How To Pick The Right White Paint

How To Pick The Right White Paint

Intro

Choosing a white paint colour is one of the hardest tasks when it comes to designing. What seems like such an easy decision is filled with thousands of options and many different layers to consider. White paint colours have sneaky undertones that always appear in different lighting conditions so it’s important to define these undertones as your first step.

We’re here to help – first, let’s understand the fundamental differences in the variations of white paint. After you establish which undertone your room needs, it’s easier to narrow down your actual colour choices. White paint has three colour qualities – Bright, Warm or Cool. Below, we breakdown which variable you should choose and from there, you are well on your way to finding the perfect colour!

Bright Whites

Use In: Sunroom, Living Room, Kitchen, Trims.
Best Paint Colours: Benjamin Moore “Decorators White”, Sherwin Williams “Extra White”.

Bright whites are the colour of choice for an eclectic room where one colour is not dominant and the eye doesn’t have to choose where to focus. What looks like a safe bright white on a paint chip can look dirty or muddy if surrounded by artificial lighting so stick to using bright whites in sunlight drenched rooms. Bright whites are also great to use on trims and cabinets because of the attention-grabbing crispness.

Below are some examples of how to effectively use bright whites:

Warm Whites

Use In: Living Room, Bedrooms.
Best Paint Colours: Benjamin Moore “Cloud White”, Sherwin Williams “Alabaster White”.

Warmer whites tend to have an ivory, creamy or off-white undertone to them. Warm whites are great to use in common areas, like a living room or family room because off-white or creamy qualities bring more warmth to a space. Pair a warm white with a bright white trim to define the colours and add interest to the space. If you live in an older or antique home always stick to warm whites on cabinetry and in kitchens - it works better with that style of home as a bight white can look to stark and work better in Modern spaces. Also, if you have a lot of wood tones in your home, warmer whites compliment this best.

See below some examples of warm whites:

Cool Whites

Use In: Bedrooms, Bathrooms, Kitchens.
Best Paint Colours: Benjamin Moore “White Dove”, Sherwin Williams “Toque White”.

Cooler white paint colours have grey or blue undertones to them. Cool whites are perfect to use in spaces like bathrooms and kitchens or bedrooms where they can pair with grey toned marble and other materials with cool undertones. Cool whites also work great as an accent to furniture, textures and fabrics in a bedroom that has blue or grey tones. This is a great way to make those white drapes or that lightly coloured side chair really pop, as opposed to getting lost in the room.

Cool whites are generally deemed more “fun” to experiment with because they naturally gravitate towards colour. If you are looking for a crisp and minimal effect, stick to the bright whites.

See below examples of how to use Cool Whites: