Posted on February 12, 2023 by KylieMawdsley
How to Pick Your Home’s BEST White Paint Colour
When choosing the best white paint colour for your walls, cabinets, trims, and ceilings, it doesn’t REALLY matter which white you like; in fact, your preferences come at the bottom of the pile. That’s right, amongst the variety of things to consider, your personal tastes rank pretty low compared to the needs of your HOME.
This is why we’re looking at some of today’s most popular white paint colors and what goes into picking the best one for your home. The topics we’ll be covering include…
- learning about the FIVE TYPES of white paint colors
- learning about the main UNDERTONES in white paint colors
- how to choose a white paint color that suits your INTERIOR FINISHES and style
- how to choose a white paint color that suits your room’s EXPOSURE (north, south, etc…)
- how to MIX & MATCH white paint colors in a room (and whether you even should)
- links to the TOP white paint colors and their FULL COLOR REVIEWS
But before we get into the meat n’ potatoes, let’s talk about the HIERARCHY of choosing the best white paint colors for your home. What does this mean? It means you should follow a chain of command when choosing paint colors, and here it is…
The FOUR THINGS that matter the MOST when choosing a white paint color
1. INTERIOR FINISHES
Your interior finishes call the BIG shots. If your paint colors don’t coordinate with your interior finishes, your up shit’s a very muddy creek.
2. YOUR HOME’S EXISTING PALETTE
If your current paint color palette already uses a consistent white, especially as it relates to trims, there’s a good chance you need to keep going with this white to avoid a hot mess of white madness (read more about this).
3. EXPOSURE
The exposure of your room will DIRECTLY affect how warm or cool a white paint color looks.
4. PERSONAL TASTES
Guess who comes in last place – you! But don’t take it personally, as putting your tastes aside will be your BEST chance of finding the best white paint color for your space. Remember, if you love a color that doesn’t suit your interior finishes, you shouldn’t use it.
Why do you need all of this info?
Because if you focus on the white YOU love without considering these other topics, there’s a good chance you’ll end up with the WRONG white. If this happens, you’ll be tossin’ BACK the white (wine) as you sob in a corner hyperventilating and twitching uncontrollably (it’s actually quite therapeutic).
Sherwin Williams High Reflective White
LET THE GAMES…BEGIN!
What are the FIVE types of white paint colors?
That’s right, five. But don’t be scared; once you figure out which TYPE of white your home leans into, you’ll automatically eliminate SO MANY OTHERS. This knowledge will help you focus on the few whites that will actually work in your space. And guess what, buttercup…
There are probably only two to three white paint colors that will actually SUIT your home.
Sherwin Williams Pure White
Learning which white paint color your interior finishes best suits is your FIRST step in choosing the best white paint color for your room.
1. WARM WHITE PAINT COLORS
While warm white paint colors can have a pink undertone, the most POPULAR shades lean into yellow, giving a creamy vibe in many situations…
Benjamin Moore Cloud White is a popular warm white paint colour.
If your main surface (i.e., countertop or tile) has a warm white in it, it only makes sense that a warm white paint color will be the best choice. In fact, warm whites are the most COMMON, as they’re found in more interior finishes than true or cool white paint colors. Even if your surface doesn’t have a white in it but leans to the WARM side, it will probably best suit a warm white paint color.
Because the backdrop of this countertop (Brittanica Warm) isn’t a true or cool white, but rather a soft, slightly WARM white, this is the type of white paint color it will prefer…
How would I KNOW the above countertop is a soft, warm white? I’d compare it to a TRUE white.
THE 5 MOST POPULAR WARM WHITE PAINT COLORS
- Benjamin Moore White Dove & Swiss Coffee (similar)
- Benjamin Moore Cloud White
- Benjamin Moore White Dove
- Sherwin Williams Alabaster
- Sherwin Williams Pure White
Are White Walls, Cabinets & Exteriors STILL TRENDY?
2. COOL WHITE PAINT COLORS
Cool white paint colors tend to favor a blue or violet undertone, although a weeee willy wink o’ green pops up here and there.
Benjamin Moore Decorator’s White is a COOL white paint color – LRV 85
Cool white paint colors are LESS common as they suit fewer interior finishes. However, they’re often a good choice for some marble finishes or south-facing rooms with minimal interior considerations.
