Posted on October 11, 2023 by KylieMawdsley
Is the ALL-WHITE HOME still in style?
Is white still in style as a paint color and interior finish? Are people still doing white cabinets, countertops, walls, and exteriors? Are people still covering their ENTIRE HOMES IN WHITE?
The short answer is YES, but you don’t read my blog for short answers as there’s a LOT more to it than one wee word.
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With modern farmhouse trends, white paint colors became HUGELY popular in the previous five years. What started out as a penchant for shiplap feature walls and board & batten accents morphed into an ALL-ENCOMPASSING passion for everything WHITE!
And because white doesn’t relate to just paint colors and walls, we have countertops to consider as well. Let’s break it down into manageable bites…
Please note that this blog post isn’t about telling you NOT to do something based on TRENDS; not all of us are trend-followers (I’m somewhere in the middle, personally). This blog post is about offering ADVICE to those who are worried that a particular trend, style, or finish could limit the future potential of their home, either style-wise or as it relates to RESALE. Cool beans?
IS WHITE STILL A TRENDY PAINT COLOR FOR WALLS IN 2024?
Based on my Online Paint Color Consulting clients, white is still going reasonably strong. This doesn’t mean that every home can pull it off, but white walls are definitely popular, and while things will shift in 2024, we’ll still see them popping up.
Sherwin Williams Alabaster
However, cool white paint colors are NOT in. Unless a home needs a cool white based on existing finishes, nobody is doing them.
Instead, more are leaning into whites with a bit of warmth. The shift I’m seeing is that while warm whites are still popular, some are dipping their toes into the world of warm off-white paint colors. Again, if you don’t care about trends or resale, then pick your dip, tater chip.
The Ultimate Guide to White Paint Colors
SHOULD YOU PAINT YOUR WALLS, TRIMS, & ALL WHITE IN 2024?
I wouldn’t unless it’s a look you love and you don’t plan on selling. If you do commit to white on a larger scale, remember that trends are shifting. Down the road, you may need to add some variation by painting secondary rooms in different colors. This is why ANY white you choose needs to be FLEXIBLE.
However, if you do white cabinets, white countertops, white backsplash, and white walls, that’s a LOT of commitment to white, and you may want to break things up a bit before you even start.
SHOULD THE WALLS, CABINETS, TRIMS, & CEILINGS BE THE SAME SHADE?
Should you choose to go all-white, consistency is the EASIEST way to create a flexible home. While some homes/whites can handle a bit of variation, your walls, trim, cabinets, ceilings, and doors should be the SAME WHITE; you’ll just shift the SHEEN or FINISH for some subtle variation.
White Walls, Cabinets & Trim – Do They REALLY Need to Match?
This next dining room has Benjamin Moore White Dove on the walls, trims, and ceiling, creating a more cohesive look…
WHICH WHITE PAINT COLORS ARE THE MOST POPULAR FOR CABINETS & WALLS?
As far as choosing a WHOLE HOME white, I have a few almost fool-proof ones that I refer to ALL the time in my E-Design. Here’s a quick list to get you started…
- Benjamin Moore White Dove
- Benjamin Moore Chantilly Lace
- Sherwin Williams Pure White
- Sherwin Williams High Reflective White
- Sherwin Williams Alabaster
- Sherwin Williams White Snow
The 5 Types of White Paint Colors: Warm, Cool, Bright & More
See the FULL REMODEL HERE
WHICH WHITE PAINT COLORS SHOULD YOU AVOID?
While the following whites are BEAUTIFUL, using them on a large scale will limit your home’s feature potential to humor new colors and trends…
- Benjamin Moore Decorator’s White or anything with a comparable cool hue
- Sherwin Williams Dover White or anything with a comparable yellow hue
- I’m on the fence with Sherwin Williams Extra White
Remember, YOU CAN LOVE THESE COLORS AND USE THEM; this isn’t what this blog post is about. It’s about answering the question of, ‘which white paint colors will be trendy and flexible for as long as humanly possible‘; in other words, don’t kill the messenger (wink wink). These colors are often best for SINGULAR spaces or rooms, rather than whole-home commitments.
