Good Questions: Which White for the Trim?

Top Left: Ball Green Top Right: Clunch Bottom Left: Pointing Bottom right:, Wimbourne White

Bep sent in a good question: I want to paint my dining room some sort of white/neutral color that will go well with Ball Green (Farrow & Ball), which is the color of the adjoining living room; the two rooms are separated by a pocket door. I would like to use a F&B color and think either Lime Wash or Clunch would go well. Is there a white trim that would match both LR and DR walls?

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I am trying to avoid a yellow white, and the room has a lot of sunlight. Wimbourne White or Pointing seem like good possibilities. Suggestions?

Which white do you prefer with the two colors shown on the top of the grid above (Ball Green and Clunch)? Do you like Wimbourne White (bottom left) or Pointing (bottom right)?

Comments (14)

More info please. Are you looking for something BRIGHT white, neutral but toned down, warm, cool, or what? Something modern or more classic? What kind of trim is it? Are the ceilings high or low? You know, that kind of info...

Also, what colors are the ceilings as that too will affect the color of the trim and the rooms as a whole.

I see a green block, a white-ish gray block to its immediate right, and that's it. The bottom two are the same color as the AT site background.

I can't see three whites.

bottom white - Tho I'd prefer going a little greyer

Bottom left. I would like to see deep plum accents like pillows, throw, etc. with this combo.

Choosing a white is something done best in the actual room, in person. It can change so drastically next to other colors and in light or shadow, that I'd really test it out to see what works best. As can be seen from Mrs. Mack's response, very few people will even have properly calibrated computer screens to give you an informed opinion this route.

bottom left, agreed, but it is hard on a computer. bottom right is too pink. top right is ok but doesn't really pop on my screen as a compliment to the green.

Reproducing color on a computer is a problem. Even with a color card from F&B it's difficult to tell how a color will look. I was thinking that a cool or neutral white, like Clunch or Lime White, would go well in a room with a lot of sunlight--cheery during the day but cozier at night. I have a color sample for Clunch, which looks good on the wall. Don't know about Lime White as I have no sample pot.

The room has 9.5 foot ceiling, plain moldings, southern exposure. Ceiling color: to be determined. Same as walls? Lighter? I'm new to this.

bep

My vote's for the bottom left... Hard to tell on screen but from what I see on my monitor I think it's the best choice

Usually the rule with trim is that if you are in an older building it is best to paint it as pure a white as possible. If you are in a new construction the trim is best in a shade deeper white.

Painting the ceiling same color as the walls will cause the room to feel smaller, but cozy. Painting ceiling same color as trim (white or off white) will make room seem taller and reflects light better.

I agree with comicgeek somewhat, but for different reasons: older building cool or pure white makes it seem more modern, new building with deeper or warmer white makes it feel less stark.

My personal favorite whites right now are:
Pratt and Lambert Seed Pearl (cool white with teeny, tiny bit of gray in it - very modern feel). Every room in my house has this as trim and ceiling paint and it just ties the whole house together.
Benjamin Moore Ballet White
Benjamin Moore Decorator's White (doesn't get any whiter than this, although some claim there is actually a bit of blue in it)
Benjamin Moore - Super white. Yes, it's super white
BM Moonlight White (neutral to warm white with hint of yellow)
BM American White - I painted this in part of my bathroom and it seems to have a little purple in it which is fine since the other part of the bathroom is a purplish gray.

Anyway, I would play around a bit and buy some samples. Good Luck and have fun. The fun is the most important, and best thing about painting.

Keep in mind that color is made/seen in two different ways: light and paint.

What looks one way on a computer screen will not look the same in real life/in print. Hence RGB (Red-Green-Blue, for light) and CMYK (Cyan-Magenta-Yellow-blacK, for print). Then there's the whole mess with pantone and whatnot.

This is not the best way to have the decision made for you. You've got to do some paint swatches on the wall and just decide (bring over some friends if you need help...make a party out of it if they need an incentive).

Mrs. Mack is right about how to make the ultimate decision, but in my opinion you don't yet have the right white among your candidates. Pointing appears greenish and clashes with the mauvey taupe of Clunch, and Wimbourne has a peachy yellow cast that doesn't sit well either colour, as fas as I can tell. What you want to look for is a more neutral (neither warm nor cool) grey- or taupe-toned white that underlines the greyish tones of your two chosen colours. Ralph Lauren makes a colour called Rice which might be more in the right direction.