Best white paint: choosing the right shade for walls, ceilings and woodwork

Looking for the best white paint color? One of the most popular shades for interiors, this versatile neutral offers a blank canvas to brighten up dark spaces and airy even the smallest room.

White is white, and it must be one of the easiest colors to decorate with, right? Incorrect. You’ll notice this when you go to your local DIY and interior design store or type “white paint” into a search engine and come across white after tin paint, all of which claim to get the job done. Bring something different to your walls.

The options for “Bright White”, “Fresh Leaf”, “Full White”, “Pure White” seem endless. That’s why our team of ideal home interior designers and industry experts is here to help.

How to Choose the Best White Paint

Farrow & Ball’s brand ambassador, Patrick O’Donnell, explained: “The way we interpret white today is very different from the idea of ​​pure white. White can range from soft to cool, from icy blue to always cloudy, but from green/grey to White is beautiful. The best way to choose white is to find the color that best suits your style and home, and most importantly, the brightness of your room.

The best white paint color for walls depends on your natural preference for warm or cool tones, and the viewing angle of the room you’re painting in—that is, whether the windows face north, south, east, or west.

Cool white, usually recommended for south-facing rooms, available in blue, green or black. A warm white paint, often used in dark, north-facing rooms, in shades of red or yellow.

These colors are enhanced by the natural light available in the room and can even be affected by the room content, reflecting off the walls and changing the appearance of the paint color.

For this reason, it’s important to test your paint choices before undertaking a full renovation project. As Crown color consultant Judy Smith advises: “White people can drastically change hues from room to room in the same house, let alone from a paint store to your own home. So always try to verify the correct hue. “.

To save you a small fortune trying out potted plants, our interior design experts at Ideal Home have narrowed the options down to your favorites. So read on to find the best white target for you.

Best White Paint for Small, Bright Spaces: Bright White

Vibrant pure white without pigments, suitable for painters and decorators. This means it reflects almost all incoming light and reflects the room’s natural light, illuminating dark corners.

Glossy white paint is a good choice for small rooms with plenty of natural light, but should generally be avoided in north-facing rooms as it can reflect blues, shades of blue, making the room feel cold and dull .

Pure white can also be combined with deep white tones for a cool, calming look when used on furniture and ceilings.

Best White Paint Colors for North-Facing Rooms: Warm White

North-facing rooms tend to receive less sunlight during the day, so they are darker and more easily shaded. This means they reflect more shades of blue and gray, so using pure white or cool white paint can make the color look darker on the walls, and maybe a little too dark.

Patrick O’Donnell of Farrow & Ball advises: “Whites based on soft yellows will elevate a north-facing room.” “The shades of white determine the mood and atmosphere of a room, such as our relaxing room, and at night we want them to be Warmer and more comfortable so we can relax. So just add a little red or yellow and that’s enough. Oriental.’

For this reason, warm whites, yellows, or reds are often recommended for north-facing rooms, where they don’t look as “creamy” as paint colors in south-facing rooms.

‘ later Lots of After some deliberation, I just painted my unlit hallway with Dulux Jasmine White. Thanks to its pink hue, it is the ideal white to maintain a warm quality in dark spaces. I wanted to avoid grey tones as the accent colour of the room is rose red.

Tamara Kelly, Editor, Idealhome.co.uk

Best White Paint for South-Facing Rooms: Cool White

South-facing rooms are flooded with natural light and can often be bathed in golden sunlight for many days. This means that any warm tones behind the white paint, such as yellows, reds or browns, are enhanced, making the seemingly innocuous pale ivory fade suddenly on the walls.

Since south-facing rooms are often the brightest parts of a home, glossy white paint can often feel very harsh and reflect harsh ambient light. After all, no one wants to wear sunglasses in a white living room!

So if you want a true white impression in a south-facing room, it’s best to choose cool tones to balance the warmth of the natural light.

“Cool white comes in shades of gray, blue, green and purple, creating a calm, cool look that’s perfect for a well-lit room,” says Marian of Dulux and Sunshine.

