Paint Color Review: Benjamin Moore Swiss Coffee OC-45

Walls and ceiling are painted in Benjamin Moore Swiss Coffee.


What is the LRV of Swiss Coffee?



What is the “undertone” of Benjamin Moore Swiss Coffee? Will it look yellow?

It might. It depends on the context of the lighting and what’s around it.

If we take an objective look at Swiss Coffee’s LCh* spectral data, we can see that it has a hue angle of 101.31°, putting it in the Yellow hue family

Benjamin Moore Swiss Coffee hue family spectral data

Swiss Coffee has a very high lightness value (93.3) which means it’s nice and bright. At 5.39, Swiss Coffee also has a fair amount of chroma, or color saturation. This means that it has just enough color pigment to give it some nice warmth. 



In certain qualities of light, Swiss Coffee’s warmth will really stand out and may look more yellowish. Like all white paint colors, Swiss Coffee is highly reflective and vulnerable to the lighting around it. 

  • Swiss Coffee will look more balanced in rooms with North-facing light or rooms that have dim lighting.
  • The warmth of Swiss Coffee will be more noticeable and more intense in rooms that receive a lot of Southern light or afternoon Western light. Both are warmer and a bit yellow. 
  • Soft white bulbs (the most popular, easily available light bulb color) tend to be quite yellow as well and may amplify the yellow in Swiss Coffee. Using the right color light bulbs (3000 K to 3500 K) will give BM Swiss Coffee a much more balanced appearance.
  • Kitchens that have cool-toned marble or quartz countertops, bright white subway tile, or white appliances may be too stark to pair well with Swiss Coffee.

What trim color goes with Swiss Coffee? Can I use it for cabinets and walls?

If you have Benjamin Moore Swiss Coffee on the walls, I recommend using Swiss on the trim and cabinets. Simply change the sheen or finish to give it some dimension (e.g., eggshell for the walls and satin for the cabinets and trim). When you start trying to mix and match white paints, their differences in hue and chroma become much more obvious. One will likely end up highlighting the hue family of the other, causing it to look grayer/yellower/dingier by comparison.

These cabinet are paint in Benjamin Moore Swiss Coffee in a semi-gloss finish. The walls are Benjamin Moore Swiss Coffee in a flat finish.

What other paint colors are equivalent or similar to Benjamin Moore Swiss Coffee?

As a reminder, I don’t recommend color matching between brands. This is especially true when it comes to white paint. You cannot color match between brands and expect to get identical results. You will see shifts in color and depth. But if you’re looking for something with a similar vibe to Swiss Coffee in another brand, there are options: 

The walls are Benjamin Moore Swiss Coffee in flat finish, and the paneling is Swiss Coffee in semi-gloss finish.


Benjamin Moore Swiss Coffee vs White Dove

Is Benjamin Moore Swiss Coffee a good exterior paint color?

It can be for some houses, but it’s not our favorite or one we specify often for exteriors in our color consultations. When it comes to off-white and warm white paints, there are simply others that are a little more flexible. Again, this is why sampling swatches of the actual paint color in its intended space (on an exterior wall) and viewing it at different times of the day is so important.

Home exterior painted in Benjamin Moore Swiss Coffee.


What other paint colors go with the Benjamin Moore Swiss Coffee color palette?

We think this beautiful warm white looks fantastic with tans, beiges, and shades of green! Take a look at some of our favorite Benjamin Moore Swiss Coffee complimentary colors:

Benjamin Moore Swiss Coffee complimentary colors, Benjamin Moore Swiss Coffee color palette

Need Help Choosing a Color?

one room paint color report

One Room Paint Color Report | Virtual

Need help choosing the best paint colors for your room? Then this is the (virtual) service for you! Based on your questionnaire responses and uploaded photos, we’ll create a personalized digital Paint Color Report just for you. We’ll also send you paint swatches! Click below to learn how it works or to get started!


exterior paint color

Exterior Paint Color Report | Virtual

Ready to give your home exterior a fresh new look, but feeling overwhelmed with the decision? Get a little virtual help from the color experts at Three Bears Home Staging! Based on your questionnaire responses and uploaded photos, we’ll create a personalized digital Paint Color Report just for your home’s exterior. We’ll also send you paint swatches! Read below to learn how it works…


About Vannessa Rhoades
About Vannessa Rhoades

Vannessa Rhoades is the author of Just Right! Easy DIY Home Staging and the founder of the award-winning firm, Three Bears Home Staging®. She specializes in providing positive and empowering consultations to help homeowners sell more quickly and for more money. Vannessa has staged and consulted on hundreds of properties, both in person throughout the Houston metro area and virtually across the country.

7 Inspired Tips for How to Decorate Rooms with Tall Walls & High Ceilings

If you love living rooms with tall ceilings, you probably know that having all that luxurious vertical space comes with some interesting decorating challenges. Having a high ceiling living room means you’ll have lots of space more than 8 feet up. This can make a room feel grand and spacious, but it can also feel a little cave-like and sterile. To design a warmer, more balanced vibe, you’ll need to look for ways to creatively merge the upper and lower areas by pulling focus upward. Let’s take a look at a few clever tall ceiling living room decorating ideas that will help you take advantage of all that beautiful soaring space.

1. Hang window treatments at ceiling height

Hanging curtains lower than ceiling height tends to section off the wall and make the upper area feel more remote and separate. This tip can get expensive because extra-long curtains usually cost more. Opt for solid color draperies, as patterned fabrics can be overwhelming on a larger scale.

2. Install a statement light

A big gorgeous light fixture hanging as a focal point is a great way to blend the upper and lower areas of a room. The exact spot you hang it will be determined by other elements in the particular room, but centered in the main part of the room or above the coffee table is generally a safe spot. Select a piece that takes up a lot of visual space but doesn’t necessarily weigh a lot, like a modern-style chandelier. 

