The 7 Best White Trim Colors -

SHADES OF WHITE FOR TRIMS & DOORS

With hundreds of whites to choose from, finding the perfect shade for your trims, doors, or cabinets can be tough. Lucky for you, white paint colors are my love language (along with white wine, white sneakers, and Chile Picante Cornuts).

When choosing our best white trim and door color, we often find a focus on the white we love, without considering our finishes.

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That’s right, it’s not all about you – it’s about your home.

Sure, your personal tastes can factor in, but if the white paint color you choose is the wrong white for your home and its finishes, you’ll be up shart creek without a plunger.

Now, figuring out which white best suits your interior finishes is a blog post unto itself (linked at the end of this one – keep reading). However, even without reading that blog post, I have the best white paint colors for trims and doors for you to sample and compare.

If the white you’ve been considering isn’t on the list below, you may want to reconsider.

Why?

Sherwin Williams Dover White (above) did NOT make the cut – it’s too yellow!

Of the hundreds of white paint colors available, there are only a handful (or two) that I recommend daily. These are the best white trim colors, and are on my list for several reasons…

THEY’RE FLEXIBLE: These whites suit a wide range of wall colors. Many whites are super limiting.
THEY VISUALLY CONNECT: These whites are more likely than others to suit the average interior finish (both older finishes and new).
THEY’RE VERSATILE: While there can be exceptions (most often, bathrooms), these whites are easy to carry throughout your home. It’s ideal to use the same shade of white on all your white surfaces, including trims, doors, ceilings, and any white cabinets.

If the white you choose isn’t on this list, don’t say I didn’t warn you.

And yes, if you want white trims and doors, they should be the same shade of white.

1. BENJAMIN MOORE WHITE DOVE OC-17

From the heart of my bottom, White Dove is one of my favorite shades of white, not just for my home, but for the average home of my Online Color Consulting clients. Soft and warm, but not as creamy as some, White Dove suits a TON of countertops and wall colors.

While no white is fool-proof, White Dove is pretty darn versatile.

Sherwin Williams Retreat: IMAGES, Info, & More

With its LRV of 83.06, White Dove is one of the softer whites on this list. Can it look like a true white? Well, I suppose that’s open to interpretation, but if you ask me, no – it looks like a soft, subtle shade of white – as it should.

Benjamin Moore White Dove: IMAGES, Info, & More

All the photos in my blog are from my Online Color Consulting clients, readers, & friends— because real homes deserve to be celebrated (dirty laundry & all!) While not magazine-perfect, they’re packed with ideas & proven color choices to help you create a home you’ll love.

2. SHERWIN WILLIAMS PURE WHITE 7005

Never judge a color by its name, as Pure White is anything but PURE white. With an LRV of 84, Pure White is a soft white (there are 10 more points ahead of it for it to be pure!). While it can LOOK like a true white, it’s soft and warm, not as warm as White Dove, but equally as flexible.

Don’t believe me (I forgive you, but 3 slaps with a wet noodle)? Order a sample of Benjamin Moore Chantilly Lace and see the difference!

Between White Dove and Pure White, Pure White is more likely to suit the average, popular white quartz countertop.

Here’s your Peel & Stick sample of Pure White…

This next image is a great example of how versatile Pure White is. In the kitchen, it goes with the cool green-gray look of Sherwin Williams Austere Gray. In the entryway and hallway, it goes with the rich, creamy look of Sherwin Williams Antique White…

Sherwin Williams Pure White: IMAGES, Info, & More

3. SHERWIN WILLIAMS WHITE SNOW 9541

White Snow is relatively new to the scene and is starting to show up more frequently in everyday design. With its LRV of 90, it’s a bright white, not a true white, but it sure as heck can look like one.

If you’re considering Benjamin Moore Chantilly Lace (coming up next), you’ll definitely want to compare it to White Snow.

Sherwin Williams White Snow: IMAGES, Info, & More

4. BENJAMIN MOORE CHANTILLY LACE OC-65

Chantilly Lace is one of the best bright white paint colors. Whereas Pure White and White Dove are soft whites, Chantilly Lace’s LRV of 90.04 gives it a beautiful brightness, without being as stark or potentially cold as a true or cold white (did you know there are 5 types of white?).

However, one negative aspect of Chantilly Lace (compared to softer whites) is that it doesn’t cover as well (same with BM Simply White). In fact, its coverage gives me low-grade diarrhea. However, if it’s the right color for your trims (or walls, cabinets, ceiling, etc.), it’s worth the extra effort.

What’s the extra effort?

Use a primer underneath to cover any existing color and provide a simple base to build upon.
Ask the paint store to top up your gallon of paint with extra white tint. This is Titanium Dioxide, and it helps a bit with coverage.
Prepare to do at least 3 coats.
Use their high-end paint (preferably Benjamin Moore Aura). Never use BM (or SW) contractor-grade paints; they’re bush-league (I’d rather use Behr), especially with fussy colors.

