how do you pick the best white paint

7 Tips for Choosing the Right White Paint

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How to pick the right white paint for your home?

Read these simple tips below to learn how to pick the right white paint. If you have a room with cool hues, like blue, it’s best to select a white that also has cool undertones. Cool whites make a great complement to clear and deeply saturated colors, bringing a clean look to any design while still offering a sharp contrast.

What kind of paint should I use to paint my house?

Pick your favorite white paints, brush large swatches on your walls, and observe them at different times of the day. Even color pros try and try again. Hable's favorite standard white paint is Benjamin Moore White Dove, a soft white.

What color should I paint the trim on my house?

Using a bright white (unmixed) paint also means that you can find it again when you need to do touch ups. However if your home’s color palette needs a warmer white for the trim, you should go with a neutral off white and avoid too much yellow in the undertone.

Is there such a thing as a perfect white paint color?

–Well, not really. Choosing white paint for your home can be tricky because there are a lot of slight variations in white wall paint and a lot of things to consider: natural and artificial light, other colors in the room, and how you want the room to feel. Choosing white interior paint for your space can seem like it’s hit or miss.

How do you choose warm or cool white paint?

Size up what's in the room. If they're warm, you'll want to lean toward whites with warm-colored undertones (pink, orange, red, yellow). If they're cool, consider cool-inflected whites (with undertones of blue, purple, or green). What if the furnishings are neutral?

What shade of white is best for walls?

According to designer Stephanie Brown, Oxford White is a reliable shade that's super adaptable to modern and traditional spaces alike. With the slightest cool cast, think of this hue as a perfect match for bright, crisp rooms. “It reads beautifully on walls and trims,” Mona Hajj adds.

What is the most popular white color of paint?

Pure White SW 7005, Sherwin-Williams As the most popular white at Sherwin-Williams, this is truly a foolproof white paint color.

Is Sherwin Williams pure white too white?

Sherwin Williams Pure White is an extremely bright white color paint that is bright but not stark bright. It is a fairly clean and good white paint that is both not too much white and also does not lean on any other color.

What is the most popular white for walls?

“White Dove has been an extremely popular white, as it is especially neutral and it complements a wide range of colors,” Benjamin Moore color and design expert Andrea Magno told AD. The shade is a go-to for walls, trim, cabinetry, and other millwork, and it consistently ranks as a top-selling paint for the company.

Is white paint still in style 2022?

White paint offers a blank canvas for which we can make our own, and I predict white paint colors will continue to be a top choice for many in 2022." Nicole Gibbons of Clare paint expects the same.

What white do decorators use?

Chantilly Lace "It's a very easy white paint color to work with in nearly any room, with any type of light. It's my go-to when I need crisp, clean walls with absolutely no undertones."

What is the best white paint for walls and ceilings?

Satin white paint Crucially for white, these finishes are more durable than matt paint and can usually be easily cleaned, so work well in high impact walls in areas such as kitchens and hallways, as well as ceilings and for features such as skirting boards and window frames where you want to avoid a glossy effect.

What is Joanna Gaines favorite white paint?

"For high-traffic areas like kitchens and living rooms—and almost any space—I like to keep things simple and use a creamy, neutral white like 'Shiplap,'" the Fixer Upper star said.

What is the most popular Sherwin Williams white?

SW Alabaster has been the most popular SW white paint color, probably for over 10+ years. What is this? This paint colors works with both warm and cool color palettes, and that's what makes it so popular. We painted our kitchen cabinets and trim SW Alabaster years ago, and I did love it.

Does Sherwin Williams pure white look yellow?

Pure white only has a very small amount of yellow in it, which gives it the tiniest amount of warmth in it. It also has some black/gray which helps balance out the warmth.

What is the difference between pure white and simply white?

At an LRV of 91.7, Simply White is white. It's bright, very light white that doesn't look stark yet it is brighter than Pure White.

What is the most popular color for interior walls?

whiteAs the reigning champion of interior paint, white is a color that transcends both time and decorating styles. White can make a room feel bright, fresh and up-to-date in settings ranging from modern to traditional.

