OUR FAVOURITE WHITE PAINTS
It's no secret that architects love white paint. While seemingly simple, white is an extremely nuanced colour. White paints come in a number of undertones - blue, red, yellow, green, grey. Furthermore, the paint is enhanced first by light in the room (natural or artificial), and secondly, by the room's furnishings.
Here are some of our favourite white paint colours to help you make your decision. We're selecting from Benjamin Moore's paint deck to make things simple, but most paint shops will colour match no matter which manufacturer you choose.
BENJAMIN MOORE, CHANTILLY LACE: OC-65
Despite it's terrible name, this is our all-time favourite true white. It is complex; it changes throughout the day depending on the light, but always looks bright and crisp, without being sterile.
BENJAMIN MOORE, SIMPLY WHITE: OC-117
This colour is what we call a soft white. It is a bright and warm white, without looking creamy.
It has sunny yellow undertones, only really visible when compared with a true white.
BENJAMIN MOORE, WHITE DOVE: OC-17
This paint falls under the category of warm white. This paint has both yellow and grey undertones,
and it feels calm and cozy.
BENJAMIN MOORE, WHITE DIAMOND: OC-61
This is a great cool white paint choice. With undertones of blue and grey, it reads bright and crisp, especially in naturally lit spaces.
Before making any final decisions about colour, you should always look at samples on site. Rather than painting on the walls, we like to paint large panels of drywall and move them around from room to room, placing the panels against walls, ceilings, and floors. The same colour can appear differently on different walls, even in the same room.
Also, give thought to your trim colour. We tend to paint both walls and trim the same colour when doing white modern spaces, but if you want to enhance the trim, it is usually safe practice to go lighter than your wall colour - Chantilly Lace works great for this purpose.
