The Right White

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I’ve always heard that white paint can be a real pain when trying to paint a room. Between the blinds, the table, and the trim, finding a shade of white that would really work on the two walls opposite the navy walls in the study-o proved to be one heck of a challenge.

Let’s start with the original teal walls – the first color I chose back when I thought this would be just a craft room.

But after choosing to rename the room based on its combined new purpose, I also decided to repaint it to something more dramatic and statement-y (I know, you envy my remarkable way with words. Don’t feel bad; some of just have a natural talent for it).

When I chose to paint the window and doorway walls navy (Benjamin Moore’s Hale Navy), I knew that painting the whole room the same dark color would turn the room into a tiny black hole rather than an open, creative space. I still wanted the drama of navy, but clearly needed a balance of a white or light gray on the other side.

The color I initially chose was mostly due to how cheap I am – I had leftover light gray paint from the primary bath remodel, so I thought I’d give it a shot. Unfortunately, the drama that the navy walls brought in was immediately undercut by the drab gray. I needed something that was light for sure, but still held its own against the strong color. Also, I’d forgotten that the bathroom paint had a higher sheen (which is a good idea in a room like a bathroom, but looked really odd next to the navy, which was more matte).

Since the trim, doors, and newly built DIY desk were all painted the same Ultra Pure White (Behr), it seemed like the obvious choice. One quart later, and I realized I was terribly wrong.

What to do? The final option was to match the color to the blinds. The crew at Home Depot whipped up a match for me and I slapped it on the walls (okay, so I may have done something more like gently rolled it onto the walls, but the splatters on my arms told a different story).

But without a doubt, the third choice was the right one. And with so much extra paint left over, I kept right on rolling and covered a couple of canvases for some artwork I’m planning for the room.

At this point, I am seriously considering “The Goldilocks House” as a secondary name for this home. Goldilocks and the three everything.