What is the most popular Sherwin Williams white?

SW Alabaster has been the most popular SW white paint color, probably for over 10+ years. What is this? This paint colors works with both warm and cool color palettes, and that's what makes it so popular. We painted our kitchen cabinets and trim SW Alabaster years ago, and I did love it.

Do white walls make a room brighter?

Although we hear often that white walls make spaces appear brighter and larger, this is only partially true – they appear bright when the room itself already has a great source of natural light. Small, dark spaces should not be painted white.

Are white walls in style for 2021?

For 2021 (and 2020) you might be surprised to hear that gray is out and white walls are in! Buyers' color preferences are stronger than ever, especially this year. Cleanliness tops the list of must-haves for Buyers so the trend is going in the direction of a clean look.

What to do before picking a white paint?

Vancouver-based color expert Maria Killam says that before you grab a white from a best-of paint trends list online, first consider the design of your home. A modern home may be able to stand up to a purer white, but others not so much.

What happens if you choose the purest white?

For instance, she says, if you choose the purest white, know that it can cause eye strain, and in some cases even headaches.

What color is a paint swatch?

This will help you determine whether the white swatch you have is a warm white (red, yellow, or orange undertones) or a cool white ( blue or gray tones).

Is white paint hot?

White paint is white hot, but it can also be really hard to nail the right one. Use these seven tips to help you choose the exactly right white.

Can a modern home be white?

A modern home may be able to stand up to a purer white, but others not so much. “For instance, in a Tuscan-style house, art gallery white will look blue, because the contrast is so high between basic white and earthy Tuscan travertine,” Killam says. “You won’t get a fresh look — it will just look like unpainted primer.”.

Is it always the color that does the heavy lifting?

Tonya Bruin, CEO of the home renovation company To do-Done , says it’s not always the hue that does the heavy lifting. “The shade might be the least of your worries — focus on the quality,” she says. High-quality paint contains more color particles, including white, which will lead to a richer, longer-lasting result .

Can you paint a room with no natural light?

Avoid white paint in a north-facing room or a room without any natural light, such as a small powder room, advises Wilkniss. “The lack of natural light in such a room may make a cool white appear drab, and a warm white dingy,” she explains. South-, east-, and west-facing rooms with natural light can go warm, cool or pure white and still look great.

How to tell between warm and cool white paint?

The best way to distinguish between cool and warm whites is to hold paint chips side by side , says Susan Hable , an artist and textile designer in Athens, Ga. If you're unsure of a paint's undertones, ask a sales associate to help you compare different shades. Here's what else Hable and Harrington suggest to get the white you want:

What color is warm white?

Warm whites have yellow undertones that create a cozier feel and work well across a variety of living areas in a traditional setting. It’s tricky to mix cools and warms without the warms coming off looking dirty. Whites From 5 Coolest to 5 Warmest.

What is the difference between warm white and cool white?

Cool whites contain blue and appear brighter—ideal for crisp, contemporary settings as well as work areas like a garage, where you really need to see what you’re doing. Warm whites have yellow undertones that create a cozier feel and work well across a variety of living areas in a traditional setting. It’s tricky to mix cools and warms without the warms coming off looking dirty.

Why is white so popular?

White lightens up dark spaces, makes a room feel bigger, and works just about anywhere, helping to explain why it's so popular . We asked Leslie Harrington, a color researcher in Old Greenwich, Conn., to analyze popular whites from Consumer Reports' top-scoring paint brands using a device that reveals a color’s cool or warm undertones. She arranged them from cool to warm, and then we picked one of each from each manufacturer to create the scale below.

What color is Hable's favorite?

Even color pros try and try again. Hable's favorite standard white paint is Benjamin Moore White Dove, a soft white. She used it with the formula cut in half (using half as much tint) to hide much of the yellow in the pine that covers the walls of her studio.

What color is the neutral wall?

The neutral walls set the mood for this palette, grounded in black and white.

