www.refresheddesigns.com HOW TO CHOOSE THE RIGHT PAINT WWW.REFRESHEDDESIGNS.COM | 02

THE JOY OF WHITE WALLS

A white wall is timeless. It works in a It's funny then, isn't it, that white is the classic or contemporary space; it can colour that stresses us out the most be serenely cool or elegantly warm, when choosing paint for our homes? and it's the perfect backdrop in just about any space that you're making I admit it can be overwhelming your own. choosing the right white- after all Benjamin Moore has 150 shades! And I love because they're of course it looks different depending calming and lift my mood at the on the amount of coming into same time, and they also play so your space. well with natural textures and materials. They're easy to clean, and But really, it's hard to go wrong with allow our favourite art and decor to white when you don't over-think pop. Not to mention they're a it. After all, most of us can't tell the sustainable choice, since they are difference if you stick with a tried and timeless and will likely last longer true neutral white. So stop stressing than walls painted richer colours that and start brightening your home! You we tire of more quickly. won't be sorry. 18 WWW.REFRESHEDDESIGNS.COM | 03

1. DETERMINE WHETHER YOU WANT A FRESH COOL OR SOFT WARM FEELING IN YOUR HOME.

You can use different whites in the same room or throughout your house (in fact it's usually recommended to keep your house from feeling cold and dull), but keep them in the same family - either cool or warm.

Warm whites evoke romantic, cottage, cozy feelings, while cools work better for modern, minimalist, Scandinavian and calming environments.

I always suggest using a bright neutral white on trim and cabinetry. I usually just go with plain untinted white. Then choose a wall palette in either warm or cool off-white shades that will add dimension and depth against the pure white trim. Ceilings for me are just untinted flat white. Simple.

Pure bright whites for trim/cabinetry:

Untinted white

CIL White on White

Sherwin Williams High Reflective White

Benjamin Moore Super White SW Pure White WWW.REFRESHEDDESIGNS.COM | 04 18

2. CHECK THE UNDERTONE

Does the white you are choosing have a , , , or undertone? Compare it next to a pure untinted white chip so you can see more easily how far away from pure white your colour sample is.

Cool undertones are and . Warm undertones are , , oranges, peaches, and .

Always make sure to test your paint with a swatch or large chip on the wall to see how it shows at different times of day.

Hints:

-Stay away from pink undertones if you have yellow based flooring or cabinets..

-Slightly cool, or greige undertones will help neutralize warm flooring or cabinets.

-Forgo peachy undertones altogether - they rarely look good.

-Greens are serene but are also tough to do well. Proceed with caution.

- A soft, misty white-grey is nice but make sure it's not too blue and cold feeling.

-Pure white trim will make your off-white walls stand out and create dimension and interest. WWW.REFRESHEDDESIGNS.COM | 02 WWW.REFRESHEDDESIGNS.COM | 05

3: CONSIDER THE LIGHT

Are you south facing with lots of windows -North and east facing rooms with lower and sunlight pouring in? Or does your light will cast shadows, so I like going with room have limited natural light? warm neutral whites (slightly creamy) that make the room feel more welcoming. Spaces may have different coming from a multitude of directions, so -Stay away from green undertones for you need to consider this when choosing north facing rooms. a colour. -South facing rooms do well with cool Also, try to switch to LED light bulbs (both undertones to counteract the warm because they give a more natural light sunshine coming in later in the day. and are eco-friendly). Unnatural incandescent or fluorescent lighting will -A true neutral like SW Extra White will make your white shades seem off. work pretty much anywhere.

SW Pure White 18 WWW.REFRESHEDDESIGNS.COM | 06

4: CREATE DEPTH & CONTRAST WITH FINISHES, TEXTURE, & ACCENT COLOUR

Use a flat finish on the ceiling, or satin on the walls to bounce some light, and semi- gloss or gloss to enhance the trim and make it pop out. Just this little bit of variation is quite pleasing to the eye.

Once you've created some depth with finishes, consider adding texture and/or accent colour to your space through furniture, fabrics, artwork, window coverings, and decor. Natural materials like wood and bamboo, grasscloth or jute work really well with white.

5: MAKE A HEALTHY CHOICE

Make sure to use no-VOC paint to keep toxins at bay and your health in tact. Walls: CIL Raindrop White And finally, don't stress out by Cabinet & trim: Untinted White overthinking your choice of white paint. A neutral white is a safe choice for almost any room, and will be the perfect backdrop to create a room with meaningful decor that you can proudly display. WWW.REFRESHEDDESIGNS.COM | 02

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MY FAVOURITE

Ceilings (flat): Untinted

Trim. Doors & Cabinetry (semi-gloss or high gloss): Untinted White CIL White on White SW High Reflective White BM Super White

Crisp white: SW Extra White BM White

Soft white: SW Pure White BM Simply White CIL Raindrop White

Warm white: BM Dove White SW Alabaster CIL Wedding White

Cool grey-white: SW Eider White BM Paper White CIL Drifting Snow

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Hi, I'm Kelly

I'm a redesigner who values simplicity and natural living as a way to enhance the every day and help us achieve our dreams.

I'd love to help you reclaim your life by refreshing your home and workspace to incorporate simplicity, function, practicality and of course natural beauty so that you can maintain balance and nourish your soul.

Check out options for working with me here. [email protected] @refresheddes www.refresheddesigns.com

Join me in living more naturally