Choosing a white paint sounds easy until you’re standing in front of a wall of near-identical swatches. Then you paint the room and it looks yellow, or grey, or nothing like the chip. The reason is undertone. Every white has a hint of another colour, and that hint changes completely depending on your light, your floors and your furniture.
Here’s how to tell warm whites from cool whites, and how to choose the right one for your room.
What makes a white warm or cool?
- Warm whites have yellow, red or beige undertones. They feel soft, cosy and inviting, and they look creamy in warm light.
- Cool whites have blue, grey or green undertones. They feel crisp, clean and modern, and they look sharp in bright light.
- Neutral whites sit in between, with very little visible undertone. They’re the most flexible, but they can look flat in some rooms.
To spot the undertone, hold the swatch against a sheet of plain printer paper. The colour it leans towards (yellow, pink, grey or blue) is its undertone.
Light changes everything
In Australia, north-facing rooms get the most direct sun, and that warm light makes whites look warmer. South-facing rooms get cooler, indirect light, which makes whites look greyer and colder. East-facing rooms are warm in the morning and cooler later; west-facing rooms are the opposite.
- South-facing or dim rooms: a warm white usually stops the room from feeling cold and grey.
- North-facing, sunny rooms: you can use almost any white; a cool or neutral white keeps the room feeling fresh rather than yellow.
- Artificial light: warm white globes (around 2700K–3000K) push whites warmer at night; cool globes (4000K and up) push them cooler.
Match the white to what’s already in the room
Your white has to work with things you can’t easily change:
- Warm timber floors, beige carpet, terracotta tiles: warm or neutral whites sit comfortably with them.
- Grey tiles, cool carpet, black and chrome finishes: cool or neutral whites look cleaner.
- Navy, blue and grey furniture: very warm, creamy whites can look yellow next to blue; choose a cleaner white.
- Earthy, natural styles like Japandi or modern coastal: soft warm whites suit them best.
Strength and sheen
Many paint ranges offer whites in different strengths, such as full, half and quarter strength. If your chosen white looks too strong on the wall, try a lighter strength before you abandon the colour. For sheen, low-sheen or matt finishes are common for living areas and bedrooms, while semi-gloss or gloss is often used for trims and doors. Using a different sheen on trims in the same white is a subtle, professional-looking way to add definition.
How to test whites properly
- Narrow it down to two or three whites with the undertone you want.
- Paint large samples, at least A3 size, or use large sample sheets.
- Put them on different walls, including the darkest one and the one next to a window.
- Look at them in the morning, mid-afternoon and at night with your lights on.
- Look at them next to your floor, trims and main furniture.
Never choose a white from a small chip under shop lighting. It’s the most common reason people end up repainting.
FAQ
Should ceilings and walls be the same white?
Using the same white (or a lighter strength of it) on walls and ceilings makes a room feel seamless and taller. A slightly different white is fine, but keep the undertones consistent.
Which white makes a room look bigger?
Whites with a higher light reflectance value (LRV) bounce more light around. In a dim room, though, a very bright cool white can look grey, so a soft warm white often makes the room feel bigger and brighter.
Is there one white that works everywhere?
Not really. Neutral whites come closest, but the right white always depends on the light and finishes in that particular room.
Compare whites in context. Try Taubmans whites on a Design it Yourself style board next to your Carpet Court flooring and furniture, and see which one suits your room before you buy.