When it comes to making small spaces feel bigger, painting much of the interior white goes a long way towards adding a sense of spaciousness. The brighter interior also means that you can reduce window sizes and therefore increase insulation, improving energy efficiency.
It’s amazing how many different shades of white there are though, and how many different types of paint! I decided years ago my favorite interior white is White Dove by Benjamin Moore in an eggshell sheen. Apparently it’s a favorite of art galleries for its slightly warm, bright, but otherwise neutral appearance. I put it on everything because it saves me from the madness of color indecision.
Liz is more adventurous with color than I am though, so for the furniture she chose a slightly darker creamier color called French Canvas which has a nice antique feel. We used the Benjamin Moore Natura Paint for this, which does show brush strokes, but we like the look. They do sell and oil modified paint that is low VOC and still cleans up with water for people looking for a more durable more self-leveling paint.
Mostly I just feel fortunate that Liz is willing to do the actual painting because my minuscule tolerance for tedium combined with my mediocre finish standards means I cannot be trusted with a paintbrush. I’ve been steadily building furniture and cabinets for the last week while Liz has been painting almost continuously. Thank You Liz!
Liz is also a badass with a caulking gun and a foam gun, and her attention to detail really shows in the finished product.
-Brian