Is semigloss paint good for trim?

Many paints have become much better at standing up to scrubbing, so semigloss is no longer the only choice for trim. In a white bathroom with cool gray mixed in, the blue pendant lamp ties to colors in rooms nearby, creating a harmonious flow. Photo: Rinne Allen.

How to shop for the best white paint

While each white is indeed different, those differences can be very subtle—and after staring at the full array of options at your local home improvement store, these hues can all easily start to look the same.

How to pick the best white paint for your light

Another major factor to consider when choosing white paint is the lighting in a room. What kind of bulbs do you have, and what color light do they project?

Try this handy trick with paint chips

Once you’ve found a few whites you like best, it’s time to get a better look beyond one tiny paint chip. Grab at least six paint cards that have the same color, and tape all of them together so you have a bigger swatch, which will give you an even better idea of how it will look and which is the best white paint for your room.

What to consider when choosing white paint?

Choosing white paint for your home can be tricky because there are a lot of slight variations in white wall paint and a lot of things to consider: natural and artificial light, other colors in the room, and how you want the room to feel. Choosing white interior paint for your space can seem like it’s hit or miss.

Which color is brighter, blue or white?

Cool whites will be the brightest and have the most crisp feeling. The blue undertones are a little brighter than cool whites with grey undertones. Blue absorbs red so if you’re trying to counteract too much warm light coming in, choosing a white with a slight blue/grey undertone will tone down the red hue of the light.

How to tell what undertones are on a wall?

One way you can still identify the undertone is to look at the color swatches around the color you’re looking for. In other words look at the entire wall of paint samples as a swatch. They usually go from light at the top, to dark at the bottom and those dark shades will have your undertone.

What color is the undertone of the lightest shade?

So the undertone of even the lightest shade will be a warm yellow .

How to tell if a paint swatch has multiple shades?

If you’re looking at a paint swatch with multiple shades on it, you’ll look at the darkest shade to see the undertone. For example, when you look at a few white paint strips next to each other, the light shades at the top look very similar. It’s not enough to choose your color based on these shades alone.

Why do white paint colors turn yellow?

The reason some whites end up looking yellow, pink, or even purple is because most white paint colors aren’t pure white. They are a very very light shade of a color. To the naked eye, they look white, but if we look closely we can see they have a tiny ounce of color.

What color is more cozy?

Cool whites will be brighter and warm whites will feel a little more cozy, so it really depends on the feel you’re going for.

Why is white the best color?

Because color is a phenomenon of light, the amount of natural and artificial light in the room impacts the tone of the walls. Says Alison Davin: “A pure white looks best with a lot of natural light. With less natural light, the white can have a base with more of a pigment.”

What paints are best for rooms with no natural light?

Alison Davin suggests Farrow & Ball and C2 Paint for rooms without much natural light. “Their mixes have more depth to them, adding dimension without having to add windows,” she says.

Why paint on the wall?

Why paint on the wall? Ian Reed suggests painting swatches “as big as you can and in several places. Colors shift from ceiling to wall, wall to wall, room to room. It is all about direction of exposure, proximity to windows, and artificial light.” If you’re working with a designer or contractor, he says, make sure that these tests are required as part of your contract, and even specify how many.

What color is the undertone of Miami?

Ideally, it would have warm gray as the undertone.”. However, “in Miami the same color may look like it has an orange cast. This is because the light in Miami has pure blue filtering through it. The blue in the light will make the warm gray paint look pink.”.

What does pure white mean?

A pure white reads more modern than one with some color in the mix. (Interior designer Alison Davin)

Who said it really pays to take the time to find the right white?

For guidance, we turned to members of the Remodelista Architect/Designer Directory. Their advice from the trenches confirmed our hunch: As architect Amy Alper says, “It really pays to take the time to find the right white.” Here’s how:

Is white a color?

Get to know the nuances in white. Artists and others who work with color know that white isn’t one hue but many—and that some are whiter than others. “White paints can come with bluish, reddish, yellowish, and even greenish undertones,” says Amy Alper.