Choosing the best white paint samples to start your project is only boring discussion until it’s YOU who needs the right one! If you’re seeking a white for walls, trim, windows, doors, cabinets, ceilings, or exterior, you’re in the right place. There are things to learn about color temperature, undertones and light reflectance. But sometimes all you really need is a place to begin as far as a handful of samples to try.
3-5 White Paint Samples
Leanne Ford Approved Whites to Know
Design: Leanne Ford; Photos: Erin Kelly & Amy Neunsinger
1. Leanne Ford Approved Warm White: Crisp Linen
Here’s the warm white paint color Leanne Ford has embraced for multiple projects, and Behr paint is sold at Home Depot.
Even if love the look of Crisp Linen, be sure to order more samples of similar whites. Subtle differences matter. Behr calls Crisp Linen a true beige; a perfect neutral that suggests serenity and classic beauty. Its light reflectance (LRV) has a value of 76, meaning it will reflect 76% of light.
Does a 76 LRV sound high? While this white is on the lighter end of the spectrum, brighter whites can actually surpass 90.
Crisp Linen works great with a brighter, lighter white for trim and doors. You can see in these interiors by Leanne how subtle contrast is soothing and not jolting.
You don’t even need to feel pressured to have any contrast. There are situations where you can use the same white for walls AND trim. Fortunately, it’s easy to test. Simply paint a small area of trim to decide which amount of contrast appeals to you.
Which Warm Whites Are Close to BEHR Crisp Linen?
My first pick for a color very very similar to Crisp Linen is from Benjamin Moore. BALLET WHITE.
Benjamin Moore Ballet White
I have used Benjamin Moore Ballet White for many different interiors and love its gentleness. If it’s too light, BM White Sand is also one of my go-tos.
I prefer avoiding warm whites that are too yellow or too brown (can feel less clean). Remember that undertones in white paint colors may seem tough to recognize until you sample several white contenders side by side. Suddenly you’ll see those undertones!
Benjamin Moore Swiss Coffee
Here’s another Benjamin Moore warm white quite close to Crisp Linen:
While I have less experience with Swiss Coffee, plenty of designers are crazy about it. I know Kate Marker uses it endlessly.
Sherwin-Williams Alabaster
Finally, if you want to stick with Sherwin-Williams brand paints, Alabaster is a trustworthy white with a similar LRV and formula to Crisp Linen. Alabaster became THE go-to warm white in the 2010s with the rise of modern farmhouse style and all things Joanna Gaines HGTV Fixer Upper. That said, it isn’t trendy. It is a classic that works across a range of design and architectural styles.
2. Leanne Ford Approved Bright White: Behr Ultra Pure White 1850
What does it mean when Leanne Ford calls Ultra Pure White a true white? It signifies a white with minimal to no undertones that will bounce the maximum percentage of light back into the room.
If you see an interior associated with Leanne Ford and the walls seem bright, with the lightest white that feels gallery-like, chances are it is Ultra Pure White right off of the shelf at Home Depot. Why is it on the shelf? Because it doesn’t have to be tinted since it is a base.
This bright clear white is super reflective and bright with a LRV of 94. That’s a lot of light reflected back! Is it too white for your project? It depends. Here at my own home, I love a bright white like this one for trim, but on the walls it feels too chilly and off because the architecture of our home is so traditional and fussy.
The exposure of your room makes a huge difference. Natural light is going to warm the paint color. Let’s look at a few recent Leanne Ford projects where she has a mix of whites to get a feel for undertones and subtle variations of hues.
I’m not certain the kitchen cabinets above are Ultra Pure White, but they are suggestive of it because you can see how close the white is to the baseboard trim which we know for certain is Ultra Pure White.
Notice above how much lighter and brighter it is (trim and door) than Crisp Linen (walls).
True Whites Close to Behr Ultra Pure White
Warm white walls vs. true white walls are going to create different moods which is why you should sample to select the right one before wasting time and money. I painted walls, trim, ceilings and windows in our former cottage (MCM style architecture) a bright white (in varying sheens) very close to Ultra Pure White called Benjamin Moore White OC-151:
OC-151 felt cozy, modern, and just right (flat for ceilings and some walls, satin for some walls, semigloss for trim). You can find photos of it with more details about that color HERE. However, OC-151 in our next Georgian house felt ridiculous and wrong. Your white tone with its unique undertones or lack of undertones truly matters. Here’s another white similar to Ultra Pure White:
A lot of designers are loyal to Sherwin-Williams Extra White so it’s a great contender to sample with the other bright whites to decide on your fav.
3. BEHR Cameo White is Leanne’s Favorite Cool White
When I think of cool whites, I think of off-whites and greyed-whites. Here’s how Behr describes Cameo White: “With its pearly blush and charming appeal, Cameo White relaxes the senses and softens any space.”
With a light reflectance value (LRV) of 81, it is going to reflect plenty of light. What effect does the coolness of a white have?
How do Cool Whites Vary from Warm Whites?
Cool paint colors in general tend to be associated with calm and relaxation. Think for example of serene blues and greens. Cool whites will have cool undertones provided by those colors. Since she was after zen-like tranquility, is it any wonder Leanne Ford chose Cameo White for a backyard yoga studio?
When you’re after a very tranquil, peaceful, sedate mood (for instance for bedrooms or spa-like baths), cool colors accomplish that. They bring the temperature down.
Cool colors also tend to feel clean and expansive. Since they tend to recede visually, they make a space appear larger. Finally, cool whites often feel elegant, modern, and sophisticated. While this shed was not designed for elegance, I’ll show you a color very similar to Cameo White in my own home that does exude elegance.
What’s interesting about Leanne Ford’s use of cool white is that her projects are often rustic in nature.
Colors that feel elegant and sophisticated paired with rustic textures and informality create a pleasing tension.
It’s a way of creating serenity and also edginess to keep a place from feeling too rustic, too pretty, or too precious.
Cool Whites Like Cameo White to Sample
Here’s the gorgeous cool white I alluded to earlier that is a Sherwin-Williams white quite similar to Cameo White:
Eider White is one of the more interesting cool whites I have discovered. It was here in the kitchen and nook when we bought the home two years ago (brown cabinets, brown trim and the whole house brown brown brown!). I liked Eider White enough to leave it alone. Then I loved it when it worked with the design elements I gathered for the kitchen’s full renovation.
It works beautifully with calacatta gold marble. And it has subtle pink/purple undertones which are perceptible depending on the light. I’m generally never mad at pink undertones because they can be so daygum flattering to complexions. Designers have added drops of pink to white ceiling paints forever because they know this secret!
I independently selected products in this post—if you buy from one of my links, I may earn a commission.
Another idea for a cool white like Cameo White but in another paint brand?
It’s a fabulous color that a growing number of folks have discovered as a pleasing house exterior paint color. I go into detail about it in THIS.
I hope these ideas to sample empower you to choose wisely. Sometimes we simply need a place to start! Psst. I have been busy creating new mood boards…
Peace to you right where you are.
-michele
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