Kylie M Interiors

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You are here: Home / The Best Paint Colours / Neutral, Gray, Greige, Cream and White / 4 Steps: Pick the Right White for your Trim, Cabinets or Walls

April 2, 2018 by KylieMawdsley

4 Steps: Pick the Right White for your Trim, Cabinets or Walls

 

How to Pick the Right White for Trim, Cabinets, Ceilings or Walls

Alright, it’s time to get your tighty-whities on because TODAY you’re going to learn how to pick the BEST white for your trim, cabinets, ceilings or walls!

But before we get into the nitty-gritty, let me save you a LOT of time, energy and sanity by saying this…

If you already have something painted white in your room, ie: trim or cabinets and are NOT repainting them, I would HIGHLY SUGGEST that you paint, whatever it is you want to paint, the exact same colour. 

It can be risky to mix and match whites as one can EASILY make another look dirty/warm/cool/etc… If this concerns you, then stick with the white you already have! If you don’t know the name of the white you have, take a cabinet door/piece of trim to the paint store and have them colour match it for you.

Bathroom with porcelain look marble tile. Paint color similar to Benjamin Moore Stonington Gray. Kylie M INteriors E-design before image

Now, moving along to the guts n’ glory of this blog post…

Best white paint colour for trim, cabinets, ceilings, walls. How to pick. Kylie M Interiors edesign consulting

STEP 1

Find your MAIN white

What does this mean? Well, whether you’re building from scratch or updating a space, you should have a white that is ALREADY living in your room and there are 3 main places to find it…

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  1. Find the white or off-white in your countertop. Many countertops have a white or off-white in them. This is YOUR guiding light – and guiding white. So whether you’re building from scratch or using what you already have, look at your countertop selection to see which type of white you’re dealing with. If your choice doesn’t have ANY white or off-white (whether warm or cool), then you’ll want to move along to #2.

Budget friendly bathroom update ideas, formica calacatta marble laminate countertops, hexagon tile backsplash. Chelsea Gray vanity. Kylie M E-design

The above countertop would call for a clean or slightly cool white. If you put a white with too much yellow in it next to this, it could clash

Formica Soapstone Sequoia greige laminate countertop in kitchen with cloud white cabinets. Kylie M E-design

The creamy tone in the above countertop definitely prefers a soft, warm off-white. If you put a cool white with this, it wouldn’t make sense

2. Find the white on existing cabinets, trim or doors that are NOT being re-painted.  Like I mentioned above, if you already have an existing white surface that you DON’T want to paint, I would suggest using this SAME white on your newly painted surface. If you are building and have chosen white cabinets, I recommend painting trim, ceiling and doors the SAME white.

Glam chrome chandelier with coffered ceilings. Kylie M Interior E-design

3. Find the white on other surfaces: If you don’t have countertop with white/off-white in it OR existing trim/doors that are painted white, then look to tile, vinyl flooring or another surface that is not being changed any time soon. This can also be your guiding white.

Sherwin Williams Kilim Beige in a bathroom with beige toned tile and soaker tub with dark wood surround. Kylie M Interiors E-design

The colour in this tile would be a warm off-white/creamy beige. If you put a stark white or cool white with this, it wouldn’t work

E-decor and Online Decorating Services. Beautiful ledgestone, travertine fireplace with Tv above, dark wood mantel and built-in bookshelves wtih 2 cream accent chairs. Kylie M Interiors

The fireplace stone above calls for a soft white, not cold, but not too creamy warm either

STEP 2

Figure out what TYPE of white you have

Now that you’ve found the main white in your room, you’ll want to figure out what TYPE of white you’re dealing with.

Warm white

Warm whites aren’t stark and clean, they’re softer looking.Best white paint colours, Sherwin Williams Pure White

hexagon subway tile backsplash. Maple cabinets painted Cloud White, soapstone formica countertops and gray quartz with kitchen decor

Benjamin Moore Cloud White

Clean white

Clean whites are pretty…darned…whiteBest white paint colour, Sherwin Williams High Reflective White

Budget friendly kitchen with painted cabinets Benjamin Moore Chelsea Gray, white subway tile and black laminate countertops. Kylie M Interiors Online Color Consulting and E-design

Similar to Benjamin Moore Super White

Cool white

These ones aren’t as common, but they’re still out there. These ones lean to the cool side and often look fresh and a bit ‘icy’

Sherwin Williams Extra White. Best white paint colour cool toned

White shaker style cabinets, white quartz countertops, Coventry Gray island and Stonington Gray walls

Similar to Benjamin Moore Decorators White

Off-white (warm)

Off-whites might fool you, trying to LOOK like white, but they have more softness and depth to them and are usually on the warm side, but can also be a super light gray/cool colour.

