Paint colors

[Maggyie]

Because we have to paint it ourselves, almost every room in our house is still the blah beige it was painted when we moved in (the walls, the ceilings... Beige beige beige). I want to paint our dining room this summer. I know to get a tester of colors first, but even those are getting expensive!

I tend to decorate in cool colors, but I went with conventional wisdom and tried Ben Moore Hawthorne Yellow, which is described online as "the perfect yellow." Well, it's too bright and not livable to me. Then we decided, just paint the whole room white and do lovely blue silk curtains for a "statement." I got a tester of Sherwin Williams Alabaster, which is also raved about. I got it because it seemed creamier. I don't want an ice cold white. Well, on our wall, it's definitely got a blue base. 

Does anyone know of a nice, creamy white? With a yellow or red base perhaps? We have a historic home so I'd like the kind of white you see in a Farrow and Ball catalog, without the FB price. 

[Anomaly]

My LOML is super picky about colors.  We had builder beige walls for ten years because I'd paint after she agonized and picked a color that she then didn't like in the walls.   Because of varying light during the day, picking up different colors from furniture and accessories, etc., the color will look different throughout the room.  I personally can't see the difference, but I don't (not want to, haha) live alone. 

What we've learned was to paint a   Poster board and pin it in various places to see what it looks like, day, evenings, high, low, across from windows, etc   Everybody can match anyone's color chip   It also makes a difference if flat, eggshell, semigloss, etc.   Well worth the effort to get the right color and be happy with the rom for years.  

 

[CatherineM]

Our walls are Antarctic ice. A cream with a hint of green. Love it. 

[dUSt]

I don't know about this white you speak of, but the only white I'm able to choose is one called "White Duck".

http://www.sherwin-williams.com/homeowners/hgtv-home-by-sherwin-williams/color-palettes/liveable-luxe/

The background: My wife has always had a tendency to pick out weirdo colors that never ended up looking good--especially in how they relate to other rooms in the house. Therefore, I had to lay down the law. About 10 years ago we went to all the home supply stores and brought home all the paint scheme brochures, and had her choose one--the "Livable Luxe" scheme from Sherman Williams (Lowes can use these colors with any paint brand). Anyway, in theory, all of the colors included in the scheme will go well with all the other colors in the scheme. There are about 20 colors to choose from, ranging from "white duck" to "tricorn black", and lots of colors in between. Anytime we need to pick out a color, we go back to that scheme and choose one. Makes life easy. I no longer have to argue with the wife about colors (the genius here is I let her pick the scheme to begin with) and my house doesn't look like clown vomit.

[WhiteLily]

I like either egg shell white or a robins egg blue/white. Don't know the exact name, but that does have a slight blue base.