Compare Chantilly Lace to my favorite shades of white in this CURATED COLOR BUNDLE…

In this next bathroom, notice how Chantilly Lace contrasts with the soft gray paint color on the walls while connecting with the hexagon marble tile flooring and marble-look countertop…

Benjamin Moore Charcoal Slate (vanity)

Benjamin Moore Chantilly Lace: IMAGES, Info, & More

Those are my TOP 4 white paint colors for trims (and doors, ceilings, and cabinets) – full stop. Or partway stop, anyway.

However, there are a few more that pop up quite often in my Online Color Consulting…

5. BENJAMIN MOORE SIMPLY WHITE OC-117

I love Simply White for trims and doors. It’s a bright white with a warm, yellow undertone and suits a reasonably wide range of wall colors.

However, it’s more often a touch too yellow for many popular countertops and tiles. Not always, but if you’re painting your cabinets as well, be sure to watch for it.

With its LRV of 89.52, it’s a beautiful, bright shade of white that offers a pretty contrast with the right cool paint colors, and is a pretty partner to a range of warm shades, too.

Benjamin Moore Simply White: IMAGES, Info, & More

6. SHERWIN WILLIAMS EXTRA WHITE 7006

Extra White is fabulous. This soft white has an LRV of 86, making it slightly brighter than Pure White and White Dove, yet softer than White Snow, Chantilly Lace, and Simply White.

And it’s interesting; if you look at the fan deck, Extra White appears as a cold white. Yet on trims, it picks up a subtle warmth. I’m making an educated guess that it’s due to the formulation of the trim/cabinet paint.

Sherwin Williams Natural Linen walls

Sherwin Williams Extra White: IMAGES, Info, & More

7. SHERWIN WILLIAMS ALABASTER 7008

I’m obsessed with Sherwin Williams Alabaster. While it’s not as versatile (for some homes) as other whites, its warmth can hit the spot for the right home.

What is the right home?

Well, it’s a home that caters to a softer warmth. Alabaster is a soft, warm white with a creamy-like backdrop. Sure, this falls back in some lights, but in others, its creamy warmth rises up.

Alabaster often finds a place in homes built in the early 2000s, but it shows up in modern-day homes, too!

Alabaster’s warmth makes it a tougher sell in bathrooms, as it can come off a bit TOO yellow against white bathroom fixtures. It’s also often too warm for the average, popular, white quartz countertop, but might suit a few of the warmer quartz counters.

But, if you have beige or tan walls with a reasonable depth and not too much orange-pink undertone, along with greiges and some taupes (ideally in the light range or darker), it can be STUNNING.

My home is pretty average as far as colors go. Wait, I take that back – I have WAY more colors than the average home (11), but a nice range of warm and cool shades.

Would I use Alabaster on my trims, doors, (and possibly ceilings and cabinets)?

The Best Non-White Interior Door Paint Colors

Nope, it’s too warm and not flexible enough (I use White Dove). But you know your home – you do you, boo.

Sherwin Williams Alabaster: IMAGES, Info, & More

WHITE TRIM COLORS THAT DON’T MAKE THE CUT (& WHY)

If one of these white paint colors ends up working for you – amazeballs. Here’s why I don’t recommend them as often…

BENJAMIN MOORE SWISS COFFEE OC-45

Swiss Coffee can be a great option. However, between it and White Dove, it’s slightly more likely to grab a green undertone. So, if I have a choice, I choose the more predictable, subtle warmth of White Dove instead.

Benjamin Moore Swiss Coffee: IMAGES, Info, & More

SHERWIN WILLIAMS GREEK VILLA 7551

Greek Villa is another one that my Online Color Consulting clients bring up a lot, with the hope of using it on their trims, doors, and cabinets.

REVIEWS: BM Ballet White | SW Alabaster | SW Zurich White | SW Aesthetic White

And I don’t even have a REALLY good reason why I don’t recommend it more. I suppose there’s always a better shade of white that I’ve had more success with. Like Benjamin Moore’s Simply White, its degree of yellow undertone makes me a bit nervous at times, I suppose that’s one valid reason.

Here’s Greek Villa on the WALLS with Sherwin Williams Extra White trim – note the subtle difference between the two…

If you’re considering Greek Villa, do me a favor and put perfectly vertical beside your finishes, along with Sherwin Williams Pure White and Benjamin Moore White Dove. Separate the three with white paper.

Greek Villa might still be the best, but I’ll feel better if you do a little comparison to confirm (and it’s all about me, sooooo).

Sherwin Williams Greek Villa: IMAGES, Info, & More

BENJAMIN MOORE CLOUD WHITE OC-130

Cloud White is one of the OG”s of the white world. It seems people really started focusing on the power of paint colors in the 1990s. With the color trends, Cloud White was a gorgeous option for trims and whatnot.

This continued into the early 2000s with the Tuscan trend. And while we had a dip around 2010-2022 with the gray trend, Cloud White still pops up in homes that need a visibly warm shade of white.

So, why isn’t it on my main list?