A collection of the best interior white paint colors and tips on picking which one is right for your home! See real-life examples of each color in an actual home. Includes neutral whites, warm whites, and cool white so there’s sure to be the perfect white for everyone!
Surprisingly, white interior paint can be one of the hardest paint colors to pick! However, over the past year or so, I’ve spent hours upon hours of research finding the perfect shade of white paint that works on the interior of our home as well as the exterior! Unfortunately, there isn’t a one-size-fits-all white paint that is perfect for every home. Factors such as natural light, surrounding elements, artificial light and so much more can change how a white paint looks from one home to the next. But, today I’m going to share what I consider to be the best white paint colors for interiors along with some simple tips to help you narrow down the timeless shade that’s perfect for you! Along the way, I’ve included examples in real-life homes as I’ve found them.
If you’re looking for exterior paint options, you may want to check out my post on the best exterior white paint colors. Since lighting varies so much between interiors and exteriors, you’ll likely want to consider two different options depending on the space.
One word of advice before we jump into the colors. I am a strong believe in NOT trying to color match whites across brands. They will tell you they can do it, but I’ve had two very bad experiences where the colors we’re very off from the original to the color matched version. It can work well with darker colors, but with white, I would try and find a color that belongs to the paint line you’re wishing to use.
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I’ve broken the paint colors down into neutral whites, warm whites, and cool whites, and I’ll explain along the way why you may want to select one over the other. Natural light can play such a critical role in picking the right paint color so I’ll share what to look for! You’ll also note that most of my selections are from Benjamin Moore and Sherwin Williams. This is simply because there is the most “research” on these options, and you’re much more likely to find real-life rooms online with these colors to help guide you. It doesn’t mean there aren’t other great paint options out there!
The Best Neutral White Paint Colors for Interiors
Neutral whites are ones that tend to work in the widest variety of homes. Regardless of lighting situations, they tend to look “white” and are the best choice to make bold colors and art in your space pop off the walls!
Benjamin Moore Simply White – This is the paint color we have used throughout much of our home. It has warm undertones that help keep things from looking too stark. We also have this color on our kitchen cabinets and trim and it is by far my favorite white paint color!
KITCHEN SOURCES: Basket Pendant Lights | Bistro Counter Stools | Similar Vase | Faux Greenery | Kitchen Faucet
Benjamin Moore White Heron – A beautiful off-white color without strong undertones. This is a versatile color for most homes!
Benjamin Moore Chantilly Lace – A crisp, clean white that works well on trim, cabinetry and walls.
Sherwin-Williams Pure White – This is a very pure white without being too stark.
Benjamin Moore Oxford White – A classic white paint color that is similar in saturation level to Simply White, but reads slightly less warm. A good option if you’re seeing to much yellow with Simply White!
The Best Warm White Paint Colors for Interiors
I’ve used a handful of warm white paint colors in various rooms and/or seen them in person. These colors are best if you’re trim isn’t bright white and for north-facing rooms to help balance the cool light coming in the windows.
Benjamin Moore White Dove – We actually chose White Dove for our home’s exterior because of it’s warm properties. It’s also a top choice for trim if you don’t want a stark look. White Dove is a shaded white, so it doesn’t look quite as crisp as some of the other options if you’re wanting a bright white. But it’s a great welcoming warm white for walls if you want something a bit cozier!
Behr Swiss Coffee – We have this color on much of the trim in the upstairs of our home. It’s a great, warm option if you don’t want a stark white. The room below faces north, so Behr Swiss Coffee was a perfect choice for the board and batten and the trim work!
Sherwin Williams Alabaster – Our BFFs recently painted their walls Alabaster, after they were wanting a white to pair with their walls. The bulk of their windows face north and the color is stunning in person! If you find Alabaster isn’t for you, another great option Sherwin Williams Shoji White.
The Best Cool White Paint Colors for Interiors
If you have a room that gets a lot of sun exposure or faces south, you may want to try a cool white paint color to help cancel out some of the warm tones.
Benjamin Moore Paper White – This white has the most gray undertones of the whites I selected. It is a beautiful cool white that would also work well on walls, as it also has a bit of saturation to it!
Sherwin-Williams Extra White – This is a bright white that works well on trim if you’re looking for a sharp, crisp white! Additionally, if you’re looking for the bright white gallery wall look, this may be the white for you!
Benjamin Moore Decorators White – This has few odd undertones that come out in most lights, however, it does read a bit cool. If you’re wanting something that reads “true white” this may be a good option for you!
Tips for Selecting the Perfect White Paint Color for Interiors
Be sure to pay close attention to the suggestions above in terms of lighting. That should immediately help you narrow down what to look for. Once you have a few in mind, it can be helpful to buy several poster boards or use some old pieces of cardboard and cover them with a few samples of your top paint contenders. Place them throughout various areas in your room to see how the natural light works with each. You’ll want to try and do this at multiple times throughout the day as well as on sunny vs. cloudy days. It may sound time-consuming but you’ll ultimately be so much happier with your final selection if you put in this additional work before you start painting!
