Did you hear that Benjamin Moore recently named their color of the year? And, it’s white. Simply White. When I think about how my own attitude toward white walls has changed over the last ten years, I’d say the choice is definitely on trend.
I used to feel like a room wasn’t finished if it still had white walls. I painted our first two houses tan everywhere and then took a leap and changed to gray in our last house. But, I already have four gallons of white paint sitting in my garage, waiting to go on the walls in our current home. I’ve learned that white doesn’t have to feel stark or unfinished. It can actually feel really warm, when you pair it with the right accessories. It also lets the little bit of color you might use elsewhere in the room really shine.
Elle Decor
paint // plant // wall lamp // accent table // rug
What do you think of the “color of the year”? Have you warmed up to white yet?
While I like the white wall trend I have yet to see it paired with dark stained trim. Our 20 yr old home has gorgeous dark stain crown mouldings I could never part with. Don’t know if white would work in my case
I’ve seen it (I’ll have to look back through my pins!) and I think the contrast is really, really pretty.
It looks great. Just Google it and you’ll find a ton of images. I actually like black trim and white walls too. It acts like a frame for the room!
When we moved into our house 16 years ago, my husband wouldn’t let me paint the builder’s white walls for the first year because he like the “new” look it gave the house. From then on, I added color – some dark, some light and now after all these years I find myself wanting to go lighter again. In typical husband style, he says to me “Why did we even paint it all in the first place then?” Ugh…. Anyway, I love white rooms when they are done right and the Elle Decor photo above has always been a favorite of mine!
Shelley
I love white walls and have white walls in my own home. I remind my clients, who point it out in magazines, that it’s important that a room with white walls have plenty of natural light so that it creates shadows and each wall can actually look a different shade which is a good thing, otherwise the room can look flat. Love the rooms that you are sharing today.
I am curious to know what a good color is for a room without a lot of natural light? I have a small guest bedroom that I want to redo and it is lacking in natural light – there is a window but it faces north and is shaded most of the year by backyard trees. I have had it yellow which was awful and a light khaki which was better but very blah. Suggestions?
I’m working on a post about our living room paint now, but check out the post about paints that I linked to here:
https://emilyaclark.com/2015/08/the-saturday-6-57.html
Thank you Emily! Great article by Emily Henderson and, as it happens, I actually have a gallon of BM Gray Owl at home that I bought but did not use because I felt it was reading too greenish/bluish in the area I bought it for. I am going to try a sample of it in my guest bedroom and see how I like it!
I’m one of those that like white walls. My family room walls have been white for 8 years!
Yes! We moved to a new house a year ago and room by room we’ve painted white (except for a limited sunlight northeast facing room). I love bright and airy and white allows me to go neutral or colorful and change as often as I like. It also just feels clean and warm (with the right white).
Not to sound vain but when you get to a certain age like me you don’t like that much light bouncing off your skin feels a little stark. I do love white woodwork though!
Ha! :)
Love white but there are definitely the “right” whites for different looks and spaces.
I have a North facing room with one window and I am hooked on my new white – chantilly lace
I’m trying to decide on what color top isn’t the walls in a beach house. I was planning on a grey similar to BM Moonshine or Grey Owl but no I need to rethink. Maybe white is the answer!
ack! I have just finished painting my last room grey … i find with dogs and kids, white doesn’t stay white for long. Maybe when I am an empty nester …
Simply White is simply the best. I have used it on walls, trim and doors. It is a lovely warm white that goes with just about everything. It is “simply” the best!
So for years all I’ve heard about is BM White Dove, so we recently went with it for a laundry room / half bath. I was surprised to find it had yellow tones in it. Any idea what direction Simply White falls in?!?! Yellow? Gray? Beige?
I’m a little bummed about this, b/c it feels like often the color of the year signals the end of the color. It’s only a matter of time before it starts to filter out. And I like the white. It’s almost like making it official kills it?!?! What do you think?
