Erin Napier Swears By This Benjamin Moore Paint Color For A Perfectly Cozy Room

Though Erin Napier's favorite neutral paint color is Sherwin-Williams' Dover White, this isn't what the HGTV star chose for her kitchen's walls. Instead, the "Home Town" host went with Misty Air, a selection from Benjamin Moore's Off-White Collection. Like other creamy neutrals, this color looks especially nice with grays and browns yet complements a wide range of color palettes. It can also make a variety of spaces feel cozier than ever.

Napier especially loves how Misty Air draws attention to the warm Dover White accents in her kitchen. "I wanted the walls to be a time-worn cream that would contrast nicely with the Dover White trim, oven, and hood vent," she explained on the blog of Laurel Mercantile, one of the companies she owns with her husband, Ben, and a few friends. Misty Air also brings out toasty tones in the room's wood flooring and the shiny copper pots that hang above the stovetop. That's because it's a warm neutral rather than a cool one. Its warmth comes from its yellow-green undertones. People tend to associate yellowish undertones with the natural world, which may be why so many of us feel comfort in their presence.

Napier felt particularly comforted by Misty Air when it basked in the sunbeams flowing through her kitchen windows. "Misty Air, after many tests, read perfectly cozy and worn and creamy in the late afternoon sun in our kitchen," she noted in her blog post. This quality led Napier to chose Misty Air for her laundry room as well. After all, good vibes can go a long way when scrubbing a stubborn stain or washing your sixth load of the day.

Misty Air's warmth and brightness have a way of making spaces feel a little sunnier, even if you don't have a sun-kissed kitchen like Erin Napier does. In other words, this paint color is a natural choice for rooms that feel a bit too dark or drab. Swapping a cool, clinical white for a warm off-white like Misty Air can make a room feel more welcoming and relaxed. This can be especially helpful in hangout spaces such as family rooms and eat-in kitchens as well as spots you use for unwinding. 

Have a space that would benefit from some extra softness — say, a nursery for a new baby? Let Misty Air's tender tranquility lend a hand. To play up this color's mellowing effect, try pairing it with pale greens, pinks, or blues with neutral-to-warm undertones. Or, use Misty Air to highlight the warm, natural tones in wooden baby furniture, from a hand-me-down oak crib to a handcrafted maple rocking chair.

As an off-white with a hint of yellowish green, Misty Air is also a reliable choice for ceilings in rooms that lean warm and spaces with windows that face north, which let in cool-tinted sunbeams that decrease the coziness factor. You can even use it as trim paint in rooms with warm, bold wall colors. Consider using Misty Air's creamy color as inspiration for other remodeling choices, too, including updates to closet doors and cabinet fronts. Shopping for some new decor? Look for rugs, throw pillows, or lampshades in colors that go with cream.