Monday, February 02, 2015

Perfect White

Cottage Colour Of The Year - 2013 - All White 


2013 was a big year for Cottage. It was the year when finally decoration began. Don't get all your hopes up, it was only very basic stuff, that some people might even not considered as decoration, but after years of very fun stuff like concrete slabs and wall insulation, choosing the perfect paint for a ceiling seemed like loads of fun!



2013 était une grande année pour Cottage. La première année où il était possible de commencer un peu la déco. Rien d'extraordinaire non plus, mais après une année passée à ne s'occuper que de dalle béton et d'isolation de murs, c'était une bouffée d'air frais que de devoir choisir la peinture parfaite pour le plafond !


After much blog reading, which was supposed to help me,  I was even more confused. There are so many different whites! 


Après avoir lu plein de blogs censés m'aider, j'étais encore plus perdue. Il y a tellement de sortes de blanc!


Most very serious designer advised to choose a white that was somehow "aged", bordering on cream, for an old cottage. So of course, I chose a white that is described as "the purest white" by Farrow & Ball! 


La plupart des décorateurs sérieux conseillaient tout de même de choisir un blanc "vieilli", tirant sur le crème, pour les vieilles maisons. Bon alors, évidemment, n'écoutant que mon cerveau têtu, j'ai choisi un blanc décrit comme "pur" par le fabriquant Farrow & Ball!

Ceiling in All White - Walls unpainted

Personally, I don't see it's "that" pure. It looks like there's the smallest pinch of yellow: enough to prevent it from looking too cold, but not enough for it to loose its perfectly clean aspect.


Personnellement, je ne le trouve pas si pur que cela. D'après moi, il y a dedans une infime pincée de jaune : assez pour éviter qu'il ne soit trop froid, mais pas suffisamment pour qu'il perde cet aspect bien propre que j'adore.


I fell in love as soon as I saw how much light this white brought into Cottage: it never looks harsh and it never looks dirty.

J'ai été séduite dès que j'ai vu combien de lumière cette peinture ramenait à l'intérieur de Cottage, qui prenait ainsi un coup de jeune sans perdre de son charme.


So after using it on my downstairs ceiling, I also used it on my windows.


Du coup, après l'avoir utilisé sur mon plafond, je l'ai ressorti pour mes fenêtres.

Sorry, the old sink is still blocking the window here, but it's now gone, gone!

And also for my woodwork.

Shelves in All White

Et aussi pour mes boiseries.

And also on my kitchen chair.


Et aussi ma chaise de cuisine.

And also on my kitchen clock.


Et aussi mon horloge de cuisine.

And even on a little cabinet that was supposed to go to the kitchen and ended up in my bedroom.

Et même sur une petite étagère qui devait aller dans la cuisine mais a atterri momentanément dans ma chambre.

Can you guess what's the other colour used here?



I'm pretty sure it's not the last time I used it. I mean there's a whole cottage to redo!

Et je suis sûre que ce n'est pas la dernière fois que je ressors  ce pot de peinture. Après tout, il reste beaucoup de pièces à peindre.

Do you have a favourite white?

Et vous? Avez-vous un blanc préféré?

White snowdrop that bloomed just today in my strawberry patch!

See you soon for the colour of the year 2014 - but I bet you know what it is if you followed me that year!

A bientôt pour la couleur de l'année 2014 - mais elle ne devrait pas surprendre les lecteurs de longue date!



PS1: If you missed them, you can see the other colours of the year by clicking on the year: 2011 & 2012.

PS1: Si vous avez manqué les couleurs précédentes, vous pouvez les découvrir en cliquant sur l'année: 2011 & 2012.

PS2: I was not compensated in any way for my review of this paint... But if a Farrow & Ball manager stops by here: I have a whole cottage to repaint - hint, hint.

PS2: Je ne reçois aucune compensation de la part de cette marque de peinture, mais si jamais leur responsable com passe par là... Je suis partante!

PS3: I almost forgot! Today is Mid-Winter day... Yes! Spring is on its way!

J'ai failli oublier! Aujourd'hui se trouve être le milieu de l'hiver! Super, le printemps est en chemin!



PS4: I'm sharing this post with some awesome blogs.

 By Stephanie Lynn         My Show and Share Party             feb 2 a return to LOVELINESS                                       







45 comments:

  1. J'adore le blanc ! C'est très lumineux et ça fait propre... En outre, cela permet de nombreuses variations avec la déco. Merci pour cet article et à bientôt ! Flopsy

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  2. I think you should forward a copy of this post to F and B! You deserve a reward!
    I love the differences in whites, and used a paint called Cornish Cream for our old cottage, white but with a soft creamy warmth.

