Confused is an understatement. Did you know there are so many shades of white? White is not just plain old simple white these days. There is white with a hint of black, blue, yellow, pink, warm whites, icy whites. I know, crazy!! I wanted to paint our new house a simple white, but the number of options was completely overwhelming. I’ll share below my process on how to choose the right white to paint your home.
The house is nearly 10 years old, it just made sense to freshen it up with some paint as there were many marks and holes in the wall that needed repairing along with every room having a different colour in each, green, red, pink, blue, the loungroom had a dark brown wall and the upstairs hallway had some maroon coloured feature walls. I wanted our new house to be a really fresh with a crisp white pallette so I could use my accessories and artwork to add in pops of colour.
I read a post by the Stylist Splash where she painted her home white, then the afternoon sun went down and her white looked like a pale blue. This truly frightened me. I invested in getting a local painter to paint the whole house, I wanted to make sure I was happy with white.
We were able to get access to the new house prior to settlement (thanks to having a wonderful agent) and I got a few painters in to give me quotes. I didn’t receive a quote from painter #1, painter #2 was really lovely and knew what he was talking about and because painter #1 didn’t give us a quote I got a 3rd quote, let’s just say painter #3 must not have wanted the job, his quote was over double painter #2. So painter #2 it was!
It was recommended to me by various people to use Antique White USA and one of the painters also suggested Lexicon 1/2 (means half the strength of the lexicon original colour).
I painted Lexicon 1/2 and Antique White USA onto some white cardboard. I was looking at them for days against the carpet sample in our old home and really loved the freshness of Lexicon half (left) and found the Antique white USA (right) was very warm with yellow tones, which I really didn’t want. Our old house was Magnolia, which was a very creamy yellow colour. I took the cardboard to our new house, it looked completely different there. I could see the black (grey tinge) in Lexicon half and didn’t like it at all, then the Antique white USA didn’t look too bad up against the kitchen tiles, like the yellow tones had disappeared, perhaps it was the way the sun was facing? I don’t think painting on cardboard was my answer.
I came home and did a bit more research, a friend suggested Antique White USA 1/2 strength and I stalked a few interior designers/stylist on instagram asking them what shade of white they used. Many used Natural White or Whisper White. So I went to the paint shop and got more samples and this great little sample pot roller kit from Bunnings.
You pour the paint into the plastic packaging. I went with Dulux paint, you can see their range of whites here, they have 144 different white & neutral tones.
The day the house settled I was in there with my samples, as the painter needed to purchase the paint the next day. I started painting colours directly onto the wall. I painted (from top to bottom), whisper white, antique white USA 1/2, Lexicon 1/4 and Whitsunday Island. The original colour of the house was a darkish beige, I was also hoping the undertone of this wouldn’t throw out the white on top so I did several coats to make sure.
I painted walls in various areas of the house, in the kitchen next to the white tiles, in a bright area of the lounge room, in a dark room, and then upstairs in a well light room. I stayed at the house all day to watch the paint colours… how silly does that sound, like I have time to watch paint dry LOL. But I wanted to make certain I was choosing the right white!
Once dry I labelled each of the painted areas with masking tape so I can remember the colour name. I felt whisper white had green tones in the afternoon, antique white USA 1/2 had pink tones all day and whitsunday island felt like a stoney white.
I ended up choosing Lexicon 1/4 strength and very happy with how bright white and fresh it is. Doesn’t the white make such a difference from the before photo at the top of the post!
Have I chosen the right white?
I’m happy with it, and have no regrets.
Have you painted your home white? Which white did you choose?
33 comments
Looks like the perfect white for your beautiful new place!
We have mainly white walls and I think we use natural white…but don’t quote me on it! We need a very crisp, cool white where we are. I am trying to convince my husband we need to repaint – having an almost 5 year old means our walls have seen some stuff haha.
yes, I can see the marks on the wall so much more now we have white. just the simple things of kids putting hands on wall as they go around a corner.
We have started painting and we also went Lexicon Quater for walls an lexicon Quarter in semi gloss.
Just love it!!
Hi Katrina, I really love your final choice of wall white, it looks fabulous! Just wondering if you used a contrasting colours for the ceiling, architraves, cornices, etc (sorry, don’t know what they are called, but all the other bits other than the walls..haha!)
I used the same wall colour for the architraves. But we used ceiling white for the the ceilings. I can see a slight difference between them both, the ceiling is very white and the wall has an ultra slight grey when I look up at it.
Can you please tell me Katrina, If you used gloss on your architraves in lexion quarter please.
