How to choose the perfect white paint for your home
Do you find it hard to decide on the best shade of white paint?
When faced with many shade cards by all the different paint brands, many of us glaze over. I will share my methods to help break down the overwhelm and simplify your options, providing a more straightforward process for selecting your perfect shade of white.
As someone primarily associated with colourful interiors, you would think I am not keen on white; that is not the case. Finding the right shade of white allows the other colours in the room to have their chance to shine, beautifully reflecting the light and increasing the perception of space. I would suggest choosing paint with a good pigment base from a sustainable brand.
Before you go to the paint shop:
Look at the room and assess the light
Where does the sun rise and set?
Will you need to add more artificial light to the room?
When do you most use the room?
Undertones
When considering white, it is the undertone that determines the shade. To help you get to grips with the term undertone, find a white sheet of paper, gather a few white objects around the house and lay them on the paper. You will quickly see each item's varying tones of yellow, pink, blue, green or grey. The same tonal changes apply to the appearance of paint. You can pick up a brilliant white shade card, place it next to other whites, and immediately see the tonal differences.
Where the light comes from
North-facing rooms are naturally darker, needing warmth from a white with yellow/pink undertones. A pink undertone is a good counterbalance between the grey shadows of a dark room, forming a gentle, balanced light.
East-facing rooms benefit from the sun in the morning, and the light changes throughout the day, creating a colder shade in the afternoon and evening. Choose a white with a yellow undertone to help lift the light.
South-facing rooms have beautiful natural light, allowing you to maximise the feeling of light and space. Using a neutral white with undertones of blue will help absorb the light, keeping the room cosy.
West-facing rooms will be darker in the mornings, but the light shines later in the afternoon. Adding a yellow/grey undertone will soften the evening sun and lift the morning.
The addition of artificial lighting:
Consider spreading any additional lighting around the room to help soften and create a warm feel. Dimmable lights are great, allowing for variation.
Traditional lighting creates a warm yellow glow, and most modern LEDs can shine a blue/white tone. I suggest you choose a warm white LED bulb creating a softer light that helps you select paint.
Other colours in the room
Consider the other colours going into the room. Furniture and furnishings will also affect the shade of white on the walls. If you have fabric samples or have the colours in shade cards, you can compare them against your white options.
Try using two different whites
I prefer to use two different whites in the room: ceilings and woodwork in one shade and a different shade for the walls. I use a warmer tone on the ceiling and woodwork to add depth, and if you have any cornicing, it will create shadow and distinction.
Paint brands
The paint market is growing, and the choices are vast. To help keep your sanity, I would advise you to start looking at 3-4 paint brands hoping you will find the perfect white. Many brands have informative websites to compare the quality, pigment, finish and price that suits you.
Sample pots
I would always recommend that you buy sample pots, paint on large pieces of paper, and hold them around the room to see how the light affects the colours during the day and evening.
Case study
To offer you a practical example of my method, I compare two rooms in my home painted in two shades of white.
Before I begin, I must also explain that I have a continual thread throughout my home, as I use the same paint for the ceilings and woodwork. I live in a 1903 Edwardian property; the sun comes in through the front of the house in the morning and sets at the back.
The paint used for the ceiling and woodwork is Lead White (57) by Little Greene. The ceilings are high, and it softens the divide between the two. With a warm yellow/grey undertone, it never jars with the colour on the walls. Using the same colour on all the woodwork is helpful as you can easily keep a pot handy to touch up any scuffed skirting boards.
The brands I picked to choose between are 1.Mylands 2. Fired Earth 3.Little Greene.
Room 1
A large east-facing loft bedroom with one medium window and two large sloping windows. (Read my blog for design inspiration) - Stylish ideas to create your perfect boho bedroom
As with many loft rooms, the area isn't a regular shape and has many different angles. I wanted to pick white paint to soften all the edges so the light would reflect around the room.
Visiting the paint shop clear and ready to select samples with a gentle yellow undertone in my chosen brands. I also brought the Lead white (for the ceilings/woodwork) shade card and samples of the other colours going into the room (green, coral and grey).
Chosen colours
Mylands Pure White no1 – Bright white with a slight hint of yellow
Fired Earth -Neve – Bright white with a bit of yellow/grey
Farrow & Ball - Pointing – A warm white with more yellow
Little Greene – Linen wash – Softer white with more yellow/grey
Painting each colour on a large piece of paper, with a lead white paint sample to compare. The softer white tones of Bianco and Linen wash brought out the yellow in the lead white but became too creamy by the evening, not suiting the design scheme. With the additional grey undertone, Neve also didn't work in that light.
I chose Mylands, Pure white no 1, for the main walls, and the sloping walls were painted like the ceiling. The morning sun warms the room, and as the light drops at the end of the day, warmth from additional sidelights keeps a large room snug.
2. Kitchen/Diner
An east-facing room with one side of the space consisting of windows and bi-fold doors with an extension housing a pitched glass roof. This room is bright and light in the mornings. The room has lots of downlighters and extra lighting to draw light into all the corners in the evening.
The room has many requirements; it is the central hub of the house, containing a kitchen, dining area and a small seating nook. It has a relaxed feel, with colour, patterns and textures brought together through wallpaper, paint finishes, tiling and colourful, eclectic furniture. The ceiling and walls needed to sit quietly and let the rest do the talking!
The ceilings and woodwork are painted in Lead White (57) by Little Greene, and the walls are painted in white with a soft grey appearance; Bone White by Fired Earth, painted in an eggshell finish as it is a high-traffic room. The yellow undertones lift the pale grey and keep warmth in the evening.
I hope this has given you the confidence to make considered choices and enjoy the process while viewing the whole room.
If you need further guidance in colour planning and confidence in choosing paint colours, please check out my design services and choose to Create your colour scheme.
