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Step 1: Assess Fixed Elements Before Picking White Trim Paint

If you are renovating, doing a new build, or redecorating a room in your house, you have some elements in your space that can’t be changed. With my clients, whether it is a virtual meeting or a color consultation here in Vermont, this is always where we start!

And with hundreds of whites to choose from this can seem daunting at first. BUT… good news: This first step will cut the list in half!

Why Access Undertones in Fixed Elements?

Warm fixed elements, like travertine or brown grainte will have to be paired with a warmer white, whereas gray flooring or carerra marble with blue undertones has to be be paired with a clear or bright white.

If your windows are vinyl and cannot be painted you should also look at them too. If your “white” windows are on the gray side, like Andersen’s white, you’ll have to choose a gray toned white for your trim.

This step is also important if you have “white” counter or tiles in a kitchen or bathroom, sometimes choosing a bright white trim paint will make your fixed elements look terrible. Unless they are a good match the tiles and counters will look dingy next to a bright white paint.

How To Acess Undertones in Fixed Elements

The best way to know the undertones in your fixed elements is to compare them to a neutral white and/or neutral gray. Just like in getting the perfect exposure in my food photography, I use a gray card to do this. In your own home, use a few sheets of printer paper to assess your fixed elements to see what their undertone is.

For acessing the undertones in neutrals (like natural stone that are beige or gray) it’s really helpful to use a mid tone gray instead of white. If you have a fan deck you can use Apparition from Ben Moore, or Repose Gray from Sherwin Williams. This will tell you if your fixed elements have a warmer or cooler undertone. Or if they’re slightly green or pink!

Step 2: Do you prefer Clean or Dirty Colors?

At this point in selecting your paint colors, you won’t know what the walls will be, but you’ll probably know what kind of colors you like. Which brings us to step two: choose between a clean or dirty color scheme.

Here I go again talking about clean vs dirty colors! But hear me out.

Do you like softer, more muted colors, or do you like brighter hues? Take a look at the two similar color palettes above. Left is dirty and low chroma and Right is clean high chroma.

Ask yourself, which do you prefer for decorating your house? By the way, there is no wrong answer!! This is a matter of personal preference.

The chroma is super important to consider when choosing your white trim paint. I touched on this last week when we talked about how to pick a home color combination.

• High Chroma: If you like to surround yourself with clear chroma colors (clean) you should use a bright white trim paint (like Chantilly Lace by Ben Moore or Extra White by Sherwin Williams.)
• Low Chroma: If you like lower chroma colors (dirty) then you should use off-whites like Benjamin Moore’s White Dove, Swiss Coffee by Benjamin Moore or Greek Villa from Sherwin Williams.

Step 3: Use LRV To Choose White Trim Color

The third step in my three-step process for choosing trim paint is to look up the LRV, or Light Reflectance Value of your wall color.

Why do we do this? Knowing the wall color’s LRV is important in choosing your trim because it will affect the amount of contrast you get between the trim and walls and how much the trim pops.

For example, take a look at the example above. If you have a light neutral wall color like Ballet White (LRV 71.97) and use a vibrant white trim like Chantilly Lace (LRV of 90.04) you will have a differential of 18.07.

This 18 point variance will make the walls appear more deeply colored and make the white millwork pop. If you have historical trim that you want to show off, or want to create a cleaner traditional feel (even with a light paint color like Ballet White) you should choose a differential of 15 points to 30 points.

Conversely, a slightly more creamy, muted white paint will provide a different feel more consistant with today’s trends in interiors. In the example above, White Dove (LRV 83.16)makes a lower contrast with the Ballet White. With this paint color pairing, the LRV differential comes down to 11.19 points.

• LEFT PHOTO: You can see in an example photo on the left above of a hallway in my house where there is low contrast between Ballet White (LRV 71.97) and White Dove (LRV 83.16). This 11.19 differential gives a muted cozy ethereal feel to the paint combination.
• RIGHT PHOTO: By comparison, on the right our guest room walls are painted Smokey Taupe (LRV 54.53) and the trim is White Dove (LRV 83.16). This creates a LRV differential of 28.63.

OUTCOME: By the end of this step you will be able to take your list of the remaining whites, and narrow them down even farther. If you prefer a moodier, muted, softer look you’ll want to choose a white paint with a slightly duller LRV (lower number.) Go with a higher LRV if you like a bold crisp look.

What if My House Is Dark?

I live in northern New England in a 200 plus year old house with small windows, so trust me when I say I know all about paint colors for New England houses. The key when choosing a white trim for a dark room is to go with a warm yellow-based off-white like Creamy from Sherwin Williams or Dover White from Sherwin-Williams. I adore Linen White from Benjamin Moore too. It truly glows in darker houses.

Can I use a color other than white on the trim?

