The Incredible Decorating Power of White Paint
Creamy Whites
These golden-tinged hues bring a sunny glow to any room. Off-white tones, reminiscent of creamware dishes, are very livable—they’re bright and pretty. They are very comfortable in a somewhat traditional setting, as they coordinate well with the colors and materials often found in rooms decorated that way.
1. RL 1029 Priory White, by Ralph Lauren, homedepot.com
2. WC-07, finepaintsofeurope.com
Drabware: Charming Tableware That's Anything but Drab
Bright Whites
Like luminous milk glass, these whites are fresh and clean. They tend to appeal to those with a more modern sensibility, given that they create a graphic contrast to whatever other colors they’re paired with. Most hues go well with bright white, and we love it on a home’s exterior in particular—it can stand up to everything around it in an outdoor setting. Don’t think of these pure whites as “basic.” In fact, they can be hard to work with. They don’t hide anything, so imperfections in your wall or wood surfaces will show.
3. Ultra Pure White, by Behr, homedepot.com
4. All White, us.farrow-ball.com
Oyster Whites
The diplomats of the paint world, oyster shades—which call to mind salt-glaze pottery—help others get along. They may be the ultimate neutrals, good with gray, beige, and almost every other color in the rainbow. A coat of oyster paint also somehow manages to hide imperfections and highlight fine features: Use it on intricate decorative plasterwork or woodwork, and the play of light and shadow will make the pattern stand out beautifully. Thai used Benjamin Moore’s OC-23 Classic Gray throughout his house.
5. OC-23 Classic Gray, benjaminmoore.com
6. Marquee Statuesque MQ3-23u, by Behr, homedepot.com
Perfect Palettes, Room by Room
Blue Whites
White shades with a hint of blue are soothing and calm. They’re also very versatile: People tend to think of them as traditional, because that’s the way they’re often used, but they can also be very clean, contemporary, and youthful. Bluish whites have more “color” than some other whites, so be careful about what you pair them with; they play beautifully with grays and greens. The cool white of ironstone was our jumping-off point for these colors, though we skewed a bit more blue.
7. SW7056 Reserved White, sherwinwilliams.com
8. 26-1 Smoke Ring, prattandlambert.com