3. Design a feature wall

Creating a ceiling-to-floor design on one wall is another great way to merge the higher and lower parts of a space. Something as simple and inexpensive as painting an accent wall or hanging wallpaper on one wall can be quite effective. If you have a tall fireplace wall with high ceilings or a vaulted fireplace wall, you can extend the brick or stone toward the ceiling to draw the eye upwards.

4. Utilize architectural features

Exposed beams, crown molding, beadboard, and other architectural details are common in a living room with tall ceilings. If your home doesn’t have these features, consider making the investment to give the room some character and a little added visual interest. Again, these details help draw the eye upward and connect the upper and lower areas of the room.

5. Install shelving

Wall shelves or bookshelves are another creative way to take advantage of extra vertical space. Floating shelves strategically spaced around the wall work well in some spaces, while tall bookshelves may work well in others. If you love to read, a full accent wall made up only of shelves may be just the ticket. Be creative.

6. Hang large art creatively

Whether it’s a gallery-style wall that takes up the entire floor-to-ceiling space or an extra large piece that you can hang a little higher, large art and artwork groupings help tie together parts of the room and pull the gaze upwards. Experiment with scale and proportion to add a bit of drama. Make sure your art complements the rest of the decor in your space.

7. Consider painting or adding texture to the ceiling

Trying to make your space feel less cavernous and bring the ceiling down a little bit? You may want to consider darkening the ceiling. Painting the ceiling a darker color or adding wood or other texture can help can make it visually appear a bit lower. This can help contain a really massive space.

Need more decorating ideas for living rooms with tall ceilings?

Are you selling a home and struggling with how to decorate tall walls and high ceilings? We can teach you how to style the rooms to enhance this feature while still making the rooms feel cozy for potential buyers. Three Bears Home Staging specializes in positive, empowering home staging consultations. We help home sellers make the most of what they’ve already got in order to get a faster, more profitable home sale. Book your online consultation today!

online home staging consultation 60

Book an Online Consultation

We specialize in positive and empowering virtual consultations with practical advice to help homeowners sell more quickly and for more money.


course

Enroll in Our Online Courses

Our online courses are designed with you, the DIY homeowner, in mind. From home staging to paint color selection, we break down the process for you from start to finish!


Read Our Book

In this brand new third edition of her popular book, Just Right! Easy DIY Home Staging, professional home stager Vannessa Rhoades walks you through the step-by-step process of staging your home for a faster, more profitable sale. Available on Amazon in paperback and Kindle editions!


About Vannessa Rhoades
About Vannessa Rhoades

Vannessa Rhoades is the author of Just Right! Easy DIY Home Staging and the founder of the award-winning firm, Three Bears Home Staging®. She specializes in providing positive and empowering consultations to help homeowners sell more quickly and for more money. Vannessa has staged and consulted on hundreds of properties, both in person throughout the Houston metro area and virtually across the country.

Paint Color Review: Sherwin-Williams Kilim Beige 6106


What is the “Undertone” of Kilim Beige?

Since everyone perceives color a bit differently, let’s take a look at something a little more objective – the numbers. If you look at Kilim Beige’s spectral data, it has a hue angle of 83.415°. This means Kilim Beige is officially part of the Yellow hue family. At 13.005, it also has a bit more chroma (vividness, colorfulness) than a typical “neutral.” This means Kilim Beige has a little more body and depth than the average beige.

sherwin williams kilim beige

Take a closer look at Kilim Beige’s location on the color wheel. You’ll notice it’s very close to the border of the Yellow-Red (a.k.a., Orange) hue family. This means that depending on your lighting or exposure, Kilim Beige may look a bit peachy. However, this bit of peachiness tends to be fairly subdued (many people don’t notice it at all).  

Want to learn how to simply and accurately identify a paint color’s hue family? Curious about how to use chroma? In my online course, Color By The Numbers™, I show you how easy it is to locate spectral data and how to use it to evaluate colors.


What is the LRV of SW Kilim Beige?

Light Reflectance Value (LRV) is a measure of how much light a paint reflects back into a room. The scale runs from 100 (highly reflective) to zero (not reflective at all). Kilim Beige has an LRV of 57. This makes it just right for many residential interiors, having a little more body and depth than some of the more common, lighter beige paint colors.

In a south-facing room or with western afternoon light, Kilim Beige will look quite warm. In a north-facing room, the warmth is more muted. Remember, your quality of light changes throughout the day. Be sure to view a sample of this color on all walls and in a variety of artificial and natural light.

The Sherwin-Williams paint colors featured in this bedroom are SW6107 Nomadic Desert (ceiling), SW6106 Kilim Beige (walls), and SW6212 Quietude (headboard).

You must sample this color in the space you intend to use it before you start putting it on your walls and trim! (We mail 8″ x 10″ paint swatches of our recommendations to our Virtual Color Consultation clients.)


Which White Trim Color Goes with Kilim Beige?


What Other Paint Colors Coordinate With Kilim Beige?

Sherwin-Williams Kilim Beige has a higher chroma (i.e., it’s more colorful) than many other popular beiges or warm neutrals. It tends to partner best with the following combinations:

  • light beiges and cream colors from the same hue family
  • some grays, taupes, and greiges that have a similar or lower LRV (Kilim Beige doesn’t work well with colors that are lighter than it is.)
  • darker blues and some blue-green paint colors (Pairing Kilim Beige with its opposite on the color wheel creates a beautiful complement.)
sherwin williams kilim beige 6106 coordinating colors complimentary colors

Is Kilim Beige a Good Exterior Paint Color?