Our home can get quite dark in the cooler months and about eight years ago we went from Moon Goddess which is a very buttery-cream, to Antique White USA full strength. Now that the walls are getting grubby with age, I’d like to lighten up even more from the Antique White USA…. it looks different in every room – from yellow to apricot to greige – crazy! I love the idea of a crisp white for summer, so I think I’ll grab some sample pots of the Lexicon in differing strengths! Thanks for the great recommendation, Kat. Your home looks so fresh and inviting 🙂
looks perfect.
By the way where did you purchase your white display cupboard with the doors on. it, that’s looks perfect too, just what I’m looking for at my house.
Wow, Katrina! I could not love this post more! Your home looks so fabulous & fresh. I adore white, especially in the kitchen, and we will soon be re-painting our home as it’s been 7 (long) years. Downstairs hasn’t been painted in over 20 years! Can’t wait! Thank you for the white inspiration. I love it! Vxx
This couldn’t have come at a more perfect time. Our painter has just started painting our new house. I chose white on white. I really hope it’s the right decision! I didn’t have time to do sample pots
I love the white that you’ve ended up choosing!! One reason I think it looks so good is that in Queensland we get intensely bright light, which sets off plain white or cooler whites perfectly. In cooler climates with more gentle light, Lexicon Quarter looks a bit cold, which is why Natural White and Antique White USA (they are warmer whites) are so popular. Another option for a very clean, crisp, go with anything look is plain old white paint (no tint added). I think everyone just thinks that option is just too boring so it’s not promoted. Interestingly, Valspar’s plain old un-tinted white is called ‘Powder Hound’, which was my favourite white from their sample cards so imagine my surprise when they told me it’s actually plain old white. One note of caution though, white enamel gloss turns yellow, so painting in a gloss acrylic, and I think Haymes have a good one, would be the way to go to keep that vibrant white colour.
Dulux do an aqua enamel, which is water based instead of the oil based enamel. Doesn’t smell like the oil based one does- less fumes and it doesn’t go yellow like the oil based enamel. I’m sure the different brands of paints would have there own water based enamel. I’ve only used Dulux aqua enamel and highly recommend it!
Fantastic article (as always!). A tip we learnt from a painter years ago was to use the same colour on the walls and ceiling, just change the strength, that way it won’t throw different colours, especially if they are similar eg white walls. His formula was full strength on the walls, quarter or eighth strength on the ceiling, and double or triple strength for contrasting cournices if you want them. The colours always work well together ?
The question mark was supposed to be a smiley face!
Ps we have done this with both neutral coloured rooms and coloured rooms, and it really works!
I’ve just been to the shops to buy white paint. Ended up with whisper white. I’m going to paint one wall and see how it looks before doing the whole house, but the little cardboard sample still looks good in the light here at home so hoping it works out.
I chose Dulux Vivid White. It’s the pure, untinted variety. I had lots of people tell me it would be too stark and I should choose one of the million other (off) whites. But I wanted a clean, crisp look and I absolutely love it!
We had 8 white samples painted at one stage and i finally settled on Natural White as its that tad bit warmer and goes great with our caesarstone bench tops and new tiles. I am thinking of continuing it through our whole house as it will definitely brighten things!
I need your help, which one on the kitchen wall is the witsunday island ?
Hi Dee, Gosh… had to jog my memory and zoom into the original photo hahaha It is the second last on the photo above
Thanks Kat for quick response. I’m doing the bedrooms in Witsunday Island, when you said stoney I knew what you mean it’ is stoney, I was going to go with it through the whole house but I got turned off I was worried it looking purple against lexicon qtr trims.
Today I finally have decided to go with Love note from British Paints in water based so it doesn’t turn yellow, though not bothered if the wood work chips because it’s aqua based I’d rather fix chipped paint then having to repaint the whole house again because it’s turned yellow. It’s the only true white out there, nothing in dulux like it can you imagine. You won’t believe how many samples are along my walls and after two interior consultants/ dulux consultant I’m exhausted. I couldn’t believe a white would be this complicated. Your place looks fabulous! I had my eye on lexicon qtr for so long and decided against it as worried about it being too cool toned but I must admit your home looks great very modern and welcoming indeed. My kitchen is shaker style homestead, wall to high ceiling in vivid white and so I really wanted a contemporary Hampton feel across the whole house, even the doors, staircase and trims will be in “love note” semi gloss, the ceiling though in ceiling white floor wide American oak. I adore all white, it’s truly timeless, modern and works well with all colours.
