HomeThe Best Paint ColoursNeutral, Gray, Greige Cream and WhiteThe 3 BEST WHITE Paint Colors for North or East-Facing Rooms

The 3 BEST WHITE Paint Colors for North or East-Facing Rooms

Posted on September 3, 2023 by KylieMawdsley

CAN YOU PAINT AN EAST OR NORTH-FACING ROOM WHITE?

If you’ve ever tried to pick paint colors for a north or east-facing room, you’ll know what it’s like to bang your head against a wall, chug a vat of wine like a Viking, and scream at the world, begging for friggin’ MERCY. However, creating a welcoming and well-balanced room will be much easier once you understand your room’s needs.

Kylie M Interiors, edesign, online paint colour consultant. Living room with gray accent chairs, Pure White walls and trim, gallery wall and navy blue builtins

This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase through links on our site, we may earn a commission.

And guess what?

White paint colors aren’t that hard to pick when you have a lil Ginger in your back pocket (I pinch upon request). While you might see hundreds of whites on display, most of these can burn in a pit of disappointment, because that’s how you’ll feel if you use them in your home. Truth be told

Only a SMALL HANDFUL of white paint colors is worth looking at.

Okay, maybe two handfuls (which is what Tim calls me).

Small bathroom powder room, wainscoting, beadboard, Pure White, Sherwin Williams Light French Gray, budget-friendly makeover (2)

But before we understand which whites are best, let’s do a little refresher on east and north-facing light/exposures. Remember, I’m not just here to show you what you can do via pretty pictures; I’m here to TEACH you how to make the best choices for you and your home! And I know many of you have south, or west-facing rooms, or rooms with multiple exposures – don’t worry, we’ll discuss these in another blog post.

NORTH-FACING ROOMS…

  • Rooms with northern exposures have a cool gray cast, and because EVERY GRAY HAS UNDERTONES, we aren’t surprised to see a subtle blue here and there.
  • North-facing rooms are the COOLEST-looking rooms in a home. And I don’t mean cool like ME in Converse and skinny jeans; I’m talking COLD like Tim’s ex-girlfriend’s heart.
  • These spaces don’t get any sun throughout the day. Even if a northern room gets a secondary hit of south/east/west, it’s the DOMINANT northern exposure calling the shots.
  • They can look more flat and dull compared to rooms with hits of sunshine, especially if the amount of natural light is limited.

North facing entryway with Sherwin Williams Creamy white paint colour. Kylie M Interiors

This is a great example of a northeast-facing room with a warm white paint color, and it should be great – it’s our old house!

EAST-FACING ROOMS…

If your east-facing room has a good shot of southern or western light, you might select its colors based on what best suits a south-facing room. This is because enough of these types of lights help offset eastern light’s flatness. However, if your room has dominant eastern exposure (or northeast), here are some points to consider…

  • Like northern exposure, eastern light can be flat and drab, but only in the afternoon
  • While east-facing rooms can be bright in the morning, it’s not a yellow-orange-pink warmth like southern or western sunshine (which leans that much warmer in the afternoon)

Tongue and groove ceiling, mountain style, ski chalet, Benjamin Moore Oxford White, cognac leather sofa, wood floor, wood stove

I love to show RELATEABLE & REAL homes, so I ONLY use photos from my Online Color Consulting clients. This means I don’t always have the quality/range of pics I need, but DEFINITELY have some SUPER helpful info to help you on your way!

 

THE MANY TYPES OF WHITE PAINT COLORS

What’s the difference between a good white and a bad white? (I prefer Pinot Gris myself.) How do you know which white is right and which white is wrong? And why does it matter – isn’t WHITE WHITE? HELLLLS no.

There are 5 MAIN TYPES OF WHITE. However, this blog post focuses on THREE in particular – cool, true, and warm. If you aren’t sure which type of white you hope to use, you may want to read the linked blog post before going any further. KNOWLEDGE IS POWER!

