The 7 Best White Paint Colors, According to Interior Designers

Anyone who has ever stood in front of a wall of white paint swatches can tell you that there are somehow hundreds (thousands?) of different shades of white. Snow is different from eggshell is different from cotton … you get the point.

Apparently there are lot of factors that go into finding the perfect white paint color, so we consulted expert interior designers to find out their favorites. We learned that the right white is not too creamy, sterile, or cool, but just the right amount of warm, soft, and fresh. Hue knew? (Sorry.)

“My go-to white paint of the last several years has been Decorator’s White by Benjamin Moore. It’s super bright with just a touch of gray, making any room feel instantly fresh,” says Caitlin Murray from Black Lacquer Design. Tara Mangini of Jersey Ice Cream Co. agrees. “When we need a white, we usually go to Benjamin Moore’s Decorator’s White. It never feels too cool or too warm — just simply white. It’s the kind of color you paint on and then never think about again in the best way.”

“Greek Villa is a fantastic white, especially when you want to paint an entire room white. It’s got a hint of warmth, so it keeps it from feeling too stark and sterile, but not so much that you would identify it as creamy. It’s a perfect balance that is both crisp and cozy.” — Erin Gates of Erin Gates Design

“Swiss Coffee is the white paint I use the most. You can bathe an entire house in it — trim, walls, and all. It’s a warm enough white to keep from looking too sterile and still crisp enough to look white and not too creamy. It’s foolproof!” — Jen Going of Jen Going Interiors

“I’m fairly passionate about my whites and neutrals because it’s so easy to get them wrong! Chantilly Lace is a very well-balanced white. It’s soft without being too yellow, yet looks crisp and clean on the walls or trim without skewing gray or blue. It’s become a relatively new go-to white for us!” — Jennifer Carter of Studio Envie

“It’s not yellow, blue, or gray. It’s a drop of cream mixed with the barest touch of peach to create a white that is warm and soft, yet fresh.” — Susan Serra of Susan Serra Associates

“I have used this color many times in both classic and contemporary spaces and it always seems right and natural to the story.” — Elizabeth Ingram of Elizabeth Ingram Studio

“My favorite white is All White by Farrow & Ball. What I look for in a universal white paint is neutrality; one that doesn’t cast too blue or too yellow. This is a go-to for that. It is a bright, crispy white, perfect for creating a clean backdrop to layer furnishings over.” — Sarah Sherman Samuel

Do you have a white paint hue that you love? Share it in the comments below!