“Any color from Benjamin Moore’s* Color Story Collection is good—they have so much pigment that they all work.” – George Brazil

“I like ‘Elephant Tusk.’  It’s not a true white and has a little gray in it.  Of course, it all depends on what you pair with it.” – Cecilia Sagrera-Hill

“‘White Cloud’ is super clean and white—it’s pure but not cold.” – Steven Miller

“‘Decorators White’ is very clean. So many whites turn yellow, but this stays true white and works well with bright colors.”—Tineke Triggs

“‘White Dove’ is the perfect neutral.” – Shelly Cahan

“I’d use ‘Decorators White’ or ‘White Dove’ if you want a white white with a little warmth.” – Antonio Martins.

“‘Linen White’ is like warm butter,” says Geoffrey DeSousa.  “I tend to stay away from grey whites like ‘China White’ but if you need a cooler white I’d recommend ‘Atrium White.’”

“Monroe Bisque’ is really pretty—it’s creamy and goes well with green tones.” – Jamie Belew

“‘Navajo White’ is very warm with a little depth to it; other whites can be too hospital looking.  Farrow & Ball’s ‘White Tie’ is a good creamy white but it needs a lot of light or it gets too grey.” – Fleur Keyes

“‘Marscapone’ has nice warmth without as much color as ‘Linen White’ but if you’re looking for a great crisp bright white, try ‘Super White.’” – Steve Henry

The choice couldn’t be clearer now, could it?

*All paints Benjamin Moore unless otherwise specified.

Today we made our final pre-closing visit to the house to meet with the painter and carpet seller to get bids for projects best tackled before we move in.  After years of living in older houses that took to color like children to chocolate bunnies, it’s strange to be parsing shades of white.  But that’s what this house is telling us it needs.  Designed in 1979 by San Francisco architect Jim Jennings, the home is unapologetically modern.  Clean geometry, high ceilings and banks of windows oriented to the adjacent PG&E green belt and bay view give the main rooms a gallery-like feeling.

The seller had an affinity for Arts & Crafts architecture and paint colors and did a fine job incorporating them into the house, but we are interested in returning it to its modern roots. Accordingly, I called Jennings’s office to see if he preferred one white over another.  Jennings happened to be in and graciously gave me a little history on the house–one of his first projects–and said that though he couldn’t remember the colors he’d specified thirty-five years ago, today he tends to use Benjamin Moore’s “White Heron” or if that seems too severe, “Swiss Coffee.”

Armed with “White Heron” and “Swiss Coffee” paint chips (along with a handful of others) we tried to envision our gallery walls.  The painter said either would do, though he personally likes “White Dove” (often recommended by design professionals, along with “Simply White” and “Linen White.”)

Tired of squinting to see which ghostly shade best suited the bleached wood ceilings, we moved on to the bedrooms and considered a sea of flax/ivory/alabaster carpet samples. Pity the poor carpet salespeople trying to sell style during this heyday of neutrals. The winner today was a wool berber named “Divinity” (though it looked far more like “Honeycomb” to me.) But a late afternoon call from the carpet showroom said they could find a similar color in a large remnant that could save us some money–would I be able to come in tomorrow to see the sample?  And so it begins.

I hear that kids are heading back to school this week. Which means, I suppose, that summer is over. Did it ever really begin? Work proceeds apace and my time away has been dictated by family obligations. Thinking about gearing up for full bore fall productivity makes me long for a stretch of emptied out days that never really materialized this summer. Like journalist David Shribman I’m wondering whatever happened to the “idyll of idleness?” The closest I’ve come was a day this week photographing “white” as part of Susannah Conway’s August Break photo challenge. Here’s a bit of what I saw.

I spied creamy melons at the supermarket

 And chalky fire hydrants dotting my neighborhood.

I found alabaster in the shimmering West Elm light fixture over my dining room table

And frost on the watch band near my bubble bath nails.

I took in the speckled bone surface of a serious sphinx on my early morning walk in the cemetery

 And the lacy ivories of the wedding dresses that live at my house.

All those shimmering shades of white proved nearly as restful as an afternoon on a sandy beach letting the sound of the waves wash away my many-hued concerns. Even if you’re already back in the thick of things, try looking for the white in your August to find a bit of that idyllic summer you almost missed.