The first project we wanted to tackle was painting all the rooms. 

The color on the walls when we moved in was a dull pistachio – it was everywhere, in every room, on both walls and trim. For an apartment with such classic, early 20th-century, pre-war elements, the color did nothing to enhance it. 

So we began with the question of “What color?”

We wanted a clean, crisp, classic look. In addition we knew we didn’t want to change anything about the original 1920’s oak floors that had been finished with a medium-dark stain. 

Adhering to those considerations, we quickly decided on white walls for every room. Which thus led us to the next question “Which white?”

On the surface this may seem like an easy question to answer. It is not. 

There are many whites to choose from, each with its own undertone and amount of light it reflects.

We knew what we wanted – a soft, true “white” white. We knew what we didn’t want – a white that casts too beige or yellow or off-white, or a stark, hospital-like white. 

With a little bit of research and help from friends with lots of experience painting rooms, we narrowed our choices to 3 colors (all Benjamin Moore):

• Oxford White
• White Dove
• Simply White

I painted swatches of the colors on sections of walls in a couple of rooms and looked at the colors at different times of day. 

The conclusion: 

— Oxford White was too stark (cool and very bright – it jumped out at you); 

— White Dove was too subdued (warm but not quite bright enough); 

— Simply White was “just right.”

It had just the right amount of warmth and yet looked like a true white in both south- and north-facing rooms. It was bright without being stark. It was the tone and feel we were looking for.

Here’s how it came out: Stay tuned for photos