HOW TO CHOOSE THE BEST WHITE PAINT COLOR is one of my favorite topics, and one for which I am contacted every single day! 7 Warm White Paint Colors to Consider goes beyond simply throwing a bunch of warm white paint color possibilities at you. In addition to color names, I’ll also help you think critically about the process of selecting the appropriate white for YOUR particular space.
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Warm White Paint Colors: Gorgeous, Tried & True!
1. BENJAMIN MOORE White Sand
A Personal Favorite Warm White
This warm white is one I discovered when searching for the best shade of white for our prior home: a European country inspired manor home on the edge of a lush forest.
Since I’m not a huge fan of living with brown undertones, I didn’t want a color that made me think of cocoa.
I was after a soft, gentle, beachy white reminiscent of seaside vacations.
The color I fell for was BENJAMIN MOORE White Sand and was used in every room except for our sons’ bedrooms.
If you’re a fan of Belgian linen, there’s a fair chance you’ll also like BENJAMIN MOORE White Sand.
Living With Tone on Tone
Tone on tone isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, yet this color story worked wonders in a spaces we wanted to feel serene, peaceful, and also warm.
After a couple of years, I got the itch to change the paint color and bring a bit more contrast to the kitchen. We chose Benjamin Moore Ashley Gray (below) for more depth.
Our kitchen received a ton of natural sunlight so Ashley Gray was not too dark – it might actually read “purply-charcoal” and not “warm white” in a poorly lit space.
So don’t get too wooed by any one particular paint color when you see a photo – sample a handful!
White Sand in Another Home
We’ll journey from Chicagoland to the Southwest, where my mom loves BENJAMIN MOORE White Sand as well.
What’s helpful is seeing the same paint color in different rooms with different exposures. Here it is in a bedroom with Southern exposure and antique white dresser:
Warm White in a Living Room With Blue Grey
In this living room, you can see how Benjamin Moore White Sand works with a cool blue grey, soft pink, and gilded frames as well as antique white hutch.
Warm White in Family Room With Northern Exposure
In the family room with North facing windows and light turquoise and teal accents, Benjamin Moore White Sand feels more like a natural linen hue.
In a bedroom, White Sand offers a gentle contrast with white French country furnishings.
2. SHERWIN WILLIAMS Alabaster
Beautiful Warm White Paint in a Showhouse
Sherwin Williams Alabaster has a cult following with both designers and decor freaks lauding it. Who can forget how this beautiful warm white canvassed the 2017 Southeastern Designer Showhouse?
ALABASTER…Sherwin Williams named this the 2016 Color of the Year.
SW Alabaster in Laundry Room
In a blogger’s One Room Challenge space (a pet palace laundry area!), Sherwin Williams Alabaster was the white chosen. Custom kennels occupy pretty space under the counter!
Great Room With Warm White Paint Color
Sherwin Williams Alabaster Bedroom
3. BENJAMIN MOORE Revere Pewter
Revere Pewter for Trim & Furniture
For me, Benjamin Moore Revere Pewter is reminiscent of soft natural linen or gentle garden stone.
This paint color works wonders in a variety of spaces and was used to refresh my tired, antique white bedroom furniture.
The furniture now feels light, fresh, and more timeless.
But let’s see how it looks on walls.
Revere Pewter Paint in Bedroom
Revere Pewter in Bathroom
Warm White Lovely Things!
How to Choose the BEST Warm White Paint Color
1. Try Multiple Samples
Bear in mind that the perfect white paint color for a particular space may be completely wrong for another space. The light in Northern Illinois where I reside is quite different from other regions like the Southwest where we bought a second home.
So as you search for a just right white, don’t forget YOU’LL FIRST SELECT A HANDFUL OF OPTIONS and then SAMPLE THEM in your unique space TO BE SURE.
2. Understand Warm vs. Cool Whites
If you understand the difference between a warm and a cool white, you’ll have an easier time sifting through the possibilities.
Warm whites tend to have warm undertones of green, brown, etc. Cool whites may have blue and grey undertones.
Sometimes it is helpful to clarify what is even meant by warm vs. cool white paint.
For example, in our current home, almost all of the walls are painted a very cool and bright white (Benjamin Moore “White”). This cool white might be all wrong in a different home since it was chosen to counter the harsh yellow light we receive here.
The cool white tempers the color and mood and because of the yellow sunlight, it does not read too sterile or blue.
3. Search Online for Ideas
While plenty of paint color experts advise against searching online and Pinterest for the best warm white, I find it helpful to begin the search by viewing photos online where the paint color name is provided. It truly beats standing in a big box store under fluorescent lighting, anxiously studying cardstock swatches.
