It's been said that the human eye can perceive an average of 3 million colors, with some highly sensitive or artistic types able to detect 7 million. Yet, I've noticed over the years that every decorator with whom I've worked gravitates to the same 25 colors repeatedly, which is how specific color palettes, or color languages, are born. Allow me to introduce my own.
For example, I have what I'll call a "Chamberlain Palette" regarding my watercolors and oils. It starts rather traditionally with a warm and cool of each primary color plus an earth palette, and then moves into specifics I can't live without — Olive Green Dark, Prussian Green, Golden Green; four more yellows, five more reds, Sepia Brown, and on into the night.
As far as colors for interiors are concerned, I feel like my taste is both very contemporary and very Old World. I favor bruise colors, underwater colors and saturated colors. I don't like yellow or green as much as I like green-yellows and yellowy greens. Pink and purple are difficult, and I always prefer grey over beige or linen. I enjoy Vermillion, blue red, brown red and spice, but context is everything. Black is beautiful, and everyone knows I love Brown.
In choosing color for a whole apartment, I like movement and changes throughout, so that each room is a breath of fresh air and completely its own thing. I also like unity, dialogue, drama, whimsy, passion and play. How's that for a philosophy of life in general?
I've posted articles on reds, blues, yellow, greens, neutrals and darks — here, I'd like to cover some fundamental information no one should do without: how to choose an off-white. There are no pictures this time — white is impossible to photograph.
Swiss Coffee OC-45. This is my favorite off-white. It's an off-white with no yellow in it, but it's still warm and creamy and never random. Yes, this is what I use in my own home.
Minced Onion OC-128. I think of this as a distilled raffia color — it's grassy and bright, and looks good with dark wood like mahogany and wenge. Where off-whites are concerned, this is as yellow as I go.
November Rain OC-50. I don’t like this as much as my clients do. It's warmer than grey, and ideal for the sage green crowd. Good for downplaying an area. Not exactly cool, but still feels like Paris in the winter.
Soft Chamois OC-13. This color lies somewhere between gold and grey, and has a wet cement quality. I used this personally before I discovered Swiss Coffee. Looks great with dark red wood, such as Bombay Mahogany.
Titanium OC-49. This is just a nice, cool grey, but not too steely or blue.
Atrium. Quite possibly the king of whites, but little drops of purple make it difficult to mix and match, and impossible to use as a trim color. All-white Bauhaus aficionados, try this: Atrium as a wall color, super white as a trim.
Montauk Driftwood WW19. A decorator friend of mine turned me on to this, and it's one of her favorite colors. It truly does have a dried wood quality, and oscillates between beige, blue and grey depending on the light and context. Use it on Park Avenue, or your beach bungalow.
Whisper VM133. Looks white, glows blue, especially in shadow.
Putty WW22. Warm like a French Grey, but still off-white.
Cove Point WW29. My new favorite off-white. Cooler and greyer than Swiss Coffee, but not ice cold. Sleek but still soft. If your tendency is Cameo or Antique, you probably won’t like this one.
White Dove and Decorators White. If you want something off-the-rack, try one of these for the wall: White Dove is warm; Decorators, cool. Use one for the wall and the other for the trim. These are also my default trim colors — White Dove for yellow or beige, Decorators for everything else.
- Mark Chamberlain, interior and decorative painter
(ReEdited from 2008-07-22 - AA)
I saved this post from last time and have used Swiss Coffee as the main color in my condo, with accent walls here and there. I really love the way it has united the spaces while still allowing each space to have its own feel with the accent colors. It looks great with warm, cool, light, or dark colors.
view mattab's profile
I'm so proud. Two of my colors showed up here. Yay!
view allisen's profile
How does one replicate the color of Swiss Coffee OC-45 locally; e.g. if I go into our local Chicago paint store (Colori - Mythic, C2, California Paints) will they know the name? We're looking for that perfect go to default off-white color without the yellow tints you often find.
view bdog's profile
bdog: it seems it would be easier to go to one of the 20 Benjamin Moore stores in Chicago, rather than hoping someone else will get the color right. If they had to match a sample it would definitely be hit-and-miss.
view particlebored's profile
Home Depot also sells Benjamin Moore Swiss Coffee in premixed cans in several finishes.
view siobhan.'s profile
Ohh Swiss Coffee is one of my absolute faves. I used it in the bathroom of my old apartment with a fresh sea blue. I did all the trim (including the built in medicine cabinet, the door and the chair rail), and it was just so warm and bright and yummy.
And Whisper is another of my faves, I've thought of using this in the stairwell up to my bedroom.
view Limeliteshines's profile
It might be helpful to readers to mention the brand of paint....I know they are Benjamin Moore because its what I use most often, and maybe I have an old paint fan because Swiss Coffee is OC-60 on mine.
view LaurieLu's profile
love that bench (?)
view left's profile
where can i get the bench?!
view tallen5's profile
Dunn Edwards has Swiss Coffee as a stock color. We love it. So must everybody else, which is why it's a stock color.
view spaceystacey's profile
I love posts like this and wish there were lots more--lots of aesthetic info to chew over.
view Aulaire's profile
PS I forgot to add more words of encouragement to Mark: C'mon, please get it together and post more about color! All your posts are interesting and thought-provoking!
view Aulaire's profile
Funny, I was literally just about to walk out the door on my way to Benjamin Moore to buy a few test quarts. So maybe you can help me with my dilemma, Mark Chamberlain.
I live in Alaska. Our walls are a light, icy blue/green, and my husband and I want to go warm and white. Based on Kevin McCloud's northern palette from his book Choosing Colors, I was going to try Linen White. Also, Decorator's White, per AP postings.
Any other color suggestions would be great.
-Thanks.
view sheilasinn's profile
Mark -- have you tried the Donald Kaufman whites yet? To me, they are the most beautiful.
Also, many years ago, I used "Milk Glow" (from Colour Your World) throughout our first house -- it truly looked like glowing full-fat milk (not skim!), and was gorgeous.
view mschatelaine's profile
my personal favorite is Tibetian Lily by Ralph Lauren (Home Depot). It was the only off white that worked in my 1940's yellow and black kitchen as well as the rest of the house.
view linbo's profile
Great post! I love November Rain - I painted my living room with it, after considering Swiss Coffee, Soft Chamois, and Minced Onion (and about 50 other whites). I kept the existing paint trim, which is a very creamy white with a fair amount of yellow it in, and the ceiling is a stark white. These 3 whites together look fantastic.
Bdog - have you tried Ace Hardware? They carry Benjamin Moore, that's where I bought mine in Chicago.
More paint and color posts!
view Cyril Blair's profile