As shown in this next example, this marble tile caters to the COOL side rather than the warm side. If you put a warm white with this tile and countertop, it would look yellow or dingy in comparison. This means that cool or even true white paint colors are the best choice…
THE 3 MOST POPULAR COOL WHITE PAINT COLORS
- Sherwin Williams Extra White
- Benjamin Moore Decorators White
- Benjamin Moore Super White
3. BRIGHT WHITE PAINT COLORS (can be warm or cool)
Bright white paint colors have higher LRVs, but undertones vary depending on whether they’re WARM bright whites or COOL bright whites.
Benjamin Moore Simply White is one of the best warm, bright whites – LRV 92
Bright WARM whites are more common than bright COOL whites. In fact, I don’t even have a great bright cool white to share with you (SOFT cool whites are more popular).
THE 2 MOST POPULAR BRIGHT WHITE PAINT COLORS
- Benjamin Moore Simply White
- Sherwin Wiliams White Snow
Not sure what LRV is? READ ABOUT IT HERE – it’s a game-changer!
4. SOFT WHITES (can be warm or cool)
Soft white paint colors have LRVs in the low to mid-80s and can have subtle or more noticeable undertones, depending on whether they’re WARM or COOL.
Benjamin Moore White Dove is a WARM SOFT white (personal fave) – LRV 85
Soft whites are definitely the most COMMON white paint colors for walls, cabinets, and trims (particularly WARM soft whites).
THE 8 MOST POPULAR SOFT WHITE PAINT COLORS (warm & cool)
- Benjamin Moore White Dove & Swiss Coffee (similar)
- Benjamin Moore Cloud White
- Benjamin Moore White Dove
- Sherwin Williams Alabaster
- Sherwin Williams Pure White
- Sherwin Williams Extra White
- Benjamin Moore Decorators White
- Benjamin Moore Super White
White Dove vs. These Top 10 Popular Shades of White
5. TRUE WHITES
True whites are the most genuine whites of the bunch, clocking in with LRVs in the mid-90s.
It’s hard to beat the ever-popular look of Sherwin Williams High Reflective White! LRV – 93
True whites come in a hot second place to soft, warm whites in popularity as their lack of undertone gives them a bit more flexibility.
THE 3 MOST POPULAR WHITES (TRUE) WHITE PAINT COLORS
- Sherwin Williams High Reflective White
- Benjamin Moore Chantilly Lace
- Behr Ultra Pure White
And remember, I don’t want to inundate you with too much info in this one blog post, so look for helpful links throughout, such as this one…
THE FIVE TYPES OF WHITE PAINT COLORS (in more detail)
How to choose a white paint color that COORDINATES with your interior finishes
No matter what else is happening in your space, what matters FIRST is that your white paint color is coordinated with your interior finishes.
Sherwin Williams Pure White was the best choice for the painted cabinets in this next kitchen. Had we gone with a warmer, creamier white, the Zellige tiles would’ve looked too pink/taupe in comparison. Even if the homeowner PREFERS a warm white look, the tile is calling the shots.
And while it wasn’t easy, we managed to update the Saltillo tile floors at the same time without making them look OUTdated in comparison (#miraclesdohappen).
BTW, in order to show you REAL HOMES and REAL BUDGETS, I only use photos from my Online Paint Color Consulting clients. Thank you for sending them in; you all make my colorful little world go round!
If you ignore your finishes and focus on your personal tastes, there’s a VERY GOOD CHANCE you end up with a hot mess on your hands. Your interior finishes will TELL you which type of white paint color they like the best. You then take this info and see if it needs to be or CAN be tweaked based on your current palette, exposure, and personal tastes.
Remember, this isn’t about finding the white you love; it’s about finding the white that your HOME does.
In this next home, with its white quartz countertops AND southern exposure, Sherwin Williams Pure White was the perfect choice (on all surfaces)…
See this WHOLE HOME in Pure White!
As shown in the above photo, along with tile, countertops are a super common surface to get inspiration and guidance from in a kitchen or bathroom countertop. And while this topic is an ENTIRE blog post unto itself, the gist is that you must choose a white paint color that works with the shades and hues in your countertop (or another dominant surface).
For example, do you know what this next countertop told my client? It said LOUD and clearly that it didn’t want white cabinets and preferred an off-white cabinet color instead…
Sherwin Williams 3 Best Warm White Paint Colors
The Best Off-White Paint Colors for Kitchen Cabinets
Remember, just because YOU want something doesn’t mean your home agrees.
