The White Choice: 5 Tips to Picking the Right White Interior Paint
You’ll seldom find a home that lacks white paint somewhere inside. White is a common choice for walls, ceilings, and trim for its ability to brighten up a room and provide a stark contrast to any adjacent color. That said, white comes in nearly as many variations as any other color or shade. The untrained eye might not easily pick apart one white from the next, but as you research white paint for your property, you’ll come across hundreds of white varieties -- pure whites, cooler whites, warmer whites, and everything in between. It’s enough to make anyone’s head spin.
So, which white is right for your interior? Here are five tips for picking the right white interior paint for your needs and goals.
How to Pick the Right White Paint for Your Home
1. Context Is Key
If you’re merely tackling interior painting and not re-furnishing or redecorating your room, you’ll want to use the features you have as a foundation for selecting a fitting shade of white. In other words, you’ll want to consider the big picture. It’s all about context and contrast. If your decor is on the warmer side, you’ll probably want a warmer white paint to match (i.e. those with orange or yellow undertones). Conversely, cooler white paint will complement cooler decor, so in this case, you would look for white paint with blue or green undertones. You’re not obligated to follow this advice, of course, but basing your shade of white paint off your existing furniture and decor can narrow your options.
2. Look to Your Lighting
Color and light are two sides of the same coin -- and with a blank shade like white, the lighting that hits it can drastically alter its appearance. For instance, warm lighting will make a pure white wall look more yellow, and cool lighting will make it appear blue-ish. Likewise, the undertones inherent in certain white shades will become more or less apparent depending on the room’s lighting setup. Paint finish plays a role here, too, as glossier paints are more reflective and therefore brighter when lit. As you sift through different white interior paint options, then do so with lighting in mind. Even if you’ve settled on a white shade, you may need to alter your current lighting to achieve the exact atmosphere you desire.
3. Gather as Many Samples as You Need
Whenever you’re making color choices for your property, the more samples you have at the ready, the better. These samples and swatches will allow you to test and compare different shades of white in different scenarios (i.e. under the same or different lighting setups, on different surfaces, next to other colors, etc.) without taking the risk of painting an entire area only to find yourself dissatisfied. Your Raleigh painting partner can help you acquire as many samples as you need for your purposes.
4. Conduct Virtual Tests
These days, you and your interior painters can test out different colors not only in person but in virtual space as well. If you have a hard time gathering samples, don’t wish to clutter your home, and/or want to gain a broader perspective of how a particular white shade might look in your home, you can use various online tools such as BEHR®’s Color Visualizer or Sherwin-Williams’ ColorSnap® to virtually paint your interior. These apps work by downloading snapshots of your home and then use augmented reality (AR) technology to digitally paint the surfaces you desire under different lighting setups for a fairly accurate representation of the real thing.
5. Seek Professional Help
Finally, if you’re truly at your wit’s end with white paint choices, bend the ears of reliable Raleigh house painters. These professionals will have several years of experience with various types of white paint, so they’ll be able to help you choose an option that works best for your interior. Anderson Painting is here to help you find the right white interior paint and provide you with high-quality interior and exterior painting services (and more). To learn more about us and all we do, call today at 919-610-1855 or email us at info@andersonpaintingnc.com!