IS WHITE STILL A TRENDY PAINT COLOR FOR CABINETS?
HECK YES, white cabinets aren’t going anywhere!
Why?
Because whether YOU personally love them or not, white is THE most timeless paint color for kitchen cabinets (and trim). If you’re looking for the SAFEST bet for your cabinets, that has the best chance of holding value in the coming years, white cabinets are where it’s at. For all of the gray, beige, cream, and blue cabinets I’ve advised on, WHITE wins the race.
How to Create a Timeless, Trend-Proof Home – 4-Part Series
This next kitchen has a great life ahead of it. With Chantilly Lace cabinets, white quartz, and a marble backsplash, it has elements commonly found in a timeless home…
WHICH WHITE PAINT COLORS ARE THE MOST POPULAR FOR CABINETS?
As far as I’m concerned, it’s less about TRENDY and more about FLEXIBILITY. Any white you use on a surface that you DON’T want to repaint every five years should be FLEXIBLE. And while I have a full blog post on this topic, here’s a quick list…
- Benjamin Moore Chantilly Lace
- Benjamin Moore White Dove
- Sherwin Williams Pure White
- Sherwin Williams White Snow
- Sherwin Williams Alabaster
Sherwin Williams Alabaster
ARE WHITE QUARTZ COUNTERTOPS STILL TRENDY?
Ahhh, see, this is where it gets tricky.
Which white quartz are you considering? What neutrals or colors are in its VEINS?
With trends leaning warmer, countertop companies have started TWEAKING their white quartz countertops to accommodate the warmer end. Whereas at the start, we were limited to quartz countertops with gray veining, newer quartz countertops pick up on greige and beige, giving them more FLEXIBILITY to adjust with the trends and suit incoming styles.
The 8 Best Warmer Quartz Countertops
Sherwin Williams Pure White & Roycroft Pewter
If you’re installing a white quartz countertop in your home, consider one that has FLEXIBLITY and isn’t just married to one hue (the most common one being a gray vein with a violet undertone). Without flexibility, you’re limiting your home to colors that belong to one trend, making updating a trickier and more EXPENSIVE venture.
But to answer the question, ‘Is white quartz countertop still a popular choice for 2024?‘ Yes, it is.
Where else are you using white? Walls, trim, cabinets, exterior?
It ALSO comes down to how much white you plan on using in your home and which TYPE of white you’re using.
Are you planning on white walls, trim, cabinets, exterior, AND countertop? We were definitely sitting in this trend in the previous few years, but in the coming years, things will shift to a more contrasting approach. In five years, I’m pretty sure we’ll be able to see which homes were built during ‘the white era’ of 2017-2023.
As it relates DIRECTLY to trends, not personal tastes (I’ve got other blog posts for that), I would hesitate to do an ENTIRE HOME in white in 2024 and onwards. Or, at the very least, I’d have some fun with feature walls.
This next kitchen is a great example of using the right white in moderation…
My client, Jenna Christian, is AWESOME to follow on Instagram!
- the cabinets, walls, and trims are the SAME warm white – this white will have a FAR longer lifetime
- black granite countertops break things up
- beautiful wood floors add depth and interest
As trends change, she can swap out light fixtures, furniture, and hardware, but the BONES of this kitchen are timeless!
How to Create a Timeless Home – 4-PART SERIES
IS WHITE STILL A POPULAR COLOR FOR EXTERIORS?
This is where we’ll start seeing more of a shift in the coming year or two. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE a good white home, and some homes will ALWAYS LOOK GOOD white. However, as it relates to TRENDS, I see this one shifting…which isn’t a bad thing.
A gorgeous home that suits white!
Why?