Ugh, I hope not. . . Hopefully, white is classic (and neutral) enough that it’s here to stay as the color of choice for a long while.
I don’t have personal experience with Simply White specifically so I’m not sure about the undertones. Anybody else know??
I don’t have simply white on walls yet (but have a couple gallons ready to go into a room in the next week or so, but when I was testing both simply white and Cloud white for the room, Cloud white was a bit creamy, while simply white is a bit brighter. Not by much ( as compared to say Chantilly Lace from BM) but, it is just a bit cooler/brighter than the cloud white. Hope that helps!
I have read that Simply White is literally the most neutral white there is. It doesn’t have too much yellow or too much blue. We are building a house and that is what I am using for all of the trim and most of the cabinets!
Like you, I’ve changed my mind about white over the years, it’s come a long way from the default colour for people who didn’t know what else to do.
I do think it can be more difficult to do well and, as others have mentioned, definitely needs the right light.
I have no doubt you will make it look beautiful in your space.
I love white walls. There’s do many different whites. How do you choose?
I have been systematically painting my walls white for the last 3 years. Every time I redo a room I start with white walls. I have always said that white is my favorite color because it makes every other color look it’s best. I love white… white walls, white jeans, white keds and converse, white t shirts, white dishes… I’m in agreement with this color of the year!!
Simply White has been my favorite white for years and I recommend it often. Some rooms do need a cooler or warmer shade of white but Simply White is perfect if you want a fresh white that throws neither yellow, blue or grey undertones ut has a richness to it.
You mentioned painting ceilings. I have found in some rooms that Benjamin Moore Palladian Blue on the ceiling is a beautiful compliment to Simply White on the walls.
I love it! All my walls are painted a warm white in our home.
All the Feng shui 5 elements are represented in your mood board- looks great!
I’m actually quite glad to hear it’s BM’s color of the year now! I recently started painting our kitchen walls Simply White after realizing how great it looks on my upper cabinets. You can see a picture of the cabinets here: https://instagram.com/p/7h6f8vw_wG/
Gorgeous kitchen!
I actually painted my new kitchen Simply White last year mainly because I couldn’t make a decision on a wall colour and thought just get it done and I can figure something else out later. Love that white!! Crown, trim and wall all in the Simply White with oak floors. Understated but not boring. It’s a warm white without the yellow.
Eh, I don’t know. I absolutely love white walls for a Scandinavian modern or Dutch (modern) look, but not neo-traditional. Love different shades of white though (my fave for trim is BM White Chocolate).
I just moved from a huge house with rooms painted all different colors to a totally ’80’s condo that we pretty much gutted and redid. It’s all Simply White, kitchen cabinets, doors and trim, and walls. I love it, so clean and white and bright! Got new white slipcovered sofas too, huge change for me
I am in the process of redoing my dining room. I’ve decided on doing a full wall wainscotting in white. I love the white you chose for your home it seems to go well with other colors. Would you give the color white you use in your home? Did you use the same color white for all your rooms? I love your design style! You always have the most inspiring pictures on your blog.
Hi Kim, Here are the paint colors I used in our last house. I don’t necessarily think you have to use the same white in all rooms–so many different shades!:
https://emilyaclark.com/2013/04/creating-flow-and-our-paint-colors.html
I grew up in New York City where space is at such a premium that my family’s apartment walls were always white, because we needed to keep things spare and airy so as not to be claustrophobic. I still love white walls. Throughout my house (now in upstate New York) the walls are BM White Dove (which does seem to have some gray and yellow in it), with Super White (it’s just WHITE) trim. Just a tiny bit of contrast, and it makes life sooooo easy when I need to touch something up. Too many decisions make me insane. White Dove, Super White, done. Now I’m experimenting with painting the window frames (not the trim) black for a little drama. We’ll see how that goes.
Might you know the manufacturer and name of the hardwood floor in the “hall” photo above?
Thanks!