Which white is white and which white isn't?

As you may know,  I don't mind throwing a bit of paint on the walls...but getting the colour just right can take a long time

Number 10 is the fourth house I've painted/renovated and I've always played it safe as far as colour goes. That's mainly because I'm not good with colour. I find choosing colour can be hit and miss because it's difficult making the right choice from a small colour card you get from the paint store. In fact, that's been the experience of a friend who's had a couple of rooms painted grey and who hates them because they're so dark now, but her husband says they're only getting painted once and he's not paying the painter to do it again.

There are so many darn "whites" out there that paint companies produce brochures dedicated to them...but you really have to ask yourself if there's a hint of tint in it, is it still white?

I started off, many years ago in a former life, painting the walls of my home at Number 3 a Bristol colour called "Clay". It was what I thought at the time was fairly neutral, because it was light... but at different times of the day you could see it taking on a real pinky/mushroomy tinge.

The exterior was always White though. Can't go past it for weatherboards.

Then I started having "Clay" toned down to half strength...it still had that pink undertone, but it wasn't too bad

Much better

Then at Number 10, I moved on to Antique White USA, which looks lovely with just about anything: linen, white, darker tones like black and brown...even blue. I loved it.

In fact I loved it so much, I even used it for some of the old chest of drawers I rejuvenated so they blended in with the walls and made the rooms look bigger.

Then I started half strength on that.....less creamy, more just a hint of colour.

The main bedroom drawers and walls - all A-W USA half strength

Now though, I'm leaning towards another white that has really caught my eye. It's been used in a truly gorgeous, just-renovated home I saw recently and I have to say it makes everything "pop" and complements the dark stained timber floors in the hall and living areas and the almost-latte brown carpet in the bedrooms.

It's "Builders White" and all it has is a drop of black in it to take away the "starkness of that straight-out-of-the-tin-white

That's what I'm after. A non-colour that doesn't bring out the undertones of the things around it.

What it also means though is apart from the walls, I'll have to paint all the chest of drawers...but at least I have the time on my hands to do it now