The 8 Best White Paint Colors for North or East-Facing Rooms

Can you paint a room with northern or eastern light 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 mercy.

However, creating a welcoming and well-balanced room will be much easier once you understand your room’s needs.

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

Sherwin Williams Alabaster walls with Extra White trim, two whites go together, dark wood floor in hallway.

And guess what, Buttercup?

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).

Kitchen with painted Benjamin Moore Cloud White cabinets, slab backsplash and white quartz countertop with gray veining, stainless steel appliances

But before we understand which whites are best, let’s have a little chat.

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!

WHITE PAINT COLORS & DARK ROOMS

It doesn’t matter if your exposure is north, east, south, west, or a blend, while white will brighten up any dark space, 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 a dark hallway (shown above), white can be a great choice… as long as you have a decent interior lighting plan. If you don’t, you might want to look at colors with more…color (chroma).

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

Don’t expect white to be a miracle worker; help it out with interior lighting. 

Sherwin Williams Alabaster painted warm white cabinets, subway tile backsplash, maple wood lower cabinets, stainless steel countertop. Emerstone Dynamic Gold white quartz countertop

Next, let’s do a quick little refresher on north-facing and east-facing rooms…

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.
  • They can look flatter and duller compared to rooms with hits of sunshine, especially if the amount of natural light is limited.

It’s kind of cool to see the shift in natural lighting using the same white paint color (Benjamin Moore Super White)…

Benjamin Moore Super White walls, trims, ceiling, cabinet doors, white quartz, dark black stained oak wood floor - black wash. (1)

EAST-FACING ROOMS

If your east-facing room also receives some southern light, you might consider a color that suits a south-facing room best. This is because enough south-facing sunshine helps offset the eastern light’s flatness. The same goes for western afternoon sunshine.

However, if your room has a dominant eastern exposure (or northeast), consider the following points…

  • 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, they’re not as warm
    (yellow-orange-pink warmth like afternoon western sunshine).

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

99.5% of the photos in my blog are from my Online Color Consulting clients, readers, talented photographers, & friend’s homes – real homes, real budgets, real people. Maybe they aren’t magazine-perfect, but they’re packed with ideas & proven color choices to help you create a home you love.

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 1 in particular – warm. If you’re unsure which type of white you’d like to use, continue reading. As Sir Frances Bacon says (or said, as apparently he’s dead), KNOWLEDGE IS POWER!

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

WHICH WHITES ARE A BAD IDEA IN NORTH & EAST-FACING ROOMS?

If you paint a room with northern or eastern exposure, a cool white paint color or a stark, bright shade of white…

  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. Even a true white can skew cool.

Best white paint colors, Benjamin Moore Decorators White, Chantilly Lace, Super White, Sherwin Williams High Reflective White with marble tile in bathroom

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. Because her home is primarily south-facing (so it’s visually warm already) and she doesn’t like warm whites, 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 turn that light on for some passive, warm lighting.

Benjamin MOore Super White trims, walls, ceiling, built-ins, board and batten and foyer bench with Sherwin williams Gris blue-green-gray front door, white stair railing

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

This shows how the same paint color can look drastically different under different light sources (called Metamerism), highlighting why it’s important to choose your white carefully!

Sherwin Williams Cascade Green in organic, natural looking bedroom, white trim and door color similar to White Snow. Looks like north light

Behr Ultra Pure White is the WHITEST white | The Best Green Bedroom Paint Colors

Specific to true whites, because they don’t have a strong 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 eastern afternoon light, your true white might look chalky. 

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 (which Elton John is not a fan of), 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 can be a bit easier to control.

Still not sure what to do? Have another glass and let’s get this color party started.

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

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).

1990s or early 2000s kitchen Sherwin Williams Pure White kitchen cabinets, Austere Gray (gray-green) painted island, and walls, natural red oak flooring, blue accents, white subway tile, dark grout

Sherwin Williams Pure White 

Another important note is that cool northern light can still lean some warm whites towards the cooler side. This means your warm white might not look as warm as it would in another room with a warmer exposure.

Like Britney Spears, I’m going to hit that baby one more time…

Cool northern light can still lean a warm white towards the cooler side. This means your warm white might not look as warm as it would in a room with warmer exposure. 

Sherwin Williams Foggy Day kids room baby nursery with white painted board and batten and warm gray taupe carpet

The Best Darker Blue-Gray (& Green) Paint Colors

However…

a) The warmth of the white can help balance the cooling effect of northern light (or flat eastern light), often creating a great happy medium that balances 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 or flat eastern light.

In this next room, Pure White appears considerably warmer 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…

sherwin williams pure white walls and trims, black and white patterned leaf branch tile floor, freestanding white bathrub

1.  If you don’t like warm whites, choose a white that’s only slightly warm, knowing that the gray of the northern light might soften some of the warmth.