Have a Pinterest board devoted to your favorite white paint colors yet? Create a devoted board and PIN THIS POST there to have a handy list of paint names you can refer to when you head to the paint store to buy samples (I’m sure I don’t have to remind you to bring your phone).
4. Consider Objects & Amount of Natural Light
Make sure you take into account the temperature of the objects and furnishings in the room you’ll be painting. If they are mostly cool, in most cases you’ll want to lean towards cool whites. Are they warm? Then a warm white is likely the wise direction to head.
Does your space receive a lot of natural daylight? You’ll probably want to stay in the more pure white zone with minimal undertones. However, if light is limited, a warm white with more pigment is probably your friend.
More Warm White Paint Colors
Here is a white we used for trim and doors in our prior French Country home.
4. BENJAMIN MOORE Dove Wing
5. SW Collonade Gray
Her’s a gorgeous greyed white used by Melissa Morgan Design called SW Collonade Gray. YES, A WHITE COLOR MAY HAVE GRAY IN THE NAME!
6. FARROW & BALL Pointing
Designer Greet Lefevre of Belgian Pearls shared this when I asked for her fav:
“It is hard to name a favorite white as using the right color of white is dependent upon the room that has to be painted. Is it a small or a large room? Is there a lot of light coming in or not? Another factor….fabrics to be used in the room for curtains and upholstery. But I often turn to FARROW & BALL Pointing White“
7. FARROW & BALL Ammonite
Megan Pflug notes: “My favorite white wall color is FARROW & BALL Ammonite. It is a fantastic changeable color. It looks more like a stone material than a flat wall color. Its a great alternative to a standard white.”
AMMONITE is named after the treasured fossils often found on the Dorset coast. It has a fantastically understated quality…neither too warm nor too cool, its subtle grey tone creates a hushed and calming feel in homes both old and new.
Hope this helps, and for related stories see these:
Peace to you right where you are.
-michele
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Oh the beauty and head-scratching aspects of white paints! 😉
I am currently “researching” a white for my LR. At the present it is a light gray ( former home owner color) but I’m hoping to go yet a little lighter. We have brilliant sunshine (if it’s a sunny day) all day long in that room, with light coming into the room from east, south and west—-it is a west facing room with a huge picture window.
As a former decorator myself, I can easily see undertones but the trouble is knowing my furniture has warm white undertones and yet not wanting to enhance that aspect of the color. Ugh! You’d think having paint fans from nearly every paint company is helpful…but it’s more confusing! Haha!
One day I’ll be certain of the white I want and the next day I’ve changed my mind. My friend said “You may just have to pick one and just do it!” She may be right. 😉 I once read that designer Tricia Foley used about 20 different whites in one room. Still they all do have to “play nicely” together. 🙂
To say I’m obsessed with all the beautiful whites is saying it mildly. One thing I realized (after painting my office in a warm white) is that what worked so beautifully for our former home doesn’t look so lovely here. Some day the warm white will go to a cooler white like the rest of the rooms. 🙂
Maybe my perfect white will be a custom mixed color….I’ve been known to do that with paints on several occasions.
Love your posts about white paint!
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I am feeling your pain. What you’re doing is what the artist does: playing with light – trying to get the most out of it and giving it as much help as you can. The light is so dramatically yellow here that it wasn’t terribly challenging to figure out what I needed for the effect I wanted. But I also know I’m lucky I found a white that works in all rooms with their different exposures. I remember reading that same thing about Tricia Foley and other white loving designers who use various shades of white together. It has certainly been true for me. An artist friend taught me to combine creams and whites, and things have never been the same. I love wearing ivory and bright white together – and don’t get me started on natural linen with white. I don’t do as much thinking about paint as doing. I buy paint and march home to slop it on the wall immediately! I live for that sort of thing. But I can also walk into someone else’s home and choose colors without much sampling. Years of experience – I know you get it!
So right Michele! 🙂 I really loved doing paint consultations for my clients….but for my own home?……It always seems so much more “work”. Haha!