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  3. Moi aussi, j'aime beaucoup "ton" blanc. Pourtant, au départ, je trouvais que le blanc c'était trop... blanc, Pas du tout, c'est chic et lumineux surtout avec tes touches de bois. Effectivement, le fabricant de peinture pourrait faire un geste commercial, car grâce à toi, j'ai aussi peint le 1er étage avec "ton" blanc de cette marque ! Je vois que tu as changé ton bandeau d'accueil, c'est bon signe. Et j'ai vu aussi ton unique perce-neige qui annonce le printemps !

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  4. Très joli ce blanc, le rendu est tellement lumineux.
    Quel courage de peindre le plafond... C'est une tâche qui m'attend mais qui m'impressionne et que je repousse...
    Ta nouvelle bannière annonce le printemps, la photo de droite fait bien rêver...
    Bonne journée.

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  5. "elephant breath"? -gigggles- wonder how much of that paint, they sell????

    oh yes, pure white. my choice. oh yes.

    mmmm, in the bleak midwinter. I did not know that this is, today. thank you.

    Tessa~

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  6. From what I can see you really chose the perfect white. Your home is amazing. I'll bet you love her like a child. Beautiful. Jo

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  7. Your kitchen is just so cottage perfect -- cozy, warm, and inviting, in spite of all the white! You got it right! And thanks for including the recording of In the Bleak, Bleak Winter -- love it! (Even though I live in Florida and we have no bleak winter! Reminds me of my childhood, though.)

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    1. Well, we are really in the bleak mid-winter here lately and that makes choosing this white for my ceiling even more perfect!

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  8. I really noticed a big difference in how bright my kitchen was when I painted the cabinets and walls in white. I don't know if I have a favourite white, but I do love Benjamin Moore's Simply White. I think it has some taupe mixed in so that it is more off-white without being too off-white, if you know what I mean!

    Your home is looking so beautiful! Great job!

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  9. Bonjour Magali. Je viens de découvrir avec joie votre blog! Bilingue, quelle bonne idée. Je vais pouvoir tricher et lire les sous-titres quand je ne comprendrai pas l'anglais (je ne lis que des blogs anglais pour faire des progrès...). C'est vraiment ce que je cherchais, d'autant plus que tout est vraiment intéressant. Vous pouvez compter sur une nouvelle lectrice régulière!

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  10. Replies
    1. Thanks! I thought since we haven't seen one snowflake here, I'd changed the snowy header... So, of course, we are expecting some snow tonigh ;)

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  11. It looks so fresh, Magali. I don't have a favourite white and am always looking for the perfect one. We need to repaint all of the woodwork in our new cottage, so I will have a look at what you've used - it certainly looks pure, without muddy undertones. Well done!

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  12. Picking a warm white color is important when you are using a lot of it. I'm glad you are happy with your choice.

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  13. Oh I love it but I am with you....white is not an easy selection. It almost looks a bit taupey-white on my screen. Of course it is hard to tell. It looks really warm though and not at all what I would have thought from the name. Great choice.

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  14. Oh, the many shades of white, it can be very perplexing. The white that I chose for my cottage is called Swan Wing White. Don't you just love reading the names for paint . . . there is a poetry to their names, Misty Morning White, Foggy Lake Blue, Apple Orchard Green, Ballet Slipper Pink, Cream In Your Coffee Taupe, etc. That would be a fun job . . . being the one to name all the many colors of paints :)
    Your cottage is adorable.
    Connie :)

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  15. I recently bought a sample of a brand new chalk paint...Vintage Market and Design. Oh gosh, there are about 12 whites. If they are viewed independently they each look white. It's only when they are side by side that the subtle differences are apparent. But I do love the white you are using. It's not a "put your eyes out" kind of white... it's warm, comfortable and beautiful.

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  16. After the last 2 colors cottage had, white is definitely a huge breath of fresh air! It made her look more roomier but still keeping the coziness feel to her. :-)

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  17. Il est très beau ce blanc & il va si bien à "Cottage".
    Pour ma part, je peins les meubles dans un blanc cassé, mais pour un blanc très pur, il faut prendre un blanc dans lequel on rajoute une larme de bleu pour ne pas qu'il jaunisse.
    Caressesaux félins. Bises. Babette

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  18. I know that Cottage is so happy with all the pretty white paint - it looks so good. You have really done a exceptional job on remodeling your home and keeping costs down. My hat's off to you.
    Have a great week,
    Mary

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  19. J'adore blanc. Ta cuisine est magnifique!
    Chez nous nous avons choisi -lin clair, c'est pas blanc mais presque;)
    Bisous.

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  20. Remember the days when there were so few paint colors to choose from? It was so much easier then:-{. I have a favorite called Old White, it really blends in well with the Charmer. It's a cozy warm white and not a bright white that just wouldn't fit in well with her. Your cottage looks good and a huge difference from the previous colors.

