Here’s How to Pick the Right Shade of White Wall Paint For Your Home

With so many options to choose from, selecting a white wall paint can be a big, even risky, task. And so, in this post, we make your work easier by listing five steps to pick the right shade of white wall paint.

Ask the right questions and you will know which shade of white to pick for your room. Natural light, existing furniture, accent colours, wall finish… these factors can greatly impact your choice. Follow this simple guide and you will be one step closer in narrowing down the perfect white shade for your room.

1. How’s the natural light in your room?

Natural light can create different sorts of impact on white walls. It is also important to take into account that there are two types of white shades:

• Cool whites or pure whites that have bluish or greyish undertones.
• Warm whites that have yellow, red or brown hints.

Paint experts say that spaces that receive plenty of natural light look better in cool or pure whites. Whereas for rooms with minimum or poor daylight, warm whites work well.

2. What style of furniture will occupy the space?

Cool, stark whites blend beautifully with most modern, minimalist furniture. But if your space has an ethnic and traditional vibe, it would be safer to choose warm whites (with hints of cream and yellow). With rustic, industrial chic rooms you could experiment with either cool or warm whites.

3. What accent/contrast colours do you plan to use?

Indian homes love playing with accent colours and it’s crucial to choose your whites accordingly. Remember white paint will look brighter next to deep shades like dark reds and blues than when used by itself.

Rooms with warm accents (red, pink, orange, yellow…) can be painted in warm whites. Similarly, rooms that have blue, green accent walls can be paired with cool whites.

Colour swatches always display accent colours from dark to light, ending with a white shade with a matching tint. When in doubt, pick this tinted white.

4. Which finish should you choose?

Choosing the shade is winning half the battle, picking the right finish will enhance the look. Here’s what you need to remember:

• Matte finishes look velvety and absorb light.
• Semi-gloss and gloss result in reflective surfaces.
• Eggshell creates a balance effect between matte and gloss.

Note: Paints with a high sheen factor tend to be more durable and will be easier to wipe clean.

5. How should I test the colours?

Designers recommend comparing your samples against a white A4 paper. This will help you understand the tint as well as identify if the shade falls in the cool or warm spectrum. It’s equally important to check the shades in the actual room, both during the day and at night.

Don’t forget that artificial lights could alter the appearance too. Do you use LEDs or CFLs in cool daylight or warm white? Naturally, warm white paints will look better with the latter and pure/cool whites with the former. You can always switch your light bulbs to match your paint, taking the above factors into consideration.

Note: When choosing colours online, remember that shades look different on a computer or phone screen. Use the gadgets to narrow down your choices but get the sample paint for final selection and check it out against the actual space.

Here’s What You Should Do Next:

• To avoid any goof-ups when getting your house painted, read this post on 7 Common Paint Color Mistakes To Avoid.
• And to know all about wall painting, read our beginner’s guide on wall paint colours.