Because some home’s exteriors are painted white and shouldn’t be – white doesn’t suit every roof, layout, stone, or brick. As for this next home, this one WILL stand the test of time…
So there you have it. If you’re not SURE whether to do white or not, I’ve got DOZENS upon dozens of blog posts to share with you, to help you make your big decision!
READ MORE
6 Questions to Ask Before You Paint Your Cabinets White?
The 5 Almost Fool-Proof White Paint Colors For Your Home
3 Steps to Choosing the BEST WHITE PAINT COLOR For Your Home
The Ultimate Guide to Choosing White Paint Colors
How to Choose the Right LIGHT BULBS/KELVINS For Your Paint Color
NEED HELP?
CHECK OUT MY ONLINE PAINT COLOR CONSULTING
Chat soon,
ORIGINALLY WRITTEN IN 2022, UPDATED YEARLY FOR YOU!
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Helpful and interesting post, Kylie, thank you, as always❤️
Author
You’re welcome, Diane, thank you for reading 🙂
I plan on painting my whole first floor in SW Aesthetic White. Do you think that color would date a house if it were going to be sold in five years or so?
Author
Well, Krista, there’s no guarantee with colour, but I think this will be a much safer bet than all gray. I LOVE Aesthetic White and with the way trends are shifting, I see people using it MUCH more in the coming years ~!
Thanks for the reply. I hope I like the color once it’s on my walls. Love your blog!
What color do you plan on using for trim? I have accessible beige on my walls and am thinking of lightening to aesthetic white.
I had to chuckle while reading this post. We’ve been in our home for over 25 years and will probably be here another 10 years. We are on the fence when it comes to following trends – we pick and choose what we feel fits our home. A couple of years ago we remodeled our upstairs master and hallway bathrooms and choose wall colors leaning into current trends – which we love. The ceilings in our house have all been SW Dover White – always. This post made me take a good look at them – and I just can’t see a yellow read in our home. Conversely the remodeling crew bought BM Dove White for the new ceilings – against our requests. They must have assumed the colors were similar? Our decorator and we didn’t realize what the issue was until later. The Dove White looks awful in our home. I’m sure there are always exceptions to guidelines.
Author
Oh, you bet there is, some colours suit some homes very well! And yes, in comparison to Dover White, White Dove could look more flat for sure.
Many of us shop at Target and a current trend is Studio McGee. If you had to pick a color for the walls to suit this style, what would it be? I have an older home with plaster walls that have imperfections. I wanted to paint pure white but was was told that will show all the flaws.
Author
Oh, I’m SO JEALOUS, we don’t have Target anymore :(. So, with the imperfect walls, there’s a fine line between painting your walls a colour you love and trying to camouflage imperfections. Yes, light colours will show more imperfections, but that doesn’t mean they just disappear with a dark colour – and you’d have to LIKE dark colours for this to even be a valid option. Based on the post you’re reading, I’m inclined to say that choosing a matte finish will at least help downplay the flaws and from there, I would just choose a colour I love (Ie. Sw Pure White/Alabaster/BM White Dove/BM Swiss Coffee).
Pingback: Biggest Interior Paint Color Trends for 2022 in India
Versatile white paint color for all the interior trim, doors, and cabinets in small, low natural light, Ohio, ranch style house? SW Pure White or BM White Dove? Or something else? Seems like pure white pairs with more wall colors easier, but White Dove has this like soft white glow, but looks a little muddy sometimes.
Author
Well, I PERSONALLY have White Dove on my trims/ceilings/doors and love it – I have it in bright areas and low light. BUT…at our lake home, I lightened it by 25% as I wanted a bit more brightness (and was missing the warmth in Pure White). 25% lighter HIT THE SPOT!
Kylie I have really enjoyed learning from your blogs as we embark on this overwhelming journey of remodeling our kitchen. I LOVE the look of the kitchen in this post that you described as having “a great life ahead of it. With Chantilly Lace cabinets, white quartz, and a marble backsplash, it has elements commonly found in a timeless home…” Can you please tell me the name and color of the quartz countertop and marble backsplash used? Thank you in advanced!