2.  If you love warm white paint colors, you might want to lean into a warm white with a bit more warmth than average, as northern light may try to pull it to the cool side. The warmer your white is, the better it will counteract the cool northern or flat eastern light.

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

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.

Pure White is the most subtle, least warm shade of white on this page. It’s for those who are afraid of warmth, but know they can’t paint their room a cold or stark white.

If you’re having a mental battle between wanting a clean, crisp white and understanding that it could visually hold your room back, Pure White could be a perfect choice.

Sherwin Williams Pure White with south and north facing light, best white paint color

In a north-facing room, Pure White’s warmth can drop significantly (as shown above). 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 and soft. In the afternoon, it may lose much of its warmth, as with 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 that case, keep reading…

Here’s your Peel & Stick sample of Pure White

Sherwin Williams Pure White, Samplize peel and stick

Sherwin Williams Pure White Color Review

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, there’s a soft cream base (cream is a yellow color with neutral added to calm it down).

Sherwin Williams Alabaster in large open layout living room, built-ins, french doors to patio, fireplace surround, coffered ceiling, possible north or east facing light

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 may be the perfect choice.

This next photo shows Alabaster with true white trim. If you want Alabaster to look warmer and creamier, pair 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…

Sherwin Williams Alabaster painted wood kitchen cabinets, black hardware, red oak flooring, black granite countertops, island, 1990s backsplash

Ideas to Update a 1990s Home | The gorgeous kitchen of my Online Color Consulting client, 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.

Sherwin Williams Alabaster, warm creamy paint color for client's waiting room in counselling office

The reception of my client’s office – Eddins Counseling

Here’s your Peel & Stick sample of Alabaster

Sherwin Williams Alabaster, SAmplize peel and stick

Sherwin Williams Alabaster Color Review

3. BENJAMIN MOORE WHITE DOVE OC-17

White Dove is a wickedly gorgeous, warm white. Like Alabaster and Pure White, it’s a soft white paint color, not a bright or true one, thanks to its LRV of 83.06.

White Dove is like the lovechild between the muted look of Pure White and the warmth of Alabaster. 

White Dove’s gentle warmth does a good job of adding a bit of balance to gray northern or flat eastern light without going overly yellow, as some more dominant warm whites can.

Benjamin Moore White Dove trims, BAllet White walls, gray-blue front door paint color, red oak flooring, 1990s foyer and home

The Best Paint Colors for the INSIDE of Your Front Door

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

living room, family room, dark wood flooring, stone fireplace, wood mantel rustic, Benjamin MOore White Dove color drench on walls, trims, ceiling, tub chairs, drapes, sectional (1)

White Dove has an LRV of 83.16, which places it firmly in the white range, albeit on the lower end. 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

Interior lighting can help off-set any green reflections

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 with the best white paint color for walls, Benjamin Moore White Dove, board and batten Sherwin Williams Foggy Day, dark gray sectional, orange accents, south and north light

The above room is my family room (say hello to Douglas Fur). I chose White Dove for its ability to handle different exposures with a passive warmth.

Here’s your Peel & Stick sample of White Dove

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

FULL Paint Color Review of Benjamin Moore White Dove

4. BENJAMIN MOORE CLOUD WHITE

It doesn’t get more classic than Cloud White. This gorgeous shade of warm white has been popular for decades, taking us through the hunter green and burgundy of the 1990s, Tuscan-inspired paint colors of the 2000s, and even through the gray trend of 2015.

And it’s still here.

Staircase, white spindles, wood treads and stair raillings. Benjamin Moore Cloud White and Gray Owl. Kylie M Interiors paint color expert and blogger. Reclaimed pine wood flooring

Cloud White trims, railings, and board & batten with Benjamin Moore Gray Owl walls

Cloud White appears as a soft, warm, and creamy shade of white. Even though its LRV is higher than White Dove’s (85.05 to 83.06), its increased warmth gives it a pretty weight.

In this next beautiful kitchen, notice the difference between the walls and the trim/pantry door…

Benjamin Moore Cloud White walls with white trim, wood look LVP flooring, white quartz counters, green painted CAbinets - Cascade Green, best warm white

The walls are Cloud White, whereas the trims and door are a standard white. This shows how you can enhance the appearance of your warm white by pairing it with whiter trim.

HOWEVER…most people like a more seamless look and use the same white on walls, trims, ceilings, and cabinets. 

Paint Color Review: Benjamin Moore White Dove

5. SHERWIN WILLIAMS GREEK VILLA 7551

While I haven’t spent as much quality time with Greek Villa as the others, it’s worth exploring.

Greek Villa is a soft shade of white with an LRV of 84, making it comparable to BM White Dove and SW Pure White.

