This question always comes up, so today, we will start with the basics, share our tips on selecting the perfect white for your home, and a few of our tried-and-true favorite white paint colors.

While selecting white paint might not seem like a hard decision at first, it can be very overwhelming when you start to look at all the options available. White paint comes in a variety of hues, including pure, plain, warm, and cool.

What is Pure White?

When our clients often refer to a pure white, they are looking for a plain white. Plain white is more approachable than pure white, with the same benefits and endless options. Pure white means that no color has been added to the paint. There are fewer options for pure whites as these are typically the manufacturer’s base color. The base paint is what they use to create any color they have available in their line and, therefore, has fewer undertones (added color).

Clients typically ask for a pure or plain white to avoid unwanted undertones. I am sure you have walked into a space and thought, is that wall painted light pink, alternatively light blue? Our tips will help you avoid those mistakes and guide you through the process we use to determine the perfect white paint. 

Advantages and Disadvantages of White Paint Hues and Undertones

Pure or Plain whites work great with modern, traditional, rustic, and eclectic styles. They are easy to match with multiple accent colors and make a bold statement when using a contrasting color in the room. If your room is full of white furniture, be mindful that it can do the opposite to these pieces and make them look “dirty” or feel beige. These whites have the least undertone but can still pick up undertones from interior and exterior surroundings. This is because white paint is highly reflective and bounces off its surroundings; this is also why rooms appear larger when painted white.  The Light Reflective Value (LRV) quantifies how much light the paint color reflects.  The scale is from 0 (black) to 100 (pure white), although no paint colors have a LRV of 100.

Warm whites have yellow or red undertones that lean cozy, organic, and traditional. They pair great with natural materials such as wood, stone, mixed metals, leather, etc. They are sometimes needed to offset cool lighting.

Cool whites have blue, grey, or green undertones, which lean fresh and modern. Depending on the room’s design, they can also create a traditional look. They sometimes need to offset warm lighting and pair well with cool colors.

How to Determine the Undertone in White Paint

If you already have a few swatches or paint cards at home and are wondering how to determine the undertone of white paint, here are two options to figure it out.   Suppose you have a swatch or card with multiple paint colors. The paint color on the bottom of the card will show the undertone color.  If you have a single-color paint swatch, place it on a piece of white printer paper. This will slightly overexpose the color to reveal the undertone.

Interior and Exterior Considerations

What type of natural light do you have, and how much of it? Southern-facing rooms tend to feel warmer due to the abundance of light exposure. These rooms might feel too bright and need to be offset with a cool white. On the other hand, north-facing rooms get little to no sunlight and feel cooler when reflecting shadows. These rooms may require a warm white to make the space feel like there is some natural warmth. East and West exposure will change throughout the day, so you want to stay with a more neutral color. Same train of thought: if your house has an abundance of windows or very few, it will affect the lighting in your home.

What type of artificial light do you have? Daylight bulbs (blue), soft white (neutral), or warm (yellow)? This will affect how the white paint looks as well, and you may need to offset the artificial light.

Is there anything surrounding the exterior of your home that can affect the color? Tall trees, water, fields of hay, etc. Exterior elements can reflect into your home and change the color of your white walls.

What are the main colors and textures throughout your home? Typically, warm and cool tones are complimented by similar white paint hues.

Related Post: The Psychology of Color

Other Helpful Tips and Considerations

What is the overall look you would like to achieve? Modern, Traditional, Cozy, Cool?

We highly recommend using peel-and-stick swatches. They can easily be reused to move around the home, which is helpful so you can look at them in different natural and artificial light throughout the day. If you pick a full house paint color, move it around to other rooms. 

If you fall in love with a color but prefer it to be slightly lighter but not a full shade down, or if you would like to reduce the undertone, you can have the retailer decrease the percentage ratio. For example, 75% of the strength would be slightly less saturated than the original color at 100%, as they add 25% pure white.

Our Favorite Pure and Plain Whites

Ultra-Pure White, Behr 185 – Behr’s purest white and the whitest white we share. LRV 94

High Reflective White, Sherwin Williams SW 7757 – Our favorite pure white comes across as clean and bright with the slightest warmth. LRV 93

Chantilly Lace, Benjamin Moore 2121-70– Crisp, clean, neutral undertone that is versatile and instantly brightens your space. Note this can come across as cool in a north-facing room. LRV 90.04

Super White, Benjamin Moore OC -152 – Similar to Chantilly Lace but slightly darker. LRV 87.36

Our Favorite Warm Whites

Pure White, Sherwin Williams SW7005 – Soft white with a slightly warm (yellow) undertone that does not show up as creamy. LRV 84

White Dove, Benjamin Moore OC-17 – Creamy white with subtle greige undertones. LRV 83.16

Simply White, Benjamin Moore OC-117 – Yellow undertone, traditional or natural light. LRV 89.52

Cloud White, Benjamin Moore OC-130 – Soft and creamy with subtle yellow undertones. LRV 85.05

Blank Canvas, Behr DC003 – Cozy and slightly warm without being an off-white paint or creamy. LRV 84

Swiss Coffee, Benjamin Moore OC-45 – Warm earthy white, green, and blue undertones with a hint of yellow. LRV 81.91

Our Favorite Cool Whites

Extra White, Sherwin Williams SW 7006 – The base paint color for Sherwin Williams is their purest white paint. Note this can come across as cool in a north-facing room. LRV 86

Decorators White, Benjamin Moore CC-20 – Subtle cool white with gray and blue-purple undertones. LRV 82.68

Paper White, Benjamin Moore OC-55- Light grey undertones with a touch of blue. LRV 74.41

Pale Oak, Benjamin Moore OC-20 – Earthy grey and brown undertones similar to white oak wood. LRV 68.64