Yes! As I said above, crisp white trim is going out of fashion, so you can always go with a darker off white (with an LRV in the 70s.) And there are a three other times when I recommend using a color other than white for your trim. Of course, there is also color drenching, but that is another matter entirely so that doesn’t count!

One is when you are going for a contrast trim look, of which I am a giant fan. This is where the walls are white and the trim, baseboards, crown moulding and doors are darker. We did Benjamin Moore Muslin Paint on the trim with white walls in our spare room. Below you can see it in our home gym.

This look is very popular at the moment and looks fabulous with historical trimwork and custom millwork.

The second time I love seeing a non-white trim is with wallpaper! I do not like white trim with wallpaper if the wallpaper doesn’t have white in it. In this case I suggest pulling one of the lighter tones out of the wallpaper pattern and using this as your trim color. See above a beautiful example from Painted Paper.

Lastly is when you use a dark brown or black trim with a colored wall. I am obsessed with this look from The Green Rabbit House and copied it in my guest apartment.

The post Best White Paint for Trim appeared first on A Season For Home.

Color trends are Getting Warmer

As a color consultant, I need to stay on top of color trends and forecasting. Whether my clients want to follow the trends or not, it is important to know where the trends are going. Without a doubt, color trends are moving warm. Gone is the gray era and the White and Black farmhouse. Warm neutrals are here!

Interiors by (clockwise from top left ) DeVOL, Becki Owens, Amber Interiors Design Studio and Haldon House.

This shift to warmer neutrals and warmer shades is not just a blip on the social media feed, this warming of the collective palette is a macro trend that has been shifting for a few years and will likely endure about a 10 to 15 year tenure as most macro-trends do in the color world.

I am here for this trend in a big way! That’s why I wanted to talk about Navajo White OC-95 today. I used it recently in my home gym and know it’ll be a popular choice for my color consultations in the coming years.

Read this if you’re not sure what warm colors vs cool colors are?

Why Is Navajo White Benjamin Moore Popular?

While Benjamin Moore Navajo White (OC-95 also known as 947 and PM-29) has been a popular paint color for a long time, but it is about to get a whole lot more popular thanks to the shift to warm neutrals!

A living room painted Navajo White designed by Mariann Simon

What is the Undertone of Navajo White?

When finding the color undertone of a neutral or off-white paint color I first compare it to a gray and white paint without any strong undertones. Here you can see my control paint chips taped to the Benjamin Moore Navajo White wall.

In this example you can see the warm pinky peach undertone of the Navajo White.

You can see below where the hex code for this paint falls on a digital meter. It is in the orange family but because it is so pale it is more of a distant relative of orange.

You can see that the orange is on the yellow side so when someone tells you Navajo White has a yellow undertone they’re not wrong, but it does have a wee bit of red mixed into it which gives it a soft peachy quality.

This unique orange undertone is why Navajo White paint is so lovely compared to a strictly yellow-undertoned cream paint color.

Will Navajo White Look Beige, Off-White or Cream in my room?

The answer is it depends on two things: The light and and what color(s) you pair it with.

First, on the matter of Color Pairing. By now, if you have been following me here or on Instagram then you know that color is always relative to what’s next to it because our brains use the other color to calibrate.

With a clean white like Chantilly Lace by Benjamin Moore, the Navajo White will look peach.

But when we compare Navajo White to a more deeply saturated pink beige like Kilim Beige by Sherwin Williams you can see that it is relatively pale and muted in comparison.

When compared to another popular beige paint color with pink undertones, like Muslin by Benjamin Moore, you can see the yellow in the undertones making it appear more creamy than beige.

And as to the lighting, it’s best to look at paint colors in natural light when trying to decide which to use. But I also recommend looking at the paint color at night too so you’re sure to love it all day and night. Your lightbulbs will make a big difference so when possible use bulbs with a high CRI (over 90.)

In the above photo, the light was quite diffused and it was a cloudy winter day so the light is on the cool side- this will affect the way all the colors look too!

What Trim Color To Use With Navajo White

My recommendation is to use Navajo white on all the surfaces. This will give you an allover creamy feel, but it won’t make the room seem peach. Adding white trim will make the undertones pop. Instead, vary the sheens, using a flat paint for the ceiling, eggshell on the walls and pearl or satin on the trim.

In this bedroom, by Crisp Architects, the walls are painted Ben Moore Navajo White and the stark contrast of the Benjamin Moore’s Decorator’s White (and bright white bed linens) creates a strong differential. In this case the paint appears to be an ever-so-lovely peach to warm up this bright and airy space.

If you like the above look, you can go with Decorators White for the sharpest contrast. Other Benjamin Moore whites you can use for trim or ceiling are White Dove Oc-17, Cloud White 967 or Swiss Coffee OC-45.

Why I Love Navajo White

It was Navajo White to the rescue when we had a recent unexpected color quandary in our home gym. What happened was the unfinished maple hardwood flooring we ordered looked very different than that which I had seen in the showroom. It had a distinct pink color to it. We tried staining it, which helped it a bit, but in the end, the floor was much brighter than we had hoped for.

