White, cream, vanilla, bone, custard...layering shades of white in a space can be one of the most difficult things to get right. I should know. I am in the process of a kitchen project that has evolved into a bit of a "white room". Possessing a tiny footprint, I want the room to feel as though the walls are easing back to make more space for all that needs to fill it. I initially thought I wanted a soft butter shade one the wall, but decided I had painted enough yellow kitchens in my lifetime; so I settled instead on a shade called Slipcover (from the Canadian Home and Country series, made by Beauti-Tone paint, a Canadian company). It still has a hint of yellow making its presence known, but I think I'm okay with that.
The issue I am having with the Slipcover shade, is whether or not it is a non-colour. Non-colours (my word for them) are different than neutrals. Neutral shades are like the quietly supportive spouse of their flashier partners. They look good, but take nothing away from the other components of the room. They complement, rather than distract. Non-colours, on the other hand, add nothing - and are potentially boring, while draining valuable energy from a room. I am still undecided if I have saddled myself with such a colour...
The kitchen cabinets are also a shade of white called Nearly White (same company), which offers up a hint of warmth and is a great alternative to painting cabinetry a bright white. The appliances are also white, and I have selected a faux tin backsplash that is also in a bright, creamy shade of, you guessed it, white. The counter-top has not yet been selected, but it will definitely have to work well in this sea of white. The floors will be offer a nice balance, as they will be a dark wood laminate. Accessories will be how I will introduce some fun and colour, but this experiment with white and all its shades, is turning out to be both a fun and hand-wringing experience. Luckily, the client is me (but not my kitchen...I will explain more, later) and the photographic evidence will have to wait until everything comes together.
Enjoy these all-white kitchens (all from House to Home.com), and let me know if you have pulled together all-white spaces, and the challenges you encountered in doing so.
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Meanwhile, here is a quick list of some designers' and decorators' favourite white shades:
Pointing (2003), Farrow and Ball House White (2012), Farrow and Ball
Cloud White, Benjamin Moore
Atrium White I-79, Benjamin Moore
Natural Wicker, Benjamin Moore
White Dove, Benjamin Moore
Soaker's Tub (P5223-24), Para Paints
Decorator White (ND039), Beauti-Tone (Canadian)
Nearly White, Beauti-Tone
Dover White (SW6385), Sherwin Williams
Crumb Cookie (217-1), Pittsburgh Paints
*What is your favourite shade of white?*
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