Your blog was very helpful. I might do one myself when I’m done for others that are so confused.
Thanks
Sounds great Dee. It’s amazing how many different shades of white there are out there. Your home sounds beautiful. I love the Hamptons look in a home
Hi Katrina, I have been looking at so many whites and blogs on this and stumbled across yours. I did a double take when I saw your name. We used to work together at Travelbox Services in the old days ha! Glad to hear you are doing well and have some little ones too. I am so confused. I had Lexicon at my last house and it was too blue for me. I think I am set on Snowy Mountain 1/2 for living areas but its not working in the bedrooms. I think I need something warmer but everything i try seems to throw blue yellow or pink. I really want a very light beige stone but not too grey. Oh lord am I even making sense anymore, do you have any ideas
Hi Dee, im considering going love note in all my walls, did you also use it for trim? how is it going? We live in a small old 3×1 weatherboard cottage our bedrooms are large and bright but the main lounge and kitchen don’t have as much light, the kitchen is an ikea glossy white with white butcher tiles so i think will match any white. the floors are jarrah boards and we have a small amount of polished grey concrete and the trim is mostly jarrah but think of painting this also and grey is the new kitchen windows and bifold doors. just a quick overview incase you can compare to yours! I’m having white nightmare at the moment all throw either blue, red or are way to creamy and dark. about to try love note today just bought the sample pot!
LOVE you so so much right now for this blog post Katrina!! As this is exactly what I was pondering Katrina!!
I’m going with the Lexington quarter 1/2 strength in my studio as I need the space to be as light as possible for photo’s and creating & painting lots of colorful flowers in so many colours and eventually I will go with the same strength as you throughout the rest of the home and maybe on our darkest wall (the wall without windows in the 1/2 strength Quarter Lexington so it brings in more light). Thanks again. How as it worn since too?
What a great post, I felt like it was me writing it! I also get so confused and befuddled over colours, especially white. Cardboard samples are a first start, then the walls, then different times of day, and on and on it goes. I have painted my whole house Antique White USA, and love it. The trims are the same colour (I didn’t put much thought in when I started a few years back). I love how the gloss on the trims and doors show up whiter than the walls.
And then I got a new kitchen, cupboards Antique White. Painted the ceiling white (as it comes), walls Antique White, and trims Antique White. The trims and doors (heaps of both) took ages. Now I am not sure I like my choice. I feel the room is too much of the same colour. I have white subway tiles, and a grey/concrete benchtop and blinds, curtains. I love that contrast. I am considering redoing the trims and door (can’t believe I just said that) to a vivid white or lexicon 1/4 strength. Easier would be to redo the walls, of which there isn’t too much to be honest, as I have lots of pantries and cupboards.
Any view on trims being Antique White, but walls being a lighter, crisper white? It seems to be the reverse of what is popular with Antique White.
On the other hand, once I finish furnishing and whatnot, maybe I will find more warmth and contrast comes.
Hi, I painted my walls antique white and then did the trim in white (no tint) and it looks horrible. The cool trim doesn’t match the warm wall. We are about to paint all the trim in double strength antique white. So for me, make sure you match the tone if the paint (cool or warm) because repainting trim is a nightmare!!
Hi, cool article it helped us choose our final
colour also lexicon 1/4 with vivid white skirtings etc.
A quick question what wood flooring do you have?
Thanks
Daniel
We used Dulux 3/4 China White throughout the interior of our cottage 12 years ago and Dulux Pale Vellum for trims. Have just had it repainted the same colours. Just love it!
Did you paint your skirting the same colour or vivid white?
I am pretty sure I used the same colour Adam (it was a while ago now) but in a gloss 🙂 Hope this helps! Kat x
We just had our walls and ceilings painted Lexicon Quarter, and found that it came out quite stark and cool toned. We compared to the swatch card and found that the swatch is slightly creamy. We grabbed swatches from different Bunnings to be sure. The painter showed us his paint tubs – they weren’t Dulux, but some other brand, with “Dulux – Lexicon Quarter” printed on the label.
Did you find this problem with the swatches? We really should have painted a section of the wall as you did.
BTW, the masking tape labels in your photos aren’t legible – it’d be great if you could upload a full resolution photo.
Oh no, what a hassle Paul 🙁 I don’t remember having this problem, but I probably focused more on the sample sections that I painted as opposed to the swatches. My apologies that you can’t read the masking tape too, but I would recommend doing swatches anyway as the colours don’t always appear the same on a computer screen. Best of luck! Kat x
How many coats did the painter did?