BEnjamin Moore White Dove on exterior siding and interior sunroom with wood ceiling. Kylie M Interiors Edesign, client photo

Now, starting with COOL white paint colors…

 

COOL WHITE PAINT COLORS IN EAST OR NORTH-FACING ROOMS

In the wild world of whites, there are a few popular ones, including Sherwin Williams Extra White, Benjamin Moore Decorators White, Benjamin Moore Super White, and Sherwin Williams Ceiling Bright White.

If you paint a room with northern or eastern exposure a COOL white paint color…

1. The room will look even colder than it already does; you’re giving it a double-whammy (not to be confused with Tim’s favorite Friday night move, also called ‘the double-whammy’). While east-facing rooms will brighten up with a vague warmth in the morning hours, in the afternoon, you’ll be left with chalky-looking walls.

2. Cool northern light can glorify any cool undertones in your white paint color.

I mean, each to their own, but DAMN THAT’S GONNA LOOK COLD!

You might hope to see photos of my north-facing client’s homes painted in cool whites, but I don’t have many.

Why?

Because I RARELY advise it. And if I do, it’s for a pretty specific reason. For example, I have a client who wanted a ‘whole home’ white paint color, and because her home is primarily SOUTH-facing, we chose the cool white look of Benjamin Moore Super White. Luckily, the only space in her home that receives north-facing light is the entryway, in which Super White looks a little lackluster. Sure, it’s still a stunning space, but I’d be turning that light on for some passive warm light.

Best white paint colour, Benjamin Moore Super White, foyer with Sherwin Gris front door, white oak flooring, built-in bench. Kylie M Interiors Edesign

Now, look how different Super White looks in her south-facing dining room…

Best white paint color, Benjamin Moore Super White. Modern farmhouse dining room, white oak, floating shelves, chandelier. Kylie M INteriors Edesign, online paint colour consulting

  • FOYER: Super White looks NOT-so-super white as it picks up a gray cast, with a dull, flatness (chalky).
  • DINING ROOM: Super White looks WARMER than its roots suggest via the warmth of the south-facing light. In fact, the cool approach of Super White is adding some balance to the warm southern rays. This has Super White looking more warm and welcoming.

This shows how the same paint color can look DRASTICALLY different via opposing light sources and why choosing your white carefully MATTERS!

Now, let’s chat about TRUE white paint colors…

 

TRUE & BRIGHT WHITE COLORS IN NORTH OR EAST-FACING ROOMS

True and bright white paint colors are among the most popular, second to warm whites. These whites include Sherwin Williams High Reflective White, Benjamin Moore Chantilly Lace, and Behr Ultra Pure White.

Because true whites don’t have an allegiance to being warm or cool, they’ll pick up what their environment is throwing down. This means that in a north-facing room, a true white could look pretty darn cold and quite similar to a cool white.

In an east-facing room, true or bright whites could generally look ‘white’ in the morning with a bit of softness to them. However, your white walls could look flat and chalky in the afternoon.

This isn’t to say a color like High Reflective White can’t be GORGEOUS; it just needs the right exposure and surrounding finishes…

Sherwin Williams High Reflective White built in cabinets, pantry wall. CLIENT PHOTO of Kylie M interiors Edesign

Again, you won’t see many photos of this application because it’s not usually advised. This doesn’t mean YOU can’t do it; it’s just not a common choice simply because it doesn’t add balance to an already cold-looking room; it weighs the scales heavily to one side.

As shown in this next room, while Sherwin Williams High Reflective White has a super high LRV and is quite a genuine white, it’s not for every room, and usually benefits from a wee bit of sunshine (don’t we all…).

Romantic farmhouse style bedroom, Sherwin Williams High Reflective White board and batten, vaulted ceiling, chandelier. Kylie M Interiors Edesign, online paint color consultant

The redeeming feature of true white paint colors in north-facing rooms is that once the sun goes down, you’ll be left with the original white you wanted, a simple one that will be affected by the Kelvins of your interior lighting, which is easier to control.

 

CAN YOU PAINT A NORTH OR EAST-FACING ROOM A TRUE WHITE?

