Which White Where?

“Just paint it white.” Really?! There are over 100 shades of white for paint and it’s paint-fully endless.

Depending on adjacent colors, location (exterior or interior), lighting, wall texture and other factors, unfortunately, it’s just not that easy to “paint it white.”

Some whites have little bits of yellow. Some whites have egg on their faces. Some are chalk. Some take on shades of pink, a soft edge you might not even notice at first, like a fine wine … or maybe a fine “pink” wine!

There is a gray white that matters and a matte or gloss-ish white that may not. So on and so forth.

Rather than asking your architect and designer to show you a myriad of ways to do white (and I don’t mean Walter White), think carefully about the space or wall that’s going to be “white.” Toss up three foot to four foot square swatches on the wall or ceiling of whatever you happen to be calling white that day. If outside, make sure you look at the color in the shade and in the sun. As you will see, it will change and sometimes dramatically. If adjacent to another color or even, say, immediately next to a lawn, those colors (green grass, red tile, brown garage doors) will change the color of your white to a notwhatyouwerethinking color.

White just isn’t that simple. Take your time and do it white.