Choosing the Perfect White Paint
May 30, 2018
With Spring finally here, some of you may be looking to freshen up or brighten your home. What better way to do it than with some fresh white paint!
We asked our talented Designer, Jen Lapsiuk, for her advice on how to navigate through the hundreds of shades of white paint out there.
Guest Blog Brought To You By: Jen Lapsiuk, Arbutus Properties Designer
One of the questions I get asked a lot is: how do I choose white paint? Although white paint isn’t for everyone, it is a timeless classic and a great way to freshen up your home.
I love the way personality and style truly shine in a home with white walls. The hard part is finding the perfect white. I have put together a list for you of some tried and true favourites.
Here are some tips to create a beautiful balanced look.
Pure Whites:
Consider the natural light source in your home. Rooms that face away from the midday sun have a grey-blue tone to them. Using a pure white in these spaces will optimize the light.
Some of my favourite pure whites are Chantilly Lace OC-65 (BM), Super White OC-152 (BM) and Simply White OC-117 (BM).
Simply White has a bit of warmth to it, but it will still act as white if there aren’t other whites in the room. It is perfect if you are looking for a fresh white but not too crisp.
Benjamin Moore – CHANTILLY LACE
Cool Whites:
Rooms that have large windows and receive intense sun throughout the day will benefit from a cool white with blue or grey tones to help quiet the room.
Cool whites often give a more contemporary feel to a space and are typically used when your furnishings contain bright or cool colours.
Some of my favourite cool whites are Decorators White CC-20 (BM), Paper White OC-55 (BM).
Benjamin Moore – PAPER WHITE
Warm Whites:
Rooms that do not get much sunlight streaming in are good candidates for a warmer white.
Warmer whites are often used to soften a space. If your furnishings are warmer than you would tend to stick with a warmer white.
Some of my favourites are Swiss Coffee OC-45 (BM), White Dove OC-17 (BM) and Alabaster SW-7008.
Sherwin Williams – ALABASTER
How To Finally Choose:
Pick 3 of your favourite whites and paint them on large swatches. Hold them up on different walls in the room to see which looks best.
Also try to consider the lighting at the time of day when the room will be used most as it will change throughout the day.
If you are struggling, lean toward a pure white that is in-between warm and cool.
We hope that these tips were helpful. Happy Painting!