Benjamin Moore Chantilly Lace is the only white that’s CLOSE to true white that I would consider for a north or east-facing room. This is because Chantilly Lace has a touch of softness, while still ‘acting like a pretty legit shade of white.’ All other true whites are too cold for this cowgirl.

Bathroom, wood vanity, modern farmhouse style, vertical shiplap behind vanity, white quartz countertop, black hardware, lighting, faucets. Benjamin Moore Chantilly Lace. Kylie M Edesig

However, if you really want a cool, crisp look, you might like a clean white or one with a hint of gray or cool undertones. And, in fact, there is the odd duck who LOVES this look – that cool combination of northern exposure and stark or cold white paint gives an icy, edgy look (I hear Elsa is a big fan).

Master Bedroom, white board and batten paint colour, vaulted ceiling, chandelier, wood barn door and white oak flooring. Stonington Gray. Kylie M Interiors Edesign, online paint color advice blog

Sherwin Williams High Reflective White

However, I’ve found that when I have Color Consulting clients who’re (the apostrophe in that word is important) looking for a nice white for their north-facing room, they’re usually looking to lighten and brighten. They want to add life without adding color, coldness, OR overwhelming warmth.

And the BEST way to do this is with THE RIGHT WHITE!

Master bathroom, white hexagon tile shower walls, fibreglass floor, LG quartz countertop, Pure white walls, freestanding tub. Kylie M INteriors Edesign,

Sherwin Williams Pure White

Are you confused yet? Have another glass.

 

THE BEST SHADES OF WHITE FOR NORTH OR EAST-FACING ROOMS

If you ask ME (which you kind of are), the best white paint colors for a north-facing room are WARM WHITES, as they help balance the cool light coming into the windows (we’ll check out the shortlist in a minute.)

Sherwin Williams Pure White in home office with leather chair. Best white paint color. Kylie M Interiors edesign, virtual or online paint color expert, diy decorating ideas and home staging

Sherwin Williams Pure White  / Western Exposures Photography

Another important note is that cool northern light will STILL LEAN a warm white towards the cooler side. This means your warm white won’t look as warm as it would in another room with a warmer exposure.

I’m going to hit that baby one more time…

Cool northern light will still lean a warm white towards the cooler side. This means your warm white won’t look as warm as it would in a room with warmer exposure. 

However…

a) the warmth of the white can help balance the cooling effect of northern light, often creating a great happy medium, balancing the scales

b) you have flexibility based on how WARM the white is that you choose – the warmer the white, the more it will counteract the effect of cool northern light

In this next room, Pure White looks considerably warmer in a room with decent southern light…

Kylie M Interiors, edesign, online paint colour consultant. Living room with gray accent chairs, Pure White walls and trim, gallery wall and navy blue builtins

However, notice how the warmth falls back in a room with cooler lighting…

2 storey entryway or foyer, white walls, Sherwin Williams Pure White, black front door, wood stairs, sliding barn door. Kylie M Interiors Edesign, online paint colour, virtual diy decorating ideas

1.  If you don’t like warm whites, choose a white that’s only slightly warm, knowing that the gray-blue of the northern light will cancel out a lot of the warmth, making the walls look cooler in the process, but not ICY cold like a true or cool white would. When natural light isn’t in play in the evening, you’ll choose the KELVINS you want to get the desired look.

2.  If you like warm whites, you might want to lean into a slightly warmer white than not, knowing that the northern light will try to pull it to the cool side. The warmer your white is, the better it will counteract the cool gray-blue light.

Now, the above information is really the meat n’ potatoes of this blog post – are you ready for the GRAVY?

The best white paint colors, shades for north or east facing rooms. Kylie M Interiors, White Dove, Pure White, Chantilly Lace and more

 

1. SHERWIN WILLIAMS PURE WHITE 7005

I LOVE PURE WHITE – wait, was that my inside voice? Trust me, there are MANY things I say that should be kept inside my head, right, Mom? Anyway.

If you’re having a mental battle between WANTING a clean, crisp white and understanding that it could hold your room back visually, Pure White could be a PERFECT choice. Remember, you WILL lose a lot of its already passive warmth, but at least it won’t look ICY cold like a true or cool white will.

