If you thought 50 shades of gray was overwhelming, imagine having to choose over 1500 shades of white?! Who would have thought that choosing a shade of white paint could be soo challenging? Choosing the best white paint for your home is all about the room and the mood you want to create, not necessarily about your favorite shade of white.  Not only is white paint one of the most popular paint choices but in our opinion, it is the most versatile color to have as your backdrop and highlight any décor style. Don’t worry, I’m not going into 1500 shades of white let alone 50.

When you think of the color white, a pure white color is probably what comes to mind. But when you think about white paint colors, it’s good to remember that placing them against each other will impact each other’s unique undertones. It is essential to choose the right shade of white because believe it or not, white isn’t just white anymore. Not only do you have to consider the different types of undertones, but you also have to consider the lighting in your home. Have you ever painted a wall and wondered why the color looked lighter or darker than you anticipated? That’s because the way the sunlight reflects into your room matters. For example, If your room faces north, you want to choose a warm white that balances out the cool and if your room faces south, you will want to select a cooler white to prevent the yellow of the warm sunshine light. It is all about balance. In other important words, and I know it sounds cliché but, we learn something new every day, and knowing the LVR (Light Reflectance Value) of colors is very vital knowledge I bet you didn’t know about. I know, I know… these three words sound complicated so I will do my best to explain what it means and why it’s essential to know this. 

LRV- Light Reflectance Value refers to the lightness and darkness of a color on a scale of 0-100. 0 is black and 100 is white. The higher the LRV, the lighter the color is and the lower the color is the darker it is. 

Here are our top 5 white paint colors picks and why:

Alabaster white SW 7008- LVR (82 of 100)

Addison’s Wonderland
Home Bunch

Alabaster white is the most versatile neutral white paint color. Not only was it the color of the year back In 2016, but it remains a popular color years later. 

If you want to create a warm and cozy environment, Sherwin Williams Alabaster is your go-to color. Not only does it absorb less light, but it will reflect more light into any room. I chose this color for the exterior and Interior of my home due to the way the sun shines into it. It is a warm but off-white color that exudes clean and crisp inviting curb appeal to any exterior and provides that neutral warmth your home desperately seeks by also allowing your décor to shine, cuz let’s face it, the décor should be the star of the show.

Swiss Coffee by Benjamin Moore OC-45 – LVR (83.93 of 100)

Mcgee Home by Shea Mcgee
Mcgee Home by Shea Mcgee

Our inspiration for why we love Benjamin Moore’s Swiss Coffee (not to be confused with Behr’s Swiss Coffee) is also due to our fan-based love for all things Shea McGee. We absolutely love her beautiful designs and color choices for everything she does. Not only does she use this paint color on cabinets, and exteriors, but also on almost all of the walls of her beautiful home. As opposed to Alabaster white which is warm and crisp, Swiss Coffee is on the creamier side and can give off a slight yellow tint with its gray and green undertones. This color was created in 1931 by Benjamin Moore, about 91 years old, so when I say that it is indeed a timeless look, you better believe it!

White Dove by Benjamin Moore OC-17 – LVR (85.38 of 100)

Kyle Interiors
Mary Best Designs

You may think this is just another white paint color, but remember that not all whites were created equal. Some colors may seem similar, which doesn’t make it any easier on us. Just like sisters, they may share a resemblance, but they are not the same. Dove has a hint of yellow and gray undertones while Alabaster has a bit of yellow and beige. Pair it with a gray-tone wall such as one of my favorite gray blues called Boothbay Gray by Benjamin Moore. It is a traditional yet transitional white paint. If your floors are gray like mine, or if your couch and accent pieces are too, this paint color pairs well. My personal advice for those of you who want to paint a room gray is, FREEZE, PAUSE, HALT, just stop and DO NOT DO IT. Grays are cold and uninviting if you don’t know how to pick the right one (that’s a blog post for another day) so when choosing White Dove you are getting that gray-white color choice.

Egret White by SW 7170 – LVR (70 of 100)

Egret white is a warm color we stumbled upon at one of our client’s new build homes in Bethesda, Maryland. When we walked into her house we immediately felt welcomed and fell in love with the contrast of the crisp white trim and shiplap walls against the lighter and warm-toned wood floors. As well as the contrast of the metal black accents on the door handles, balusters, and kitchen hardware. It conveys a greige color, which is a touch of both gray and beige giving it a sophisticated contemporary look. This is a color that appears to look gray in a north-facing room, but a second take with the sun shining on it from the south side and it can appear beige, it’s quite complicated! It is warm off-white with violet and pink undertones, therefore it pairs well with green hues.

Simply white by Benjamin Moore OC-117  – LVR (91.7 of 100)

Studio Mcgee
Studio Mcgee

Last but not least, if you want a paint that reads true white, without it being pure white, this is your color choice!  Benjamin Moore named it its color of the year back in 2016, the same year Alabaster won the best color for Sherwin Williams. Simply white has yellow undertones, so when comparing it to other whites it can look slightly warm. If you use this color exclusively in one room, it will read as a bright white. It is a warmer true white option out of the rest of the paint choices above. It is a classy example of a fresh clean white with the warmth of neutrals of an off-white color making it the right choice when you have both cool and warm undertones. If you are still unsure, instead of playing eenie meanie minie moe when you are struggling to settle which white you will choose, simply choose Simply White because it is the cleanest most versatile white choice for everything from trims, walls, cabinets, and even ceilings.

Tips and Reminders for white paint colors

  • Not all white shades were created equal
  • Make sure to try these colors at home. The new peel-and-stick color samples are amazing. It is less complicated than having to paint a wall or piece of cardboard to sample the color.
  • Do your research, and find out where the sunlight comes in from every room at different times of the day. 
  • If you have commitment issues, grab 2-3 colors you love and sample them at home. Never choose a color just by looking at the paint strip from the store or online. 
  • Identify the undertones in your room and décor to pick out the best white paint option for you.
  • If you are having a mental breakdown picking out the best white paint, remember, you are not alone! 

Real paint- No mess!

Buy your peel-and-stick removable and reusable paint samples here!