White Trim Dilemma
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Last week I assisted a homeowner with a question about her white interior trim. She had recently repainted her living room in Benjamin Moore Manor Blue 1627 and also her dining room with Ben Moore Wickham Gray HC-171. Her husband did not want to repaint the existing trim which was Ben Moore Cloud White:
The Cloud White was bothering her because it seemed to be ‘so noticeable and dull (dirty) looking’ against the new paint colors. “Isn’t Cloud White supposed to be the perfect white trim color that goes with every color?” she asked.Not quite. Below is a Wickham Gray sample, (the poster board underneath) with a Cloud White sample and also a cleaner, whiter white:
Can you see how the sample on the right looks cleaner and whiter? The color on the left is Cloud White. The right side sample is Chantilly Lace OC-65. When comparing the two whites together, Chantilly Lace is a cleaner, brighter white.Below is Manor Blue with Chantilly Lace on the left and Cloud White on the right:
Do you see how the Chantilly Lace look brighter and more compatible? That is because the two new paint colors, Manor Blue and Wickham Gray, are also clean colors. If I were also to compare a taupe color with the two whites:
The Cloud White on the left looks more compatible than the brighter/cleaner white on the left.So I ask her to get the two samples of trim color and bring home to compare with her new paint colors. Right away she saw how much cleaner and crisper the Chantilly Lace looked. After a bit of dispute discussion, the husband agreed to repaint the small amount of trim in both the living room and dining room.Can you use different colors of trim throughout the home? Of course. I just would not butt them up against each other where you can compare the two.The best way to compare the colors is to try the samples yourself at home. Photos on the computer are not the best way to see, but I hope I helped you understand the discrepancy in the different whites.If you need help selecting colors for your home, contact me today.