If you’re considering painting your home white, then you need the perfect for YOU white. The right white for me and my house is only right with my individual preferences, exposure, and even geographic region. It could be all wrong for yours. So use the advice below to choose a handful of whites to sample before deciding on the winning exterior white.
Winning White Exterior Colors to Sample
Choosing wall paint colors may be a challenge, but it’s not a complete nightmare should you have to repaint to get it right. But the exterior of your home? Good gracious. It’s a daunting task to select the perfect white for your house exterior, and you want to nail it the first and only time!
Before you choose the perfect color, please understand you’ll need to sample your favorite white paint colors first. When you see multiple whites together, you’ll fully understand the importance. You’ll suddenly see the rainbow of whites. You’ll notice undertones and temperature changes (coolness or warmth). Nuances emerge.
Where to Begin Your WHITE PAINT Selection
You are probably aware how there are a zillion choices for white. If you’re painting over brick, then I’m sure you feel especially concerned about scoring the right white!
First, begin the process by taking time to browse online photos of white house exteriors where the name of the color is provided. Start with my archives.
Second, DO NOT FALL IN LOVE with the NAME of particular color. Keep an open mind and don’t judge any of them by their names.
Third, don’t be tempted to make your decision based on a single photo.
Make Sure You Understand Undertones
Like all paint colors, whites have undertones that are not always easy to detect. Typically you’ll be able to see them once the color is viewed next to a bright stark white with no undertones or with an assortment of whites. Undertones come into play with cool and warmth of the white and how the color will be perceived in natural light when the yellow of the sun warms it.
How Do You Know How Light of a White to Choose?
You’re going to see LRV mentioned below, and no need to sweat it. Those letters stand for “Light Reflectance Value,” and the number is the percentage of light a paint color reflects (a higher number equals more light reflected). There’s no need to get worried about LRV or have a degree in color theory as long as you sample multiple whites.
How Many Whites Should You Sample First?
START WITH AT LEAST 3 WHITE PAINT COLOR SAMPLES YOU LIKE AND TRY THEM DIRECTLY ON THE HOUSE. SCRUTINIZE THE COLORS AT DIFFERENT TIMES OF DAY. MAYBE THERE WILL BE A CLEAR FRONTRUNNER. IF YOU’RE NOT SOLD, CHOOSE MORE OPTIONS UNTIL YOU ARRIVE AT THE WINNER.
Bonus Tip: Sometimes you’ll feel stuck because you really like two samples and can’t decide. You can definitely flip a coin. But you could also decide to mix those two colors 5050 for a completely new and unique custom color. I have had great success personally with this tip.
1. PURE WHITE 7005 by Sherwin-Williams
Pure White 7005 is lovely and soft. I have heard color experts say what makes Pure White soft is its LRV.
This is one of those bright yet not too bright, modern feeling whites that so many folks are choosing for modern farmhouse style homes.
Since the LRV is 84 for Pure White, it’s not as crisp as those whites that fall within the 90-94 range. You could say it’s more subdued that those super bright whites.
Pure White also has some warmth, though it’s not nearly as warm as say, SW Alabaster or Benjamin Moore White Dove.
Why Sample Multiple Whites?
You can truly only call a white subdued or passive when you compare it to other whites. For example, Pure White seems pretty darn clean and bright to my eyes from these images.
That’s why it is so important to view photos to get an idea of a color but always sample them in case your own setting and light interact with the color in a wholly different way.
Pure White looks calm and soft in certain photographs…
but rather stark in others!
You can see that homes painted SW Pure White in this collection prove that natural light will definitely have its way and cause the same color to be perceived quite differently.
Pure White can read clean and crisp on siding yet it can also glow with more warmth at a different time of day or in a different region of the country.
Psst. Easiest way to see if a paint color will work? Order samples with Samplize and have them delivered straight to your door.
2. Benjamin Moore SIMPLY WHITE 2143-70
Still so wildly popular, though not as commonly used as BM White Dove, Simply White is beautiful.
It is one of those highly reflective whites. With an LRV of 89.52, BM Simply White will appear clean and creamy in most situations.
But you still must sample several since there are no fail-proof whites!
The slightest hint of warmth makes this hue a favorite to use both inside and outside of the home.
So lovely!
What a fabulous tiny house shop (below) Monika Hibbs constructed and painted Simply White! The color on the door reminds me of the color I painted the shutters and trim of our own tiny house in 2020…BM Boothbay Gray.)
I love me some Monika Hibbs everything, and I also found out the following grey colors are her favorites to use:
If you are considering painting a brick exterior, you’ll find plenty of encouragement and confirmation online! Look at what’s possible:
Before you are completely sold on BM Simply White, consider a few more tried and true favs in the design world.
Do visit my board with white exterior inspiration! Find bright white paint color options for exteriors in THIS. Hang out a little longer if you have a moment and explore more paint colors HERE.
I independently selected products in this post—if you buy from one of my links, I may earn a commission.
Peace to you right where you are.
-michele
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