Laundry room mudroom with Formica laminate countertop Carrara Bianco, marble look. Pure White walls and cabinets. Kylie M Interiors Edesign, online paint colour blogger

CHECK OUT THIS WHOLE HOME IN PURE WHITE!

In a north-facing room, Pure White WILL lose most, if not all, of its warmth. HOWEVER, what makes this an interesting option is that some of you don’t want an ‘overtly warm white’; you just don’t want a cold icy one. For this reason, Pure White could hit the spot.

Pure White will look gorgeous in a space with morning eastern light – not overly warm, just simple. In the afternoon, it will lose much of its warmth, just like in northern exposure. PERSONALLY, I’d choose a warmer white, but it’s NOT ALL ABOUT ME (not all the time, anyway). I’m just here to show you the options and what they might do.

Sherwin Williams Pure White with floating shelves in small bathroom. Light French Gray beadboard walls. Kylie M Interiors Edesign, client photo

Pure White has an LRV of 84, so while its name might suggest a BRIGHT white, it’s considerably soft. However, if, like me, you want to add some visible warmth to your east or north-facing room, Pure White MIGHT not be warm enough, in which case, keep on reading…

FULL Paint Color Review of Sherwin Williams Pure White

YOU MIGHT ALSO CONSIDER

  • Benjamin Moore Oxford White (personally, I think Pure White is WAY prettier)

Sherwin Williams Pure White, Samplize peel and stick

Get your PEEL & STICK SAMPLE OF PURE WHITE

 

2. SHERWIN WILLIAMS ALABASTER 7008

Alabaster is a lovely, warm white paint color. However, if you’re HOPING for ‘legit’ white walls, it’s a bit farther away than the others. This is because Alabaster has an LRV of 82, so it has a bit more meat on its lovely lil bones. Along with this meat is a soft cream base (cream being a yellow color with neutral added to calm it down).

In a north-facing room, Alabaster has the warmth to offset that cool gray light. Could your walls look a TOUCH creamy? That’s open to perception. However, if you’re looking for a softer approach to white, Alabaster could hit the spot.

This next photo shows Alabaster with true white trim. If you want Alabaster to look warmer and creamier, partner it with a white like Benjamin Moore Chantilly Lace. However, if you want it to look like a ‘soft, warm white,’ make sure you paint your trim the SAME as the walls, as this makes Alabaster’s undertones look more subtle.

Sherwin Williams Alabaster with white trim in staircase. White trim shows yellow in Alabaster (2)

In this next kitchen, the cabinets, trims, and walls are all Alabaster, creating a simpler, seamless, and less creamy look…

Painted white kitchen cabinets, black granite countertop, beige taupe backsplash tile, Sherwin Williams Alabaster cabinets, Kylie M and Jenna Christian

In an east-facing room, Alabaster will look smooth like butter (without as much yellow) in the morning light, and again, its warmth will take away some of the dullness of afternoon eastern light.

FULL Paint Color Review of Sherwin Williams Alabaster

Sherwin Williams Alabaster best warm white paint colour. Client waiting room. Beach coastal colour. Client photo. Kylie M INteriors Edesign, online paint color consulting

The reception of my client’s office – Eddins Counseling

Best neutral beige, tan paint colour, Sherwin Sandbar. Living room, built-ins, fireplace, vaulted ceiling, Alabaster trim. Kylie M Interiors Edesign

Alabaster is on the built-ins, and fireplace surround

Sherwin Williams Alabaster, SAmplize peel and stick

Get your PEEL & STICK SAMPLE OF ALABASTER

YOU MIGHT ALSO CONSIDER

 

3. BENJAMIN MOORE WHITE DOVE OC-17

White Dove is a WICKED gorgeous, warm white. It’s a soft white, not a bright or true one, with a beautiful warmth that does a great job counteracting cool gray-blue northern light without going overly yellow as some more dominant warm whites can.

As for White Dove in east-facing rooms, its warmth helps offset the afternoon light’s flatness. It also happens to look GORGEOUS in the east-facing morning light.

