• Home
  • ABOUT
  • WORK WITH ME
  • Paint Colors
  • Shop Our House
    • Guest Bedroom
    • Front Living Room
    • Living Room with Fireplace
    • Previous Second Living Room
    • Current Playroom
    • Prior Playroom
    • Dining Room
    • Laundry Room
    • Oliver’s Bedroom
    • Guest Bathroom
    • Covered Lanai
    • Patio
    • Master Bedroom
  • CONTACT
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest

Within the Grove

Join the list to receive occasional news and special updates!

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

May 30, 2019

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.

Let’s keep in touch!
We have a brand new community over on Facebook, House & Home, where we’ll be chatting, sharing, and helping one another when it comes to home decor and projects. Come join us! Check it out here.
Like on Facebook || Follow on Instagram || Follow on Pinterest

Share this:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)

Related

Filed Under: All Things Paint, DIY, Home Inspiration

« Breakfast Nook Refresh: Simple Changes, Big Impact
Adding Curb Appeal and Functionality to Our Yard »

Comments

  1. Marie says

    May 30, 2019 at 6:51 pm

    Thank you for this post. I have struggled with finding the “perfect” white/off white for my home and lighting. I tried most of the colors you have posted and saw the same differences/undertones in color with a change in lighting and by chance a friend of a friend (interior design consultant) suggested Valspar Swiss Coffee. This is truly an off white with no grey, yellow, peachy or other undertones. I love it in all lighting. I had it mixed in Benjamin Moore as that is my favorite paint. You do a beautiful job and are very honest with your “fails” and how you fix them. I appreciate all you do for yourself and sharing it with us.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Looking for something?

withinthegrove

The garden is cleaned up, prepped, and ready for t The garden is cleaned up, prepped, and ready for the summer crop. What started as a single garden box has transformed to this garden space over the past few years. Favorite thing about it: being tucked away in this cozy corner with the winding paths throughout it. One thing I would do differently: using pea gravel instead of the granite rocks we went with. These rocks hurt! Pea gravel is smooth enough to comfortably walk barefoot on.
The grass is in! Saying BUH BYE to the dirt around The grass is in! Saying BUH BYE to the dirt around the pool for the first time since December when we broke ground. We spent the past few weeks installing irrigation throughout our backyard and around the pool. Yesterday we finally had the sod delivered and within a few hours it got us one step closer to finishing our backyard oasis. We still have a long ways to go, but my goodness does it feel good to see this part done! And we can finally check off the final inspection for the pool build.
What does it cost to fill a 16,000 gallon pool wit What does it cost to fill a 16,000 gallon pool with a garden hose? Our total came to $229! Does this total surprise you? This of course can greatly vary depending on where you live and your situation. For us, we live in Florida and on county water. We only pay water fees and not sewage. The water company did not give us a discount. We filled the pool right at the start of our billing month so this is it! Have you filled up a pool before? I’d love for you to share your cost, pool size, and location if you feel comfortable doing so!
We have a 16,000 gallon pool and filled it up with We have a 16,000 gallon pool and filled it up with a single water hose. And we for sure had some questions! Answering them here:

• Why not use a water truck? We weren’t in a rush, it was the best way to end this project watching it fill up, and it would have been more expensive. 

• Why not use our local fire station? Our local fire department doesn’t do this and it isn’t very common that most do. We wouldn’t ask if they did. 

• Did our water company give us a discount? Nope. Most water companies will take off the sewage fee but we only pay for water and not sewage where we live. We did notify them so they wouldn’t turn our water off thinking it was a leak. 

• What is that on the end of your hose? We added a filter on the hose to help reduce iron, scale, any other heavy metals and containments to help give our pool a fresh start. 

• How long did it take? 51 hours 

I’ll be sharing the cost soon so make sure to add your guess in the comments!
Pizza nights are back! And one thing we’re addin Pizza nights are back! And one thing we’re adding since our screen enclosure is gone, are these Bitefighter LED String Lights by @tikibrandproducts . You’ve seen us use them in our playset area and now for our patio area. They give us the ambiance we need at night while helping to fight off the mosquitoes as a 2 in 1 solution. There’s no odor, no mess, and they will last all season long. Cheers to the summer nights ahead! #ad #TIKIbrand
Protecting outdoor furniture for the summer!

It’s time to give your outdoor furniture the best start for summer and to help it last long term. Here are some things you can do to protect your outdoor furniture as we enter the summer season:

1. If you have wood furniture, it’s time to seal it! I use Thompson’s Waterseal on all my outdoor wood furniture except for teak. This protects it from moisture, sunshine, and mold/mildew.

2. Easiest way to help keep cushions clean is by spot cleaning throughout the season. I use 30 Seconds Outdoor Cleaner for quick, fresh looking cushions. 

3. To really protect cushions, Shield H2O provides a water repellent treatment that repels moisture and spills, which in return helps prevent mold and mildew. 

4. Have teak furniture? Use a teak SEALER and not an oil. Teak oil is a short term solution and easily washes out with rain. Time to seal it to last long term! 

I have everything I used in my Amazon storefront under outdoor.
We were told 16 weeks for our pool install but it We were told 16 weeks for our pool install but it ended up taking exactly 12 weeks. Broke ground on December 16th and started filling it with water on March 16th. I’m sharing all the pool details over on my blog. Including the answer to the number one question: How much did this cost? Covering how we picked a pool builder, the construction process, the materials we went with and why, what we splurged on and where we saved, and so much more. Save it for future reference! It’s a good one!
We have an outdoor dining space again! It’s some We have an outdoor dining space again! It’s something we have missed the most these past few months while under construction with the pool. I’m such a visual person so being able to walk into @homesense_us and see exactly what we could use to create our outdoor dining space was amazing. There was so much to choose from at a great price point and something for every style. I’m noticing more Homesense Stores opening around the US so check to see if there is one near you! #HomesensePartner #DiscoverHomesense

Here are a few tips for creating an outdoor dining space:

1. Choose a table that fits the space with at least 4 feet around each side. 
2. Plenty of seating. Extra seats if you have the space.
3. Add an option for shade.
4. Select a style + decor that suits you 
5. Use outdoor furniture that’s easy to maintain. 
6. Enjoy your new outdoor space!
Are we lounging poolside or beach side? It’s har Are we lounging poolside or beach side? It’s hard to tell without our sod installed yet but regardless, loving this new addition to the pool area. Just need to find some cute side tables and this part of the pool area is done. Should I go with teak or black ones?  I’ve linked everything on my LTK through the link in my profile!
Load More... Follow on Instagram

Sign up here to have our fresh posts delivered to your inbox!

Enter your email address:

Delivered by FeedBurner

Copyright © 2023 Within The Grove • Customized by Brave Creative Design · Log in

  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Disclosures + Photo Usage
 

Loading Comments...