As you assemble colors, don’t forget the sum of all colors: white. With white woodwork, the richest, deepest colors can enliven your walls: eggplant, chocolate, ultramarine, persimmon, fuchsia. Even a palette of flinty grays in a bedroom can be beautifully soothing, rather than somber, if gauzy white linen curtains and white embroidered pillows float on the twilight scheme.
Be careful when choosing whites, whether for trim or walls. “White” can be green, tan, beige, yellow, pink, blue, or gray. Rich, deep wall colors generally pair best with brilliant whites on the trim; creamier whites or pink-whites partner with various woods. Hold whites up to something white that you love—such as a piece of linen, for example—or compare white chips with each other to see which tones they reveal.