Just Paint it White

I cringe when I see this advice to those wanting to sell their house. Why? Because there are so many white paints. Benjamin Moore has 165 paints with white and 72 with cream in the name. This doesn't even count those paints which don't even have white in the name, but which are actually white. Harwood Putty CW-5 and Steam AF-15 are good examples of this.

Harwood Putty CW-5 via Lisa Mende Design

Michele Jalbert Benjamin Moore Steam AF-15 on stairs Collingwood at 50% on walls 

Granted, a hand full can be discounted because they aren't even close to white. 

Pumpkin Cream, Tracey Stephens Interior Design

Pumpkin Cream via Houzz

Pumpkin cream, for example,

Benjamin Moore Tomato Cream Sauce

or Tomato Cream Sauce. 

There are literally five, which are not really cream, I counted. Of the 232 remaining colors in the Benjamin Moore fan deck, the question becomes Which White?

 

Benjamin Moore Elmira White HC-84

Benjamin Moore Ivory White 925 Southern Living

Benjamin Moore Berber White 955

These three paints are very different from each other. I have used all three in show houses and client spaces. They are very different from each other.

How do you choose the right white? Each house is different. Consideration has to be given to the flooring and the lighting, especially the amount of daylight in a room. Just paint it white may result in a house that is memorable, as one that needed to be repainted.