Kylie M E-design, online paint color consultation expert. Benjamin Moore Sherwin Williams colours Alabaster off-white

Sherwin Williams Alabaster

Now you might be like, ‘hey crazy pants, it all looks white to me!’ Fair enough, sometimes you don’t know which type of white you have until you compare it to something different, so let’s do that!

STEP 3

Compare YOUR white to something that IS white

Comparison is one of the BEST ways to see the undertones in a colour. By placing real white against your white, it should be easier to see which type of white you’re working with.

The best way to do this without losing your mind is to take 2-3 stacked pieces of paper (or a piece of poster board) and compare them to your existing white.  I say 2-3 pieces because 1 piece can be kind of transparent and we want a solid look (an envelope works well for a more solid white look). Now, there are the anal few (bless your lil’ hearts) who will say, ‘but what type of white is the paper?‘ OH FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, we’re not trying to save lives here people, we’re just picking paint colours, so let’s all just agree that paper is generally pretty…darned…white.

So now that you have figured out whether you have a warm, cool, clean or off-white, you can head to the paint store with ‘your white’ in mind.

Sherwin Williams Sea Salt in a bathroom with white countertop, vanity, farmhouse bulbs, wood framed mirror. Kylie M E-design, online color consultant

If you were to compare this countertop to a real white (such as the hanging towel), you’d see that it’s slightly soft and warm

E-design, virtual interior design, decorating, paint colour consultant and expert. Benjamin Moore, Sherwin Williams. circle ad (1)

STEP 4

Pick your White

You should now be able to go to the paint store knowing which type of white you’re dealing with. Personally, I’m a pinot gris fan myself, but I’ll settle for a nice chardonnay. Oh wait, we’re talking about the PAINT store…right.

If you don’t have an existing white in your home, then you’ll want to look at the colours in your home and your general style to figure out which white is best for you.

Tips for picking white when you don’t already have one 

If you don’t have anything white in your room that you have to work with, you’ll want to look at the neutral colours in your room for guidance. Whether its countertop, tile or carpet, the colour of your hard surfaces will help to guide you towards the right white. The exception to this is wood flooring which is far more flexible with regard to whites.

If your hard surfaces are charcoal, lighter gray, blue, green or purple

While you can create an interesting and dynamic look with soft, slightly warm whites, to keep it simple you’ll want to check out clean whites or slightly cool whites.

Contemporary living room. Sherwin Williams Repose Gray, tile fireplace surround with floating hearth and linear gas insert. Kylie M Interiors Decorating and Design Online and local in Nanaimo BC

Sherwin Williams Network Gray with white wainscoting or lower walls and ladder shelf. Kylie M Interiors E-design and online colour consulting

Get a look similar to this with SW Network Gray and SW Pure White

If your hard surfaces are in the greige, tan or earth-toned range

You’ll want to check out warm or soft off-whites.

Bathroom vanity with travertine silver countertop, painted Benjamin Moore Kingsport Gray with white sink. Kylie M Interiors e-design

Benjamin Moore Edgecomb Gray entryway with white stair railing. Before Kylie M E-design, online color consultant

Get a look similar to this with Edgecomb Gray and BM White Dove

If your hard surfaces are in the warmer range of beige, cream, yellow, orange and red

You’ll want to look at warm whites.

Benjamin Moore Ballet White best neutral paint colour, cream bathroom vanity. Kylie M INteriors E-design, ONline Color expert

living room south facing, Navajo White Benjamn Moore greige furniture. Before Kylie M E-design

Get a look similar to this with BM Navajo White and BM Simply White

Now, if you’ve spent any time on Pinterest looking for the right white, you’ve probably realized that there are TONS of whites, but only a few right ones. So, to keep things simple we’re going to focus in on a few of my fave white paint colours. You want a different white? Fill ‘yer boots, but we’re staying meat n’ potatoes here folks and looking at my TOP choice from both SW and BM for each grouping.

If you’re still not sure which white you’re dealing with, narrow it down to the 2 white groupings that seem the closest and bring those samples home.