Kilim Beige can work beautifully as a neutral trim or siding color. It looks especially nice with brick or stone that has that same peachy tone. Its LRV of 57 means it will reflect a lot of light. In fact, it can look much lighter in an outdoor environment than you may expect. Again, view paper samples on the exterior wall prior to painting.

The stucco is Sherwin Williams SW6106 Kilim Beige Satin Finish. The siding is Sherwin Williams #SW6108 Latte in Satin Finish. The trim is Sherwin Williams SW6126 Navajo White Satin Finish.


What Other Paint Colors are Similar to Kilim Beige?

Again, I never recommend color matching between brands. You cannot color match between brands and expect to get identical results. But if you’re looking for something similar to Kilim Beige in another brand, there are options: 


Need Help Choosing a Color?

one room paint color report

One Room Paint Color Report | Virtual

Need help choosing the best paint colors for your room? Then this is the (virtual) service for you! Based on your questionnaire responses and uploaded photos, we’ll create a personalized digital Paint Color Report just for you. We’ll also send you paint swatches! Click below to learn how it works or to get started!


exterior paint color

Exterior Paint Color Report | Virtual

Ready to give your home exterior a fresh new look, but feeling overwhelmed with the decision? Get a little virtual help from the color experts at Three Bears Home Staging! Based on your questionnaire responses and uploaded photos, we’ll create a personalized digital Paint Color Report just for your home’s exterior. We’ll also send you paint swatches! Read below to learn how it works…


About Vannessa Rhoades
About Vannessa Rhoades

Vannessa Rhoades is the author of Just Right! Easy DIY Home Staging and the founder of the award-winning firm, Three Bears Home Staging®. She specializes in providing positive and empowering consultations to help homeowners sell more quickly and for more money. Vannessa has staged and consulted on hundreds of properties, both in person throughout the Houston metro area and virtually across the country.

5 Smart Tips for Sellers: How to Prepare for a Home Inspection

Selling a home quickly and profitably comes with a lot of hard prep work. Besides making sure it looks beautiful and appeals to potential buyers, you’ll want to ensure that it’s “healthy” enough to pass a home inspection with flying colors. 

Once you’ve secured an interested buyer, they will hire a home inspector to evaluate your property. As a home seller, there are plenty of steps you can take to make sure the home inspection process is smooth and efficient. Take a look at our top home inspection tips for sellers — then download our free home inspection checklist (a fillable PDF)!

tree trimming Tips for Sellers: How to Prepare for a Home Inspection

1. Consider your curb appeal.

  • Trim back shrubs and tree limbs that have grown too close to the house. Leave at least a foot of clearance.
  • Leave a minimum of 4 to 6 inches of clearance between the siding and any landscaping materials, like mulch or stone.
  • ​​Clean the gutters thoroughly. Ensure the downspouts and other drains are free of obstruction and flowing correctly. Make sure the run-off isn’t pooling next to the house.
  • Examine all the trim and siding around your home, and repair any wood rot (do not just paint over it). Poke suspicious spots with a knife or screwdriver to find soft, rotting wood. A few of the most common areas I see in my staging consultations include garage door corners, window sills, door jambs, deck posts, and porch posts.
  • Recaulk gaps, seams, and trim where necessary and fix any exposed nail heads.
  • Make sure all exterior doors, locks, and deadbolts are operable. Add weatherstripping if necessary.
  • Remove any stored items that are kept against the side of the house. Remove any lawn decor or furniture that may inhibit their ability to place a ladder firmly on the ground to access the roof.
  • Leave exterior buildings on the property, like storage sheds, a detached garage, or a guest house, unlocked and accessible. Provide any keys, garage door openers, or door codes they may need. You’ll also want to leave any keys or unlocking instructions for sprinkler systems or other systems that have electrical panel boxes or utility boxes.


replacing light bulb Tips for Sellers: How to Prepare for a Home Inspection

2. Have the interior ready.

Inside your home, you’ll want to double-check some of the common trouble spots for many home inspections. These include:

  • Ensuring all interior doors and locks are operable.
  • Checking for leaks under sinks. If you’ve ever left a towel or mat under the sink “just in case” something happens, remove it. Otherwise, it can look like you’ve either had a previous problem or are trying to hide a current issue.
  • Make sure the hot water heater operates properly.
  • Vacuum dust from all air intake vents and replace filters. Use a sharpie to write the current date on your air filter so that the inspector will know they’ve been recently replaced.
  • Consider having the HVAC system serviced if you haven’t done so within the past 12 months. Leave a receipt for the home inspector and buyer.
  • Inspecting all caulking, trim, and seals.
  • Make sure smoke detectors work.
  • Test all fixtures, lights, and fans. Replace all non-working light bulbs.
  • Repair any drywall cracks or nail pops.
  • Make sure appliances are clean and empty so the inspector can turn them on and properly test them (you don’t want a dirty oven to smoke up the house and set off the fire alarms).
  • Clean up! A tidy home helps promote the idea you have been a conscientious, responsible homeowner. A dirty home implies the opposite.