You’ll also want to take your furnishings into account. If you decorate more with beige and warm tones, you’ll likely want a white paint color that also has warmer undertones. Conversely, if you decorate with a lot of grays and cool colors, you’ll want a white that leans a bit cooler!
Do you have other white paint colors for interiors that you love? I’d love to hear!
How To Keep Your Home Paint Colors Organized
If you frequently paint your home like I do, it can sometimes difficult to keep all your colors (and paint cans) organized! I recently created this free download that I think you will all love!
Here’s how I use each of the pages:
- Page 1 – I print on white cardstock to complete and keep handy around our home or near where we store our paint.
- Page 2 – I print on these labels and add them to the paint cans for easy identification.
- Page 3 – I shrink to fit on an index card to keep in my purse, or print as is and fold up to carry with me at all times. I simply add a drop of paint and the room name.
Simply complete the form below and I’ll email the PDF files over to you to start using today!
Additional Paint Color Inspiration
If you’re looking for even more paint color inspiration, be sure to check out these other posts by clicking on their titles below:
- The Best White Paint Colors for Exteriors
- The Best Blue Gray Paint Colors
- The Best Blue Green Paint Colors
- The Best Warm Gray Paint Colors
- The Best Navy Blue Paint Colors
- The Best Green Paint Colors
- How To Pick the Perfect Paint Color and My Top Five Neutral Paint Picks
- Paint Colors In Our Home (and Every Color We’ve Ever Used)
If you would like to follow along on more of my home decor, DIY, lifestyle, travel and other posts, I’d love to have you follow me on any of the following:
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Thank you for this post! I’ve been considering having our trim painted in our house. It is currently a cream color- very 90’s chic! Is your trim color different in different rooms of your house? And did you paint your trim yourself? I’ve painted several rooms myself, but the idea of the trim (and the doors) seems so daunting!
It’s kind of a mix honestly! I started painting it on my own as I’d redo spaces, using Behr Swiss Coffee. Then, I started painting other spaces Benjamin Moore Simply White. During our kitchen renovation, I had the painters do a lot more of the trim (and main level doors) in Simply White. I didn’t dare do doors on my own. We still have a few rooms upstairs that have the almond color doors and trim, so I plan to slowly have them updated over time. It’s a lot of work but I’m so happy we’ve been making the updates over the years!
Hi Sarah,
Which line of Benjamin Moore paint do you use? What finish do you use for the walls? I’m struggling with which one to use (BM Simply White or SW Alabaster). We’re planning to paint our kitchen island gray with a white quartz top. Our back and side counter tops will be white. Any suggestion on which color would be better?
Thanks,
Lisa
I used to just use the Regal line but my painter suggested the Aura line and so I’ve made the switch over to that. It’s a bit pricier but I find it definitely has better coverage (especially since I’m using white and was having to do three coats with the Regal line). In terms of picking a color, I would definitely just get a swatch and compare it to your countertops. If your white quartz leans a bit gray, you’ll probably want to pick the paint that looks less yellow against the counters.
Oh, I’m saving this list!!
http://a-woman-of-a-certain-age.com/
Thank you for sharing this. Very helpful
Hello,
Thank you so much for sharing this information!
What kind of sheen you would recommend for a bathroom. We plan on using Simply White for our walls (which are textured), shiplap (that surrounds our freestanding tub) and the trim/baseboards. Do you recommend using the same sheen for all?
So glad you found it helpful! In bathrooms I usually do a satin finish on the walls. I prefer it not be too glossy, but I also want it washable for hairspray, etc. I do trim, baseboards, and shiplap in semi-gloss and it looks great. Sometimes the contrasting sheens add to the design. I hope that helps!
It looks as though Simply White is an all-around great white color. My home has warm undertones because of wood flooring and cabinets that I don’t intend to paint. I painted the mains spaces (living room, kitchen, and stairs) Mindful Grey because I like some depth to my walls not all white. Do you think the Simply White would be a good option for trim? I’d like to start the trim in main spaces and in master suite areas. I’d love your suggestion!
This is helpful. We are having are entire house painted in accessible beige and the contractor suggested swiss coffee from behr for term. Do you think this is to dull or off white? Any help would be appreciated.
I think it could work outside for sure! Keep in mind, in the sun, colors get washed out quite a bit and look so much lighter! We actually had Behr Swiss Coffee at one point on our interior trim, and although I wouldn’t use it again inside because it wasn’t quite white enough for me, I think it could definitely work well outside!
My downstairs doesn’t get a lot of light, so the Benjamin Moore something Pearl paint upstairs looks white where there is a lot of light but my downstairs looks darker. Which of these whites do you recommend to brighten up a darker space? My built ins and kitchen cabinets are a stark white downstairs…
Honestly it would depend for me on what color the upstairs is. Do you know the specific color? If it’s warmer, I would stick with a lighter warm white, and if it’s cooler I would stick with a cooler one. You may be able to pull your original paint chip, and if the color you have upstairs isn’t the lightest on the strip, you could go with the next lighter option. Or, you could always do the same color as the upstairs and then have them mix it at either 25% or 50% saturation so it looks similar. I hope that helps!