This next sample is friggin’ fabulous. Notice how the east-facing dining room looks in Greek Villa compared to the south-facing living room in the backdrop…

shotgun style home, textured walls, dining room in Sherwin Williams Greek Villa lightened, Extra White trim, livingroom throuh doorway, dark wood, oak floor

When you compare them (which you should), notice how its yellow undertone comes off a bit clearer than White Dove’s. So, if you have a dark north-facing or east-facing room and find White Dove and Pure White a bit dingy or not warm enough, Greek Villa could be a subtle adjustment on that.

Sherwin Williams Greek Villa Color Review

Did you know you can easily compare my FAVORITE warm whites in this CURATED Peel & Stick Color Bundle

Benjamin moore and Sherwin Williams best white paint colors for trims, walls, cabinets, Kylie M North america's top paint expert with Samplize

Greek Villa isn’t there, but it’s easy to add.

6. BENJAMIN MOORE SIMPLY WHITE OR SW CHEVIOT

These two are sharing a slot as they’re pretty darn comparable. I mean, sure, all of these warm whites are comparable, but these two are kissin’ cousins – illegal in most States, but not my blog.

Starting with BM Simply White. Simply White is a brighter shade of white, thanks to its LRV of 89.52, making it brighter than all to the previously suggested whites.

Check out this fun comparison…

Comparing popular simlar shades of white, Benjamin Moore Cloud White, Simply White, Chantilly Lace, Atrium White, White Dove, Sherwin Extra White on Pearly white walls

L-R: BM Cloud White | BM Simply White | BM Chantilly Lace | BM Atrium White (woooof, don’t do it) | BM White Dove

Along with a jacked-up brightness, Simply White also has a slightly more noticeable yellow undertone. It’s this hue that can make up for the lack of warmth in a north-facing or dead-ass east-facing room (said with love).

Next, Sherwin Williams Cheviot. Cheviot is a newish white paint color from Sherwin Williams, offered in its Emerald Designer Collection. While it’s a wee bit pricey (understatement), Cheviot and the other newer shades of white add a few much-needed choices.

Sherwin Williams Cheviot, warm white in Emerald Designer Edition, pink, whitewashed oak floor, black french doors, Benjamin Moore Chantilly Lace trim, two whites go together

Cheviot walls, Benjamin Moore Chantilly Lace trim, and a badass black interior door

Cheviot has an LRV of 89, just like Simply White. Where you’ll see a bit of a shift is that Cheviot’s yellow is just a bit more balanced. It’s almost like there’s a wink of orange in there, but not. Compare the two and you’ll see what I mean.

Here’s your Peel & Stick sample of Simply White

Samplize peel and stick BEnjamin Moore Simply White

Here’s a Peel & Stick sample of Cheviot.

That’s it…

A handful (plus a thumb) of great shades of white to choose from. That’s it. If you don’t find a white you love here, chances are you need to go spelunking in the wild world of off-white paint colors

WANT MORE WARMTH?

There’s a 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, creamy white and cream paint colors.

ensuite bathroom, double white painted vanity, omnia quartz countertop, green gray subway tile walk in shower, acrylic base, Sherwin Williams Aesthetic White beige on walls, beige tile floor.

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. If not, you know where to find me.

READ MORE

The Best White Paint Color

The 5 Most Fool-Proof White Paint Colors

The Best Paint Colors for East-Facing Rooms

The ULTIMATE GUIDE to Choosing White Paint Colors

The 8 Best Benjamin Moore White Paint Colors

Get the best paint color advice with Kylie M’s 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

kylie m signature chat soon

Updated with fresh, new content and images 2026

Similar Posts

74 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. 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. 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. 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!

  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.

  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. 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. 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. 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. 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 🙂

  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. 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.

  18. Huge fan! My sister and I use your site all the time and have loved learning so much and being able to apply it. Is there any way you can tell me the wall paint color of the photo of alabaster with the fireplace? I know the built ins and fireplace surround are alabaster but would love to research the color on the wall. Thanks for all you do – and for sharing so much information!!

  19. Hi Kylie!

    This was so informative. I find myself ending up on your blog, search after search. We have a north-facing living room, with very little natural light. I wanted to go blue, but now I’m thinking of going white to brighten it up. I want to use a bit of a creamier white to really warm it up. But… I also want to keep the blue by painting the trim blue. A blog post on colored trim would be amazing if you think that would be fun! I’m worried blue trim would make the white look gross? But I think it would be so cute, and I love doing things a bit different and fun and out of the box. Thanks for such great information!

    1. Hey Johnna, thank you for coming to my site! Now, I DO feel like blue trim could be…a bit off. I’m not going to say NO, as every home has it’s own vibe, but off the top, I got nervous. I do know that a gray with some blue-green undertones like BM Coventry Gray can look VERY pretty with warm white walls (like White Dove) and then you can add some blue accents to jazz things up??!

  20. Hi! On the photo captioned Alabaster is on the built-ins, and fireplace surround, what color are the walls?

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *