White is the most common neutral paint colour. It refreshes a room, amplifies natural light, enhances the sense of space and provides a blank canvas for showcasing furniture, art and accessories. With dozens of shades to choose from, finding the right shade of white can be surprisingly difficult! The following are tips for choosing the perfect white paint for your space. 

• Pay attention to the undertone: There are many hues of white! Most aren’t pure white. They come with blue, red, yellow, pink, grey and green undertones. To identify the undertone, look at the darkest shade on a paint swatch and note the base colour that those white shades are made from. Decide if you want the white in your room to be warm (bright effect) or cool (cozy effect). Cool whites have a blue, grey or green undertone while warm hues have undertones of yellow, pink or red.
• Consider what’s in the space: Objects placed in a space affect the perception of the hue you choose. Are the colours of your furniture, art and accessories cool or warm? If they’re cool, consider cool whites. If they’re warm, lean toward warm undertones. If they’re neutral, go with a warmer white. Have a lot of colour in your room? Choose a cooler white.
• Assess the lighting: Natural and artificial light impact the tone of a space. Have a lot of natural light? Try a pure white. Rooms with northern exposure don’t get direct sunlight. For these spaces, pick yellow-based, creamy hues to bounce as much light around the room as possible. Southern exposure rooms have the most intense light. White paint with a hint of gray or blue will counterbalance the naturally amber cast of this exposure. Eastern exposure does well with warm undertones while western exposure can handle slightly warm or slightly cool hues.
• Put them to the test: Once you’ve considered undertones, the objects in your space and lighting, choose a few whites you think will work and purchase a sample can of each. These are small portions (about 8 oz) and are relatively inexpensive. There are two ways you can use these test paints.

• • Paint a swatch of each colour on every wall of your room. Pay attention to how the colours look in the day, evening and under artificial light. 
  • Paint a large panel with a sample of each colour and move it from wall to wall, noting how it looks in the day, evening and under artificial light. 

• Call an expert: If you’re still finding it difficult to determine which hue of white works best for your home, contact a local residential painter. They have the knowledge, experience and skill to make your paint project a success, ensure lasting results and find the perfect white for your space.

Looking for help choosing paint colours for your home? Call the Calgary painting experts, Cal Res Coatings at (403) 835-4817. We’re a residential painting contractor that strives for quality, has an eye for detail and colour, and will not rest until your job is done to your satisfaction. Request a free quote today.