You can take a paint swatch from Benjamin Moore (or any paint line) and have another paint brand custom make paint to match (for no additional cost!) I love Benjamin Moore's colors as well, and use their Chantilly Lace (which is a cooler white, but very bright with faint undertones of blue and gray). However, we prefer Kelly Moore paints (better price, and good quality), and we've never had an issue with them matching to a BM color (and we've gotten at least 5 BM colors custom mixed through Kelly Moore).

i always err on the side of bluer-greyer whites, because my worst fear is having an offwhite-to-yellow making the place look dirty.

I don't know how much different brands matter for the paint, but you will want to do some serious priming with a high-quality primer (such as Kilz or Zinsser) so those dark colors don't show through. Otherwise, you may have to add extra layers of paint, which would cost more.

I think brand matters more when you are covering dark with light, as in your case. I think what you spend on paint you will save in coats, labor, and needing to prime. I love Ben Moore's Aura and Natura, but I hear their less expensive Ben line is good also.

I agree with the Primer! But, I am a designer and in my house I love to use Behr with the primer added. It works amazing! I always recommend hanging up samples in the rooms you want to paint and viewing them at all hours. Color, especially white, can change dramtically with differences in light. Never pick a color in a store!

Also, with Aura, you don't need to prime. I covered a rust colored wall with texture with Navajo White in two coats easily.

I like Behr paint from Home Depot that already has a primer in it. It was affordable and we saved time covering our strongly colored walls with a gorgeous green.
This, of course, only works if you like the colors they offer. Good Luck!

The Martha Stewart paints at Home Depot are reasonably priced, too.

Wow! This is indeed a conundrum. If you really can't afford Benjamin Moore, I agree with the poster above who recommended using a great primer. (I'd do that in any case.)

You write that this is a condo, so I'm assuming it's your property. You probably want to care for it as best you can, and that means good quality stuff.

I have a solution for you that will save you money over a long period of time, and which I implemented in my own apartment.

I spent a great deal on prepping (professional plasterer), priming and painting. However, once I saw that semi-gloss paint looked great on the walls, I went ahead and used only semi-gloss. Because it's durable and washable, I anticipate not having to repaint for many years. (I have semi-gloss inside my closets and it's 10 years old and looking great.) My initial investment in quality paint will now reap not having to re-paint for years and years.

As to what shade of white: Benjamin Moore, Behr, and a few other brands sell samples. You can paint squares on the walls until you find a color that makes you happy.

(If your condo is on the small side, using the same color throughout will make the place appear to be larger.)

I used a light grey with yellow undertones which is the color of dirt, but very pretty. My apartment has never looked cleaner or better.

My husband swears by Valspar, from Lowes, with the primer mixed in. It's a great price for what it is; I think it's consistantly rated as a "best buy" as far as what you get for the money.

At work we use BM. I think it's okay, but it's not my favorite. It is definitely cheaper if you buy a five gallon bucket, instead of several one-gallons. Their "Superwhite" is a good true white. We use it for when we need white, and I've seen a lot of designers use it for white spaces.

In my house, I use Valspar. They make an excellent all acrylic paint that is as durable as oil, but the process is like using a latex. Also, if you ask, the person in the paint department should be able to steer you to a good true white that will be neutral.

Also, as others have said...use a good primer. It makes a big difference, and is cheaper than paint.

I just painted my living room white. I used Valspar Hi-Def paint (with the primer mixed in) matched to BM Moonlight White. I love it! I painted the ceilings the next shade darker - Old Prairie, which is a pale gray/beige/sage.

Behr claims to have the whitest white, if that makes a difference.

I would try Behr's paint and primer in one. I used a cheap white paint to cover a chocolate brown wall, such a mistake, took loads of work to cover.

As far as color, I go with warmer whites, but I like a cozy, candlelight feel rather than a bright, hospital feel.

I have had great luck with Behr from home depot and with Sherwin Williams (which I have often received coupons for...). Consumer reviews often rank Behr above both Ben Moore and Sherwin Williams for longevity wearability- though I have to say the color palettes leave a bit to be desired. The paint lady at the Home Depot I frequent is always happy to match a swatch from the other brands...

