6 True White Paint Colors For When You Aren’t About those Undertones

Sometimes, you just want a white-white paint color. Something without any obvious undertones, that’s just crisp and clean. This is often the case for trim, ceilings, exteriors, or rooms with weird light-cast.

But, when you’re in a hardware store with an ombre sea of white paint swatches staring back at you, your eyes can start to play tricks on you. (OK, it’s not just your eyes, the lighting in the stores is also to blame.) I’ve told this story before, but the first time I tried to paint a room white (a green bathroom in my Chicago apartment the landlord trustingly allowed me to paint) I went strictly off of a paint swatch I picked out in the store and I ended up with a bathroom that was basically butter yellow.

That was in 2011 and I’ve learned a lot since then. About white paint colors, at least.

One of those things is that white paints, in particular, should always, always be tested in the space where they will be used. Another one? That most white paint colors have undertones, and that there is a pretty short list of true whites. This is great because, once you know what these colors are, you’ve basically eliminated all kinds of guesswork. There’s no need to subject yourself to a staring contest with the white swatches.

Instead, bookmark this post (there’s a pin you can save!) for future reference, and come back to it when you’re in need of a white-white. And, check out my posts on paint undertones and how to choose a paint color for more advice on paint picking (it’s all from after 2011).

Where To Use Bright White Paint Colors

There are some areas of the house that often get painted bright white by default, like trim and ceilings (unless you love the color-drenched paint trend), but I also love bright white for:

-Home exteriors. If you’re looking for a white paint for the outside of your house, you can’t go wrong with a true white. It’s an expensive decision, so if you’re overwhelmed by it, a true white is a good bet.

-Kitchen cabinets. Cabinets are another pricey decision, and a true white is a timeless classic that’ll outlive any design trend you try on in your home.

-Rooms with lots of clear color. Clear color is color in its purest form (as opposed to dirty color, which has shades of brown of gray mixed in). If you like to decorate with clear colors, like Kelly Green, Cobalt Blue, or pastels, then a bright-white paint is a good choice for walls, furniture, cabinets and/or trim.

The Only True White Paint Colors You Need to Know

1. Benjamin Moore Chantilly Lace

You can’t argue with the source: According to Benjamin Moore, Chantilly Lace has “little to no visible undertone” and it one of its cleanest, brightest whites. Chantilly Lace is a crisp white that’s perfect for ceilings and trim, but also works well as a whole-home wall color, especially in spaces that are contemporary, coastal, or preppy & bright. With an LRV of 90.04, it’s the brightest Benjamin Moore hue on this list. (If you aren’t familiar with LRV, it stands for light reflectance value, and is measured on a scale of 0-100, with 0 being pitch black and 100 being the brightest white).

2. Benjamin Moore Super White

The other paint color Benjamin Moore calls one of its cleanest? Super White. Like Chantilly Lace, Super White is true white, but it has slightly cooler undertones, and it a touch deeper, too.

3. Benjamin Moore Oxford White

Oxford White has an LRV, of 86.69, which makes it a true white that still has a bit of depth. It’s a gorgeous choice for a home exterior, or exterior trim.

4. Sherwin Williams High Reflective White

Again, this one is coming straight from the (white) horse’s mouth: High Reflective White is officially Sherwin Williams brightest, clearest white. With an LRV of roughly 93, it’s the lightest color on this list.

5. Sherwin Williams Pure White

Pure White is another of Sherwin Williams’ true white paint colors (not to be confused with Extra White, which is a deeper, cooler shade). Pure White has an LRV of about 85, which makes it not quite as bright at High Reflective White. But its neutral undertones make it a true white shade.

6. The out of the can shade.

Yep, you don’t even need to tint your white paint. Sometimes, the shade straight from the can is perfect as it is (and often times, this is the default color contractors and builders use for trim and ceilings, so if you’re trying to match existing paint in your house and aren’t sure what color white you’ve got, try un-tinted, straight-from-the-can white). If you go this route, just make sure you’re choosing a the right base paint. You’ll want a “white” base, since medium or deep bases are designed to be mixed with lots of color pigment.

Happy painting!