Help me pick a paint colour!

[Greysowhat]

I'm trying to find a colour to go with this Ikea kitchen work top. I have white cabinets and will go for either cork flooring or some sort of oak and it's south facing. I've been through around 20 testers pots of "off white" paint going from hints of yellow to green to beige and now I'm on greys. I decided to limit myself to Farrow and Ball colours as they only have so many to choose from and I'm trying Strong White and Ammonite now but one's too light and the other is too dark. I'm worn out Any advice appreciated.

I don't think my link is there... https://www.ikea.com/gb/en/p/ekbacken-worktop-limestone-effect-laminate-00548801/#content

Shaded white from Farrow and ball goes great with grey and oak. My kitchen cupboards are painted with it. I have a Silestone splash back behind cooker which is mottled greys and white. Good luck.

It doesn't fit the grey brief but how about tailor tack (the palest of pinks)

Oh thanks, I'm checking that out now. Although is it a little dark? I started to paint with James White but it looked like Magnolia in the evening with the lights on and that seems a little dark even in the daytime. But it was white walls before that so anything would seem dark I suppose. I'm a bit boggled by the whole thing at this stage

YY to Tailor tack.
You'll drive yourself bonkers trying to match whites, and you don't want too much grey either.

I’ve got milky pail in our sitting room. It’s a lovely white. Not remotely creamy.

Thanks for the suggestion but I can't cope with pink at all! 😊

Oh I like that, and no, I definitely don't want anything cream. Thanks!

Slipper satin lovely as are skimming stone and stirabout

I think grey quickly becomes too much in a room so would stick to looking at white shades.

In a south facing room colours tend to look warmer so go for something that is more cool toned as it will end up looking more neutral.

Have you tried Wevet or Salt?

I love Slipper Satin but find it leans slightly creamy in my south facing room.

That is a conundrum indeed. Your countertop is more cold-toned and the cork/oak tend to be warm-tone. Not sure what shade of white your kitchen cupboards are, but an all white would not make things pop! I would go for some sort of warm neutrals to bring things together. Try dulux soft stone (or similar). You can also try some pop of colour with soft greens. If you want to keep the white, maybe Farrow ball strong white would work.

I think I went bonkers already, it was after painting half the kitchen in James White which turned out to be Magnolia in the evenings!

I have a tester of School House White here that I might try again. My trouble is trying to imagine the whole room in the colour from just a little test patch - see above. The other alternative is to change the worktop !!! (which I think was a mistake) 😅

Oh, I would also try some limewash paint in neutral tones... Super trendy right now.

If you have a piece of plasterboard, paint the sample colour on the plasterboard, so you can move it around.

Not F&B but try Crown-stone white

Oh that looks nice, worth a try.

Thanks everyone for all the suggestions.

I have strong white in my hall and lounge and ammonite in my kitchen - it’s impossible to base your judgement on a small sample - both are fabulous colours in a south facing room. You can’t really go wrong!

I find all the Farrow and Ball whites too colourful. Best ever white is Dulux Timeless it’s just a perfect soft white. It looks white on its own if you put it next to Brilliant white it looks like a modern creamy possibly green white but still white.

Just another quick question, does anyone have Schoolhouse White in a south facing room? Does it ever look any way cream, or God forbid, Magnolia?? !!!
My lights are warm I think so might they turn it Magnolia after dark?

Did have school house white before I renovated and it is very far off magnolia - it is lovely - it was in 2 south facing rooms

Oh thank you. It was actually my first choice months ago and I did a little patch test and decided against it. I still had the little tester so I painted 2 patches yesterday and must do a second coat now and see but I think I like it!

Honestly small patches make it harder as you see the contrast on your existing wall colour! I used the farrow and ball fan to compare colours.

I painted A4 sheets of paper (one colour each sheet) with various F & B paints and then could tape them up and move them about. Write the paint colour on the back as after a few you forget.

I now have a file I can use to choose in other rooms.

This is so useful as it’s possible to try shades you would not think of.

I drove myself mad choosing paint for our south facing kitchen too. We have a warm stone so I ended up with a slightly warm off-white (Little Greene's 'Linen Wash'), but I still have the testers of lots of other off-whites - these in the pics are more towards grey / neutral. (sorry, not f&b)
Definitely recommend painting the samples onto A4 cards, and moving them around the room as the colour will change depending on the position, time of day, etc.

From left to right -
Paint&Paper Canvas I
Fired Earth Canvas
Fired Earth Flake White
Little Greene Slaked Lime
Dulux Timeless
(and the wall is painted Little Greene Shirting, cabinets are Little Greene Linen Wash)

Good luck!

That looks lovely. I made a big mistake with my work top choice. I'm seriously thinking of changing it!

And School House White doesn't look so good with it either. 😕