Bellwether White Paint Guide
Every home we build has a touch of white, and making that selection can sometimes be THE most stressful and confusing decision in the entire build. How do you choose the perfect white? The plethora of shades to choose from alone can make this selection overwhelming. Every white paint color has a speck of color to it, an undertone, that creates a nuanced, undulating color that will change depending on setting and time of day. To help select the ideal shade of white we developed a “Color Checklist” of best practices to consider. We also have 14 “Bellwether Approved” shades of white that are our tried and true favorites.
#1 Consider Light Exposure
Northern light is indirect, meaning that it is always in shadow and can cause colors to read darker and cooler in tone. A benefit of northern light is it’s diffused quality, meaning you don’t have to be concerned about glare or blow out. Warm colors, neutrals with pink or yellow undertones can help interior spaces with northern light feel sunnier. Southern Light provides consistently warm light throughout the day and generally feels “bright.” Because this light is warm, it will warm up cool blues and greens. Colors that are already warm and bright will be exponentially so. We recommend neutrals with blue, green undertones in Southern exposure. Western and Eastern exposure will cause more changes in your chosen shade due to the time of day. Eastern light is warm in the mornings and cool in the evenings. Western light is cool in the mornings and warm in the evenings. If the thought of fairly dramatic change in shade bothers you, look for shades that are purer in tone without super obvious undertones. These colors will be more stable and change less.
#2 Consider LRV
For all colors it’s important to consider their LRV, the light reflective value. LRV measures how much light is reflected and conversely absorbed by a paint color. The scale goes from 0 (absorbs all light) to 100 (reflects all light). It is crucial to consider LRV when selecting your white paint color for walls and trim because white naturally has high reflectivity. A pure white in a very bright setting may be more stark than you would expect. A creamy white in a dark room will look muddier than you thought just looking at the paint chip.
#3 For Interior Paint Colors, Don’t Forget about Light Bulbs
Incandescent: The yellow light of these bulbs will make warm colors more vivid and deep, while toning down cool colors and paints with green and blue undertones. Fluorescents emit flat, sterile cold light so be careful using these bulbs in rooms where you are already using cold colors. Halogens: resemble bright natural light and are generally going to make all colors look more vivid according to their natural tendencies. LEDs can be bought in both warm or cool tones, so these bulbs can help you enhance colors you or subtly color correct.
#4 Study Large Samples During Different Parts of the Day
Services such as Samplize allow you to order large repositionable paint samples so you can move them around your spaces to experience the color in different times of day, in different interior light settings and with different surrounding materials. DO NOT, DO NOT choose your paint colors inside the paint store. Colors will never look like they did in the store when applied to your home.
#5 Don’t Mix Cool and Warm Whites
Avoid painting your walls or siding a warm white and your trim a cool white. Your walls will look dingy and your trim will look blue or even purple. Instead, stay with the same temperature and then just bump up the LRV a few points if it is important for the trim and walls to have discernable color differences.
#6 Don’t Underestimate Sheen
Glossy finishes reflect light, whereas flat paints allow the color to absorb more light. Also, don’t be afraid to use the same paint color for walls and trim and simply switch up the sheens. This subtle shift between colors will be registered by the eye and can feel very harmonious. Bear in mind the higher the sheen, the more imperfections you will see in a surface.
#7 Consider the 60-30-10 rule
60% of the room should be a dominant color, 30% should be the secondary color or texture and the last 10% should be an accent. We believe this can be applied to an exterior, and even the entire color scheme of a home as you flow from room to room. We often use accent colors in a study or power room, a singular color in all common areas, a complimentary shade for the principal suite that is not repeated elsewhere in the house, and another complimentary shade for the guest suites.
Sherwin Williams
Extra White – a true white with a cool temperature, and slight blue undertone
Pure White – a bright, warm white with a yellow undertones
Snowbound – a bright, cool white with a grey undertone Marshmallow – a creamy, warm white with a pink undertone
Alabaster - A soft, warm white with a creamy undertone
Creamy – A warm white with a yellow undertone
Natural Choice- An off white with a brown undertone (that also makes it a great beige when paired with a brighter white)
Benjamin Moore
Super White – a true white with a wink of blue undertone for softness
Simply White – a bright white with a touch of yellow undertone
Decorator’s White – a cool white with a drop of grey undertone
Chantilly Lace – a cool white with blue undertones
China White – a warm white with a slight green undertone
Swiss Coffee – a warm white with griege undertone
White Dove – a warm white with a golden undertone