My Top 2 Warm Whites

SW Pure White

Pure White is one of my faves. It’s pretty darned white with only a weee fraction of warmth in it. If all else fails and I can’t figure out what the heck white I’m dealing with, this is usually my go-to.

BM Simply White

Simply White is a popular choice for a fresh, but warm white

My Top 2 Clean Whites

SW High Reflective White

High Reflective White is pretty darned white, not warm, not cold – just white

BM Super White

Super White is also pretty damn white. It can stretch itself JUST slightly cool…but barely

(I also like BM Oxford White for a simple, but not overly bright white look)

My Top 2 Cool Whites

SW Extra White

Extra White will absolutely act like white, but a more ‘fresh and cool’ version of it – without being an actual colour

BM Decorators White

Decorators White is another nice pretty darned white colour that nods toward cool undertones

My Top 2 Almost Off-Whites

SW Alabaster

Alabaster is a warm, almost off-white. Soft and hinting at creamy, but grounded by a nice neutral base to calm it down

BM White Dove

Definitely my 2nd fave white. White Dove is a warm white like Alabaster but is slightly more neutralized. It tends to flex well toward both slightly warm and cool colours

That should cover it!

Not sure which white is best for YOU and YOUR home?

Check out my affordable and fun E-design and Virtual Paint Colour packages! 

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Chat soon,

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Comments

  1. Kristi H says

    April 2, 2018 at 2:32 pm

    Wow, super timely post… We just had Ikea Hemnes white stain bookcases trimmed out to look built in and I’m trying to find the right white to use that won’t require me to paint the inside of the bookcases. I also need to paint a fireplace on the opposite wall with the same color. I picked two whites and painted them on a board a few hours ago and after reading this post, before even taking them to the shelves, can see they are too warm for the white stain. Back to the drawing board!

    Reply
  2. Patricia says

    April 2, 2018 at 4:36 pm

    I’m in love with the counter in the 1st Kitchen picture under “Warm Whites” (Benjamin Moore Cloud White) I was wondering on your thoughts on how that would look with cloud white on the cupboards and Benjamin Moore’s Natural Linen on the walls? Or would that counter be better suited with a grey wall colour?

    Reply
    • KylieMawdsley says

      April 2, 2018 at 5:56 pm

      Hi Patricia, Natural Linen could look quite lovely, I don’t see any problem with that at all and it might be nicer than a lighter cooler gray…

      Reply
  3. Susan Morris says

    April 2, 2018 at 5:58 pm

    Kylie, I just love your posts and have learned so much from them (can you say LRV!?). Whites are so hard and I’m wanting to paint my 2 story gambrel roof house white. Which Whites work best for exterior use? I live in sunny Florida…….

    Reply
    • KylieMawdsley says

      April 2, 2018 at 8:34 pm

      Oooo Susan, great idea for a blog post! The only thing is that I use only my own photos and I don’t have any clients exteriors in the best whites – so it would be hard for me to reference them! Mind you, sometimes just info is helpful! BTW, I would check out SW Pure White…

      Reply
  4. Robin says

    April 2, 2018 at 6:51 pm

    This is amazing. You cut right to the chase and clearly explained what was what lol Compare, compare! I always learn so much when reading your posts. It def sinks in mi cabesa lol. Excellent and so funny!! Thanks again. Not going to be uptight with white!

    Reply
    • KylieMawdsley says

      April 2, 2018 at 8:33 pm

      Lovely comment, thank you Robin! Whites can be SUCH a bugger so hopefully the bits n pieces help!

      Reply
  5. Cheryl says

    April 2, 2018 at 8:07 pm

    We just bought a home and wanted to repaint the trim. There are a million whites to choose. I was in a dilemma until I read your blog. Thank you very much for sharing your knowledge. I plan to use your online help once we move into the home.

    Reply
    • KylieMawdsley says

      April 2, 2018 at 8:32 pm

      Wonderful, looking forward to it Cheryl!

      Reply
  6. Shari says

    April 2, 2018 at 8:13 pm

    Thanks, Kylie, for condensing this subject into a great resource for your readers!
    Would you please share the names of a couple of your favorite SW off- whites that fall into the SUPER light gray family as mentioned above? Perhaps a grayed-white?