At first glance, this laundry room/mudroom below SEEMS pretty flexible, right? HARD NO! In designing this room, the white paint colour needed to be the SAME TYPE OF WHITE as the white subway tile…
Sherwin Williams High Reflective White
Why?
Compared to the TRUE white of the subway tile, the wrong white paint color would make all the painted surfaces look dingy, yellow, violet, or blue (depending on which white we chose). Because Sherwin Williams High Reflective White is the SAME TYPE of white as the subway tile, they work well together.
Your room will tell you what TYPE OF WHITE PAINT COLOR it wants.
TIPS & IDEAS FOR COORDINATING WHITES WITH COUNTERTOPS, TILES, & MORE
- the majority of interior finishes cater to a WARM white, not a cool or true one
- of these warm whites; MORE interior finishes lean into a soft, warm white over a BRIGHT one
- if you have a finish that suits a COOL white (not as common as warm white), it’s most likely to humor a blue-violet undertone
Start your search by checking out WARM & SOFT white paint colors, which are more likely to suit your interior finishes.
If these warm whites aren’t connecting, branch out to bright warm whites, true whites, and cool whites.
Benjamin Moore White Dove walls, Revere Pewter main cabinets, Urbane Bronze island
3 Steps to Picking the Best White Paint Colors for Walls or Cabinets
SAMPLIZE PEEL & STICK
I want you to check out SAMPLIZE. Samplize offers peel-and-stick paint samples that are more AFFORDABLE, EASIER, and more ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY than traditional paint pots. Here are just a few reasons why I recommend Samplize to my clients…
- samples arrive ON YOUR DOORSTEP in 1-3 business days, depending on the location
- more affordable than the samples pots/rollers/foam boards that are needed for traditional paint sampling
- if you keep the samples on their white paper, you can move them around the room
Visit the SAMPLIZE website HERE
Consider the OTHER white paint colors in your home
When remodeling a single space or specific area (i.e., kitchen cabinets), there’s often a white paint color already in place, usually on trims and doors. And while this white can definitely be a clue as to what your home best suits, some rooms have their own specific needs, meaning you need to introduce a NEW white to the scene.
WHITE PAINT COLORS IN ADJOINING ROOMS
Regarding white paint colors in adjoining rooms, IDEALLY, you would use the same white, creating a visual connection between the spaces. For example, because the trim throughout this next home was already painted Benjamin Moore Simply White, it made sense to continue this white on the kitchen cabinets. LUCKILY, the finishes in the kitchen SUPPORT the warmth of Simply White…
HOWEVER…
If the white you’ve used in the rest of your home doesn’t look good with the interior finishes in THIS PARTICULAR room, you must focus on THIS room’s interior finishes first. If a colour doesn’t work for the room itself, it doesn’t work at all. YES, this means you might have an awkward transition between rooms as you shift from one white to another, but short of avoiding white or redesigning one space or another, this is your reality!
3 Steps to Choosing the Best White for Your Home
White Walls, Trims, & Cabinets: Do They Need to Match?
WHITE PAINT COLORS IN AN OPEN-CONCEPT SPACE
In an open-concept space like this next one, it wouldn’t make any SENSE to start mixing up white paint colors. This means that because the cabinets were already Sherwin Williams Alabaster, it made the most sense to use this on the walls, trims, and ceiling too! If this white doesn’t work with your other finishes, that’s really saying something, and you might have a bigger painting project on your hands.
What are the best white paint colors for north, south, east & west-facing rooms?
Whether your room has northern, southern, or INDECENT exposures (a constant in our bedroom), it’s important to note your room’s exposure when choosing paint colors. And while the needs of your interior finishes come first, exposure can play a big part in how a paint color is perceived.
But why are white paint colors so DAMN HARD to choose?
Good question, and it relates quite nicely to exposure! Because white paint colors have the highest LRVs (light REFLECTANCE value), they reflect the most light around a room. Sooooo, if the light you give your white walls is tinted green with your exterior landscaping or a wink yellow with your southern exposure, GUESS what color your walls are going to reflect at you? Yup, green or yellow.
In the above photo, look at how Sherwin Williams Pure White warms up with a hit of western sunshine – and Pure White isn’t even one of the WARMEST whites!
