Choose a warm white for cool, north-facing light and for rooms you want to feel soft and cosy. Choose a cool white for warm, sunny rooms and for a crisp, contemporary look. A warm white has red or yellow in it, such as Farrow & Ball's Pointing (2003); a cool white has blue, grey or green in it, such as Wevet (273). The light in your room will push it one way or the other, so the trick is to choose a white that balances that light rather than exaggerating it.
It sounds simple, but white is the colour people agonise over most. There are dozens of them, they all look the same in the tin, and then they look completely different on the wall. Here is how to tell them apart and pick the right one for your room.
Photo Credit: Farrow & Ball; Colour Used: Pointing (2003)
What makes a white warm or cool
Every off-white is a white base with a small amount of other pigment added. That tint is the undertone, and it is what you see once the paint is on a large surface.
- Warm whites contain red, yellow or brown. Farrow & Ball describe warm whites as having red undertones and suiting cosy spaces, and name Joa's White (226), Archive (227) and Pointing among them.
- Cool whites contain blue, grey, green or black. Farrow & Ball give Cabbage White (269) and Sizing (314) as examples of cool whites with blue undertones, which give a fresh feel.
- Pure whites have little or no undertone. Farrow & Ball describe All White (2005) as pure white pigment with no undertones, and Paint & Paper Library's Clean White (101) is a similarly crisp, uncomplicated white.
The easiest way to see an undertone is to hold samples against a sheet of plain printer paper. Next to pure white, a warm white looks creamy and a cool white looks faintly grey or blue.
How the light changes white
White has no strong colour of its own, so it borrows from the light more than any other shade.
- North-facing rooms get cool, steady light that brings out the cooler tones in a colour. Farrow & Ball advise avoiding pale colours with a blue or grey base here, and suggest yellow-based whites such as New White (59) and White Tie (2002).
- South-facing rooms get warm light for much of the day. Little Greene note that colours often look more yellow here, so warmer whites such as White Lead (74) and First Light (49) look distinctly creamy, while cooler whites such as French Grey - Pale (161) and Gauze (106) read as more neutral.
- East and west-facing rooms change through the day, so choose for the time you use the room most.
- Artificial light. Farrow & Ball point out that warm halogen and incandescent bulbs make walls look warmer, cool white bulbs make them bluer, and a neutral white bulb is closest to daylight.
Our guide to why a colour looks different at home goes into more detail.
Photo Credit: Farrow & Ball; Colour Used: Wevet (273)
Warm whites worth knowing
- Pointing (2003). A pale, warm white from Farrow & Ball's red-based neutrals, named after the mortar in traditional brickwork. Sympathetic alongside strong, traditional colours.
- White Tie (2002). A soft cream white with warm ivory tones.
- Lime White (1). A soft cream with beige and pale yellow undertones.
- Slaked Lime (105). Little Greene describe it as a mineral white with umber in it, giving warmth without turning yellow or orange.
- White Lead (74). An aged, creamy white with honeyed undertones.
Cool and crisp whites worth knowing
- Wevet (273). A clean, cool white with grey and silver tones.
- Strong White (2001). A crisp, cool white that Farrow & Ball describe as cleaner and more architectural than cream-based whites.
- Gauze (106). A cool, pale white with a little black in it, sitting quietly between white and grey.
- Loft White (222). A near-pure white, softer on the eye than brilliant white.
- All White (2005) and Clean White (101), for the purest, brightest look.
Photo Credit: Paint & Paper Library; Colours Used: Clean White (101), New Black (126)
Questions we are often asked
Should woodwork be the same white as the walls?
It can be, in a harder-wearing finish, for a calm, seamless look. Or use a slightly brighter or deeper white on woodwork for gentle definition. Avoid mixing a very warm white with a very cool one, which can make both look wrong.
What is the safest white for a whole house?
Farrow & Ball describe School House White (291) and Wimborne White (239) as versatile shades that suit almost every scheme. Even so, test them in your darkest and brightest rooms before committing.
How should I test whites?
Paint two coats of each sample pot on large boards, and compare no more than three at a time. Look at them morning, afternoon and evening. For more on white, see can white be a colour of the year?
