apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Suggestions for what? A particular shade or brand of white paint?

I used to be so confused by white paint until I read an article that named B. Moore #1009 the world's most perfect white paint. I used it to paint the mill work in my house, and I just love it. It seems to take on the colors that are around it. If you want hospital or appliance white, B. Moore #101 is it. I used it in my kitchen because I have all white appliances, and it is blindingly white.

I am very happy with Benjamin Moore's Cloud Nine - it is not a stark white but not close to cream either. Hard to describe it but it has a warmness to it.

Benjamin Moore's Decorators White in the ultimate in white.

I like Benjamin Moore's White Dove - not too bright, and still white without any discernable shade of a color.

Thanks all of you! i have decided its going to be BM, but which white is the problem- i am checking on all your suggestions now!
for some more pictures of the room check this link:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/9892940@N04/

Let me confuse you more. I have had the most luck with Ben Moore's Super White. Get a few sample pots and paint them next to each other (3' x 3' usually works) and then pick which one you think looks best in your room. Look at it in different light (natural vs. lamps) and different times of the day.

MrGreen will second the BM Super White eggshell N319 02 if that's the brand you want to use. It will eventually yellow and have to be redone.

Janovic used to have their own version of it but they stopped making it after they were bought out by Berkshire Hathaway.

Consumer Reports did not rate Benjamin Moore very highly.

I used BM China White in order to avoid haivng to wait for mixing (it's the base for many colors). Crisp without overwhelming.

Since you've already decided to go w/ BM, may I recommend using their EcoSpec line. It's low VOC, so way less fumes and I actually feel the paint quality is better and goes farther than their regular paint. Only a couple more dollars per gallon and completely worth it.

Gallivant--are you sure you meant cloud nine? The way you describe it, it sounds like BM's Cloud White. Warm, but not cream. I painted both bathrooms in Cloud White oil and it's a perfect backdrop for all the colourful accesories in there. It'll be perfect when I want to go serene and neutral too. Or, elegant and classy with black accents. Or beachy with blues and greens. (And I hate white--but it has converted me!)

Cloud Nine is a slight grayish green. On my pallette anyway. Which is Canadian. We don't always have the same names :( e.g., no Super white, and no China white. :(

benjamin moore China White

I think it is really hard to recommend a white since lighting conditions, etc. can make such a difference. I picked out something that looked like the perfect neutral white (Behr Billowy Cloud, i believe) for my living/dining area and have been happy with it, but in other settings (like the fluorescents at Home Depot!) it's positively blush pink.

Definitely Cloud Nine - I know it is a bit like you describe on the swatch but on the wall it looks great. I also like Cloud White but (for some reason I can't remember) I went with Cloud Nine and it works well.

House Beautiful has a great monthly column about color selection, and they had a great one on Whites.

BM Super White.

If your decor is not going to be super-duper modern minimalist, I'd caution against a BRIGHT white. I've seen bright whites used that end up looking like primer when the room's contents tend toward the warmer and more traditional or organic.

The tiniest touch of pigment in your white might not be the worst thing.

I do believe BM Super White to be the best "crisp white" available, but I also agree (looking at your furniture) with patrick that a crisp white may not be the best choice here. Definately go with something other than that buttercream/navajo white crap on the walls presently.

BM Decorator White is the way to go.

i painted the living room in BM decorator white matte. it is stunning. in the evening with the lamps, it takes on many different colors from cream to bright white(depends on the lamp)

im in the process of choosing a while for my tiny kitchen...

im thinking of painting the cabinets glossy white and the walls eggshell....will that be weird???

Gallivant--glad you cleared that up for me! It all depends on the lighting in your space and what you put with it, doesn't it? White can positively glow in the right conditions--but look sterile and nasty in others.

Why does the OP want a "crisp" white? My sense is that it will look drab next to that carpet and couch. A bluish or greenish white will counteract those yellow/orange tones in the beige: but it might look sort of muddy in a north or east facing room or greyish (at best) in a south or west facting room.

What direction does this room face? Do you use it mostly at night or during the day? Or is how it looks during the day on the weekend the most important thing?

You'll just have to try a bunch of these suggestions and see how each looks on your walls (use poster board and move them around the room) when you are using the room.

Good luck to you.

I'll add my vote in for Decorator White, if you are looking for a warm and bright white (it has trace amounts of Yellow Oxide and Burnt Umber pigment, if I recall). I just finished a long windowless room in that shade, and the subtle way that different light sources interact with the wall surface is wonderful.

BM Swiss Coffee