Properly preparing the inside of your home ready shrinks the list of annoying imperfections the inspector has to record. A burnt-out light bulb or a small in the plaster may not seem like a big deal to you, but lots of little repairs can add up and overwhelm a potential buyer.

moving boxes Tips for Sellers: How to Prepare for a Home Inspection

3. Ensure the inspector has access.

Make sure an inspector will be able to easily reach all places and systems, including the attic, HVAC, plumbing, and electrical panels. Leave everything unlocked and remove any furnishings, shelving, or storage boxes that may be in the inspector’s way. Place all remotes near the items they operate, like ceiling fans, light fixtures, and fireplaces. Remember, if they can’t access an area, they’ll have to come back for another visit (which usually leaves everyone involved feeling frustrated).

provide receipts Tips for Sellers: How to Prepare for a Home Inspection

4. Provide receipts.

In the absence of documentation, home inspectors tend to provide estimates to potential buyers (e.g., “Water heater appears to be nearing its life expectancy” or “Roof looks to be more than 20 years old”). While these are educated guesses, they’re sometimes wrong. If you’ve recently had part of your home replaced or serviced, leave copies of the receipts in an obvious place, like the kitchen counter or dining room table. Your documentation may include items such as:

  • HVAC servicing
  • Water heater or window replacement receipts
  • Pool maintenance
  • Pest control inspection
  • Roof replacement and/or warranty
  • Receipts for any other properly handled repairs
homeowner leaving the house with dog Tips for Sellers: How to Prepare for a Home Inspection

5. Leave the house.

Should the seller be present at the home inspection? It depends somewhat on the seller’s attitude. A friendly homeowner who is able and willing to answer questions and provide documentation about repairs can be quite helpful. However, a seller who is grouchy or defensive, who doesn’t know much about the house, or who performed shoddy repairs (or didn’t complete repairs) probably shouldn’t be there. 

That said, most home inspectors and real estate agents advise home sellers to leave while the home is being inspected. In fact, many inspectors hate it when the homeowner is present (though they probably won’t tell you this directly). A homeowner’s presence makes it harder for them to fully evaluate and criticize the home because the seller may protest or engage them in conversation. Even a quiet homeowner will have to spend time moving from room to room, further slowing down the process.

Ultimately, anything that slows down the home inspection or makes it more tedious risks irritating the home inspector. As a result, they may take a more critical view of your home and its issues. Remember, they’re human, and if you aggravate them, things may not play out in your favor. 

Pro tip: Take any pets with you if possible. If not, ensure that they are secured.


Preparing for a Home Inspection? Get Our Checklist!

Home Inspection Checklist for Sellers free fillable PDF

Visit our Library of Freebies to access our Home Inspection Checklist for Sellers. It’s a fillable PDF so you can fill it out on your tablet, phone, or computer (or print, if you like)!


Preparing to Sell a Home? We Can Help!

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Book an Online Consultation

We specialize in positive and empowering virtual consultations with practical advice to help homeowners sell more quickly and for more money.


course

Enroll in Our Online Courses

Our online courses are designed with you, the DIY homeowner, in mind. From home staging to paint color selection, we break down the process for you from start to finish!


Read Our Book

In this brand new third edition of her popular book, Just Right! Easy DIY Home Staging, professional home stager Vannessa Rhoades walks you through the step-by-step process of staging your home for a faster, more profitable sale. Available on Amazon in paperback and Kindle editions!


About Vannessa Rhoades
About Vannessa Rhoades

Vannessa Rhoades is the author of Just Right! Easy DIY Home Staging and the founder of the award-winning firm, Three Bears Home Staging®. She specializes in providing positive and empowering consultations to help homeowners sell more quickly and for more money. Vannessa has staged and consulted on hundreds of properties, both in person throughout the Houston metro area and virtually across the country.

Paint Color Review: Sherwin-Williams Pure White 7005

What is the LRV of Pure White?

You must sample this color in the space you intend to use it before you start putting it on your walls and trim! (We mail 8″ x 10″ paint swatches of our recommendations to our Virtual Color Consultation clients.)

What is the “undertone” of Pure White? Will it look yellow or pink?

If we take a look at its spectral data, we see SW Pure White has a hue angle of 106.961°. This puts it (just barely) in the Yellow hue family, nudging the Green-Yellow hue family pretty closely. 

Sherwin-Williams Pure White 7005

This is the same area of the color wheel where many popular neutrals live, as there’s a good balance of warmth and coolness. It has a very high lightness value (94.457) balanced with a decent amount of chroma (4.065). This means that it’s bright and clean, but has just enough pigment to keep it from feeling too sterile.

Will it look yellow or pink on the walls? Probably not much. That said, white paint is incredibly reflective and can easily mirror its surroundings’ color. So, for example, if you’ve got a lot of red furnishings or red brick in your home, it may reflect a bit of pink. If you’ve got a lot of sunlight filtered by leafy green plants, it could reflect a little bit of that green back to you. 



Can I pair Sherwin-Williams Pure White with another white paint color? Will it look yellow?

It might. If you have SW Pure white on the walls, I recommend using it on the trim and/or cabinets as well. Simply change the sheen or finish to give it some dimension. For example, use eggshell for the walls and satin for the cabinets and trim. When you start trying to mix and match white paints, their differences in hue and chroma become much more obvious. One will likely end up highlighting the hue family of the other, causing it to look grayer/yellower/dingier by comparison.


What are other paint colors that are equivalent or similar to Sherwin-Williams Pure White?

As a reminder, I don’t recommend color matching between brands. You cannot color match between brands and expect to get identical results. You will see shifts in color and depth. But if you’re looking for something similar to Pure White in another brand, there are options: 

How does SW Pure White compare to other popular white paint colors?

