White Paint

Choosing the right white paint can be surprisingly difficult, and finding a white that feels right for your home is worth the effort. In my previous house I used a custom Benjamin Moore formula of Antique White on kitchen woodwork and cabinets. It gave a soft, buttery warmth that suited an older home; a pure, stark white would have felt out of place in that setting.

In our current house we already had white trim and windows, so when it came time to paint the board and batten in the kids’ bathroom I expected to simply match the existing white. Instead we discovered the white used throughout the house had a subtle pink undertone. That pinkish cast was especially noticeable next to the bathroom’s turquoise walls and the two colors made each other look off.

I’m not criticizing the taste of anyone who likes pink or pink and blue together — many people do and it looks great in many homes. It just wasn’t right in our bathroom, so I set out to repaint the trim in a white that worked with the new wall color.

I tested several whites before settling on one I loved. After trying multiple samples in the bathroom’s light and seeing how they read with the turquoise walls and light fixtures, a clear favorite emerged.

Benjamin Moore, Satin Impervo White Dove.

White Dove in a satin Impervo finish turned out to be the perfect choice for our trim. The color is soft and warm without leaning yellow or pink, and the finish was durable and smooth on woodwork. I do recommend investing in a high-quality paint for trim and cabinetry; the difference in finish and longevity is noticeable. Newer Benjamin Moore products, like Advance, are also highly regarded for cabinetry and trim and are worth considering.

Is White Dove the absolute best white for everyone? No — the best white depends on your home’s light, furnishings, and finishes. Paint can look very different from one room to another and from one house to another. That’s why sampling is important: apply swatches or small painted boards in the rooms where the paint will be used, observe them at different times of day, and live with the samples for a few days before deciding.

If you need a place to begin your search for the right white, White Dove is a lovely starting point. It’s a versatile, warm white that works well on trim and cabinets in a range of styles and lighting conditions. But remember to test it in your home before committing, because the “perfect white” is the one that looks right in your space.

Do you have a perfect white paint?

The turquoise walls in this room are Lagoon by Martha Stewart.

The gray walls in the potty room and much of my house are Behr All In One Studio Taupe.

The bathroom makeover referenced in this post can be found in the original project write-up.