I am so excited to have Jennalynn here to share her expertise on picking the perfect white paint colors for your home! Jennalynn worked for Sherwin Williams for many years and has a great eye for design. She is also a design expert for Crate and Barrel. I'm thrilled that she is here to share some advice for how to choose the perfect white paint.
After researching white paint for our home, I have found that people can have some pretty strong opinions about it! I tend to like a neutral palette so I knew I wanted the inside of our home to be painted white.
SW Pure White Cabinets
SW Pure White
Our floors tend to lean very neutral (not really cool and not really warm) and look good with both cool or warm tones (make sure to check out floor review here). We've always used Sherwin Williams paint and luckily, that is what our builder offered.
Our paint choice for our home is Pure White. I'll share more about that below. Here is what Jennalyn had to say about choosing the perfect white paint color!
SW Pure White
It’s such an exciting time when you decide to repaint your home. Whether you've just moved in or you have lived there for the past 10+ years, it is always fun to change things up. But then the fear slowly begins to set in... how to pick the perfect color.
I personally love going with a shade of white for the walls, but with HUNDREDS of white options how do you choose? Well, I’m here to help.
The first question you need to ask is, “What are the color tones already in my space". The undertone of all paint colors plays a huge role into how the overall ambiance of the room will feel. Let’s dive into how to decipher the different types of undertones.
Warm undertones tend to have a base of yellow or red. They provide a warm and welcoming feel to any room. These whites work well in a room with warm furnishings and decor, and create smooth transitions from room to room.
These shades also combine well with natural materials (such as wood), creating an organic flow throughout the space. Here are 6 popular warm white paint colors available at Sherwin Williams:
the above colors range from white to a very creamy color
If you have a room with cool hues, like blue, it’s best to select a white that also has cool undertones. Cool whites make a great complement to clear and deeply saturated colors, bringing a clean look to any design. They still offer a sharp contrast. Here are 6 popular cool white paint colors available at Sherwin Williams:
above is a wide range of whites with some on the far right with an almost grey tone
SW Pure White
Sunlit rooms are a good match with these whites, as they offset natural light which is inherently warm. Embrace the clean canvas your cool white provides and use it to make your favorite artwork stand out.
One of my favorite things to do before even beginning to think about the exact paint color is to gain inspiration. I love using Pinterest, Google and Instagram to look for paint ideas that speak to me. Another fantastic resource is to visit your local paint store.
For example, Sherwin Williams has so many wonderful design tools, from color specific booklets to paint chips. I highly recommend the Our Finest White Booklet which you can pick up at any of your local Sherwin Williams stores. You can find your nearest Sherwin Williams location here.
Everyone has different lighting in their home so I always recommend testing out the colors you are thinking of with Sherwin Williams Color to Go® Samples. This is a FANTASTIC way to test out some of your top picks in different areas and times of the day.
Image via Studio McGee
image via Z Design Home - Cabinet Paint SW Snowbound
SW Pure White
PRO TIP: Try to only get samples of 2-3 colors, this will cause a lot less stress when deciding on a color. If you need a second option, a great resource is to call over a certified Color Specialist or Sherwin Williams offers Virtual Color Consultations to help answer any questions you may have.
Of course get opinions from your friends or family, It's always fun to include them.
image via Halfway Holistic - SW Pure White
If you get sample paint, make sure to paint large areas of your wall. Also, check back on it at different times throughout the day. See how it looks on dark dreary days and sunny days.
image via Life on Virginia Street - Benjeman Moore Simply White
If you're planning on painting your whole house the same color, make sure to sample the paint in each room.
Choosing paint colors can be tricky especially with whites. But just remember at the end of the day it is your home and you should choose what makes you happy!
Like I said earlier in this post, we went with Sherwin Williams Pure White for our interior. We actually loved it so much, we painted our exterior the same white! Check out our post about our exterior paint here. Pure White works REALLY well in our home because we get SO much natural light.
image via Iris Acres Farmhttps://www.instagram.com/irisacresfarm/ - Featuring SW Pure White - Island is SW Tricorn Black
It is considered a 'cool' white, however it leans very neutral in our home since it has a tiny touch of yellow. The sunlight warms it up. We also painted the shiplap in our mudroom Pure White and that rooms gets zero natural light. It looks really good in there and not too cool.
here is Pure White in our home
You should definitely try a sample of Pure White if you're looking for a great white paint color! It's one of Sherwin Williams most popular colors for a good reason!
In our previous home, we used Snowbound in two rooms and loved that white too. It is a true white.
Board and Batten Wall Tutorial // Exterior Paint Choices // Black Shiplap Accent Wall
Hopefully this post helped give you some tips and tricks for choosing the best white paint colors for your home! Please let me know if you have any questions by leaving a comment below, or feel free to DM me on Instagram!
Hey there,
I am wondering what color the door is in the photo in this article? I love the contrast and am thinking we may paint our kitchen island this color. Thank you