Compared to other popular white paint colors, SW Pure White takes its own approach:

  • Sherwin-Williams Pure White vs. Sherwin-Williams Extra White: Pure White has a bit more warmth than SW Extra White. Both are commonly used as clean trim colors. Between the two, I’d use Pure White with warmer colors and opt for Extra White with a cooler color palette.
  • Sherwin-Williams Pure White vs. Sherwin-Williams Alabaster: Pure White is generally less popular for walls than its cousin, SW Alabaster, a softer, warmer white. Alabaster is slightly creamier without being yellow.
  • Sherwin-Williams Pure White vs. Sherwin-Williams Snowbound: SW Snowbound is another popular white paint color that’s less versatile than Pure White and almost a bit taupe by comparison. I’d avoid it for use as a trim or cabinet color.
  • Sherwin-Williams Pure White vs. Sherwin-Williams High Reflective White: Pure White has a lot more warmth and depth than the exceptionally clean, stark SW High Reflective White.
  • Sherwin-Williams Pure White vs. Benjamin Moore Simply White: Like SW Pure White, BM Simply White is part of the Yellow hue family (106.615°). The difference, however, is that Pure White is balanced with a tiny dose of gray/black that mutes its yellow appearance and gives it a lot more flexibility. With BM Pure White, the yellow can be more obvious, especially if you’re pairing it with a cool white quartz countertop or bright white subway tile. 

Need Help Choosing a Color?


one room paint color report

One Room Paint Color Report | Virtual

Need help choosing the best paint colors for your room? Then this is the (virtual) service for you! Based on your questionnaire responses and uploaded photos, we’ll create a personalized digital Paint Color Report just for you. We’ll also send you paint swatches! Click below to learn how it works or to get started!


exterior paint color

Exterior Paint Color Report | Virtual

Ready to give your home exterior a fresh new look, but feeling overwhelmed with the decision? Get a little virtual help from the color experts at Three Bears Home Staging! Based on your questionnaire responses and uploaded photos, we’ll create a personalized digital Paint Color Report just for your home’s exterior. We’ll also send you paint swatches! Read below to learn how it works…


About Vannessa Rhoades
About Vannessa Rhoades

Vannessa Rhoades is the author of Just Right! Easy DIY Home Staging and the founder of the award-winning firm, Three Bears Home Staging®. She specializes in providing positive and empowering consultations to help homeowners sell more quickly and for more money. Vannessa has staged and consulted on hundreds of properties, both in person throughout the Houston metro area and virtually across the country.

Home Staging Secrets: How Plants Can Help Sell Your House

The organic look and feel of green plants definitely add something to a room. It’s a marketing technique that professional home stagers employ with every home they stage, and it’s one you can use too. 

Home Staging with Real Plants vs. Artificial Plants vs. Fresh-Cut Flowers

Though beautiful, we don’t typically advise homeowners to invest in fresh flowers. These have an extremely short shelf life and require a lot of vigilance. While they may work well for a one-day open house, they just won’t last throughout the entire course of your home’s listing. Plus, they’re an allergy trigger for some buyers. Fortunately, there are a number of hard-to-kill green plants that can survive all types of sunlight conditions and sporadic watering schedules, including:

  • Succulents
  • Jade plants
  • Pothos plants
  • Rubber plants
  • Snake plants
  • Spider plants

I adore live plants, but I’ve found that most homeowners don’t want the additional pressures of trying to keep them alive while their house will be on the market. If this sounds like you, consider investing in faux plants.

For years, fake greenery was considered tacky because it was so unmistakably fake – the blue-green silk, the wires poking out, the dusty plastic leaves. Happily, we’re in a new era of artificial foliage, and today’s options can sometimes be extremely difficult to tell apart from the real thing. Faux plants for home staging are available in a wide range of sizes and styles and are perfectly happy to be neglected by a busy home seller.

Let’s take a look at some of our favorite plants for home staging and why they work so well.

Homes with plants feel happier. 

Better Homes & Gardens Faux Aloe Plant in White and Black Stone Planter, 11″ x 6.5″

Plants bring the outdoors in.

From a design perspective, plants soften the transition from outdoors to indoors. They add a layer of depth by bringing nature inside your home, thereby visually expanding your space.

artificial fiddle leaf fig

Artificial Fiddle Leaf Fig Tree, 30.5″

Plants make great decorating props. 

A large floor plant makes a great space filler in the absence of other furniture. Smaller plants on a table or countertop are another great way to put a finishing touch on your look. A few pretty greenery stems in a beautiful container make a great focal point for a vignette.

Artificial Olive Branch Stems

Artificial Olive Branch Stems, 5 pieces

Plants help define the space. 

Something as simple as an orchid in the bathroom or a potted tree in the corner can give buyers a feeling of how tall the ceilings are or how wide the counters may be.

6' Artificial Ficus Tree

Artificial Ficus Tree, 72″

Plants help a house feel like a home.

If you’ve just spent a lot of time de-personalizing a space to give it more mass appeal, chances are good it may feel a bit sterile to you. Green plants are a great way to add a bit of warmth and personality while still keeping your home fairly neutral. They’re also a great way to add a bit of color and life to the space.

artificial plants

Artificial Mini Plants, Set of 3


Preparing to Sell a Home? We Can Help!

online home staging consultation 60

Book an Online Consultation

We specialize in positive and empowering virtual consultations with practical advice to help homeowners sell more quickly and for more money.


course

Enroll in Our Online Courses

Our online courses are designed with you, the DIY homeowner, in mind. From home staging to paint color selection, we break down the process for you from start to finish!


Read Our Book

In this brand new third edition of her popular book, Just Right! Easy DIY Home Staging, professional home stager Vannessa Rhoades walks you through the step-by-step process of staging your home for a faster, more profitable sale. Available on Amazon in paperback and Kindle editions!


The products on this blog have been independently selected because I like them. Some of the links on this blog are affiliate links, meaning, if you choose to click on a link and make a purchase, I earn a small commission. This commission comes at no additional cost to you and is paid 100% by the merchant, which helps me continue to create free content for my readers — so it’s a win-win! Thank you for supporting my blog and my business!