The Ultimate Guide to Choosing Paint Colors with LRV
Sherwin Williams High Reflective White
How to Pick Paint Colors When You’re An OVERTHINKER (OR HAVE ANXIETY)
And guess what, buttercup? THERE’S NO AVOIDING this short of boarding up your windows, cutting down your trees, or closing your eyes; tis’ the nature of the beast.
This is why you want to pay close attention to your exposure and the COLOR of light it offers your room before you settle on a white paint color. But keep in mind, the exposure of a room matters MORE when choosing paint colors for walls compared to those for cabinets and trims (a long boring explanation which we don’t need to get into unless you’re a total glutton for punishment, which I’ll assume you aren’t).
TIPS FOR CHOOSING THE BEST WHITE PAINT COLORS FOR A NORTH-FACING ROOM
- because northern light is a gray light with a slight blue cast, you can expect white paint colors to look cooler than expected as they REFLECT this light
- the WARMER your white is, the better it will counteract a dull, cool northern exposure; make sure the warmth of it is liveable at night, too (use the right BULBS to add balance)!
- TRUE WHITES can definitely pick up a cool northern hue, whereas warm whites are more likely to add BALANCE to a room with northern exposure
- unless I have an online colour consulting client who loves ONLY a cold icy look or a room’s interior finishes DEMAND it, I would never put a COOL WHITE in a north-facing room
- overall, my favorite white for a north-facing room is a SOFT, WARM white
Pure White is a (subtle) soft, warm white that leans much cooler in this northern light
THE BEST WHITE PAINT COLORS FOR NORTH-FACING ROOMS
WARM BUT MUTED WHITES: Benjamin Moore Cloud White, Benjamin Moore White Dove, Benjamin Moore Simply White, Sherwin Williams Alabaster
TRUE WHITES: The only true one I’d consider is Benjamin Moore Chantilly Lace, as it comes off slightly more gentle.
This next room has a balance of north and south-facing light, making the soft, warm vibe of White Dove a great choice…
The 3 Best White Paint Colors for a North-Facing Room
The 9 Best Benjamin Moore Paint Colors for a North-Facing Room
TIPS FOR CHOOSING THE BEST WHITE PAINT COLORS FOR A SOUTH-FACING ROOM
- whereas north-facing light is COOL, south-facing light is warm with a yellow hue, meaning most whites will pick this up with their higher LRV
- the warmer your white is, the MORE YELLOW it will look in southern light, which is why I lean into more subtle and SOFT, WARM whites
- while COOL WHITES can add balance to the heat of a south-facing room, they can STILL pick up some of the yellow and will look COLD at night if you don’t supplement with the right KELVINS
- overall, my favorite whites for a room with southern exposure is a SOFT WARM or TRUE WHITE
In this next photo, LOOK at all of the green Benjamin Moore Simply White is REFLECTING on the back wall, whereas the quality of light shifts on the front of the island…
THE BEST WHITE PAINT COLORS FOR SOUTH-FACING ROOMS
WARM BUT MUTED WHITES: Benjamin Moore White Dove, Benjamin Moore Swiss Coffee
TRUE WHITES: Benjamin Moore Chantilly Lace
COOL WHITES: Benjamin Moore Super White, Benjamin Moore Decorators White
The Best Paint Colors for South-Facing Rooms
TIPS FOR CHOOSING WHITE PAINT COLORS FOR EAST & WEST-FACING ROOMS
Rooms with eastern and western light are definitely the HARDEST to choose paint colors for. Why? Because their temperature and quality of light change SO DRASTICALLY from morning to afternoon!
A warm, soft white paint colour like Sherwin Williams Alabaster can be a beautiful way to add warmth to a flat eastern afternoon or western morning…
- eastern light is brighter in the morning and flatter in the afternoon
- western light is flat in the morning and bright and QUITE warm as the day progresses
- COOL WHITES are risky for fear of them looking drab and uninviting during the flat time of day
- SUBTLE WARM WHITES can add softness to the flat time of day while looking inviting during the warm times
- BRIGHT WARM WHITES are also a great way to balance the flat light of morning/afternoon, depending on your exposure
- overall, my favorite whites for a room with eastern or western exposure are SOFT WARM or BRIGHT WARM whites
Kylie M’s TOP 3 Curated White Paint Color Collections With Samplize
THE BEST WHITE PAINT COLOURS FOR EAST & WEST-FACING ROOMS
WARM BUT MUTED WHITES: Benjamin Moore Cloud White, Benjamin Moore White Dove, Benjamin Moore Swiss Coffee, Sherwin Williams Alabaster, although it’s warmer than the others and will heat up in the western afternoon (but really, so will ANY white).
