Have you ever thought about painting the walls in your home white? We love white walls! For me, they are the perfect background for furnishings and white paint makes a room look bright, airy, and even bigger. But white paint can be tricky! The undertones that make white paint so beautiful can also make it hard to choose the perfect white paint for your home!

If you have, you'll know that finding white paint is one of the most difficult things to accomplish. White is not one set thing either. There are different kinds of whites, like cool and warm.

The easy elegance of a white room is part of the enduring appeal of this decorating style. Finding the right shade of white, however, is anything but simple.

Introducing white to your interior walls creates an immediate ambiance of sophistication, freshness, and timeless style. However, as any former home renovator knows, the choices of shades of white are endless, and to make matters more complicated, often the shade of white selected can appear to look different when painted on the wall itself.

But, of course, we CAN choose the perfect white paint for our homes by learning a few things that unlock white paint’s secrets! Let’s chat about how you can confidently choose the perfect white paint and how to get the nuances of undertones right!

White paint is white hot, but it can also be really hard to nail the right one.

When neutralizing bright light, cool whites can work extremely well in rooms that have big windows and receive a lot of sun coming through. 

Always Be Prepared

White walls are unforgiving, exposing every tiny dent or smudge. Be sure to patch any holes or imperfections with a skim coat and sand as necessary. If there are considerable stains, use a stain-blocking primer before applying your top coat. White walls may appear basic, but the truth is that a lot of time and work goes into selecting the right hue for each room. Sometimes, a coat of white paint can make a room look bigger and brighter. However, sometimes it can completely ruin the aesthetic of a space and wreak havoc on its ambiance. So, if you are thinking about choosing white paint for walls, here are a few things you should keep in mind before picking up the roller brush and getting to work.

Choosing the right finish is just as important as choosing the right shade. It can also have a huge impact on the overall appearance of the room. However, if you are having a hard time deciding between various finishes of white paint for walls, here is a general rule of thumb you should follow.

• Flat finishes can give an impression of receding walls

• A matte finish can absorb light and have a velvety appearance

• Semi-gloss and high-gloss paints are reflective and allow light to bounce through the room

• Eggshell and satin finishes usually create the perfect balance between matte and gloss paints

Another thing you must know about painting your walls white is that they require a lot more maintenance and upkeep than most other colors. No matter how careful you are, the area surrounding the light switches is most prone to dirt marks. Similarly, whenever a door, cabinet, or other furniture bangs up against a white wall, those spots will become very visible.

Of course, if you have young children or pets, you should prepare yourself for countless touch-ups, as any sort of stain will stand out against the white background. This is also one of the main reasons why most interior designers don’t recommend white paint for kitchen walls. 

LIGHTING AFFECTS WHITE PAINT

Light plays an important role when it comes to color. We need light to see color. The way light is bounced off or absorbed by an object creates the color we see. And light has an immense effect on white paint!

This is a very easy explanation of the very complex properties of color. But it will help us understand a bit about the importance of light when we talk about white walls.

How you perceive color has a lot to do with the light in the room.  

Did you know the light in one city is different from the light in another city? Mind-blowing, right? Not that this matters much because I assume you’re not going to decide on a color for a house far away from where you live! But on the off chance you are, make sure you test your paint options on the actual walls they will be going on. 

Colors can be rendered differently based on the type of light. For example, color is going to look different in natural light compared to under a source of artificial light. 

Understand the undertones

Undertones exist in most colors. They exist because most colors are created by combining two or more primary colors. 

The more dominant color, the one that you see, is called the overtone or the mass tone. And the one that you can’t see, you guessed it, is called the undertone. 

The only colors with no undertones are truly white and true primary colors like blue, red, and yellow. When you compare any color to the true mass tone of that color, you’ll see the undertone easily. 

White paint colors fall into 3 categories based on their undertone. 

Cooler whites are the ones that have bluish undertones. In contrast, warmer whites have yellowish undertones. The third category is neutral whites and they have no undertone. 