About Vannessa Rhoades
About Vannessa Rhoades

Vannessa Rhoades is the author of Just Right! Easy DIY Home Staging and the founder of the award-winning firm, Three Bears Home Staging®. She specializes in providing positive and empowering consultations to help homeowners sell more quickly and for more money. Vannessa has staged and consulted on hundreds of properties, both in person throughout the Houston metro area and virtually across the country.

Paint Color Review: Benjamin Moore Chantilly Lace OC-65

Cabinets painted in Chantilly Lace, flat classic.

What Is the “Undertone” of Chantilly Lace?

All colors belong to a hue family. Hue family describes a color’s location on a specific segment of the color wheel, like red, yellow, blue, etc. Sometimes that color will sneak up on you a bit once the paint is dry on the walls (which is often what people mean when they ask about “undertone”).

Identifying a color’s hue family gives us an objective way to predict how a color will behave. We do this by measuring a color’s dominant hue angle using color measurement tools, like colorimeters and photospectrometers. Chantilly Lace has a hue angle of 113.59° which puts it in the Green-Yellow hue family.

chantilly lace benjamin moore

What does this mean? This Green-Yellow area happens to be on the same part of the color wheel where many of the colors we perceive as “just plain ol’ white” are located. In most circumstances, Chantilly Lace looks fairly clean and colorless but depending on the lighting, you may see it lean a bit yellow or green. Chantilly Lace’s particular location on the color wheel is also just a bit further into the Green neighborhood than many other popular white paint colors (which live in the Yellow neighborhood). This makes Chantilly Lace an ever-so-slightly cooler white compared to other options.


Hue family is not always obvious, especially when it comes to neutral colors. In our Virtual Color Consultation Reports, we use spectral data, like hue angle and chroma, to give you an objective, scientific read on color. No random, subjective guessing about “undertones!


How Does Lighting or Exposure Affect Chantilly Lace?

LRV, or Light Reflectance Value, is a measurement commonly used by design professionals—such as architects and interior designers—that expresses the percentage of light reflected from a surface. LRVs range from 0 to 100%, with 100% being pure white and 0 being absolute black. Chantilly Lace has an LRV of 90.04% making it pretty darn reflective and bright.

Chantilly Lace used in rooms with a southern or western exposure will look beautifully white without looking too warm or creamy. In a room with north-facing light, you may see Chantilly Lace leaning a tiny bit cooler.

Pay attention to what’s outside your window when evaluating the effects of natural lighting (a.k.a. exposure). White paint is extremely reflective. If you’ve got a lot of greenery filtering the sunlight outside your window, you may see a bit more green in your paint. Have a neighbor with a red brick wall? It might cast a bit more warmth on the room.



What Colors Look Good with Chantilly Lace?

Because Chantilly Lace has such an incredibly low chroma (meaning, very little color) and a high value (meaning, it’s extremely light), it provides enough contrast to pair well with many different colors. That said, it looks especially good with cooler color palettes (blues, greens, purples). It doesn’t play quite as well with earth tones, beiges, and tans, which generally pair better with a warmer white.



Trim and panel wall painted in Chantilly White. Upper wall color is Benjamin Moore Classic Gray.


Is Chantilly Lace White a Good Trim and Cabinet color?

Yes! Again, I think it looks especially pretty in homes with cooler color palettes and in spaces that have marble or white quartz counters.

Can I Paint the Walls Chantilly Lace?

Yes! If you’re planning to use Chantilly Lace as a trim color as well, simply vary the sheen or finish to get a little dimension and definition between surfaces (i.e., satin finish for cabinets and trim, flat or eggshell finish for walls, flat for ceilings).

This pretty living room used Chantilly Lace on walls and trim in different sheens.

Is This a Good Paint Color For My Exterior?

Possibly. Keep in mind, that Chantilly Lace is an exceptionally bright paint color that will look even brighter outdoors. It may also reflect back the colors of its surroundings. As with any exterior color selection, make sure the color blends well with the style and fixed elements of your home. Again, the best way to do this is to view samples on the walls at different times of the day.

Siding is Ben Moore Chantilly Lace OC-65. Louvers and front door are Sherwin Williams Hitching Post Black DCR 108. Foundation and window trim are Sherwin Williams Ellie Gray 7650

What Other Paint Colors Are Similar to Chantilly Lace?

Don’t go into a non-Benjamin Moore paint store and ask them to mix up a Chantilly Lace “equivalent” for you. I never recommend color-matching between brands. Different brands use different formulas, bases, and proprietary pigments. Ultimately, it will be a different product so don’t expect to get identical results.

Need Help Choosing a Color?


one room paint color report

One Room Paint Color Report | Virtual

Need help choosing the best paint colors for your room? Then this is the (virtual) service for you! Based on your questionnaire responses and uploaded photos, we’ll create a personalized digital Paint Color Report just for you. We’ll also send you paint swatches! Click below to learn how it works or to get started!


exterior paint color

Exterior Paint Color Report | Virtual

Ready to give your home exterior a fresh new look, but feeling overwhelmed with the decision? Get a little virtual help from the color experts at Three Bears Home Staging! Based on your questionnaire responses and uploaded photos, we’ll create a personalized digital Paint Color Report just for your home’s exterior. We’ll also send you paint swatches! Read below to learn how it works…


About Vannessa Rhoades
About Vannessa Rhoades

Vannessa Rhoades is the author of Just Right! Easy DIY Home Staging and the founder of the award-winning firm, Three Bears Home Staging®. She specializes in providing positive and empowering consultations to help homeowners sell more quickly and for more money. Vannessa has staged and consulted on hundreds of properties, both in person throughout the Houston metro area and virtually across the country.


