There's Nothing Simple About White

By now you probably know that Simply White (OC 117) is Benjamin Moore's Color of the year. While I think it's, shall I say, an interesting choice, it sure beats Pantone's Merlot. And that horrible Emerald Green that was someone's choice a couple of years ago. And if you read the narrative on the Benjamin Moore website and see the photos (you can do that here), the rooms certainly are lovely.

But there are two things that niggle me: I really like white more as a background color, and there's absolutely nothing simple about it. If you've ever tried to select a white anything, you know just what I mean. Benjamin Moore itself has a whole separate ring in its color kit just for the whites.

I do realize that Simply White is the name of this particular white, but I can't help thinking that, by choosing that particular white, they are trying to portray white as a simple color. But even when I choose a white for trim, the shade of white I select depends on the color on the wall. The undertones in the white selected must go with the undertones of the wall color. And that's not always easy to determine.

HGTV

Having said that, there are some ways I absolutely love to use white, beginning with kitchens. And by that I mean cabinets. (And no, I don't care what anyone else says. For me, there's nothing better.) Granted, you have to warm the space up, perhaps with wall color, backsplash, or (as in the photo) warm woods. But if you do it right, it's warm, inviting, and lovely.

Country Living

I love white furniture when it's set against a beautiful wall color. In fact, that's what I've done in my office. And just look at how the lovely wall color sets off the rustic white furniture in this photo! The warmth in the walls and the wear of the furniture makes this setting cozy and inviting.

And of course I do love how white trim sets off wall colors, making them pop. And it's not always just the wood trim. The white in this paint treatment makes the different colors stand out even more dramatically.

So yes, I do love white in many of its incarnations. I'm still not quite sure about it as a color of the year . . .