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  21. My favorite color for walls, trim, cabinets and such would have to be white. My favorite accent colors are definitely aqua blue and a jadeite green color. I love lots of color but I also love the absence of color. I have a hard time finding a perfect medium...:) Have a great week Magali!

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  22. Hi..white really isn't my thing..but after seeing your kitchen I'm warming up to it..an I have always LOVED those wonderful wide/deep window sills..wish I had those..love the new seaside photo too..cold here on Maryland's Eastern Shore..Beautiful music to enjoy while looking over cottage..heading over to check out 2011 & 12 now...stay warm..

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    1. I like white, but I like to balance it with something... That's why I added the little wood cabinets in my kitchen. Those wide window sill are due to the width of the stone walls + the insulation I added there. The cats love to spend time there watching by the window, but I claimed the kitchen sill for my collections!

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  23. Choosing colours for our little Cape caused me much indecision. I so very much wanted shades of white with the wood floors and beams providing contrast. I brought home hundreds of 'white' colour swatches and tried painting swtches in different rooms to test the tints. None were satisfactory except one - Benjamin Moore Simply White. It was the first white chosen and it was for the kitchen cabinets. It has since been used on all our trim throughout, upstairs and down. A soft creamy white. Our little Cape decided it did not want to be all white so the rooms are 3 different colours of a grey/taope with a touch of green undertone.. They all work well with the wood beams and floors. Patty

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  24. ohhhh lalalala le blanc, c'est ma couleur préférée !!! :) j'ai le blanc partout, sur tous les murs dans mon appart et pas seulement sur les murs :) et le blanc que j'aime plus fort!? hmmm je pense que c'est un blanc pur... pur.... pour toujours ;)
    Salutations!

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  25. Dover White is my go-to white for kitchens. it has a tinge of yellow so it ages gracefully through the years. Cottage looks quite elegant in his white.

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  26. Look so neat! I like the white cabinet, so clean and everlasting!

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  27. You have the most charming view of your village from your kitchen window, of stone cottages, blue skies and tall trees. These are the colours that attract me, although white is also a favourite. Cottage is a charmer, and I know I would be completely enchanted in its presence, as you must be!

    Poppy

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  28. Dear Magali,
    I love all sorts of white and of course I know your favourite colour from last year. Thinking about it...perhaps you had some influence on my colour sceme for this spring? Your cottage is looking very bright!
    For our cottage I will use the fabric that I made the bedroom-cutains from, if the fabric is still available. I hope so, as the cottage is quite small and I think it might look better, if all the curtains were the same. From the outside, too. We have lots of snow, in the garden I would prefer some green shades in the near future....
    Have a nice week!
    Yours, Sarah

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  29. Magali,
    I love the white you chose it is bright and pretty and lets the light bounce in the room. Love the view from your kitchen window so sweet.
    Kris

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  30. I just go for brilliant white, because it's cheap and because I need as much light as possible in my little house, and it's a great backdrop to all my stuff (sorry I've probably said that before).
    The white you've chosen seems pretty perfect (I could look at pictures of your kitchen all day) and works well with all the wooden accents.

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  31. So many whites, right? Had you written that post just a little sooner you may have saved me some difficulty. Just spent the past couple of weeks agonising over paint colours, Almost White (Colortrend) won out in the end. It's not easy!

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  32. I think I have a favorite white now....beautiful and so clean looking! You are so right about there being a lot of shades of white. I was working on a wedding bouquet and had some what I thought was white satin.....I had to take it apart as it looked dirty :( All that work for nothing. But your white definitely cheered me up! Cheers,

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  33. I love a true white for the very reasons you mentioned - I like the light it brings to a room. Excellent choice!

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  34. le blanc pur est si beau sur un plafond mais, je le trouve monotone sur des murs - les blancs colorés ont ma préférence pour les murs, comme dans la cuisine de Cottage... ou le blanc bleuté "nuage" de notre salle d'eau.
    la photo du perce-neige est splendide (j'adore les perce-neiges...) - cordialement - monique59

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    1. J'ai planté il y a quelques années des dizaines de bulbes de perce-neige et celui-là est le seul à être sorti!

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  35. The white you chose works great in your cottage. And every time I see that deep well kitchen window my heart skips a beat. *sigh*

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  36. I love the shade of white "the purest white" by Farrow & Ball!" I went to the supplier, but I could not find the actual shade of white that you used. Can you tell me?

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    1. The paint's name is "All White" and it's number 2005 by Farrow & Ball.

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    2. thanks so much, I am anxious to give it a try on my fisherman's house in Cedar Key, Fl.

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  37. Picking out white paint gave me so much anxiety!!!

    -andi

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