    Reply
    • KylieMawdsley says

      April 2, 2018 at 8:32 pm

      Ooo Shari, you know what – SW just doesn’t have great ones in the super light off-white gray – nobody does really! It seems that undertones come up so much in that range. Eider White is a popular off-white, but it can cast a touch purple. Egret White is a bit warmer/greige and same thing. The best as far as I’m concerned is SW Crushed Ice, but it’s getting closer to the ‘light’ range as it has more depth to it. Ice Cube is a lovely, cooler off-white, but again, you will likely see those cool undertones coming up a bit more than you’d like…

      Reply
  7. Reva Silber says

    April 2, 2018 at 8:29 pm

    Hey Kylie,
    I’m doing a color consult with you. Love reading your analysis of whites and all undertones for that matter!
    Thanks!

    Reply
  8. Donna says

    April 3, 2018 at 1:30 pm

    Thank you for your informative articles! I know that once a white is chosen for trim, it should be used throughout the home for continuity’s sake. However, if there is a separation of rooms, can another white be used? i.e. I have a corner utility room that was recently painted SW Vital Yellow with recommended Pure White trim and cabinets. Walking out of that room is my mudroom which has stained wood trim, and into the open area kitchen and family room–all trim and cabinets are stained. The hallway leading to the bedrooms and the bedrooms themselves have painted trim and doors in need of freshening up. The bedroom bath areas have stained cabinets and painted trim. However, I feel that Pure White is not warm enough to compliment all my stained woodwork–I sometimes see a hint of blue in the trim and cabinets in my utility room, and don’t want to see that in the rest of my home. I’m considering SW Alabaster for all remaining trim and doors in these areas. Would that be acceptable? Or do I need to stick with Pure White for the whole house?

    Reply
  9. Maureen says

    April 3, 2018 at 4:24 pm

    Thanks for this post! I think SW Pure White is the best match for my kitchen countertops. If I use Pure White for cabinets and trim, can I use Alabaster on the walls?

    Reply
  10. Jed Johnson says

    April 5, 2018 at 9:18 am

    I’m helping out with a Church/community children’s area . There are north facing windows only. The prep/activity areas tops are White with some grey bits, not sure of material but easy to clean, may be quartz.. Warmer white would be so nice for the north room but now I see it might clash with the white tops. (thanks to you Kylie!). I think I’m going to suggest pure white now because this sure is a difficulty I have no idea what to do with, and I think you said pure white is great for that 😂) …but hm.. I wonder if the north light is going to kill it.
    When you don’t know where to go, I think it’s pure white?

    Reply
    • KylieMawdsley says

      April 17, 2018 at 10:08 pm

      Hi Jed, yes north facing light could definitely kill the glory of PUre White. I’m wondering if you might like the softness of BM White Dove or SW Alabaster? Even BM Cloud White could work? I have blog posts on BOTH of these brands (re: the best white paint colours) that might help you! https://www.kylieminteriors.ca/the-8-best-benjamin-moore-white-paint-colours-undertones-and-more/

      Reply
  11. Dylan says

    April 6, 2018 at 12:34 pm

    Hi Kylie!

    I have rainwashed in my entryway (which I just love) but can’t find a color to put on the top of my small dining room. Afraid to go with too much blue or similar shades. Looking for a subtle greyer blue color and failing. Any thoughts?
    Thank you!
    Dylan

    Reply
    • KylieMawdsley says

      April 17, 2018 at 10:06 pm

      Hi Dylan, thank you for your note! When it comes to questions like yours, I actually created an Edesign business – this way I can look at photos/questionnaire and come up with ideas that work, otherwise I’m TOTALLY guessing on what things look like on your end! It is affordable and fun! If you find that the complimentary blog post info isn’t working, it might be the next step! https://www.kylieminteriors.ca/online-decorating-design-services/
      ~Kylie

      Reply
  12. Haddie says

    April 11, 2018 at 9:38 am

    Hello. Just started following your blog, which I love. We are closing on a new home soon and I am looking at tons of colors. Your information has really helped. I am absolutely in love with the edgecomb gray and white dove pic by BM that you have posted. The look is similar to the home we are purchasing. Do you have recommendations for similar/equivalent colors in Sherwin-Williams? Thanks for all the great info!

    Reply
    • KylieMawdsley says

      April 17, 2018 at 9:54 pm

      Hi Haddie, unfortunately there isn’t really a comparable in SW – but you could ask them to colour match it for you? It won’t be 100% but close, just check it with the original sample 🙂

      Reply

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