White paint colors

White is the hardest color to specify well. The right white shifts under daylight, north-facing rooms, and warm-LED bulbs — and most "whites" actually have a strong undertone (yellow, pink, green, or blue) that only shows up once it's on the wall. Below: the warm whites and cool whites we recommend most often, organized so you can compare them at a glance.

Use the LRV (light reflectance value) to gauge how the color will read in your space — a true white sits at 85+, a soft white at 75–85, and anything below 70 starts to read as cream or off-white. Always test a sample on your actual wall, in both daylight and your evening light, before committing.