Hi Kate,
I paint a lot in my house, it's the cheapest way how to update the decor and to me, painting is not a chore, it's fun.
My paint of choice is Behr. In the past, I had used cheaper paints (CIL) but I learned that the bit of money I saved cost me in labour (the cheaper paints don't cover that well).

I painted twice with Benjamin More, and I was NOT impressed. I would not have gone with BM for the second time except that a friend of mine had a gallon tinted and then later changed her mind and decided not to use it. At that time, I liked the colour so I bought from her for 1/2 the price and we were both happy.

I painted many, many times with Behr (here, in Canada, Home Depot will tint it to BM's colours). It covers extremely well and I do not use the "built in" primer. I successfully applied lighter colours on top of darker colours without the primer. But, I would encourage you to buy a sample and test it if you worry that without the primer it would not cover sufficiently.

By the way, my bedroom is painted BM's "Feather Down" (with Behr paint, of course). It is a beautiful off white that has a hint of "greige" in it. I am very happy with the colour as I prefer to have my bedroom in calm tones and I think I may use in the living room one day as well (when I get tired of my current bright colours).

Good luck with our project and please share with us the results. By the way, you chose a lovely picture for an example.

I used Behr Ultra Pure White which is almost identical to Benjamin Moore Super White at a better price. If you want a really good "white white", this is it!

I've also used Behr paint with the primer mixed in, and it worked great.

Good luck!

Forgot to mention that I've also used Behr Swiss Coffee. White with a hint of yellow, so it warms it up slightly. It's a good white if the Ultra Pure White is TOO white.

can't go wrong w/ BM Decorator White, I also like Linen White.

Whatever you do, make sure you use a separate primer.

I've used BM, Farrow and Ball, and Behr paints so far. I'm happy with all of them so far, but not enough time has gone by to attest to the quality. I wouldn't go with a cheaper paint than Behr though.

Another vote for Behr with the primer (Premium Ultra, I think). I also love to paint.

If its really hot and dry, I have found that the paint dries too quickly and as a result I do not get a smooth coat. I've recently discovered a product called "floetrol" - comes in a big orange container and is sold in the paint section at my Home Depot. It made it possible for me to paint in hot dry conditions - with no brush marks. YAY.

I've not tried BM paints because our BM stores have rude clerks and prices are not marked on the shelves. But with Behr - I don't feel that I need anything else.

Their color matching is also awesome.

Benjamin Moore Ivory White is a really beautiful warm bright white without a dingy look. I took the color to Kelly Moore and they did a great job.

I love Benjamin Moore Cloud White. It's a soft, lovely color. We used Aura in Matte and didn't need a primer. Went on and still looks great.

The lighting in your home will dramatically affect how the white reads in the room. Pick 10 white paint chips or so that you like, tape them on your walls and look at them throughout the week in daylight, evening light, etc. One by one you'll keep plucking them off until you get the one. Mine was BM OC-131 White Down. Really nice warm white. I too had a scarily painted condo and painted everything in this white. Such an improvement. Do get a good primer. I had to prime 2 times before I could then paint 2 times! A lot of work, but well worth it! Good luck!

Behr paint and primer in one is terrific for painting over dark colors, although I would still put a coat of Kilz primer on the walls first. Good luck!

I really struggled with which white paint to use in my soft contemporary home. Finally, a friend recommended Acoustic White by Kelly-Moore. It's warm, but not overly so. I absolutely LOVE it, and it's cheaper than Benjamin-Moore.

I'm partial to the combo of BM Moonlight White walls with BM Simply White trim as used by Anna at Door Sixteen. See here.

I just painted my kids' rooms white and had to cover blue and pink walls. I used Behr's paint and primer in one in Creamy White. It's a very warm white and I don't notice any undertones. It also covered very well, two coats did the trick on drywall, although three coats were needed on the plaster walls. Behr also offers nice sized samples for about $3 each. Good luck!

