Design How-To: Demystifying Paint

Tell me if this scenario sounds familiar: You scour Pinterest and/or Instagram for inspiration for your wall paint. Then you go to a paint store where you grab 2938473 swatches of similar colors that puzzle the heck out of you and you leave more confused than when you walked in. Fear not! We are going to simplify the paint process. In this post you’ll get a break down of the details on how we select paint colors and finishes for our projects as well as a few of our tried and true colors!

Brands

We prefer Benjamin Moore and Farrow & Ball for paint. Why you might ask? We prefer Benjamin Moore to Sherwin Williams in most cases for one reason alone: Benjamin Moore has a Scuff-X line that is a game changer for a truly wipeable wall. This paint line is specified for any project with pets or kids. Farrow & Ball wins the award for THE most beautiful colors and their fan deck is a work of art. Benjamin Moore can also match Farrow & Ball’s colors which is the best of all worlds! Designer tip: most painters have a brand preference as well. Check with them on this.

Our Process

Offering full service design to our clients means that we provide what you see below, but for the purposes of this post, consider yourself a client!

Samples

First things first, get to the paint store and narrow that list of colors down to 3-4 options. Bring those swatches home. Follow the remaining steps:

Tape them up on the wall and see how they grow on you over the course of a day or two.
Head back to the paint store to get a sample of the top 3. It’s worth spending for this!
Paint those samples on the wall in a few locations with a minimum of 2 coats each.

Hit all of these spots when putting the sample on the wall:

Next to the trims/casings
Across from a window that will cast the MOST natural light on the wall
In the spot that will receive the LEAST amount of natural light
Write above the sample in pencil what it is so you don’t forget!
If you have a dark color on the walls and you’ll be going lighter, instead paint samples on poster board and follow the same instructions above

Sawyer Kitchen samples.

BM Alabaster in the Sawyer Kitchen.

Sylvie’s room samples.

Farrow & Ball Pink Ground in Sylvie’s room.

A few things will start to emerge at this point. It may become clear that the ceiling or trims/casings are not in fact as white as you thought or have an undertone that doesn’t work with the new wall color. If you don’t plan to change these, you will need to adjust the wall color to achieve the right contrast.

Note: If you are going with a white paint over any other wall color, chances are it will take 3 coats to complete the job.

Sheen

Once you’ve selected your hue, it’s time to talk sheen so you can purchase the correct paint. This can be tricky because sheen varies across brands.

Living space walls – Again, Benjamin Moore Matte finish in the Scuff-X line is our go to. Never.ever.flat.
Living space ceilings – Flat unless going for a statement or contrast.
Bathroom walls – Benjamin Moore Scuff-X in eggshell.
Bathroom ceiling – Semi-gloss at a minimum.
Cabinetry, trims, casings, built-ins, doors – Semi-gloss.
Want to make a statement on any of the above? Step up the gloss!

Greatest Hits

Getting that hue just right on the first try is rare, so don’t put too much pressure on yourself! These are a few of our tried and true favs (preference order):

White / Off-white