The Nest: Which White?
Update
Hooray, hooray, hooray! We’ve finally started work again on The Nest and I’m so happy…
Framing has begun on the addition (slightly diminished from the original plans but it will be adorable and cozy.)
Last week, we went from this:
To this:
Joe, our intrepid foreman, and I have our weekly Tuesday morning meetings, and this last meeting was to confirm our kitchen cabinet color. (Read more here about my new year’s resolutions to be a good construction client.)
Joe and Meg on the porch.
I figured my decision to do white kitchen cabinets was a no-brainer but it turned out to be a wee bit of a challenge to pick the perfect white.
Because life is crammed full of work, family and all kinds of stuff popping up unexpectedly, time was of the essence. I did a little surfing on the web and honed my strategy: stick to a few whites that always get raves—and don’t reinvent the wheel. I did know a couple things: I like my whites to have a touch of green or a touch of gray.
The contestants:
In one corner, a bevy of Ben Moore:
Benjamin Moore White Dove
Benjamin Moore Cloud White
Benjamin Moore Simply White
In the other corner, Sherwin Williams was looking strong with these:
Sherwin Williams Alabaster
Sherwin Williams Dover White
Sherwin Williams Natural Choice
And finally, a couple contestants from Farrow and Ball:
Farrow and Ball Wevet
Farrow and Ball Slipper Satin (which we used at Huff Harrington Home and I just love.)
So after a couple weeks of interrogating my adorable Huffingtons (perfect purveyors of good taste), searching Pinterest and much dithering, I enlisted the help of several of our clients—all wonderful, talented designers who know so much about the soup-to-nuts of designing a perfect interior.
Et voila! All it takes is an expert…
From Atlanta’s own Suzanne Kasler who has effortlessly perfected the element of The Mix: “We love a white kitchen! Our favorite white is Benjamin Moore’s White Dove. Lately, we have noticed a lot of kitchens with a surprising mix of materials. For example the cabinets in the kitchen might be white but then there may be a bank of oak drawers, with an industrial mirrored backsplash—and interesting hardware. The kitchen looks white…but the mix makes it interesting!”
More snippets of Suzanne’s impeccable taste:
From Atlanta Homes and Lifestyles
A symphony in creamy white (from Architectural Digest)
From Meridy King (Meridy King Interiors): Meridy has a wonderfully modern and clean sensibility, and I’ve adored her work for years. She’s stylish and just edgy enough to keep you on your toes.
I’ve always loved the way Meridy pulls it all together. This is just lovely. (From meridyking.com)
“My go to is Benjamin Moore’s White Dove. It is a beautiful white—just a hair off gray—and enough warm not to make it a cold white. It will not go blue and looks great with any tones in colors that you’re working with.”
I’m not sure if this is White Dove or not, but it’s gorgeous—and we were delighted to work with Meridy a few years ago on this wonderful project in Buckhead. (Also a shameless plug for one of Huff Harrington’s artists: Bonnie Beauchamp Cooke)
So far, Benjamin Moore’s White Dove is in the lead…
Alison Jowers: We’ve known Alison Womack Jowers and her precious mom, Cheryl, for years. (In fact, they accompanied us on our very first trip to Provence back in 2009 and they were the undeniable life of the party). The two make a powerhouse mom/daughter design team that brings a rich and relaxed sensibility to their interiors. Drool, drool. (Images from womackinteriors.com)
Womack Interiors’ Lady’s Retreat at the 2013 Atlanta Homes and Lifestyles Home for the Holidays Showhouse & Marketplace.
Here’s what Alison chimed in with: “My go-to white cabinet color is Sherwin Williams Alabaster. I also really like Ben Moore’s Cloud White 967.”
Benjamin Moore’s Cloud White
Alison told us she’s seeing more kitchens using grays. “I’m still in love with grays, but on the softer side. Ben Moore Harbor Gray has blue undertones and Revere Pewter is a beautiful, soft stone gray (I just lacquered antique twin beds in this color and loved it).”
Benjamin Moore Harbor Gray
“I just did a laundry room in Sherwin Williams Chartreuse. We selected a dark gray tile first for the floor. The client is young, beautiful and was up for some fun so we went for it. It looks fantastic. My inspiration was a Gucci purse.”
Sherwin Williams Chartreuse
Kelly Anthony, of Anthony Wolf, has a gorgeous, edited style.
From anthonywolf.com
From anthonywolf.com
This Buckhead designer says this about choosing cabinet colors and what’s new on the kitchen front: “My go-to “white” cabinet color is always Behr’s Off White. I use it often. I’m also a fan of Benjamin Moore’s White Dove. “
Behr Off White
“Trending in kitchen design: monocratic kitchens in white and gray tones. Open shelving is a huge trend. Simple styling with white marbles, polished nickels and antique gold hardware is really making a come back. I’m seeing – and using more -transitional looks that bridge modern with “farmhouse” together. A big trend is adding a skullery that does double duty as prep, clean up and pantry. (Albeit, space permitting!)”
So, the experts have weighed in with a clear winner: Benjamin Moore’s White Dove.
I wasn’t totally convinced and for some reason, my eye kept going back to Sherwin Williams’ Alabaster. I tested eight colors and ended up putting White Dove and Alabaster next to one another just to quiet those pesky voices in my head.
Alabaster was calling my name.
End of story…for now. I’m committed to Alabaster and can’t wait to see the finished product. In the meantime, what’s your favorite go-to white?
Want to see the finished product? Tour The Nest here!