You CAN get tinted primer; talk to your paint associate at a trusted local store. Kilz is the best!

If you're going to use a less expensive wall paint, primer is a must if you're planning on doing a white. It's a matter of personal preference, but I'm highly skeptical of inexpensive self-priming paint. The only one I've ever seen work is BM's Aura line (which is 60 bucks, give or take). I've heard way too many complaints about the Behr to buy the hype.

If you want a 'warmer' white, try BM's Cloud White (it's an old stand-by for decorators, and it goes with everything). I really like Swiss Coffee, and Mascarpone in their Affinity line too. If the 50-60 bucks a gallon puts you off, you can always go with the cheaper Ben line. I've heard good things about Olympic and Valspar too, but I've never painted with them.

i absolutely love the ace hardware brand paint. i've used ben moore before and felt that the coverage wasn't as even. i used the behr color polar bear on the walls with bm simply white trim and i love it. it's warm but still looks clean. ace has a color called silent white which is absolutely lovely.

Benjamin Moore comes in three different grades-the lowest priced being contractor grade. If you go the BM dealer they can give you the low down on prices and difference in quality. I've used Glidden, Behr, BM, and Ralph Lauren. I've found that: Glidden takes too many coats; Behr's eggshell lacks the sheen to get swatch matches correct when you match another brand's color; Ralph Lauren had an overbearing odor. BM has good consistency and color and saves you money because you need fewer cans to get the job done. Our house is painted with Balboa Mist and Intense White.

I strongly encourage you to use expensive paint.

Here's why: even expensive paint is cheap. Think of what a difference paint makes to your home, and how expensive it can be to fill it with art or furniture; even framed photographs on the walls will wind up costing more than a few gallons of expensive paint. But if you have beautifully painted walls, you can hold off on the adornment; they stand as a design element in their own right. Even if you spend $300 on paint versus $45, the expensive paint is a bargain.

Expensive paints are expensive because they use better quality ingredients: better binders, better pigments, and much more of them. The shades are richer, more complex. When you look at a wall painted with paint from KT Color, Fine Paints of Europe, or Farrow & Ball, it is stunningly beautiful.

I've used and can recommend Benjamin Moore, Pratt & Lambert, Farrow & Ball, Fine Paints of Europe and KT Color.

I've used Behr, and had nothing but terrible experiences with them -- each product we used failed within a short period of time. We used their products on our deck, and within 2 years, despite meticulous preparation (we've done many renovations, and know what we're doing), it peeled. We had to sand it down, and use a Benjamin Moore product. We also used Behr's premium primer on your walls, which we deeply regret. We wound up with intercoat adhesion problems -- the primer did not adhere to either the drywall compound or the paint on top of it, and peeled off our walls. We pursued the matter with Behr, had an analysis done of our walls, the peelings, etc., and despite being confronted with proof that their primer was the cause of the intercoat adhesion problem, Behr did nothing. They did not stand behind their product. Many people have had good experiences with Behr, but imagine that what happens with us happens to you -- paint peeling off the walls. Can you imagine the nightmare we had trying to fix the damage? It was far, FAR, more costly than using a high quality expensive primer in the first place.

As for white, the acknowledged King Of White is the colorist Donald Kaufman, who has his own line of colors (I can't remember whether they are based in Pratt & Lambert or Benjamin Moore, but it is one of the two), Donald Kaufman Colors.

Donald Kaufman is the man who develops whites (and other colours) for architects and clients. He does white for a lot of museums and galleries (the Getty Museum in L.A. for example). I first came across his work when I went into the Calvin Klein store on Madison -- the walls were so beautiful in the light, they literally glowed. I found out that he developed the wall color for John Pawson, and then started using his colors in my own home.

What makes Donald Kaufman's colors so special is that they are "full spectrum" paints. Most paints use only 3 or 4 different pigments to create a color; he uses between 8 and 16. The result is a complex colour which changes according to different lighting conditions. Under low light conditions, most paint colours turn greyish, but not Donald Kaufman's; they change colour, a different pigment reacts with the light. I have a red of his that is a bright deep red when bright sunshine lights the room, but which turns a deep oxblood at night. Gorgeous.