4 Pro Home Staging Tips on How to Style a Console Table

The entryway is a home buyer’s first impression of your home. A console table plays an important part in setting the tone. While every home is different, there are a few design techniques that we frequently incorporate to bring elegance and energy to an entryway.

Styling a console table is about creating a space that is beautiful, practical, and not distracting to a potential home buyer. It should invite them to step inside, put down their keys, and relax. It should say, “Take a look around at this beautiful home for sale!”

Let’s take a look at a few of our go-to console table styling tips. We’re also sharing some bonus links where you can shop the look at an affordable price!

Tip 1: Give the Bottom a Little Weight

When it comes to open console tables, we like to add a piece with a bit of weight or texture in order to ground the space a bit. Large baskets or decorative bins are a good choice. They offer some visual interest and texture along with additional space for shoes.


Uttermost Partemio Distressed Console Table


Gray Rattan Basket


Small matching ottomans are another great way to add weight to your design.


waterfall console table

Northfield Hall Console Table/Desk, Barnwood


square storage ottoman How to Style a Console Table

Square Storage Ottoman

For variety, try adding a bigger, curvier piece like a vase or a stack of hefty coffee table books. As a general rule, whatever you add to the bottom should have enough height that it mostly fills the space. Try leaving only a little room between the top of the item and the console table.



Sivil 64'' Wide Rectangular Console Table in Blackened Bronze how to style a console table

Sivil 64” Wide Rectangular Console Table in Blackened Bronze


Modern Driftwood Colorstak, neutral coffee table books, console table styling

Modern Driftwood Colorstak Decorative Books, Neutral


Tip 2: Add Some Height 

Place a beautiful piece of oversized artwork (or artwork grouping) or an elegant mirror above your entryway console. This helps bring the look together and create a focal point that balances the overall design.


4 Pro Home Staging Tips on How to Style a Console Table

Signature Design by Ashley Mallacar Sofa Table


'Gold Days' Framed Wall Art Print 40"x30" how to style a console table

“Gold Days” Framed Wall Art Print, 40″x30″


Tip 3: Include Important Accessories

Always start by adding larger pieces first. This may be a lamp, another layer of artwork, or a large vase. Then, take a few paces back and evaluate your work. How does it feel? Is it cohesive? If it feels awkward, try adding pieces that are similar in size to each end of the table. For instance, visually balance a large vase on one end of the table with a lamp of similar dimensions on the opposite end of the table.


Annike 67'' Console Table how to style a console table

Annike 67” Console Table


 nuLOOM Ensley 25" Ceramic Table Lamp, 4 Pro Home Staging Tips on How to Style a Console Table

nuLOOM Ensley 25″ Ceramic Table Lamp


Tip 4: Add the Details 

After you’ve gotten the larger pieces situated, fill in the details. There are endless ways to do this. We’re fans of adding a bit of greenery (to breathe some life into the place) and a small three-dimensional piece. Pro tip: don’t use anything smaller than a grapefruit – otherwise it won’t show up in your listing photos. A candle or a small tray is also a lovely addition.


Ivinta Home Office Desk 40-inch, 4 Pro Home Staging Tips on How to Style a Console Table

Ivinta Home Office Desk, 40-inch


Bornbridge Artificial Grass Plant, how to style a console table

Bornbridge Artificial Grass Plant


Need help prepping for a home sale?

online home staging consultation 60

Book an Online Consultation

We specialize in positive and empowering virtual consultations with practical advice to help homeowners sell more quickly and for more money.


course

Enroll in Our Online Courses

Our online courses are designed with you, the DIY homeowner, in mind. From home staging to paint color selection, we break down the process for you from start to finish!


Read Our Book

In this brand new third edition of her popular book, Just Right! Easy DIY Home Staging, professional home stager Vannessa Rhoades walks you through the step-by-step process of staging your home for a faster, more profitable sale. Available on Amazon in paperback and Kindle editions!


The products on this blog have been independently selected because I like them. Some of the links on this blog are affiliate links, meaning, if you choose to click on a link and make a purchase, I earn a small commission. This commission comes at no additional cost to you and is paid 100% by the merchant, which helps me continue to create free content for my readers — so it’s a win-win! Thank you for supporting my blog and my business!


About Vannessa Rhoades
About Vannessa Rhoades

Vannessa Rhoades is the author of Just Right! Easy DIY Home Staging and the founder of the award-winning firm, Three Bears Home Staging®. She specializes in providing positive and empowering consultations to help homeowners sell more quickly and for more money. Vannessa has staged and consulted on hundreds of properties, both in person throughout the Houston metro area and virtually across the country.

Paint Color Review: Benjamin Moore White Dove OC-017

Trim is painted in Benjamin Moore White Dove. Walls are Benjamin Moore Edgecomb Gray.

What is the LRV of White Dove?


You must sample this color in the space you intend to use it before you start putting it on your walls and trim! (We mail 8″ x 10″ paint swatches of our recommendations to our Virtual Color Consultation clients.)


Is BM White Dove a cool white or a warm white?

If we take an objective look at White Dove’s LCh* spectral data, we can see that BM White Dove has a hue angle of 100.797°, putting it in the Yellow hue family. Technically speaking, this makes it a warm white.

benjamin moore white dove

White Dove has a very high lightness value (93.210) which means it’s nice and bright. At 4.975, White Dove also has a decent amount of chroma, or color saturation, for white paint. This means that it’s bright and clean, but has just enough color pigment to warm it up a bit.


Want to learn how to a paint color’s spectral data…and how to interpret it? In my online course, Color By The Numbers™, I show you how to locate that information and how to use it to evaluate colors.


Will White Dove look yellow?

