Settled, side by side

Le Cygne — the swan — is a warm, matte ivory from the French house Ressource. It has the chalky, light-absorbing quality of old lime plaster, which is why it looks so at home on Haussmann panelling and ceiling roses: it softens the light rather than bouncing it around. Cream is present, yellow is not.

Wimborne White is Farrow & Ball's everyday warm white — named for the Dorset town where the company was founded — with just enough yellow to keep it soft and none of the chalkiness of a true white. At LRV 89 it is bright and clean, and it is the white most often used for ceilings, trim and whole rooms in English houses.