White paint is a great choice as it will go with just about any flooring, but it is important to also think about your existing cabinetry, furniture and artwork as the colors here will play a role in the exact shade of white you select. If your space is already very colorful and bright, then a cool white may work best. Alternatively, if the room is fairly neutral or slightly darker, then opting for a warmer white may be more suitable.

Cool & Warm whites

With yellow, brown, or red undertones, warm whites are used to inject a cozy feel into a room and complement furniture and fixtures which have warmer hues including timbers.

Warm whites tend to suit more traditional homes and are perfect for smaller rooms with less natural light such as bedrooms.

Even if you have decided on a neutral color palette, you must take your time picking and choosing the perfect shade of white that works for your space. Though buying the purest, brightest white on the shade card may seem tempting, you must always make sure the hue doesn’t make your walls look like they have only been coated with a primer. Cool whites tend to have grey, blue, green, or even purple undertones. These whites will create a crisp, modern look and are well-suited to contemporary homes and rooms that get lots of sunlight.

In comparison, warm whites will have yellow, peach, pink, red, or brown undertones. These whites add warmth and cozy vibes to a space. They're well suited to older homes, like Victorian and Edwardian styles, as well as spaces that don't receive as much natural light.

If you have trouble identifying between different shades, just keep in mind that there are two main types of white: cool and warm. Cool or pure whites have grey or blue hints whereas warm whites have yellowish, reddish, or brownish undertones. While cool whites can make your room appear cold and harsh, warm white can make it look cozy and homely. 

Choosing the Right White Paint 

So, how do you find the perfect white paint color for your home? Choose a few colors based on the first two steps above and then test them in your home to see how they look with different lighting in your home. 

We often incorporate paint colors in our style boards but we always recommend that our clients try the colors out in their homes first as the lighting in the room may render the color difference in real life. 

Be sure to make note of the colors you’re testing in natural light and artificial light sources. Consider how they look during the day and in the evening. 

The Natural Light 

Natural light can have a notable visual impact on white walls. Whether your room appears brighter and bigger or cold and dull after being painted white largely depends on the type and amount of natural light it receives.

According to the experts, cool or pure white is ideal for rooms that receive plenty of sunlight. Meanwhile, selecting warm white paint for walls would be a better choice if your space only gets a small amount of natural light throughout the day.

Therefore, it is important to test out multiple shades and see how your space looks at different times of the day before painting your walls white. You may also have to replace your light bulbs with something cooler or warmer to make the room look lively and comfortable. Here’s a guide on choosing warm vs white bulbs for various rooms at home that may help you out. 

Note: Avoid white paint in a north-facing room or a room without any natural light, such as a small powder room. The lack of natural light in such a room may make a cool white appear drab, and a warm white dingy.

In rooms with abundant natural light, white paint can appear different throughout the day. Be sure to try a sample of any color you're considering to see how it looks in the morning, afternoon, and late-day light. To brighten low-light spaces, consider a cooler shade of white that will reflect ambient light from lamps and overhead fixtures.

To conclude, the natural light, home décor, and finish determined which white would be perfect for your shade. Also, you can’t paint every room in your home the same shade of white. When it comes to painting your walls white, take into consideration your lifestyle requirements and the factors mentioned above before making any decisions. 

This one goes without saying, but your home décor choices must complement the color of your walls. 

If you are opting for cool white hues, consider going with modern or minimalist furniture with sleek edges, smooth curves, and neutral colors. On the other hand, if you are a fan of a maximalist or traditional décor, warm white shades would be a better choice. 

One of the main benefits of white walls is that they allow you to incorporate different colors into your décor. However, in case you are planning to go with all-white décor, please keep in mind that it can be extremely hard to pull off in real life and usually only look good in magazines. More often than not, spaces with white walls and furniture can end up looking rather boring and lifeless. 

But that doesn’t mean it always turns out bad. Start by choosing high-gloss white paint for interior walls, then layer the space with different materials, hang artwork and add some texture to your décor to make your space look brighter and livelier.