Photo above courtesy Dulux Paints –
Have you ever thought you’d paint a room white only to arrive at the paint shop and be presented with all the varieties of white, and they all look slightly different?
I prefer to use the same white throughout a house. Just makes it easier for touch ups and remembering the colour names later on! You can even use the same white on the trims, either as gloss or semi-gloss in a different strength so that you have some contrast. So if your main wall white is half strength, you can paint trims in semi-gloss full strength or visa versa! If you are painting a space yourself or painting to sell or rent, then to save time, money and mistakes use the same white through-out (in different strength if you like). If you are painting for yourself or using a professional painter, do whatever makes you feel good. Contrast the trim in a deeper colour or lighter, have a feature wall or use wallpaper. I would do the latter sparingly as to remove wallpaper is a pain in the neck!
Here is a quick summary of which whites – just a rule of thumb.
Big old heritage houses with small rooms which might be dark or have a lot of wood do well with warm whites : these whites have a red, yellow, cream, tan, ivory or peach base.
Large rooms, well lit with plenty of large windows and light do well with the cool whites : these whites will have either blue or green undertone and can have a touch of black or ochre base.
Bright Lounge with Lexicon Quarter
Everything in between, eg your 60-90s solid houses can take either cool or warm depending on your preference. and size and style of rooms, but your choice should not be overtly warm or cool. Choose as neutral a white as you can. Below are my favourites in the Dulux range. Don’t rely on the links to these colours as they just don’t work when you view them on a sample or on the computer. Go out and buy the paint pot samples and then put them on a wall or on a large piece of board and check it against the places where you want to paint.
WARMS
Whisper White : warm welcoming white – lush looking and almost perfect ivory. Be aware that it will look a bit yellow in bright sunshine. Older period homes, or dark rooms with high ceilings will be enhanced with this white and you can pair it with black or beige tones. To brighten a dark room, match with pastel green, blues and pinks which are the colours for 2019.
Natural White : The lightest of the warm whites. Great for old buildings as it gives them a contemporary feel but retains the warmth and old world feel without going ‘cream’ which is now out of fashion! Good for painting throughout before putting a house on the market as it will go with most colours, styles and furniture on hand. It works in big space, and you can add very bright artwork or furnishings – It works fine with natural light and sunshine. Although it has some warmth – red and brown tints, it will still work with grey, green and navy and pastel colours.
White Polar Quarter : a warmer white gaining in popularity. It has a definite “beachy” feel and works well with beige, light browns and natural fibres and textured rugs and throws. Lovely in a living area with large windows but no sunlight (lots of sunlight will bring out the yellow). It works well in cold, dark area as it makes the room cosy and warm.
Casper White Quarter – grey-taupe undertone (no yellow, green or red) which you really only notice when it’s next to pure white, is a really interesting colour, has a bit of ‘substance’ to it and looks great contrasting against vivid white ceiling and trims. It changes with the light and in different rooms too. In my opinion, best used in quarter strength.
Personally I am not a fan of the warmer beige whites, e.g. Antique White USA or Hog’s Bristle, as I find some of the other whites do quite well in small dark places. But that’s just my personal taste. They have been used for years with great success.
COOLS
Lexicon Half : modern and fresh. This is a true white, with a beachy cool feel. Use it in large rooms where you want to show off large artwork or wood panelling. It is my current favourite white and I have used it at quarter strength in a modernised cottage with small, dark rooms and it has worked well with contrasting trims and wooden floors. It just lightens everything up! Match with light carpet, rugs and texture as it is quite spacey and blank and bring the warmth in with bright coloured cushions. Think of it as a space opener, cool, crisp and fresh. In larger spaces, it works well with dark greys, ochres, burn orange and beige. It is a cool white and has a hint of grey.
White on White : crisp and modern. This is another crisp, neutral cool white which goes well with modern pastels. You can use it for walls when you have one feature wall and it will bring out the highlights of the feature wall. Works well with a slightly darker trim.
Vivid White : this is the clearest white. It is bright, fresh, crisp, very pure and it doesn’t show any highlights such as yellow or blue, whatever you contrast it with. Match it with the latest blush and pink, beige or other pastel colours – Another one that is good for large spaces. A good one to use throughout the house. You can use the low sheen on walls, and semi-gloss on trims. Ideal for skirting boards, architraves and doors. – also looks good with dark wooden floors or doors/trims.
Highgate White : this is a very cool and slightly grey white. You will need big open space to paint this with lots of large windows – think warehouse type space. I like it painted on old rough brick walls as it brings out the texture. Use with caution!
Other things to consider are :
- Lighting – what sort of lights do you have? High Lumen white lights especially down lights will make your wall colour look cooler, if you are using warm white globes, your white will look softer with a more yellow tone.
- Opacity; This is how good the paint is for covering over the old wall paint. The more opacity your paint has, the less coats you will need. If it has low opacity paint, it might need 3 coats to completely cover it or the colour of your wall will look quite different to what you were expecting. Generally the blue/black tinted whites have higher opacity and the yellow/ochre/red tints have lower opacity. Read all about it here.
Exteriors
Generally I prefer the cool whites for exteriors teamed with a Monument Black or a dark grey window trims
Green based cool whites complement so many other colours and are fairly neutral. The more green added, they can bring out a wonderful stone colours which is great for exteriors. Lexicon half does well over modern exteriors as does Terrace White half/quarter, but for a warmer colour eg in the country or over rough render, use Light Rice quarter or White Duck quarter both of which can give a stone look to the walls.
Have a completely confused you? Read Kat’s blog ‘My Fifty Shades of White Saga’ from The Organised Housewife about her confusion with Whites and how she went about solving it.