You mentioned cream and white together and natural linen and white. Oh yes! Love those combos too! In fact my sofa and loveseat sport a similar combo. The original fabric is very close to natural linen (I believe they called it “oyster”.) But along the way the cushions wore out, we got indoor dogs that shed 😉 and I chose to do “faux” slipcovers with natural light cotton duck fabric on the backs and seats. The arms and front panel are still the original ivory. The combo of the two “whites” is quite lovely and I make my own custom throw pillows to change out with my whims and/or the seasons. However like I mentioned in the original post, I’m not keen on playing up the yellow undertones of the fabric, hence the struggle to find the perfect white paint. 😉
I’m in the Upper Midwest too so our afternoon light is be very yellowy like your location. That’s why I think I’ll be re-reading your post about cool whites 🙂
Your posts are so much fun to read, especially the ones that reflect French style (a personal favorite) and of course…..whites! 😀
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By faux slipcover, do you mean you simply drape fabric over them without tucking? I love that style so much. It says ‘vacation house’ or ‘undone pretty’ in such an unfussy way. I’m gearing up to do a post on cool whites – introducing my favorite light grey-whites and discussing how they can work well with warm objects and surroundings. You need to start a blog with the sole focus of paint color consultation with your expertise…watch it rack up the traffic! 🙂
Hi, Michelle. Appreciate your blog. I live in south Texas, where summers are 9 months long and brutally hot. Winters last only from Thankgiving to Easter, but we get plenty of freezes. I’m re-doing my RV with an eye to visually expand the space with white paint and white slipcovers. In winter I plan to add rugs, lots of red, orange & gold and to use a warm bulb. In summer, to replace the hot colors & light bulb with a soft teal. But first, I have to paint. I’ve considered Alabaster for the walls & Simply White for the trim, which is more dramatic and decorative than is usually seen in RVs. I’m making the slipcovers out of “Winter” white cotton canvas. The floors are of weathered gray vinyl plank, and I’ll leave them bare in summer. My exposure in all rooms is southern (parked against a tall privacy fence). Here’s what’s making me the most nervous:
I want a subtle contrast between walls and trim & considering Alabaster for the walls & Simply White for the trim. Will that be too eye-stopping in a small space? Will the warmish Alabaster make it feel hotter? On the other hand, I don’t want a glare, either.
I’m very sorry the floor is grey, as I’m trying to pretend it’s just another neutral, but know it will affect my paint colors. When was shopping in Seattle for an apartment, blundered into one freshly painted–walls and trim–battleship gray, because that’s what decorators said was the next big color. Gray! to match suicidally constant chill, gray skies & drizzle! Couldn’t get out of there fast enough! Thinking of painting the floor a tiny shade darker than the walls. (My husband would NOT agree.)
Am I making mountains out of molehills? Please speak reason to me, Michele.
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You are absolutely delightful, Jude. I am loving every minute of your commentary as a kindred spirit who takes her white paint colors as seriously as you do. What I wouldn’t give for a hot Texas summer! I’m serious. I love the heat and remain only in the North for the man I love (but that won’t stop me from boarding a plane to the Southwest tomorrow night…TRUE! Hello, lovely Arizona! Get me outta here!!!) I sort of love Alabaster or a color like it for that Southern exposure you speak of. I used Valspar Salute (which is quite similar I think) throughout our Arizona home – have you peeked at those posts at all? I could never snag decent pictures since they always looked overexposed with all the light. Salute has green undertones which worked really well with the intense Southern light pouring into that home. I adored how it worked with the Behr Classic Silver I painted the cabinets. The sunlight plus that Classic Silver added up to a gorgeously warm blue-grey. You would never choose this color if you simply looked at the swatch at Home Depot or even glanced at the paint can since it seems too cool…but sunlight does magical things. We sold that beautiful home, and I do miss the palette of linen, pale blue-grey, warm white, and alabaster. I’ll never tire of it. Are you against trying a few different whites by buying small samples and watching them change through the day? That is the smart way to choose. But I like your idea of warm (but not antique) white on the walls, brighter for trim and slipcovers. You’re not gonna believe this, but just before I turned on the computer, I was daydreaming about decorating a vintage camper…how fun! Keep me posted and feel free to fire away more questions. 🙂
Hi Michele. I’m looking into BM White Sand for exterior of a Spanish Mediterranean looking house. Do you think White Sand would work with a red roof and dark bronze window exterior trims. Front of house is west facing, so I get lots of sun in the afternoon. I sample painted Manchester Tan but see it didn’t work well with the red roof as I see the green in MT. Do you think White Sand is a good choice for west sun facing house. I’ve also looked at BM Olympic Mountain (less yellowish tone than White Sand). Please help.
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If you like Olympic Mountain AND White Sand, you might try sampling Ballet White – it’s going to read light with western exposure, but it’s also going to change throughout the day. So when you sample, do look at it at different times of day. It’s going to be a personal preference as far as the pairing with red roof – I find warm whites very earthy (reminiscent of sand and stone) and beautiful with red clay. The bronze trims sound beautiful.