BRIGHT WHITES: Benjamin Moore Simply White
TRUE WHITES: Benjamin Moore Chantilly Lace
The Best Paint Colors for an East-Facing Room
The Best Paint Colors for a West-Facing Room
The Best Paint Colors for Rooms with TWO EXPOSURES
While it’s obviously night in this next photo, this room has a mix of south, east and west-facing exposures, along with a BEAUTIFUL quartz countertop and marble floor, making Benjamin Moore Chantilly Lace a great choice – I can’t wait to see it all done!
And finally…personal tastes.
What if your home suits a white paint color that YOU don’t love?
Throughout this process, there’s a good chance you’ve stepped away from the white paint color you’d fallen in love with and landed on one that’s not EXACTLY what you had in mind.
Remember, this isn’t about YOU; this is about your home.
I mean, go ahead and choose the white you love; fill yer lil white boots. Just know that ignoring your home might leave you with a room that doesn’t look well-coordinated, which harkens back to one of my 146 favorite sayings…
Choose paint colors for the home you HAVE, not the home you WISH you had – a la moi
Sometimes tough love is the BEST type of love.
Should you mix & match white paint colors?
Long story short – no.
As you learned earlier in this blog post, there are five types of white paint colors with various undertones and intentions. Partnering different whites together is kind of like drinking a chardonnay and pinot gris at the same time – one devalues the other, clashing on your tastebuds and leaving you with a regretfully whopping hangover. On the other hand, the right white (wine or paint) compliments itself rather than highlighting the subtle nuances in another that is often best left alone (kind of like me…with a hangover).
Sherwin Williams Pure White on ALL painted surfaces
In this next photo, you’ll see Sherwin Williams Pure White, the SAME white from the above photo. Look at how much more yellow it looks IN COMPARISON to the whiter, brighter trim in the bottom photo. Did this person WANT yellow-hued walls? Not bloody likely. Had they used the same white on the trim and ceilings, Pure White would’ve looked whiter overall, as it wouldn’t be directly compared to a more true white.
Want to see these white paint colors in ACTION? Check out Emily Henderson’s awesome blog post HERE.
Ask yourself WHY you want to have different whites…
- Is it because you’re worried about your room looking boring? If this is a concern, the bigger question is, ‘Does your room even SUIT an all-white palette, or do you need to look at an off-white paint color for your walls to get some dimension and visual interest?‘ ‘Does your room have the right decor, texture, and visual interest to support an all-white look?‘
- Because you saw it in a design magazine? While you won’t see it OFTEN, it is done, and often, not that well. Remember, just because it’s DONE doesn’t mean it SHOULD be done. And besides, the combos that do work are carefully chosen (usually by professionals) to suit the surrounding finishes and exposure.
This next open-concept space is painted in ALL Benjamin Moore Cloud White. Had they used a BRIGHTER white on the cabinets, trim, and ceiling, it would’ve enhanced the yellow in Cloud White, making it look LESS white and more yellow/cream…
Hold on a hot minute! Look at the original photo (below), where the doors are WHITE. This is a great example of what a BRIGHT COOL white can do to a WARM WHITE paint colour…GAG ME WITH A SPOOOOOON!
In this next foyer, all the white surfaces are painted the SAME white paint color – Benjamin Moore Super White. There’s simply no reason to choose a DIFFERENT white for any of these surfaces…
Want to learn more about coordinating white paint colors with each other? I’ve written an entire blog post on this exact topic as it’s a BIG one (that’s what she said). For now, let’s just hit some key points…
- if you’re going to mix and match whites, the WHITER of the two should be on your trim and cabinets; the darker white should be on the walls (this all comes down to LRV)
- ideally, the white on your cabinets and trim would be a TRUE white, so you don’t have to worry as much about interfering with undertones
Now, you know I have a LOT more to say on ALL of the above topics, so if you love learning, check ’em out…
THE ENTIRE INDEX OF WHITE PAINT-COLOR BLOG POSTS
SPECIFIC COLOR REVIEWS NOT INCLUDED (or we’d be here forever)
Are White Walls, Cabinets & Exteriors STILL TRENDY?
