Fifteen White Paint Samples We Put to the Test for Your Home

It doesn’t matter if we’re talking about walls, cabinets, trim, baseboards or even a piece of furniture. At some point you’ll be on the hunt for the perfect white paint to use in your home. But sometimes it isn’t that easy. You’re left to choose between what seems like hundreds of different whites. Whites that may have a green, blue or purple hue. Whites that are too creamy or too cool. Maybe a white paint color looks great in a friends home but not in yours.

**If white paint isn’t the color you’re looking for, check out this post where we tested different gray paints.

Basically what I’m trying to say is that I know the struggle and time it takes to pick out the perfect white paint for your home. And in hopes of saving you time, money spent on samples and to help you narrow down a few white paints, I’ll be testing some for you. 15 to be exact!

After asking my Instagram community to share their favorite white paint colors and mixing in the ones I’ve used, I went and got the 15 most popular white paints. They range from cool to warm and everything else in between. And since we all know a paint color can change drastically in natural daylight compared to using lighting in your home, I’m sharing how they look in both!

And I know you’re just itching to know. Here are the 15 colors I put to the test on a wall in my home and the results of the natural lighting and lamp lighting. These pictures of the all the paint colors together have not been edited to give you a true sense of the color. You’ll find a brief description of each one and an example of it being used in a home as well. Now, keep in mind that these paints can still vary in your home depending on your space being north facing, south facing, amount of natural light, etc. But this post is a great start!

Natural Daylight

Nighttime with Lights On

You can see how drastically these colors changed when going from natural daylight to lamp lighting. Now, depending on your type of light bulb you use, that can also alter the way the color looks. For this image, I was using a soft lighting light bulb. I am honestly shocked at the difference of a few of these! Let’s dive into the details of each one.

1. Dover White – Sherwin-Williams

Dover White is a warm white. You can see in the natural light it is pulling some warm undertones. It did the best with staying with a consistent color though when switching to indoor lighting. It certainly helps to create a warm and inviting look when using this color. Here’s an example of Dover White being used.

2. Snowbound – Sherwin-Williams

Snowbound is often referred to as a timeless white to use in your home. It’s a pretty mix between a warm and cool white that pulls a slight gray color. I’ve noticed this color being used a lot for trim and cabinetry. Here’s an example of Snowbound being used.

3. Extra White – Sherwin-Williams

Extra White is a color we have used throughout our home. We’ve use it on all of our interior doors, trim, baseboards and even used it on our upper kitchen cabinets. Known as another timeless white, it’s also one of the purest whites. This is the color that’s in the paint can without having to mix any other color into it. With the indoor lighting, it does look like it is pulling a warmer color. Here’s an example in our home with using Extra White.

4. Greek Villa – Sherwin-Williams

Greek Villa is a warm white and also another timeless color. This is the perfect white if you’re looking for a brighter white but still want the warmth it can bring to a space. From natural daylight to indoor lighting, this color didn’t change too much! We love this color so much, we recently used it in our laundry room makeover which you can see below.

5. Ultra White – Valspar

Ultra White is very comparable to Extra White. I’ve noticed those not using Extra White for trim and baseboards, they’re usually using Ultra White. This is a bright, clean white without any other undertones. From the lighting I used, you can see that it showed a slight warm hue with the color. Here’s an example of Ultra White being used.

6. Whipped – Clare Paint

Whipped is one of my top white paints that I’ve used in three different areas of my home. It is a classic warm, creamy white if you’re looking for that type of white in a space. Depending on what way your room is facing and the natural light, it can appear darker in some spaces. Which you can also notice when using indoor lighting. My favorite space we have used this color is in our guest bathroom.

7. Cloud White – Benjamin Moore

Cloud White was a second favorite to use in our laundry room but it showed a little too much warmth for me. It’s still a gorgeous white paint! Overall, it has a yellow/beige undertone and does great in a space with a lot of natural lighting. If you are looking for a brighter white, this isn’t the color for you. Here’s an example of Cloud White being used.

8. Simply White – Benjamin Moore

You’ve probably heard of Simply White. It’s a very popular color to use in a home and has been for years. It has enough warmth to it without it becoming too overly cream or yellow. You do see the warmth of the color come out with indoor lighting. Here’s an example of Simply White being used.

9. Alabaster – Sherwin-Williams

Alabaster is also a well known and popular color to use in a home. Sherwin Williams considers this white paint one of their timeless whites. When I tested this color in our laundry room, it was a yellow/beige white. Looking at my examples above, you can really see the warmth come out in the indoor lighting with a slight tint of it in the natural lighting. Here’s an example of Alabaster being used.

10. Silky White – Behr

As you can see, Silky White is a cream based white but not so much that it’s a great neutral. It will certainly bring some warmth to a space. I love to see this color on walls especially in main living areas. Here’s an example of Silky White being used.

11. Pure White – Sherwin-Williams

Pure White is the white we used in our master bedroom. I was looking for a very cool white to go in the space to play off of all the natural light that pours in. I have noticed that this white tends to have a very slight yellow hue when using indoor lighting. It’s a timeless white that would make a great addition to any home! Here’s how it looks in our master bedroom.

12. White Dove – Benjamin Moore

After testing White Dove for this post, I love it! It’s certainly a white I’d like to try in the future in our home. It is a very clean looking white in natural daylight with a creaminess that comes out when using indoor lighting. I feel like it’s a white that brings a very homey feeling to a space. Here’s an example of White Dove being used.

13. Polar Bear – Behr

I have several friends who haved used Polar Bear in their home and I can see why! It’s a bright white in natural daylight that also gives a hint of creaminess with indoor lighting. You certainly can’t go wrong with this color in a large or small space. Here’s an example of Polar Bear being used.

14. Shoji White – Sherwin-Williams

Shoji White was the darkest white that I put to the test. It was a little shocking with how dark it was compared to the others. Which you can certainly see in the images above of all the colors. I’m tempted to even call it a beige or taupe versus a white with a hint of beige. It is a pretty color but just be prepared for this one to not be a bright white. It would be gorgeous as a neutral paint color to use throughout a home. Here’s an example of Shoji White being used.

15. Falling Snow – Behr

Last one is Falling Snow. It leans more towards a cool white with a tiny hint of creaminess to it. It is certainly one of the more simple whites out of the group. Here’s an example of Falling Snow being used.

Use this post as a guide to help you pick or narrow down the perfect white paint to use in your home. I certainly hope it helps! You can even pin it for future reference to make it easier to find as you start on your next house project.

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