Another white paint thread - need a white that is relaxing but fresh and NOT cold looking - or any other ideas?

[IHeartKingThistle]

About to renovate living room - it's the last project! 70s house, the rest of it is white/wood/colour, quite kooky, a bit retro, pops of mismatching colour sort of thing. The kitchen and hallway/stairs are just PBW and up till now I just assumed we'd carry it into the living room, but it is VERY bright in the kitchen and I think we need something a bit calmer! Also our colourful elements in the living room are slightly (!) more muted.

Living room will have light wood floor, soft turquoise armchair, neutral sofas and this rug (which we already have and LOVE). For the windows I'm thinking of picking out a colour from the rug for roller blinds and framing with neutral curtains. If I wasn't doing that I'd use F+B Skimming Stone on the walls, which we have in our bedroom, but I don't really want neutral curtains against neutral walls. So back to white, but I think something a bit softer than PBW? The white bits on the rug aren't really white but cream/stone.

Ooh and another question - I'm going to be very good and try to avoid any more colour on the main walls, but we're having built in bookshelves and I quite like the idea of a coloured wall behind them. Too much? Which colour?

Thanks for reading my unnecessarily long post!

No white paint experts around today?

It is mind lowing picking a colour I find. How about more of a cream? F and B Pointing is nice. Or to e down with a very pale grey?

Mind blowing.

I think cream might be too warm but I'm not sure. The walls are magnolia at the moment and I hate it!

We used crown milk white which is not a bright white. It's really nice with no grey or cream undertones.

Dulux Timeless (think that's what it is called) is nice. We've used it in our hallway. Not too cold feeling.

Was just going to suggest dulux timeless. Clean looking but not bright

F&B All White. A true white that I find is quite warm without having any yellow in it. I was a bit apprehensive that it'd be too cold for the North facing room we used it in but it's a lovely soft white.

ooh some suggestions! Thanks so much, will check those out.

F&B white tie. Lovely.

I love that rug by the way. I think you could get away with some colour in the bookshelves. I'd maybe go for the ochre colour in the rug if you want to keep things muted or if wanting to go bright a turquoise to match your chair, or the raspberry colour in the rug.

Thankyou! I think I'm going to pick out the green for the blinds (although now I'm having a wobble about how bright that would be when the blinds are down!)

Maybe neutrals for blinds and curtains, then colour on bookcase wall?

Going to go and get testers of all those whites (DH thinks looking at the colour charts will suffice - honestly!)

Dulux white throughout whole house. Don't find it cold.

You're going to need some testers, but I would suggest dulux jasmine white. A bright but not cold colour.

Have a look at Crown Stone White as I have used it quite a bit.However have also used Timeless as well in some rooms.

We have Dulux Timeless. It's lovely.

Or go for Egytian Cotton which is a fab neutral.

Magnolia is not really cream it's a peachy colour.

If you want white, Farrow and Ball "all white" if you like the chalky finish and you have a generous budget, Dulux trade matt white if you have a limited budget, the end result will be very similar.

If you would prefer a warmer but cleaner pale cream farrow and ball white tie is beautiful.

I have found the Crown flat matt period colour China Cup to be a good neutral non-pinkish cream, maybe best described as a pale stone colour. I've used it in old houses and modern.

Are any of thw shades mentioned below available in washable / scrubbable? I need a shade of white for our hallway.

I have timeless in scrubbable

oooh thanks justaweeone - that sounds perfect!

I have Dulux Timeless in every room. Buy the Endurance stuff, it is well worth the extra cost.