Are you looking for a white paint but don’t know where to start? Yes, I’ve been there done that! When you ask online what’s your favourite white you’ll be bombarded with answers. If you head to a hardware shop and stand in front of the white samples you’ll probably start seeing stars – there’s just so many choices.
Whites can throw all sorts of tones – grey, blue, purple and yellow. It’s tricky to get it right. The first thing you will need to decide on is whether you are after a COOL white or a WARM white. Once you decide which is your preference you can start to limit your choices.
Here are the 2 broken down with a few ideas for you…
Cool Whites
Cool whites are colours that have a blue, grey or green undertone. Cool colours work well in more modern and contemporary homes. Usually rooms which are filled in natural light can benefit from a cool white. They offer a crisp, sleek and elegant look.
Here are a few of my tops colours –
Crisp White Taubmans – a true white and I have seen this used many times.
Lexicon Dulux – Instagram will tell you this is very popular but done in a quarter tint.
Infinity White British Paints – gorgeous colour – a little hint of grey, but not too much.
Vivid White Dulux – bright and light.
Extra White Sherwin-Williams – looks great in a large space.
Manhattan Snow Wattyl – another bright and fresh white.
Warm Whites
Warm whites are colours with yellow, red and brown undertones. They are cozy and inviting more suited to traditional styling.
Here are some examples –
Whisper White Dulux – a little bit warmer with a slight cream undertone.
Linen White Wattyl – also a little creamer and looks great bright white gloss accents.
Love Note British Paints – creamy with the slightest pink tone.
Antique White USA Dulux – Not too creamy – just not as stark as a cool white. This is my favourite warm white paint colour.
Natural White Dulux – fresh brown undertone – great with timber furniture.
White Beam British Paints – natural and inviting.
TIPS when choosing white paint:
- Hold the swatch away from other swatches (other colours can throw it off).
- Don’t choose your colour based on the swatch laying down – make sure it’s upright.
- Buy a piece of plaster board and paint that using your colour (don’t put more than one colour on a board, create new boards per colour) and rest them in your rooms to see how they look at different times of the day.
- Think about the lighting in your room. Less light might mean your paint choice can be a little brighter/lighter or with half strength tint.
- Think about the furniture in your room. Black furniture looks better with a cooler colour, timber furniture might look better with a warmer white.
♥ KC.
