This post is all about helping you find the best white paint for walls!
Finding a white paint color should be a simple task, right? Wrong! White is probably one of the most challenging colors to choose for your home. But why is that? It’s because of the paint’s undertones. All paint colors have undertones, but since white is such a light, pure color, its undertones are clearly visible, so, depending on the lighting and surrounding colors, the white you choose may not even look white at all!
So, what is the best white, you may ask? Well, that depends on a few factors. The room’s size and the type of lighting it receives, other colors in the room, how light or dark you want your space to be perceived, and the overall design you prefer.
White can make a room look brighter, crisp, and clean, or soften a space and make it seem warm and inviting. It all depends on your design style and how you integrate the white with other colors and elements within the room.
To help you choose the best white for you and your space, check out these beautiful paint colors and learn how each can change the look of your home.
Best White Paint For Walls
What is LRV, and why does it matter?
LRV, short for light reflective value, is a number from 0 to 100 that determines how much light is reflected or absorbed by a paint color. Zero represents the darkest black, while one hundred is the lightest white. There are no colors I know of that are rated 0 or 100, but it is an overall scale that helps you to determine the brightness or depth of a color.
Chantilly Lace is one of the lightest colors I can think of, sitting at an LRV of 90.04. This means the white paint color will reflect a lot of light around the room, making it appear brighter and more open. Great for a dark space without much natural light. On the other hand, Tricorn Black has an LRV of 3, making it a deep, dark color that would require a bright space with lots of light, or the color would be overwhelming.
LRV is a great tool when deciding what color you want to use. For a brighter, lighter space, lean towards a higher LRV. To add depth and drama to your room, colors with lower LRVs can look great. Considering the amount of natural and artificial light can help you decide if you require a higher or lower LRV. A low LRV and no natural light will make an extremely dark room that may feel small and claustrophobic, while a ton of natural light with a high LRV can make the space feel too stark and bright.
How Natural Light Affects Paint
North, South, East, and West light. Why does the direction of natural light matter, and how does it affect your paint color? Just like paint colors are cool or warm-toned, so is natural light.
North light is cool, while South-facing light is warm. When you have a warm white paint color (which has a base tone of yellow) in a South-facing room with that warm yellow-toned natural light, it will enhance the yellow in your paint. This can make it appear less like a soft, creamy white and more yellowish. If you instead use a cool-toned white (that doesn’t have a yellow base), the natural warm light will soften the cool-toned color without giving it that yellowish appearance.
The same goes for North-facing rooms; cool-toned paint colors will be enhanced, leaving you with a cold, almost chilly, dulled appearance, while warm colors will counteract the cool-toned light for a balanced and beautiful space.
East and West-facing rooms have different lighting conditions throughout the day as the sun rises and sets, but overall, West-facing rooms have warmer light, while East-facing rooms have cooler light.
To determine how a color will look in your space based on the natural light, it is always best to swatch and see how the lighting in your room affects the color.
White Dove By Benjamin Moore
*The walls of the bathroom are painted in White Dove
A best-selling Benjamin Moore color, White Dove is a beautiful, warm-toned white. The LRV sits at 83.16, making it a fairly light and bright color. Although it is warm-toned, there is only a very slight yellow undertone, and I believe it could work beautifully in North and south-facing rooms. The color is soft and offers a gentle comfort within spaces.
Alabaster By Sherwin Williams
*The walls of the living room are painted in Alabaster.
Creamy and soft Alabaster by Sherwin-Williams is a warm and welcoming paint color. The LRV is 82, which means it sits right above the cut-off for an off-white color. It is a slightly darker white than many others available, but that just adds to its soft appearance. It is by no means a dark color and will still add a significant amount of brightness to your space. If you are looking to create a bright room with a warm and inviting atmosphere, Alabaster may be the perfect paint color for you.
Wimborne White By Farrow & Ball
*Wimborne White is painted on the lower walls, and the ceiling is painted in Shadow White.
Benjamin Moore and Sherwin-Williams have beautiful paint colors, but Farrow & Ball’s paint shades are beyond stunning! They all seem to have a richness that I just can’t describe. Wimborne White is no exception. This creamy off-white creates a soft and elegant look. With a very subtle undertone of yellow, this color could easily work in all lighting conditions. The LRV is unfortunately unavailable for all Farrow & Ball’s paint shades as they do not provide this information, so its exact value cannot be determined.
Chantilly Lace By Benjamin Moore
* The walls are painted in Chantilly Lace.
Chantilly Lace by Benjamin Moore is a crisp, bright white. It’s an excellent option for those who want a pure white with little visible undertones. With an LRV of 90.04 it’s one of the lightest and brightest whites you can find. A reliable option that works in all lighting and pairs with most colors, it is a best-selling color for a reason.
Snowbound By Sherwin Williams
*The cabinets are painted in Snowbound.
Snowbound by Sherwin-Williams is a beautiful, cool-toned white. With an LRV of 83 it’s a softer white that sits right above an off-white color. Although its undertones consist mainly of gray, the color is somewhat of a chameleon that can change quite a lot in different lighting conditions and when placed beside other colors. It can be a stunning addition to your home, but it is imperative to swatch the color, in particular when pairing it with another white.
Simply White By Benjamin Moore
*The walls are painted in Simply White, and the trim is painted in Chantilly Lace.
Simply White by Benjamin Moore is the second brightest white on this list. It’s a bright white with a muted softness and a great warmer alternative to Chantilly Lace. The LRV is 89.52, slightly darker than Chantilly Lace and light enough to brighten any room. It would be a beautiful option for both North and East-facing rooms to counteract the cooler-toned light.
White Tie By Farrow & Ball
*The walls are painted in White Tie.
White Tie by Farrow & Ball is a creamy white that I would categorize as off-white. It’s a gorgeous, sophisticated color that adds warmth to any room. It outshines in rooms with an abundance of natural light, whereas it may look creamier in darker spaces. Since Farrow & Ball does not provide LRV values, the lightness of the color cannot be determined. It would be an excellent addition to a classy, modern home.
Decorator’s White By Benjamin Moore
*The walls are painted in Decorator’s White.
Decorator’s White by Benjamin Moore is a beautiful, cool-toned paint color. Slightly on the darker side, it sits at an LRV of 82.68 with an undertone of gray. This undertone can be visible in darker rooms and when paired with certain shades of white. It would work beautifully in rooms with lots of natural and southern light, contrasting against the sun’s warmth.
Shadow White By Farrow & Ball
* The cabinet color is Shadow White
A stunning off-white color, Shadow White by Farrow & Ball, will add depth to your space. With an undertone of gray, this color can definitely look “not white”. In rooms that are too dark, and when placed next to lighter whites, the undertone of this shade will peak through. Since Farrow & Ball does not provide LRV’s it’s uncertain how light the color is, but it is NOT a light white. The color is a darker shade of white that will suit bright rooms or contrast well against dark to medium colors. Even in the photo above, you can see that the cabinets are not a pure white color, and a lot of the undertone is showing through.
Glacier White By Benjamin Moore
* The walls are painted in Glacier White.
Glacier White by Benjamin Moore is the last white, well, actually off-white color on our list. Not nearly as popular as many other whites, but still stunningly beautiful, the color works well with other colors (both cool and warm). It has an LRV of 80.18, making it a darker shade of white. It is not a stark or bright white (since it is an off-white) but rather a soft and creamy color. The color can change a lot when placed next to different colors and in different lighting conditions, so swatching this shade is imperative.
