I don't know what others will say but when I bought my condo in an historic building two years ago I really appreciated the all-white walls and ceilings! Inevitably I intended to paint and decorate just the way I wanted to, and the white walls gave me a clean palatte. Otherwise, if you are determined to paint, keep it very neutral.

Since you are going to use Benjamin Moore paints, why not get a color consultation from a BM color specialist? The color(s) you put on the walls should relate to the age range of the buyers you want to attract. Gray might be appropriate for a younger crowd, the right shade of beige may be perfect for others. Neutrals may be right for some, or a sensational color could mean move-right-in for others.

Since you are going to use Benjamin Moore paints, why not get a color consultation from a BM color specialist? The color(s) you put on the walls should relate to the age range of the buyers you want to attract. Gray might be appropriate for a younger crowd, the right shade of beige may be perfect for others. Neutrals may be right for some, or a sensational color could mean move-right-in for others.

Thanks. The person I spoke to at BM didn't seem to know anything. Do they have separate consultants other than behind the counter?

Judging by the great majority of people who live here, the target market is fairly well-off people in their early 30s. I.e., singles, or couples who have not yet had kids (they are 2br condos, after all).

Does that tell you what colors would work?

My favorite color used in our house and done last recently is in the garage and entryway; these areas don't get a lot of natural sunlight. We didn't use BM, but Sherwin Williams Duration Matte finish. The color is called 'Front Porch'. It is the most beautiful grey! People think it's really a blue/green. It's neutral and I wish I had done at least one of our bedrooms this color. If your condo is dark maybe this would be a good color. Just my two cents.

The Ben Moore Color Consultants are hit-n-miss. You can luck out and get a color consultant thru BenM that is one of the best in the business -- totally flying under the radar workin' at a Ben Moore store. Or, you can get a tragically ill-informed decorator who only thinks they know a lot about paint/color. It's hard to tell what you're gonna end up with.

One solution to the challenge would be to get the following colors from Ellen Kennon. Order the large sized chips and the sample paint pots to go with:

Buttercream
Mushroom
Parchment
Classic Cream

You could do Classic Cream for all ceilings. And all three colors work well with bright white trim as well as a variety of woodtones.

When you get the samples, take a look at which color works best with the inherent light you have to work with and the flooring and other permanent elements in the home.

Buttercream, Parchment and Mushroom are all *neutrals* that work extremely well as "sell this house" colors. they aren't as devoid of personality as a white could be for some buyers. These colors bring just a lil ooomph and character and will appeal to a great many people. I'm partial to Mushroom. There's a picture on Ellen's site from one of the older houses I've worked on. It has darker woods and limited light. We used Mushroom for hallways and a few other spaces.

The full spectrum method of mixing paint colors is a good fit for a limited amount and limited quality of light -- full spectrum color will help bounce back into the room as much light as possible.

You can get it mixed in ICI's/Azko Nobel's LifeMaster in Eggshell. LifeMaster is low VOC, very green, etc.

Here is a link that might be useful: EK Paint

I wouldn't add any color. Even with white, people will say "ew, it's so white". The same will be said about any color you paint-someone will not like it, guaranteed.

Benjamin Moore has an excellent 'true' white--Decorator's White. Use a flat/matte finish on your walls and ceiling.. much easier (cheaper?) with no taping at the ceiling.

White -will- make your place look bigger and brighter... the 2 most important things.

Funcolors is right - the BenMoore consultants are hit and miss. And her idea of these neutral EK paints is brilliant. Especially for the age range you are marketing to.

It seems to me that you want to play up the dark red cherry hardwood. White is not going to do that.

White walls are not going to make the unit look bigger or brighter. That's why you seldom see a model home with white walls. The walls will be neutral, but they won't be white.

White on walls is always an interesting discussion - I know we've talked about it here a lot already, but I never get bored with the topic! :)

I think that's because white is so interesting when used on architecture. So many things can happen. White can *do* so much and what it ends up doing in a space can often be a bit of a surprise. Surprising because I think many people assume that white will bring a sense of bigger and brighter -- probably because they've had a 'white experience' where that very thing happened. But what we have to remember is just because white was able to bring a sense of bigger and bright to one space, doesn't mean that's going to happen in every space.

We can predict to a great extent what white is going to *do*. The first rule of thumb we have to go by is that white needs light to look pretty -- light is boss. And that's counterintuitive because it seems logical that if there is limited light, then white would be the antidote. But the quality of light is always going to dictate atmosphere. The quality of light is directly responsible for how paint colors appear in a room -- the quality of light can change how paint colors look from room to room and even corner to corner. All the power and influence is within the light - light is boss. Color, including colors of *white* do not have the same power of influence. A paint color can not influence or change the quality of light. A dimly lit room painted white is still going to be a dimly lit room. Because of that fact, a color other than a white will be the better choice for a space with limited quantities and qualities of natural light -- or you have to find the right *white* with the perfect pitch of nuance and undertone to partner with the light you have to work with. (When it come to color there's always an "or" :~D)

Speaking of color consultants, Jill Pilaroscia is a consultant in California and recently she wrote a blog post about white that addresses some of the same issues we're discussing.

Here is a link that might be useful: White A Complex Color

My point was that any color you use won't be liked by everyone and the OP should go with fresh and light and not stress about it.

Light neutrals are great but you still have to watch your undertones.

If you're working with any color, furnishings and overall style should be taken into consideration as well... something that hasn't been mentioned.

I would still paint it white or throw on another coat of the existing color (you could probably get away with a single coat of existing--less time and $).

If you're working with any color, furnishings and overall style should be taken into consideration as well... something that hasn't been mentioned.

Well, actually, in the link I provided Jill does a great job of addressing how to use white with regard to the contents of the room and as a bonus also speaks to white and various flavors of architectural design.

I think the point the reaches out to me from OP's post is the fact that even though the wall color is currently an 'off-white or something' she/he still describes the space as 'somewhat dark'. So it would seem that the version of white that's up now is not successful in making the space feel brighter. And that's probably because white is not the best solution for a space with low quantities and qualities of natural light.