Nothing makes a home feel clean, calm, and comfortable quite like the perfect white paint. White paint is one of the most common choices for residential painting, and for good reason. As the ultimate neutral, white painted walls complement any type of flooring and lighting in your Denver home.
While you may assume that all white paint is the same, there’s actually a wide variety in the types of white paint available. Even subtle differences in types of white paint can impact the appearance of a room. So, follow these easy tips to choose the perfect white paint for your Colorado home.
Take Inventory of The Other Colors in The Room.
The colors that are already in your home will largely dictate the right shade of white for your walls. For a harmonious living space, all of the colors in a room should work together, rather than clash.
Objects
The furniture, artwork, knickknacks, and any other objects in a room will impact how white your white paint looks. So, take note of the general color scheme of the objects in the room to be painted. Are these objects mainly cool-toned, such as blue, green, and purple? Or, are you seeing a lot of warm tones, like red, orange, and yellow? Are the objects predominantly neutral tones, like black, brown, and gray?
If the objects in the room are largely bright and colorful, you can make those colors stand out with a clean, cool white paint. On the other hand, a room with mainly neutral-colored objects can benefit from the added interest of a warm white or ivory.
Flooring
The color of your flooring can inform the shade of white paint that’s right for you. Is the room carpeted? If so, what color is the carpet? Pale-colored carpet can coordinate well with slightly darker white tones, like ivory and off-white. Darker carpet colors will pop when you paint the walls a bright, pure white.
Understand The Different Shades of White.
We’ve already established that not all white paints are the same. But, what does it mean if a shade of white is “warm” or “cool”? While the difference is slight, these distinctions will help you find the perfect white paint for residential painting.
Cool Whites
Cool white paint has black, gray, or blue undertones. Shades of cool white paint tend to give a space a sleek, modern edge. These white tones work well in home offices and minimalist spaces.
Warm Whites
Warm white paint has warm undertones, generally of red, yellow, or brown. The warmth in these shades of white create a comfortable, intimate atmosphere. Warm white paint can work well in rooms that you want to have a homey touch, such as a family room or bedroom.
Take Lighting Into Account.
The lighting in the room will affect how the white paint looks on your walls. Consider whether the room receives a lot of natural light. If so, a pure, cool white will enhance that natural light.
If the room doesn’t get much natural light, a warm shade of white will work well. The pigment in an off-white paint will be more striking in artificial light than in natural light.
Give A Few Options A Test Drive.
When it comes down to it, testing out a few shades of white in your home is the best way to find the right paint for you. Paint swatches that look perfect in your local home improvement store could appear completely different in your home, where the surroundings and lighting are vastly different.
You should now have a general sense of whether you want a cool white or a warm white. Head to your local Colorado paint provider and get a couple of different options. Then, try out paint swatches at home. Use large swatches and move them throughout the room, paying attention to areas that receive natural or artificial light. Check the swatches at different times of day, as natural lighting throughout the day changes drastically.
If you’re still undecided over warm white paint and cool white paint, try them both out at home. It’ll probably quickly become clear which option is right for your space.
