When I first started writing down this article, I thought it would end up simply being a shortlist of my favorite white paint colors.
But the more I jotted down my ideas, the more I realized that I could not simply provide you with a few names and be done with it. It would be like merely scratching the surface of the world of whites and to be fully honest, “no-fail white paint colors” do not exist.
That’s because white is complex. White isn’t just white. You can’t buy a bucket of uncolored paint and call it a day (I know way too many people who’ve done exactly that – Yikes).
Whites have nuances and undertones. They come alive with light and play with shadows. They transform sometimes unexpectedly, and they are quite the chameleons. It’s tricky to get it right, I get you. And with over 900 shades of white out there, no wonder it gets overwhelming if you don’t know what to look for.
So this article will be the first of a special series all about whites which I hope will take the guesswork out of the process. I hope what you’ll learn will make paint selection easier, quicker, and stress-free.
Let’s start with a few things you should absolutely NOT do when choosing a white paint color for your home.
8 Things You Should Absolutely Avoid When Choosing A White Paint Color For Your Home:
1. Don’t be too critical when comparing your options
When choosing a white -and this is actually true for all colors- comparison is the best way to observe the different nuances. Layering paint chips on top of one another will instantly reveal their brightness and undertones – And this is very helpful! But you would be making a mistake to dismiss a white right off the bat simply because of how it looks compared to the others on a fan deck. Sure, one might appear too yellow or green right next to a stark, pure white, but maybe it is exactly what your space needs.
Compare whites to understand them. Once you know what to look for, you can start to eliminate options and toss aside the “wrong” paint chips.
2. Don’t forget the positioning of the room
Did you ever have a color you used around the house but in one particular room, it just isn’t quite right? It is probably due to its positioning.
North-facing* rooms don’t get sun throughout the day, so they have a cooler light coming in. This means that a white will take on a blue tinge, with a cool grey cast that can dull a color. Rooms with a southern* exposure get direct sunlight all day long. This adds visual heat and it will wash out/lighten colors. Your white will appear whiter, especially at the height of the day, but with a hint of yellow and orange.
It is relevant to ask yourself what is the purpose of a room, how much time do you spend in there, and when. You can narrow down endless options of white paint colors just by defining a room’s exposure. I will dig more into this topic in an upcoming article.
*It’s different if you live in the Southern Hemisphere, where the sun takes a different trajectory: North-facing rooms will get the most direct daylight, while south-facing rooms will have the coolest light.
3. Don’t ignore what’s outside the window
White is highly reflective, and whatever you see outside of your window will be reflected on your white walls, too. It will literally absorb the colors from the environment.
If all you see is a brick wall from a nearby building, your white will appear orange or peachy. In a room with a window facing a park or a forest, your white will inevitably take on a green tint. Also, be mindful of the season during which you choose your color. Crisp white snow in winter and lush trees in summer won’t reflect the same light (and thus, colors) in your home. Finally, tinted windows -if you live in a sunny climate, for instance- will also affect the quantity and quality of light reflecting on your walls, too.
You have to consider these “details” when planning your color palette. It is best to embrace these reflections you are basically stuck with, and invite whatever color you see rather than fight them. I will give you a few tips on how to do just that in an upcoming article.
4. Don’t ignore your overall color palette
The perfect white is one that enhances the mood and style you want to create. And just like how a white will reflect the dominant colors outside of your windows, it will also be affected by the colors inside your home. Flooring, exposed beams, rugs, and even large furniture will all have an impact. But don’t fret about it too much: If you understand undertones and revisit your color theory, you can make considered choices that will work for the space (more on that coming soon).
5. Don’t choose a color based on its name
Depending on whom you ask, words have different connotations and even meanings. They tend to evoke memories and stir up emotions.
Dead Salmon or Trusty Tan? Broccoli brown or Night Owl? Snugglepuss or Enchanted? Zombie or Iron Mountain? Mincemeat or Tuscan Sun? I get it. It is totally understandable that you might want to eliminate a color because of its funny/gross/silly/strange name and the emotional responses it elicits. But as tempting as it is, you can’t judge a color by its name.
And would you have guessed that Benjamin Moore’s Chantilly Lace is actually whiter than its Super White? I didn’t…
Don’t let a name fool you!
6. Don’t base your decision off the formula
Each paint color has its very own recipe. To recreate it, you need the right starting point and ingredients. First, there is the base color, usually, a shade of white that is clear, neutral, medium, or deep. Then a precise number of drops of black, yellow, green, etc. is added to produce a specific result.
I do not recommend choosing a white based on the manufacturer’s formulas. It can provide interesting information for sure, for the color nerds out there. But while it might *seem* fairly easy to compare samples and identify which one is colder based on the amount of blue in the formula, for instance, I assure you it is virtually impossible to predict the true outcome of a mix.
Even experienced, savvy experts get it wrong. It takes some sort of wizardry to know how a drop Yellow-Oxide or Organic Red affects a recipe. And forget about creating your own mix; adding an extra drop of black to your formula won’t necessarily give you a darker paint (trust me, I’ve tried it)…
What’s more, not all manufacturers use the same coding method or paint bases, which vary in terms of whiteness and transparency from brand to brand. Also, not all colorants are created equal – Transparency, dispersion, density, and particle size, in particular, have an impact on the quantity of drops required to dispense just one ounce of product. This is why color matching from one manufacturer to the other is never 100% accurate.
7. Don’t decide on a color without trying it first
No matter how gorgeous it looks on Instagram (hello, filters) or how popular a color is on Pinterest, you should ALWAYS try it first. Yes, even if you’ve seen a white that worked beautifully in your friend’s home.
Every space is different. What looks good in your living room might be completely different in your dining room or bedroom.
So save yourself major disappointments and money in the long run by buying samples before painting your entire house. They are an absolute must to help you find a color that works best for you and your environment.
8. Don’t paint small test swatches directly on the wall
Since lighter shades are highly affected by reflections and exposures, it is very important to try them on a large surface to see how they truly read in the room.
With a small test swatch on the wall, you are simply comparing your white to the existing wall color. You won’t get an accurate representation of its undertone; it will only be amplified, exaggerated. This will skew your ability to make the right decision, and you might dismiss a color that was precisely what you needed.
To illustrate this point I did a quick experiment for you. Below, you will find a montage of six pictures with a white paint chip against different backgrounds. I shot these within seconds of each other, to ensure the light in the room was the same as much as possible. Can you believe it is the SAME white!? Because it is, I swear! Sherwin William’s SW 7552 on all six pictures. Isn’t it amazing to see how it transforms? It’s all due to the different colors surrounding the paint chip.
For a more accurate representation, you should buy sample pots and paint two layers on large poster boards, so you can easily move them around the room and see how the color is affected by the natural light, at various moments throughout the day. And try to live with your test boards for a few days, too.
Ideally, you have to isolate your swatches from the surrounding colors as much as possible. When needed, use an even larger white test board behind your swatches to create a neutral background that doesn’t distract from the actual color.
White is simple, versatile, and classic. It is a timeless color that offers a fabulous backdrop for furniture and decorative accessories, and it is suitable for every style. With so many different nuances and complexities, choosing the right white is not so simple and can feel like a daunting task.
But if you understand color theory and undertones, as well as what your room needs, you will be well equipped to navigate the beautiful world of whites and make the right decision for your home.
And that’s what we’ll see in the next Insiders article in this special series All About Whites!
First photo: Dorothee Dubois for Hans Ver Stuyft Architecten