White Dove doors and trims with Benjamin Moore Ballet White walls

White Dove has an LRV of 83.16, so it’s definitely in the white range, just on the lower end of it. This means that your walls won’t be crisp and clean, but will have a gentle warmth (I have it in my own home).

Not sure what LRV is? It could SAVE YOUR PAINT-LOVIN’ LIFE – check it out here.

In this next space, I worried we’d get a lot of green reflecting onto the walls from the exterior. Instead, White Dove is holding itself quite well on the walls, trims, and ceiling…

Benjamin Moore White Dove, warm white slipcovered sofas, beige area rug, wood floor. tray ceiling. Kylie M Interiors, online paint color expert

This next room gets an equal balance of north and south-facing light, and look at how AWESOME White Dove is at humoring both…

Family room, north and south facing light. Best paint colour, Benjamin Moore White Dove, Kylie M Interiors Edesign. Gray sectional, tv and stand, white oak

Online paint color consulting, Benjamin Moore White Dove, peel and stick Samplize partnered with Kylie M Interiors edesign

Get your PEEL & STICK SAMPLE OF WHITE DOVE HERE! 

YOU MIGHT ALSO CONSIDER

  • Sherwin Williams Cheviot
  • Benjamin Moore Cloud White, which is a bit warmer, lighter, and creamier than White Dove
  • Benjamin Moore Swiss Coffee, which is VERY comparable to White Dove

Staircase, wood hand railing, black metal spindles, white risers wood treads, BEnjamin Moore White Dove walls and trim. Kylie M Interiors Edesign

FULL Paint Color Review of Benjamin Moore White Dove

 

Now, let’s count what we’ve got here…

THREE GREAT shades of white to choose from, SIX alternatives (for backup)

As I mentioned earlier, only a HANDFUL of white paint colors are worth looking at (for ANY room or project). And from these nine white shades, I bet you can narrow it down further based on how much warmth you want to be left on your walls once the northern or eastern light has done its job.

Staircase, white spindles, wood stairs, best white paint colour, Sherwin Williams Pure White. Kylie M Interiors Edesign, online paint color consulting

WANT MORE WARMTH?

There’s a good chance that even with the soft, warm whites mentioned above, you’re still not getting the warmth you want to see on your walls. If so, you may want to explore the following warm white and cream paint colors

 

SHERWIN WILLIAMS CREAMY 7012

Creamy is one of my true loves. But FULL DISCLOSURE…I also love Ryan Reynolds (or Gosling), white wine, Moana, Cornuts, AND…Creamy, which is actually an off-white, not a white.

That’s right, Creamy is an off-white paint color, which means it has more junk in its truck – junk in the form of a creamy base. BUT HOT DAMN, IT’S PRETTY!

stairway with wood and metal railing, beige carpet, Sherwin Williams Creamy, golden doodle and rescue dog

If your room has south-facing or afternoon western sunshine, Creamy could be MORE than you’re looking for – not just in color, but in depth. However, its lovely creamy warmth is a great way to balance cool light coming in north-facing windows or that flat afternoon eastern sunshine.

FIND ME REVIEWING THESE WHITES ON YOUTUBE TOO! 

 

SHERWIN WILLIAMS DOVER WHITE 6385

Dover White offers a legitimate commitment to cream, meaning you’ll see more yellow. Remember that the more yellow you go, the harder it can be to transition your style down the road, should you do a color like Dover White on your walls AND your trims and doors (read more about this here).

In this next photo, at the very top, as well as the baseboard, you can see a strip of white trim that’s brighter than the Dover White walls – this helps you see how warm Dover White is. If I were to use Dover White on my walls, I would do this, rather than using it on my walls AND trims (just for versatility – I don’t want Dover White trim.)

