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mandy_redworth

Heartbroken over Dove Wing

mandy_redworth
3 years ago

Hello - I am hoping someone can help me. After months and months if searching, we landed on BM Dove Wing. After painting a small area, it looked blue. Went to BM and they said there is no blue undertone and its not possible and advised us to add another coat which we did. Now the majority of our house is blue. We did get tons of sample pots and tested a problem area that always looked yellow and Dove Wing looked devine! Sandy, warm and not yellow and definitely not blue!!! We thought the areas that get less lighting, that we’d get a darker shade of Dove Wing - not that it would completely change colors!! Even BM did not believe me that these two walls are painted the same color - they are, I did it myself. We have a open floorplan with large windows on the east and skylights in the kitchen. We have tons of light and dark on each wall so it’s been near impossible to find a color. We have a color expert come in and help, she recommended Edgecomb which turned dark purple in a lot of areas. I’m not even picky anymore, I just want a color that looks neutral in light and dark areas...not blue, purple or green.


Have tried:

Edgecomb = purple

Chantilly Lace = ridiculously glowing white

Dove Wing = blue

White Dove = close but way too light

Revere Pewter = too dark, very taupe

White Linen = yellow

I can’t remember the rest...there were many.


Please see pics and offer any advice if you have it. I feel like maybe it’s a BM problem...should I try Sherwin W?


90% of the time, this wall looks blue. Around 4pm it looks wonderful for an hour then blue again. Painted trim white on top to see if it would help. It didn’t - I don‘t want to paint trim/doors if I can avoid it. I want to avoid it!!


over microwave - only above the two cabinets is where I fell in love with Dove Wing


these two walls are painted the same color. It may look gray to some of you but that is only bc of the pic, it’s baby blue.



Please help!

Comments (13)

  • PRO
    Patricia Colwell Consulting
    3 years ago

    What is your lighting? If LEDs then no higher than 4000K after that you get blue in your lighting. I agree Dove Wing has no blue undertone but many things affect paint color and that is why when testing colors you do poster boards and move them around to see how the color works in all the spaces with your furniture and your lighting.

  • Jennifer Hogan
    3 years ago

    Okay - It is not fault of Benjamin Moore or Sherwin William or any other paint manufacturer.


    You have cones in your eyes that pick up the color on your wall based on the wavelength of the light being reflected off the wall.


    The color of the wall is the same. The quality of the light being reflected is what is different.

    Every home has some walls that get direct sunlight and some that get only indirect light and some that get only artificial light.


    Without studio lighting set up in your home to light every nook and cranny exactly the same you will have variation. Paint the inside of your closet white. Go inside and close the door without turning on a light. What color is the wall? It is still white, but you see black because there is no light reflecting off the white.


    The higher the LRV the more light is reflected off the surface and the more variation you can expect, but all paint will turn black when there is zero light.


    Neutral gray is a perfect balance of light waves - exactly the same amount of each light wave reflecting off a surface. It has a chroma of 0 variations of light take it from black to white. Every other color has some variation in which light waves are absorbed or reflected - giving you color. the more evenly the light waves are distributed the more neutral or less colorful a color appears, but a chroma of greater than 0 will give you some bit of color. You don't want gray, you don't want stark white or black, but you don't want yellow, green, blue, purple, or orange or red.


    By the way, what you are seeing isn't really blue - it is gray. Ever say you are feeling blue - you are not really feeling blue - dopamine is a neurotransmitter that helps your rods distinguish colors. When you have lower levels of dopamine you see less color - everything is more gray, but the human brain relates gray to blue and we say we are feeling blue when we are really seeing gray.







  • Jennifer Hogan
    3 years ago



  • Jennifer Hogan
    3 years ago

    To get a decent balance I recommend dropping the light to something close to the level of edgecomb gray. You may also be happier with a full spectrum color like C2. You will still have color change if you go too light, but I have been more successful getting colors that work in their lines when trying to get a good neutral with a bit more heft. I might try C2 Parchment if I were in your shoes.




  • Cindy Cox
    last year

    Oh I totally see what's happening. I think I may have two suggestions. I may be super late but if you are still having issues try BM's China White or BM's Classic Gray.

  • Michael Peachey
    last year

    There is a lovely comparison here of how Dove Wing looks at different times of day and under different types of lighting. As others say, paint just reflects ambient light. A pretty neutral color like Dove Wing can pick up a lot of natural hues, looking warm yellow or cool blue, depending. https://www.benjaminmoore.com/en-us/paint-colors/color/oc-18/dove-wing

  • lynartist
    last year

    I think Dove Wing looks very nice in your light filled home! Leave it and accept the fact that you will most likely have this effect with any paint color! Your home is flooded with light; the ceilings are high, the rooms are open, you have skylights! Rejoice in the beauty of all that light! Or cover your windows, close up the skylights and dim the lighting! 🤷🏼‍♀️once you finish furnishing your home you won’t be noticing these variations in color.

  • Mandy Hall
    last year

    This has happened to me too . it looks great snd like the grayed nude tone on most walls , but lime greenish on another .I tried seapearl/china white and it looked peach , classic gray pulled purple at times .


  • Mandy Hall
    last year


    It looks lovely on other walls though!

  • Nikki McGovern
    last year

    Mandy, what is this color pictured above?

  • Oldhouse
    last year

    BM dove wing.


  • S M
    last year

    I am thinking of BM dove wing vs SW white flour after trying sw city loft and Asthetic white. All are turning gray in foyer and hallway plus some of north facing room and other rooms it shows beige.Any recommendation?