Author
Oh Priscilla, I would LOVE to tell you the backsplash, but I don’t have that info. However, the countertop is Calacatta Miraggio Duo by MSI 🙂
Thank you so much!
Hi Kylie. Our whole house has SW Navajo white trim and doors. I’m struggling with painting the walls in guest bathroom and bedroom (currently builder grade SW nomadic desert walls and ceiling). Can I use eggshell Navajo white on walls and ceiling in guest bath (with current Navajo white trim)? All cabinets are medium brown wood. I’m afraid to the paint cabinets but totally would if colors are coordinating. Any greige I’ve sampled on walls makes the trim look more yellow and I’m not prepared to change the trim in whole house yet. SW Creamy could work if I lighten it maybe? I just don’t want yellow looking trim. Yuck!
Author
Hi Lynn, Navajo White does make it tricky. It sounds to me like using it on your walls is a great idea. You might ask the paint store to make you a sample pot of it at 50% lighter and 75% lighter, and try that for the ceiling, just to brighten that up a stitch 🙂
After reading this I am both excited and overwhelmed. I had little experience in tying my kitchen together. That being said, I do want to do some cabinet painting but I don’t want to spend the money and hate the color at the end. Do you have other posts that could help me learn more about identifying the right color for my home before I pull the trigger on any kitchen improvements?
Author
Hey Katie! If you go into my search and type in CABINETS, you’ll see that I have a whole whack of blog posts! You’ll want to find the one that makes the most sense for your kitchen and what you’re trying to acheive 🙂
Love your posts but boy I’m struggling with colors. We currently have Agreeable gray on all our walls and it’s perfect with furnishings and darker warm wood floors (espresso). We want to lighten the rooms. I have accents of various peacock blues and very light golden touches throughout dining and living area however our kitchen hardware is silver. Our fireplace is made of leuder stone in grays, creams and is the focal point in our great room. I have a painter waiting for me to make up my mind on whether to use SW White Duck on walls or Aesthetic White throughout the house. I have white plantation shutters in SW Pure White as well as kitchen cabinets. My built in cabinets in dining room is Tricorn Black. UGH, I can’t make up my mind. Also want to paint the Pure White bookshelves in our front study in a light tint bluish color to bring blue from the great room to the study. We also have french doors to the study and second living area (all on first floor) and plan to paint just the doors in tricorn black. I love what we have now because it all ties but wanting to change after 7 years.
Author
Hey Diane, it’s just SO HARD to say without seeing your home as there are a lot of things to consider there! I mean, i love White Duck and Aesthetic White. I guess the big question is, do you prefer slightly yellow/cream undertones (White Duck) or slighlty more beige ones (Aesthetic White)?
Hi Kylie,
So many of us have used BM White Dove but I am finding it limiting in some ways. I always see it paired with blue or gray. Does it work well with any other colors? I like to live in a warm cozy feelng house so I never did get too much into the grey trend – the farthest I’ve gone is Edgecomb which I do like. I feel like this could be an entire blog post should you be inclined! Interesting post for me as I look at a blank kitchen and need to choose cabinet paint color, countertop, backsplash, etc. Thank you!
Too add (sorry, the time change is throwing me off today! lol) I think my real question is how to work with White Dove to lean into warmer colors?
Hi Kylie, My stock kit cabinets are matched to BM Oxford White. It is a small kit, I’ll do trim and ceilings OW. SS appliances. One window-Faces west. Struggling with countertops. Using a creamy quartz is probably wrong. I read your blog about quartz trending warmer but not with my cabinets. If I paint the walls OW, what would you do for countertops. I was going to use same quartz for backsplash and counters… Thanks !
What would be the perfect white for an old farmhouse with black shutters?
Author
Oooo, I do love White Dove!