You can find Donald Kaufman color online, and can order sample pots. He has many, many beautiful whites in his collection.

Cheap paint is a false economy.

But a beautiful paint job will make your room, your home.

I tend towards modern/minimalism and use a lot of white. The most versatile white I've found is RL Montauk Driftwood. It has blue/green undertones and changes a bit depending on the time of day and light. I put it on everything - walls, ceiling, etc. Home Depot doesn't sell MD anymore but most stores still have the chipbook and can colormatch.

I highly recommend the Benjamin Moore Aura line. The primer is built in - while you might need 2 coats you will avoid having to use primer, which I personally find hard to work with.

1 gallon of Aura paint prices at about $65 - but you will probably cover one 12x12 room with this amount. It will be cheaper than buying a $25 gallon of paint and using 2-3 gallons per room to get the amount of coverage you need.

If you are painting with Aura yourself, please note it goes on easy but there is a special technique you have to use. The paint dries pretty fast, and the primer activates as it's applied. So you can't "go over" an area you just painted 5 minutes before if you miss a spot. Wait a half hour then touch up. If you "go over" an area that is only half-dry, it will lift the paint and get blotchy.

One more thing - use FLAT finish paint on walls and paint the ceilings too! Use semi-gloss on trim. Happy painting!

Just another observation that BM Aura, when used according to directions, gives good coverage and is also low VOC if eco-friendliness is a factor.

Home Depot carries Behr and Martha Stewart paints which are both good quality and a nicer price. They are also on sale this weekend if you're diligent about mail-in rebates.

Benjamin Moore is pricey because of the quality. It only take one coat of paint after the walls are properly primed. Also, MB has a contractor's line with paint in 5 gallon tubs that is cheaper. If you are going to do the entire house in one color, the five gallon tub could be a good choice for you.

This is Kate.

Thank you all for taking time to respond. Such great feedback! I appreciate it all. Based on your comments, I think I've decided to go with a good primer and then a good quality paint. Thanks too for all of the color suggestions. It gives me a direction to go in.

I forgot to mention that I definitely need to use a low or preferably no VOC paint due to health issues. That might be another whole post but if you have any advice in that area, please let me know.

Thanks again!

BM Aura is low VOC and BM Natura is no VOC. I just used the Natura without opening windows or anything, and it really was fine.

Restoration Hardware has a great, limited collection of whites. Not too overwhelming.
Their Mediterranean White, Cloud White and Linen are all great soft whites.

"i always err on the side of bluer-greyer whites, because my worst fear is having an offwhite-to-yellow making the place look dirty."

I agree with bettersaturday. In BM paints, I prefer White Dove, especially if you are going no VOC (Natura).

A friend of mine recently painted her kitchen, dining, and living room area with Benjamin Moore. She noticed that she got better coverage with a higher quality paint roller than the cheaper one her friend/helper was using on the project. So factor that in too when judging the quality.

I had a roommate that painted the dining room black -- the solution given by the pros (painters, not store sales people) was to use Kilz. You can get it at walmart.
What color your stuff is depends on what color white you want. You don't want a warm if your stuff is blues, greens, birch, nickel, etc. Warms are tough because you don't want something remotely pink. I did a gray-purple and it was really a good neutral.

Answer these questions for yourself first: Am I extremely sensitive to color and light? Do I plan to fill my rooms...or leave them spare? Do I just hate these colors and want a clean slate, or am I not all that finicky?

If you're gonna heavily accessorize your walls and are more easy about these things... then choose a good primer and a less expensive paint.

If you're light sensitive and into shape and shadow...buy the best primer you can get and use Donald Kaufmann whites. Nothing else comes close. His colors float and get better with time on the wall. They are worth every dime if you're a light lover. You will not regret the 100 bucks a gallon. You're only buying enough to cover a few rooms, after all. Donald Kaufmann paints and a punch of 7.99 Ikea dimmers for your lights will give your condo a luminous, endlessly beautiful atmosphere. #52 is swooningly snowy, #28 is perfect with caramel tones. In the end, it's the cheapest luxury upgrade you will ever make. Totally worth it.

