White feathers close up

How to Pick the Right White for Your Interior Design Project

Cover Photo by Evie Shaffer

Picking the right white can be tricky. Paint swatches and finish samples are tiny making it hard to see what kind of white you're working with. Is it a cool white? A pure, bright white? A warm, natural white?

Here's an easy and free way to identify what kind of white you're working with. Look at your sample on top of a plain piece of copy paper. The undertone of the white will immediately become apparent. 

For example, here's a Benjamin Moore white called Frostine (AF-5) against a white piece of paper.

Benjamin Moore Frostine AF5 Against White Piece of Paper.jpg

On the white background, you can easily see some things about this color that are not apparent when looking at a 2" x 2" color chip.

First, it has a green undertone.

Second, it's not a very bright white.

Knowing those two things, you can decide whether or not that shade of white works for your color scheme

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About the author

She didn't know it, but Jackie Lopey's days as an advertising executive were numbered when she bought and renovated a 1950's bungalow. She soon went back to school and started her own design studio. Jackie is an award-winning, certified interior designer and the founder of Wide Canvas.

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