White Dove vs. Cloud White, White Dove, & 10 Popular Shades of White
White Paint Colors: Walls, Cabinets & Trim – do they need to MATCH?
Sherwin Williams 3 Best Warm White Paint Colors
The 3 Best White Paint Colors for North-Facing Rooms
The 5 ALMOST FOOL-PROOF White Paint Colors for Your Home
9 Best White Paint Colors: Sherwin Williams Emerald Designer Edition
The 5 Types of White Paint Colors: Warm, Cool, True & More
The 8 Best Benjamin Moore White Paint Colors
6 Questions to Ask Yourself Before Painting Your Cabinets WHITE
The 5 WHITEST White Paint Colors
The 4 Best White Paint Colors for Cabinets & Vanities
Behr’s Best White & Soft-White Paint Colors
The 4 Best White Paint Colors: Sherwin Williams
NEED HELP
CHECK OUT MY ONLINE PAINT COLOR CONSULTING, COLOR COURSES & E-BOOKS!
Chat soon,
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I have BM’s Pure White trim all over my house and it looks nice. We’re getting ready to paint our orange-oak kitchen cabinets white but the Pure White will be too bright for our cream/tan backsplash and dark granite countertops. What are your thoughts on painting the cabinets and trim in the kitchen a soft/warm white and still keep the pure white trim in the rest of the house? The rooms are completely separate but I can see into the kitchen from our family room. Thanks!
Author
Hi Terri, I would be VERY careful. One white can really exploit the undertones in another, undertones that might have been previously hiding! When it comes to whites it’s usually best to stick with the white you’re using or step RIGHT out of the white range and into something in the light family or darker. Remember, even though the name says Pure White, it’s actually quite far away from it as it has some cool violet hues that would DEFINITELY pop up against a creamier warmer white :).
Hi Kylie, Happy New Year! Thank you for writing this blog post. It comes on the heels of me trying to figure out what white works best for my home. The front of my home (workout room, guest room, and 1 hallway) is south-facing while the back of my home (foyer, 2 small hallways, living room, and kitchen) are north facing. For the past 6 months, I’ve been living with swatches of BM White Dove on the north-facing parts of my home and loved it. I recently tested Chantilly Lace in my south-facing hallway and while it was very bright, it had a bit of softness and warmth to it. I decided to do another test and paint this same hallway White Dove and feel like I made a bad mistake as it appears a bit too creamy. Should I paint the hallways a different color and leave the core of my house (foyer, living room, kitchen) White Dove. Or is there by chance a happy medium color outside of White Dove that has a tiny bit of warm without being color and is still white?
Author
Oooo that’s tough. IDEALLY, you’d use the same white throughout for consistency and flow. My concern is that the whites might do what you want in the daytime, but at night, they’d give different vibes.
Hi Kylie – can you recommend a “faux” laminate marble look-alike that would pair well with BM white dove cabinets? I was thinking maybe Formica 6696-46 Carrara Bianco, Arborite P1015 UL, Versailles Marble or Arborite P1000VL Arabescato Marble – or should I just ditch the marble look-a-likes altogether? Your expert opinion would be greatly appreciated.
Hi Kylie,Happy New Year! Just to let you know I enjoy reading your blog posts and watching your video’s.Even when I don’t have a particular project in mind for the all the useful information you give out. I love your sense of humor sarcasm and innuendos.Keep it up!
Author
Martin, THANK you for this comment, I love to hear this and Happy New Year to you too!
Hi Kylie! Thank you so much for all the helpful lessons. Following your blog’s advice last year, I was able to pick the correct white for my kitchen cabinets/walls/trim (BM White Dove…so pretty and versatile). We’ve just bought a new house that we move into next month and this post has already been so helpful! I can’t wait to get in there and use your tips!!
Author
I love to hear this, Desiree, thank you for commenting!
I’m trying to soak up as much as I can from social media as we are in the middle of our first home build and I’m trying really hard to avoid hiring a designer.
After hours on social media I think I am making progress on my selections so far, but I am STUCK on this to the point of losing sleep…
I love and want a white kitchen! I have always had tan everything (walls & carpet), so never again. But I REALLY don’t feel confident in my “white” selections for quartz countertops, paint, subway tile backsplash and farmhouse sink (being delivered tomorrow)!
I’ve heard I don’t have to be all matchy, matchy, which I’m trying to break, but I know “clashing” whites will haunt me for life!