The rest of the adjoining spaces had Benjamin Moore Swiss Coffee on the walls, but that looked very starkly white with the warm floor and creamy Greenbrier Beige HC-79 trim. So I knew I needed to go with a creamy off-white for the walls and ceiling.

After testing it out. We used BM Navajo White to paint the walls and you can see how it came out in these photos above and below.

One really important detail to note is we painted the ceiling with the Navajo White because I wanted the walls to look “white” so I avoided a bright white ceiling which would have made the peach undertones in the Navajo White more obvious. In other words, I didn’t want to have a pure white to throw off the eye-brain calibration. Without the stark white ceiling, the walls look white and it’s only the bright white in the posters that tips you off that the walls are so creamy!

Does Navajo White Work For Trim?

Yes! You can use Navajo White for a trim color, especially if your house is dark, like a lot of the homes in New England. As I explained in my tutorial about Mistakes To Avoid for New England Homes, which is basically a cheat sheet of how to deal with dark houses, I explain that yellowish undertones and creaminess in whites like BM Navajo White, BM Linen White, SW Dover White and SW Creamy is an important feature that helps the paint from looking sad and gray. But, the key is to commit to it, and not use any other white paint at all in the house. Otherwise, you’ll be able to see how peach it is by comparison.

That said, I would pick Navajo White in only a handful of cases because it has an orange undertone not a yellow undertone, and this can unintentionally clash with some colors. It would be stunning for a whole-house palette when pired with soft mid-toned beiges and creams SW Cream and Sugar, BM Manchester Tan, BM Carrington Beige. In all of these cases there is a low differential (something that is KEY to choosing the right trim color.)

What Colors Go With Navajo White?

If you are looking for ideas for coordinating colors for Navajo White, you are in luck because it goes with so many paint colors. I have pulled together a list of a few favorite coordinating colors for Navajo White.

• White: A longtime favorite of interior designers, Atrium White by Ben Moore is known for it’s wildly flattering pink undertone, this white paint would be a great option if you want a crisp contrast.
• Beige: Choose beiges from the gold beige or pink beige family and avoid greige or cooler taupe-based beiges. Some favorites are Ben Moore Greenbrier Beige and Crisp Khaki wich are warm yellow gold based beiges with a whisper of green in their undertones to keep them lower-chroma and complex. I also love a pink beige with Navajo White, but make sure it is not too overtly pink- Malabar by Sherwin-Williams is a favorite of mine.
• Green: Navajo White looks stunning with green. I like it best with warmer greens (those in the olive family) like Thicket, Urban Legend, both by BM. Or if you are going with a cooler green (a bluer one) make sure it is very greyed-out like Antique Pewter.
• Blue: Probably my favorite contrasting color for Navajo White is a deep navy (like Lead Gray by Benjamin Moore.) You could also use a blue-green like Greyhound or Brewster Gray for an accent color.
• Blackish Brown: I don’t love true black paints as a rule, and definitely not with Navajo White- it looks way too Halloweenish. Instead go with a moody-as-heck deep brown like Clove by Sherwin-Williams (a current favorite and one of their 2025 colors of the year.)
• Orange: If you love russets, peach tones, deep orangey brick colors and rustic orange tones, Navajo White by all means add them to a room painted with Navajo White. If using Navajo White as a whole-house color, you can color drench a smaller rooms (like a home-office or powder room) in a color like Mountain Hideaway or Firenze and the look will be so sophisticated!

These are just a few ideas, but in reality there are tons of others that would work too. Just keep in mind, it looks great with warmer colors and those that are either low-chroma or lacking saturation.

Sherwin Williams Navajo White vs Benjamin Moore Navajo White

Before I sign off, I need to mention an important thing. There is another Navajo White out there from Sherwin Williams. While these two creamy peachy colors are quite similar, do not use them interchangeably and make sure your painter knows which one you want! Sherwin Williams Navajo White is a little darker and pinker.

Key Takeaways About BM Navajo White

This is a great paint color to make your room feel warm and cozy because it is both distinctly warm but it is light enough that it can help keep your space feeling bright.

Use it with a white trim for a lighter alternative to a pink beige. For example, if you love BM Muslin, but it is too dark for you, go with Navajo White instead.

If you are somewhat color-averse but want to warm up your space, give Navajo White a peek. A hue like this is a great way to envelop your space with warmth without committing to a bold paint color.

The most important thing to note: If you want overall warmth but are afraid the room will look like it is painted peach or yellow, then I highly recommend painting the ceiling and trim BM Navajo White too. Or you can do a modern colonial paint scheme like I did and paint the trim a darker color.

That’s all for now, Happy Painting! If you’re looking for the perfect beige, don’t miss our Tapestry Beige Paint Review or read about Wool Skein by Sherwin-Williams.

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