Warm white, Dover White paint color on walls, Pure White trim, traditional, slightly tuscan style home decor. Client photo

 

WHITE PAINT COLORS & DARK ROOMS (REGARDLESS OF EXPOSURE)

While white will brighten up ANY space, even a dark one, don’t expect it to save the day…

Sherwin Williams Pure White in a north facing room. Kylie M INteriors paint colour consultant review. Blogger.jpg

If you have a dark east or north-facing room or dark hallway (shown above), white can be a great choice…as long as you have a great interior lighting plan. If you don’t, you MIGHT want to look at colors with more color or chroma. Adding COLOR to the walls of a dark room, regardless of its exposure, can be a great way to give it personality.

White paint colors in a dark room, without enough interior lighting, often look like cheap primer.

The best white paint colours from Benjamin Moore and Sherwin Williams to paint a north facing or northern exposure, shadowed room by Kylie M Interiors Colour Consultant

So, there you have it! Of course, there are MANY more awesome colors to check out, but hopefully, these whites get you pointed in the right direction.

READ MORE

The 5 Most Fool-Proof White Paint Colors

The ULTIMATE GUIDE to Choosing White Paint Colors

The 8 Best Benjamin Moore White Paint Colors

Color Review: Benjamin Moore Simply White

The 3 Best White Paint Colors for Cabinets

The Best Paint Colors for East-Facing Rooms

LET ME PICK YOUR PAINT COLORS!

Check out my Online Color Consulting packages! 

The best white and gray paint colors for kitchen cabinets or bathroom vanity. Edesign, Kylie M Interiors Online colour consulting. Home Decorating and diy ideas blogger

Chat soon,

Kylie M Interiors, decorating blog, e-design, online colour consulting expert. signature

Originally written in 2017, MASSIVELY updated in 2023



Comments

  1. Kylie I have a north facing kitchen and I’ have black counter tops and had grey cabinets which made the kitchen look gloomy and dark especially at night. I have back splash tiles spark white with black grout. I want to paint my cabinets white to give it some uplift to make it look spacious open and bright.
    Should I use SW pure white or whitetail? Also shd the window tr and pantry door be painted the same?

  2. Kylie,
    I have a huge north facing window in my living room and a smaller south facing window in the attached dining room. Could you comment between Valspar’s Wispy White and Olympic Winter Mood (which in my space seems to be a bit less yellow than SW Creamy). PS: I’m in Canada.

    Thank YOU!!

    1. Post
      Author

      Hi Wanda, thank you for your note! I actually only consult with BM and SW paint colours and aren’t familiar enough with those brands to give you good advice! And glad to hear from a fellow Canadian!

  3. Hello – I am so happy to stumble upon this blog off of Veranda, I think. I have a 1350 square foot condo in WPB and it is south facing, but as it faces towards another building (across quite an expansive garden), it only gets sun light in the first few feet of the condo, the rest does not get direct light. I have trim and doors that I have to live with that are a creamy beige white and want the paint the entire condo in a white that is not yellow at all, so will punch off the molding/trim/doors and make the home bright. My painter suggested All White, and others have suggested White Dove…what would you suggest, please?
    Diana

    1. Post
      Author

      Oh Diana, it’s SO hard to know without knowing what the trim colour is! A creamy beige white can look quite different if partnered with the WRONG white colour. I would start with White Dove, and go from there. White Dove could look a bit too warm/yellow compared to the trim or maybe too neutral! Sample sample sample and then adjust from there if needed :). Sometimes what we want and what our home NEEDS are two different things ;).

  4. Hi Kylie, Your color information is so helpful! Quick question in choosing a wall paint color for my north facing marble (with gray veining) master bathroom that is pretty much all white. In one post you say don’t go with warm undertones with marble, but this post says go with warm undertones or the room will seem extra cold. I was thinking SW On the Rocks or Crushed Ice at 25% lighter OR SW Pure White on the walls to match the trim. But now I’m confused. I would really appreciate your thoughts.

    1. Post
      Author

      Oooo, both of those could be really pretty! AS for the temperature thing, it’s hard, sometimes something has to give and for me, I’d be willing to give up a warm colour for a slightly softer gray like those – absolutely!