If you want light/ texture on the cheap, create depth yourself by treating your walls/ceiling like an art canvas. Prime your walls. Water down any cheapo colors you like: greens, blues, pinks, yellow, ochre. (use samples) Rub them onto the wall with a rag, or slap em on with a brush...like a patch work. Then water down the white of your choice (water based paint of course). Rub/sponge the watered down paint on the wall. One, two, 3 coats... until you achieve the desired coverage of white.

The walls look white...but as the light changes, you get a subtle shifting of color...like an eggshell. It glows. Gorgeous and really personal to the exact wishes of your eye.

sounds laborious but it's really meditative and fun. Gives a diaphanous glow.

Have fun with it!

Guess I should explain how you find a white color -- when you go the paint store find a paint that has multiple colors on one card arranged dark to light -- they usually have the brightest colors in one row, with more muted shades going down. Pick a color from the brightest (in your case warms would be oranges, reds, purples) and track it down to the lightest shade possible. if its not white enough feel free to ask someone what would be similar but lighter. There should be full time staff that should be able to help you.
Most paint companies have online tools for you to play with too -- here is one for Olympic and its got whites in the far column -- rose dust, milk and cookies, love bird, lol. i want that job.
https://secure.olympic.com/paint/Explore_Color/Visualizer/default.aspx

One more thing, try this trick for choosing a white. If you're confused by the paint chips, look at your closet. What's your favorite white tee shirt, cozy sweater, silk blouse? What white piece of clothing do you reach for when you want to feel good?

Bring that article of clothing to your best local paint store and have it matched.

You should always paint your house colors you feel gorgeous in.

We chose Alpine White from Benjamin Moore and are happy with it. It's warmer because it has a slight green undertone. The effect is perfect in our 100-year-old condo with lots of molding because it appears clean and fresh but not too stark. (I was afraid of doing anything too cold.) We used Super White for the ceiling, chair rails and molding, which provides a nice contrast.

White is one of the hardest paint colors to get right. Here are a couple of rules of thumb.

1. Prime over all the dark colors to "neutralize" the space. Dark surfaces will cast a color onto your white samples.

2. Once you have narrowed it down to a couple of possible whites, buy a test sample and paint a square of each white in your space. 2 coats recommended.

3. Look at the color in the daylight as well as with your lights at night. Shadows at night will show the strongest undertones of blue or yellow in the white, while daylight can washout even the creamiest whites. Color samples in the store never look the same in your space. Neon lights in store compared to soft light in your space can drastically change a white from grey to yellow.

4. Choose a high quality primer to cover dark colors and go with a cheaper paint if necessary. One thing to keep in mind is that cheaper paints may have less coverage (400 sqft vs. 500 sqft). They also may be less resistant to washing (i.e. magic eraser).

5. Depending on your space, you may opt to paint one room before painting the entire place to see how you feel about the color.

We just purchased a home that was painted in a very creamy yellow beige (ceiling and closets included). We painted one entire room (ceiling, walls and trim) in white to make sure the loved the color before buying gallons and gallons of the stuff. We noticed that our white looked blue compared to the beige walls. It was not until the entire room was white, that we were able to really tell if we liked the color.
Good luck!

I used Color Place's Paperwhite for my bedroom floor and plan to use it for walls throughout my home. It's a warm and refreshing slightly-off- white. CP is Wal-Mart's house brand and has received surprisingly high ratings from Consumer Reports. I paid $16 for a gallon.

I have used Behr paints and had problems with the eggshell finish w/primer....too thick to cover walls satisfactorily also hard to paint w/a brush....clumps and hard to paint smoothly. I won't use Behr again....I purchased Benjamin Moore in the same shade...what a relief! Now I understand why BM paint is more expensive( but I got what I payed for in this particular instance).