It might, depending on its surroundings. Context is really important when you’re talking about color, especially white paint, and White Dove is no exception. White Dove’s warmth will really stand out and may look more yellowish under certain conditions:

  • In a room that receives a lot of Southern light or afternoon Western light. Both are warmer and a bit yellow which intensifies the warmth of White Dove.
  • In a room where Edison bulbs (1900 K) or soft white (2700 K) light bulbs are used. Edison bulbs cast and orange-yellow light, and soft white bulbs (the most popular and most readily available light bulb color) tend to be quite yellow as well. Both tend to amplify the yellow in White Dove. Using the right color light bulbs (3000 K to 3500 K) will give White Dove a much more balanced appearance.
  • When partnered with products that are stark white. Kitchens that have cool-toned marble or quartz countertops, bright white subway tile, or white appliances may not be a good match for White Dove.
  • When partnered with other white paint. If you have Benjamin Moore White Dove on the walls, I recommend using White Dove on the trim and/or cabinets as well. Simply change the sheen or finish to give it some dimension (e.g., eggshell for the walls and satin for the cabinets and trim). When you start trying to mix and match white paints, their differences in hue and chroma become much more obvious. One will likely end up highlighting the hue family of the other, causing it to look grayer/yellower/dingier by comparison.

Walls, trim, and cabinets in this kitchen are all painted in differing sheens of Benjamin Moore White Dove.

What other paint colors are equivalent or similar to Benjamin Moore White Dove?

As a reminder, I don’t recommend color matching between brands. This is especially true when it comes to white paint. You cannot color match between brands and expect to get identical results. You will see shifts in color and depth. But if you’re looking for something with a similar vibe to White Dove in another brand, there are options: 

These cabinets are painted in Benjamin Moore White Dove.

Need Help Choosing a Color?


one room paint color report

One Room Paint Color Report | Virtual

Need help choosing the best paint colors for your room? Then this is the (virtual) service for you! Based on your questionnaire responses and uploaded photos, we’ll create a personalized digital Paint Color Report just for you. We’ll also send you paint swatches! Click below to learn how it works or to get started!


exterior paint color

Exterior Paint Color Report | Virtual

Ready to give your home exterior a fresh new look, but feeling overwhelmed with the decision? Get a little virtual help from the color experts at Three Bears Home Staging! Based on your questionnaire responses and uploaded photos, we’ll create a personalized digital Paint Color Report just for your home’s exterior. We’ll also send you paint swatches! Read below to learn how it works…

About Vannessa Rhoades
About Vannessa Rhoades

Vannessa Rhoades is the author of Just Right! Easy DIY Home Staging and the founder of the award-winning firm, Three Bears Home Staging®. She specializes in providing positive and empowering consultations to help homeowners sell more quickly and for more money. Vannessa has staged and consulted on hundreds of properties, both in person throughout the Houston metro area and virtually across the country.

Our Favorite Things 2022 Gift Guide is Here!

It’s the most wonderful time of year: gift guide time! Let’s make the holidays beautiful and bright with this third edition of Our Favorite Things! From holiday gifts to housewarming gifts to hostess gifts, we’ve curated a list of our favorites for 2022! Snuggle up with a big mug of hot chocolate, and take a look at these cozy home must-haves and fun surprises that will help make your holidays “just right.” 

Here’s what we’re loving this holiday season…



Personalized Family Recipe Board

Personalized Family Recipe Board 2022 Gift Guide

Money Tree (Pachira)

Pachira money tree 2022 Gift Guide

Beekman 1802 Ylang Ylang & Tuberose Body Care Caddy Set

Beekman 1802 Ylang Ylang & Tuberose Body Care Caddy Set 2022 Gift Guide

Custom Message Shortbread Cookies

Custom message shortbread cookies 2022 gift guide

Sur La Table E-Gift Card

Sur La Table e-gift card 2022 gift guide

Weighted Blanket with Soft Cover    

Weighted Blanket with Soft Cover 2022 gift guide

Cheese Board Set               

Cheese Board Set 2022 gift guide

Bicycle Bookends

Bicycle Bookends 2022 gift guide

Personalized Paws Off 4 lb Pet Treat Jar

Personalized Paws Off 4 lb Pet Treat Jar 2022 gift guide

Create Your Own Reel Viewer

Create Your Own Reel Viewer 2022 gift guide

Monogrammed 2 Piece 100% Cotton Hand Towel Set (Set of 2)

Monogrammed 2 Piece 100% Cotton Hand Towel Set (Set of 2) 2022 gift guide

Preparing to Sell a Home Soon?

online home staging consultation 60

Book an Online Consultation

We specialize in positive and empowering virtual consultations with practical advice to help homeowners sell more quickly and for more money.


course

Enroll in Our Online Courses

Our online courses are designed with you, the DIY homeowner, in mind. From home staging to paint color selection, we break down the process for you from start to finish!


Read Our Book

In this brand new third edition of her popular book, Just Right! Easy DIY Home Staging, professional home stager Vannessa Rhoades walks you through the step-by-step process of staging your home for a faster, more profitable sale. Available on Amazon in paperback and Kindle editions!


The products on this blog have been independently selected because I like them. Some of the links on this blog are affiliate links, meaning, if you choose to click on a link and make a purchase, I earn a small commission. This commission comes at no additional cost to you and is paid 100% by the merchant, which helps me continue to create free content for my readers — so it’s a win-win! Thank you for supporting my blog and my business!

About Vannessa Rhoades
About Vannessa Rhoades

Vannessa Rhoades is the author of Just Right! Easy DIY Home Staging and the founder of the award-winning firm, Three Bears Home Staging®. She specializes in providing positive and empowering consultations to help homeowners sell more quickly and for more money. Vannessa has staged and consulted on hundreds of properties, both in person throughout the Houston metro area and virtually across the country.