Just fyi, my local and very experienced BM store told me White Heron is the same color as Oxford White – just different names. Not sure if that’s correct, but he did look it up to be sure.
Benjamin Moore White Heron and Oxford White are the exact same formula. As Benjamin Moore often does, they renamed Oxford White (part of the Classic collection) to White Heron for the Off-Whites collection.
Hi! We have Behr Swiss Coffee as a trim. We need to now paint the walls and we want it to be white, but not too bright. Our house is a split level and the living room, kitchen, and dining room are all connected visually and really need to be the same color, and anything outside of white would probably be too busy and clash with something or another (trust me on that!). Do you have a recommendation for a good white to go with the Swiss Coffee trim? Behr brand preferably, as that is the preferred brand of our contractor who will be painting for us.
Hi Carrie – Sorry for the delay! Our dining room currently has Behr Swiss Coffee on the trim and the walls are BM Simply White so that may give you an idea if you want to look at that! Unfortunately, I’m not familiar with other Behr whites personally. I hope that helps!
Am I crazy to consider painting my beach house white 😎😎 which white is the question?
I never thought white paint could cause so much anxiety!! I painted my cabinets SW Alabaster and it’s actually “whiter” and cooler than I thought it was going to be. Now I’m ready to paint my walls white. Can you suggest a few white options that pair well with Alabaster to warm things up a bit more? Most of my windows are facing south and west but I don’t get a lot of natural light. Thanks in advance 🙂
I live in south Texas, which is blistering in the 9-mo-long summer, of course, but also chilly in winter. I’m re-doing our RV (notoriously badly insulated): three rooms long like beads on a string with both North and South-facing windows on the long sides. To visually increase space, I plan on white walls & trim, white slipcovers & painted furniture. When we needed a new floor, a friend installed some weathered-gray wood-look vinyl planks, the reflection of which will certainly cool the walls at least a little. Obviously I need a neutral white, but want to avoid glare. Can you recommend the white that would work best for us?
Great post! Any recommendations for a trim color if using Simply White on the walls? Driving myself crazy with so many choices! 🙂
Glad you found it helpful! We actually used Simply White on our trim, as well and love how it looks. We have the eggshell finish on our walls and semi-gloss on our trim, so the way the light reflects actually makes the trim look a little lighter. I hope that helps!
Hi! Thank you so much for the information! I was wondering where you found that chandelier in the bathroom picture above the tub? Thanks in advance!
That image is from Shophouse Design, so unfortunately I don’t have the sources for their images.
Hi Sarah – we are going to paint our whole house and I am thinking all same color. I have been driving myself nuts with such a big color selection. When I thought I found a perfect gray color (Silver Satin BM), I read that cream is a new gray now. My dilemma, do I go with White Dove which has that warm creamy look or I go with Paper White which is apparently past season gray? I am torn between those 2 colors. I am hoping you can suggest. Our kitchen is all white with heavy beige tones for countertops/backsplash/floor tiles. I am worried if I pick White Dove, that will make the kitchen look too yellow. If I go with Paper White, our house will not look cozy and welcoming. Anything you can suggest I would greatly appreciate. Originally, I wanted barely there gray color. Thank you so much in advance!
Hi Olga! I would recommend getting a sample pot of each color and painting it on a large poster board and testing it in your rooms at various times of day. Unfortunately, every single home is different based upon natural light, angle of your windows, furniture, ceiling color, other colors in your home, etc. I think that will give you the best choice if you see them both in action at various times of day.
We are in the process of painting our main floor bm white heron, and the foyer, living room, dining room and kitchen are open concept. Struggling to know if we should be painting the trim and doors in the same colour, just a semi gloss or a different colour. Our fireplace is a true white painted brick, so we already do have a true white in the room. Thanks!
I think it’s really a matter of personal preference! In our home we did Simply White everywhere, but the walls are an eggshell finish and the trim is semi-gloss. They actually look like different colors when it is bright outside, because the trim reflects so much more light. I love that! But you could really go either way! If you do a darker white on the walls, you could always go down a shade or two on your swatch for the trim or just have your trim at 50% or 75% saturation of the same color. I hope that helps!
You hit the nail on the head when you said it to match whites between brands! Recently my husband took me to Sherwin Williams for primer and a couple gallons of eggshell wall paint for closets. I had my fav Ben Moore ‘Simply White’ swatch with me. The store clerk said they could match it. NOT! I swear he added some black to tone the white base. The walls look dirty. TEN gallons! At least most is primer so I’ll paint over it.
I love your kitchen! We’re planning our remodel and I’m lost in the whites! At this point, I’m planning on having white shaker cabinets painted in Simply White (island base a medium/dark stained 1/4 sawn oak) and am trying to pick a quartz countertop that works well with the tones/warmth of Simply White. Your countertop looks great. Could you tell me what you used? Thanks!
Thank you! Our countertops are Caesarstone Calacatta Nuvo, which are mostly white but have warm and gray tones in them!