      1. Thanks so much for the response! What do you think of BM Wickham Gray on the walls in this space? I really don’t want a gray bathroom and I think Wickham Gray could bring our more color from the undertones. Not sure that is a good thing or bad thing with northern exposure. Is there a comparable BM color to SW Pure White? Kim

  5. Hi Kylie! Thank you for all the help and feedback you have been giving all of us!

    I have a question and would love your guidance. Some background — We are building a house with an open floor plan. The front of the house faces east, the rear west, and have windows on the side of the house facing north. the north and west portions of the house are shaded by a large tree. The front of the house is exposed to the sun.

    We are looking at SW Pure White, Greek Villa, Alabaster, and a BM match from SW for BM’s White Dove. We are scratching our heads trying to figure out which ones we should pick for our walls, cabinets, and trim.

    In addition, should we separate the walls, trim, and cabinets by different whites or keep them all the same white with different finishes?

    Sorry for the dissertation! Never knew picking colors could be so difficult!

  6. HI Kylie! We are painting our entire house SW White Heron. We live in Dallas in a mature neighborhood (lots of trees) and our house faces North/South. For trim, doors and ceiling, I’m torn between SW Pure White and SW Extra White. I would love your thoughts on this!! Thank you!

    1. Post
      Author
  7. Hi Kylie! If I were to do Pure White or Creamy in the kitchen walls, is there one or the other that you think is better on cabinets and on trim throughout the house? Thanks for all your wisdom!

  8. Hey, Kylie, i love Your work, please help me out. We have direct western exposure with very big window and quite lots of light, very big living room + high cielling.. Because of big window i guess (now) we are getting some WN exposure too.. i mean at least on 1 wall.. Anyway.. first i’ve starter with cooler colors, because by a theory-west means warm orange light.. So to balance it out we need cool color.. But.. SW City Loft looked very purple,SW Eider white – blue.. accesible beige looked flat and too dark, but hue was quite good, so tried it lightened 50 percent.. still to dark…(all the walls looks quite similar ).Going warmer and lighter SW Pearly white..looks perfect on paper sheet, but i see that red in it when it is on the wall and its quite cold …so keeping it more yellowish…so SW White Duck.. Your rewiev is perfect..on the sheet it looks perfect..it fits my color scheme..even with wooden floors i like (warm beige wood) it looks nice..even lighed with 3000K LED light (all the lighting will be 3000K) ir looks good.. but on the wall in daylight ..i still see that redness…my husband says i am crazy (i guess guys from paint store i was already ten times-too).., I am afraid that despite those all my correct color schemes and other things it will just look more red than subtle offwhite…i dont like yellow walls..my plan is to keep it contemporary and quite modern, but not cold purple or red… I will be very glad if You could help me with some advice.
    Dovile

  9. You speak in this article about cool whites warm white and clean white. Yet I’ve never seen a post of yours where you actually go into detail about what a clean white is. Could you please do a post on your 6 favorite quite clean white colors. I am looking for a clean white for the bulk of my home. Thank you.

    1. Post
      Author
  10. Hi,
    I love your breakdown of white paint options. At the end, you said don’t paint white in a room with little natural light. What would you recommend instead? I am trying to brighten up a bedroom (nursery) with one small Northern facing window.

    1. Post
      Author

      Well, it’s a tough one. White will make a dark room look the brightest, but it can look a bit chalky or dingy in low light. The idea is more to improve the interior lighting via increased lumens or table/floor lamps and then white makes more sense :).

  11. Is it normal to pain trim the same color white as the walls? It seems like it could be an aesthetic nightmare if the trim was just barely different from the walls

    1. Post
      Author

      Oh, it’s SO normal and in fact, when in the white range, I wish most people would! You’re right, mixing and matching whites can be a nightmare.

  12. Hi Kylie, Your blog posts and color reviews have been SO helpful as we build our new home. I’m on the hunt for the perfect white (leaning towards SW Pure White) but find myself gravitating towards warmer whites (love BM White Dove, but unfortunately our builder only uses Sherwin Williams paint). Do you happen to know what paint color was used on the trim in the photo you shared above of the marble bathroom with the four different paint samples taped to the walls? I just love it!