Do you have suggestions? I’ve been leaning toward Sherwin Williams pure white, extra white or snowbound for all paint (interior and exterior) but this feels like such a HUGE decision. I get totally lost trying to figure out the north, south, east, west angles (sheetrock going in today) and I have no existing interior finishes to consider yet. We have tons of large windows, so I’m guessing we will have a lot of natural light. We are also narrowing down LVP flooring options, likely in a light wood tone.
Is there a magic combination that I haven’t discovered yet???
Once I get past this hurdle, I think the rest will come together 🤞
Thanks in advance!
Hi Kylie, I love reading your blogs and I am also a subscriber for your YouTube channel. I love how you speak and even my husband is a fan of your blue eyes 😍Anytime I am watching your videos, he would say I love her eyes! I really appreciate how you take time to write these blogs and post videos, you don’t know how much you are helpful to people like us who cannot afford very expensive interior designers🙏 you are my most favorite paint advise persons on YT. I have been watching all your videos to help me decide paint for my house for past several weeks.
I tried to short list my paint colors to Dove white, Swiss coffee and Pale Oak. The way my layout is, I have to go with the same color for my entry way, living room (facing north west) and kitchen ( very dark since only one window facing south) since there is no division in between (80’s typical colonial house with stairs in the middle with no big foyer so dark hallway)I like how Pale oak goes with my warm fixed elements such as glazed maple cabinets and my dark brown couch, cream/beige coffee table and beige carpet/tiles, but what I don’t like is how it looks especially on stairways showing blue/ green undertones and also in my family room especially in evening hours when the warm light is turned on. I don’t like it in my family room so I started looking for off whites since I’ve 2 sky lights and one patio door in family room so I get plenty of lights there from south east direction. I tried so many color sample from samplize( thanks to your advise 😊) such as Chantilly lace, pale oak, Swiss coffee, super white, revere pewter, Collingwood, etc
1st question I’ve is 1. Should I go with dove white in family room and pale oak in living room or should I keep white dove through out my first floor. 2. If I go with dove white everywhere then do I keep the same trim and doors ( laundry room/ mud room/powder room etc) or should I change it up? 3. I’m doing an accent wall in family room with board and batten which is facing the main wall that can be seen as soon as you enter the room as well as from kitchen and living room. I was thinking of choosing Dove white with Pale oak/ agreeable gray as an accent wall ( I tried revere pewter but found too dark) which one do you think would go more? 4. If it was your place with lots of warm elements would you go with off white such as dove white or neutral white would you go with greige color or any other color? If so which one? What color would you choose for accent wall?
Sorry for the long question but I wanted to provide as much info as possible. Appreciate it! 😊
Author
Hi Preity, this is just the nicest comment to get 🙂
So, re: Pale Oak going blue-green on the stairs, that will be more about your natural light or light bulbs than Pale Oak, as pale oak has a PINK-VIOLET undertone, which is opposite those colours! In my own home, I have a VARIETY of exposures and went with White Dove on my walls/trim/ceilings/doors as I wanted a soft warm, but not ‘colourful’ look and it gives me SO MUCH FLEXIBILITY and shifts nicely with the light. Of course, it shifts DIFFERENTLY in each room, but that’s the nature of paint colours and lighting. So long story short, yes, I would lean into White Dove everywhere for a simple consistency. I would ALSO look a SW Agreeable Gray or Collingwood for the feature wall. It will be subtle, but I totally get not wanting anything too strong.
I hope this helps!!
Hello, this is GREAT information! I do have a question. My kitchen is more ‘Tuscan’ so to brighten it I thought of using Alabaster or Pure white. It’s a bright white now and doesn’t vibe. My living room has grey sectional darker with whites and woods (modernist) accents, would the Alabaster work in there also or should I got with a different white to brighten that room? I worry about mixing and not great matching colors. :). My trim and doors are all the bright white but my plan is to make it all the same white maybe? Thank you so much
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Very informative blog post, though now I’m more confused than ever. Trying to repaint a fresh coat of white over the existing white in our new home’s main areas, and I have no idea what the current paint colour is to match it. I was leaning towards Chantilly Lace because it seemed the most “white” white. But I’m afraid to depart too much from what’s there already, for fear it will look off.
Author
Hey Sarah! When you say ‘for fear it will look off’, do you mean off as a ‘new color everywhere’ or off when it meets up with the OLD white in areas?