ColorTherapy: A Winter White

Name: Old White #4
Brand: Farrow & Ball

If last season was my “off-black” period, this might be my time to go “off-white,” and I’ll start by going through the list of colors from Farrow & Ball. This is the dining room of a house up in Tuckahoe, NY (yes, I’ll travel to the wilds of Westchester). The color is simple, yet so complex. They call it white but it’s a little bit clay, a little bit lime, part sage, part buckskin and as soon as I’m afraid it’s about to turn yellow — it goes grey.

My saintly mother went nuts over this photo, I think for its softness and embracing of age. Sometimes it’s the quiet things that deliver the lasting effect.

- Mark Chamberlain, interior and decorative painter

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(Image: Mark Chamberlain)

Comments (8)

i love that photo, too.
insta-calm!

posted by abigailbelle on February 24th 2009 at 12:45pm
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Speaking of off-whites, this weekend I painted my living room BM Swiss Coffee as you suggested in one of your off-whites columns. It's funny how after struggling with what "color" to paint various rooms in my house that an off-white would make me so happy. Thanks for this column and please keep them coming!

posted by mattab on February 24th 2009 at 12:53pm
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I swoon whenever I see a Farrow and Ball painted surface. It's worth the few extra dollars per gallon.

posted by Seaside on February 24th 2009 at 2:40pm
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Seaside - Or extra $60 per gallon...

posted by LilyC on February 24th 2009 at 8:22pm
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I love that table.....

posted by junklover on February 24th 2009 at 9:53pm
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Totally worth it.

posted by Seaside on February 24th 2009 at 11:12pm
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Speaking of OFF-WHITE can anyone tell me who make the off-white, tufted sofa that I recently spied in Macy's w/ the off-white and black accent chairs. One chair was slightly masculine w/ a herringbone pattern; and the other accent chair was rather feminine w/ a black & offwhite floral pattern. SOMEONE PLEASE TELL ME WHO MAKES THIS SET - IT'S POSITIVELY GORGEOUS. The Macys sale-persons were no where to be found.

posted by JERSEYCITY on February 26th 2009 at 1:15pm
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Any suggestions for a creamy, bright, warm, off white.

Its for a room with a north facing window into a light well. The room doesn't receive much light and indoor light is greeny flourescent. Its currently painted cool grey (between glacier white and china white. Most tans and beiges look grey-ige very muddy.

Ive checked out Behr Pure Color line (innocence & Magnolia Blossom. BM lines (Milkyway or Vanilla Ice Cream).

posted by Minanina on March 26th 2009 at 9:03am
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