White or magnolia??

[thehammer]

Just exchanging on a new build and have to decided between white or magnolia walls.

Having never really been in the position to pick what would people suggest? What is your experience? What will stay looking crisp for longer?

Thanks

[Alucidnation]

Gardenia

[Testaburger]

Obviously I’ve no idea what the inside of your place looks like (congratulation, by the way)...

But when magnolia is an option, then there are a few pale shades that add warmth while being a little more interesting than cream magnolia. Nutmeg white from Dulux or similar.

I find a brilliant white white cold, but that’s just me.

[bristolbaron]

If it’s just between the two, then white.

[V8RX7]

White is hideous.

I thought about doing my kitchen white as it has a vaulted ceiling - after the base coat it was obvious that it needed a colour.

[Richie C]

White. Magnolia quickly looks dirty in my experience.

[Patch1875]

We used a Farrow & Ball colour Strong White but mixed at Johnstones.

Looks good against white woodwork as it’s basically white with a touch of grey.

[Simpo Two]

Magnolia is very yellow but white is very stark. There are plenty of nicer options between. I settled on Dulux Almond White.

[B17NNS]

Patch1875 said:

We used a Farrow & Ball colour Strong White but mixed at Johnstones.

Looks good against white woodwork as it’s basically white with a touch of grey.

It's a new build. His choice is contract white or contract magnolia.

White is the new mag OP.

[Simpo Two]

B17NNS said:

It's a new build. His choice is contract white or contract magnolia.

White is the new mag OP.

If pleading with the Sales Office didn't work I'd go round with a big tin of my choice and chat up the painter...

[Ricky146a]

You are offered white or magnolia because they are the cheapest options - any other colour comes at a big price increase.

I think Magnolia looks like nicotine staining and is just dull from the outset.
White is the perfect primer for whatever colour you later decide on.

[TTmonkey]

White, add colour through features later. Big colourful arty stuff. Bright furniture.


Magnolia won’t go with anything that you want. Different shades of brown everything went out 10 years ago.

[V8RX7]

White hides a multitude of sins that will be shown by darker colours

As there's no cutting in it's also far cheaper

How can any paint be marked / stained faster than white ?

[SAB888]

Definitely white.

[MYOB]

Does it matter? On a new build you will be decorating in a year or two when the structure "settles".

[Timberwolf]

Neither are great choices. Brilliant White looks like a rental flat. Magnolia looks like a rental flat the landlord hasn't decorated since 1998.

However, white does have the advantage that it is (in my experience, at least) a lot easier to paint over later, whereas magnolia has a nasty habit of surviving even the most aggressive sanding and subsequently bleeding through several layers of paint to give everything a horrible yellow tinge.

On the plus side, while it's not the most inspiring choice it's probably better for the modern era than the options chosen by the people who bought our refurbishment-project house new in 1936. As I type I'm sitting in a room that originally featured chartreuse walls combined with prussian blue woodwork...

[BlueHave]

If your planning on white go for Ultra White or Absolute White on Dulux Trade.

They both make brilliant white look a dirty grey shade.

[PositronicRay]

TTmonkey said:

White, add colour through features later. Big colourful arty stuff. Bright furniture.


Magnolia won’t go with anything that you want. Different shades of brown everything went out 10 years ago.

This.

Our art has never looked so good now it's on white walls, hang bright curtains too. Don't leave white walls bare, unless you want a stark office look.


ETA, if you really don't like it easy enough to add a colour later.

[sc0tt]

BlueHave said:

If your planning on white go for Ultra White or Absolute White on Dulux Trade.

They both make brilliant white look a dirty grey shade.

Don’t people read these forums anymore? He won’t be given an option. It will be trade magnolia or trade white.

[Zetec-S]

MYOB said:

Does it matter? On a new build you will be decorating in a year or two when the structure "settles".

^^^^ This ^^^^

Bought a new build about 4 years ago, everything came painted white (although we didn't have an option). Looks clean and fresh for the first couple of years while the house settles and the odd crack appears, but we've since redecorated most rooms with our own colour choices.