I’m a big fan of the light grey look of Fired Earth Bone White. It’s crisp and sharp, just the white you’d want, but the shades of gray add depth, add interest, and ensure it’s not too harsh.

Heather Young, Dream House Brand Editor

How to decorate with white tones: walls and ceilings

As interior designers know, a white room painted entirely in a solid color looks soft and personable. Instead, try adding subtle changes to the walls, fixtures, trim, and ceiling to enhance the proportions of the room. Use the brightest white for the ceiling to give the impression of height, and use slightly darker tones to capture interesting details. Look for compatible shades when painting your floors white.

Farrow & Ball’s Patrick O’Donnell advises: “Always consider the brightness of the room you’re painting in and all the other elements in your room, such as fabrics, furniture, and artwork.” An easy way to do this is to create a mood board where you can See all the ingredients in one place. This will give you a better context for the results. “

“Identify the color you’re interested in, then scroll up the palette of your choice to find an off-white shade with the shade of your choice,” says Jenny Luck, Color Consultant at Little Green. “Jenny Luck, Color Consultant at Little Green, suggested green. “This contrasts nicely with the wall color while creating a smooth transition from the walls to the woodwork and ceiling. Lighter and more popular.

– For me, the best white overall is Belgravia Mylands. It’s a deeper shade that can vary from off-white to off-white in different lights, but both have nice tints. I combine lighter shades with the ceiling and woodwork to give the room depth.

Nicky Phillips, Interior Designer, Ideal Home

How to get the perfect furniture finish

To get the most out of crisp white paint, you’ll need some prep work. Charlotte Cosby, Creative Operations Manager at Farrow & Ball, recommends primers and primers to ensure long-lasting coverage and correct minor imperfections.

Frosted and frosted flat surfaces hide many sins, making them a popular choice for walls and ceilings. Satin and eggshell wood finishes work well in woodwork, especially on baseboards and doors that require an extra coat.

While white is good enough to complement almost any style, Dulux Creative Director Marianne Shillingford recommends choosing styles that are durable and easy to keep clean and undamaged. “Finish is less important than texture, because white paint tends to show small marks,” he says. “You have to make sure it can withstand everyday splashes, scratches and wear and tear.

Marianne adds: “Dulux Easycare is designed to be 20 times harder than traditional emulsions. “All debris is easy to clean and the paint stays perfectly matt and perfectly white for longer. “Perfect as a durable solution for a white hallway or kitchen.

Patrick O’Donnell of Farrow & Ball Brand explains, “Choosing the right white for your viewing angle helps the overall impression.” Cool background whites are great for east-facing rooms with blue or green accents, such as Cabbage White or James White . A west-facing room complements shades of red like Dimity or Joa’s White, adding a warm glow to the night.

How to choose the right white paint color?

Dominic Myland, CEO of Mylands, said, “When you choose white, always try to feel the tone of it, especially if you’re using a different color.” Pure White, like #1 Pure White, contains only white pigments, and you use it Very convenient. When used universally in a space, it has a very calming feel, visually cleans the palette, or complements any color in the spectrum.

“Even a little bit of color on white paint can dramatically change how it feels, and it usually comes down to personal preference. Some people move to warm colors, others to cool colors; Dominic explains. “If you have a Other paintings, you should always consider how they fit together. The trick is that in a bright, south-facing room you can eliminate almost any color, but in a less north-facing room, you might consider opting for warmer tones to balance out the cool light and create appeal for the room. ‘

Which white is better for ceilings?

Dominic Myland explains: “When choosing the best white for your ceiling, consider which option will work best with your home décor, wall colour and furniture. ‘ Again, pay attention to the background. Mylands are not pure white. 1 and Whitehall No. 9 A great choice for our Marble Matte Emulsion System. This is suitable for all interior walls and ceilings, including crowded areas, as they can be retouched, cleaned, washed and even rubbed without compromising color or clarity.

“For a modern look, you can also get rid of the traditional white ceiling entirely and paint the ceiling a similar color – it can match the walls for a really cohesive feel or something.”

Choosing the best white paint color for your home now seems a lot easier with the help of our experts.