    1. Post
      Author

      Oh Alona, I’m sorry I don’t! But, if I were choosing a paint colour for a room with marble and those types of grays, it would be Pure White or even High Reflective White. The closest SW has to White Dove is Alabaster, and it’s TOOOOO yellow/warm (and they can’t colour match White Dove at all).

  13. Love this article. Remodeling a NE facing laundry room which has way more than laundry. At 10×11, has wrap around custom cabinets including 5 ft of floor to ceiling storage. There’s a fridge, and a GUNMETAL gray curved under mount farm sink from Ruvati. Aria quartzite counters with long veins of gray and some minor slashes of golden bronze. Isola Beige tile from Interceramic has grays, beige, bronze. Sooo … going with Chantilly Lace on the cabinets … and pondering the wall, which is not much … thinking just Chantilly or accenting with something like Heron Plume. Your site is fabulous!!! I may consult on a whole house color, and it will be a doozy!

    1. Post
      Author

      WAhoooo, this sounds like a very gorgeous laundry room! And yes, if you go for white, make sure it’s the SAME white as the cabinet. I also think Pure White could be interesting with Aria.

  14. Hi Kylie
    I’ve learned so much from reading from your blog the last few days. We have a north facing living room so have been trying to figure out which whites to use to brighten up the room – your blog has saved us an immense amount of time in narrowing it down! Our trim was originally in Alabaster so we may move forward in just doing what you suggest in painting everything one color but with different sheen. You’ve mentioned that certain whites don’t go together and could clash. If the colors are all on the same color swatch, does that mean all the colors coordinate well together? For instance, Pure White, Alabaster, and Westhighland White are all on the same Sherwin-Williams color card. Does that mean Pure White walls and Alabaster trim will match, that Westhighland White walls or Alabaster trim will match, etc?

    Thanks again for all the insider knowledge you’ve provided 🙂

    1. Post
      Author
  15. HI! Our new build guest bedrooms and entry face East (with the entry light shining into the great room) The Great Room and the master have West sliders. I used Shoji White in a previous home that had same layout, but I am looking for something warm but bright. Mediterranean home but not Tuscan. Dark cabinetry, doors and beams…but walls, ceiling, and trim all one color. 13′ ceilings in kitchen/great room. I love Shoji White. I tried to book your package but sold out.😢

  16. Hi Kylie!

    I have really enjoyed reading your post. We just recently purchased a beach condo on the east coast of Florida. East and northern facing windows, open concept. I want to repaint my walls in a white shade. What would be your thoughts on a good color to choose? We also have white cabinets and counter tops. Currently, there is a creamy beige on the walls.
    Thank you!

    1. Post
      Author

      Oooo Tracy, it’s tricky. In my ideal world, you’d choose the same white that’s on your cabinets. This could involve ordering large samples of the top whites, including SW Pure White, Alabaster, Extra White and BM White Dove, Cloud White, Simply White, Chantilly Lace. The one that BLENDS the best could be the ticket! Otherwise, you risk the wrong white looking more yellow/dingy/green/gray/etc… than the white of your cabinets (and vice versa).

  17. I studied the blogs on mostly whites for several years until I decided to use White Dove. I already had the trim WD. I
    Like the color with the 2700k lights and mostly afternoon light. It is baby blue all morning and any cloudy day.
    My living room looks similar to the room with the red rug in this blog and my rug is red.
    I had all this painting done about three weeks ago. My husband said it might work better when the sun gets higher in the sky so that it will be sunny all around the house. I cannot justify repainting as very expensive here. My son lives in next state over and much cheaper there. Don’t know what I could have done differently as I had really wanted white. Considered White Duck, but painter uses BM paint and the Ballet White sounded like it could look dingy or beige maybe. Just wondered what could have helped not be blue. So disappointed. Seems strange to have lights on so long. Have heard for all my old years is to turn off the light. We love both sides of Canada btw.

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

More Posts

Meet Kylie

Thank you for visiting!  I'm so glad you're here!  Come on in to learn a little more about me!

Categories