Most of the time, trim that is painted gets painted white.

Sounds simple enough, but WHAT white??

There are 352 colors with the the word “white” in the name to choose from in Benjamin Moore paints alone. And that doesn’t even include all the white colors named things like Cotton Balls or Chantilly Lace!

Please note, for the purposes of this post, ALL paints mentioned are from Benjamin Moore. I like Benjamin Moore for the quality and vast array of color options, but Sherwin Williams is great too.

And Farrow and Ball, although pricier, has a wonderful curated collection of complex shades (often with bizarre names like Dead Salmon…Really. Read THIS for a humorous look at weird paint names!)

All whites are not the same - each one has hints of other hues - blue, green, pink, purple, yellow, gray…and the light and surfaces surrounding the color will change your perception of it.

How to Choose a Shade of White

You want to choose your white to complement the other colors in the room, obviously, so you have to pay attention to what other colors might be lurking IN your white paint!

Atrium White, for example, has peachy/pink undertones so it works best with warmer hues. It’s great with terra cotta shades like Audubon Russet, and I have also used it successfully with Linen White walls.

Navajo White, even though it is a warmer white, has very murky yellow-beige tones and can look dull and dingy or warm and complex, depending on the light - I generally stay away from this one because it is a bit fickle!

Decorator’s White is a pure, crisp white so it works well with cool colors like Wickham Gray.

White Dove is what we used in house shown above - it looks great against the blue chimney breast and plays well with the marble-look surround and hearth. You can see more of that Rhapsody in Blue project in THIS post.

Antique White and Linen White are creamy ivories that look great paired with rich deep tones in classic interiors where a bright white might be too jarring.

Where to Use White Paint

I usually advocate for keeping the painted trim a consistent color throughout a house. It’s just easier - you aren’t looking through 27 paint cans for the particular shade of white trim for the room you want to touch up - AND it’s more cohesive.

Your rooms, at least the public spaces, should flow naturally with a compatible color palette, and consistent trim color is a great unifier.

White millwork and kitchen cabinets are classics that never go out of style or look dated, so you can hardly go wrong with choosing a great white for those elements when you are updating, renovating, or redecorating with an eye toward resale.

As with any other color, you must look at the fixed finishes in the space to see what you should take into account. If you are updating kitchen cabinets with white paint and you have white tile, white appliances, or a predominantly white counter that is staying, you need to choose a white that will complement the existing whites, and not one that will make them look dirty or yellow or blue by comparison.

Is there a foolproof white?

Well if I must pick ONE, my most-likely-to-work “go to” is White Dove. It is a soft white without looking yellowish, and it plays REALLY well with others.

It looks good with almost every other color. It is the Miss Congeniality winner of the white paints. Runners up in that category would be Cotton Balls and Simply White.

We used White Dove for the millwork we designed for this two story great room. See more of this great room project and the before pictures HERE.

Decorators White or even the premixed White is nice when you need a pure crisp white - such as in a bathroom with white porcelain fixtures and cool toned paint on the walls.

And the classic White Linen is still a great option when you need a creamier off-white.

Still need help picking YOUR perfect colors? We offer virtual paint consultations! Click HERE for more info, or purchase our guide to Choosing Paint Colors with Confidence HERE.