White Paint

Finding the right white paint can feel surprisingly difficult. A white that looks perfect in one home may look off in another because of light, surrounding colors, and the age of the house. I’ve painted several homes and tried multiple whites on woodwork and cabinets, so I wanted to share what worked best for me.

In my previous house I used a Benjamin Moore custom formula of Antique White on kitchen woodwork and cabinets. It was a warm, buttery white that felt right in an older home—pure white would have felt too stark for that setting.

At my current house we inherited white trim and windows, so when we painted the board-and-batten trim in the kids’ bathroom we assumed we’d match the existing white. Unfortunately, the existing paint turned out to have a slight pink undertone that clashed with the bathroom’s turquoise walls. The combination highlighted both colors in a way I didn’t like, so the trim needed repainting.

I tried several whites on the trim before settling on a favorite. After testing, the one I chose felt balanced and cohesive with the bathroom’s colors and the rest of the home’s finishes.

Benjamin Moore, Satin Impervo White Dove

Benjamin Moore’s White Dove in a satin Impervo finish was the winner for my trim. It’s a warm, soft white that reads clean without feeling sterile. The finish applied smoothly and felt durable—important qualities for trim and cabinets. Quality paint is worth the investment when you want a long-lasting, professional-looking result.

Would I call White Dove the absolute perfect white for everyone? No—lighting and surrounding colors change how any white appears. But for my home and my trim work, White Dove offered the balance I wanted: warm enough to feel inviting, yet neutral enough to work with other colors and finishes.

When choosing paint, always test samples in your own rooms and observe them at different times of day. Bring swatches into the space, paint sample boards, and see how they look with your furnishings, flooring, and natural and artificial light. Live with the samples for several days before deciding.

White Dove is a helpful starting point if you don’t know where to begin. It’s a versatile, soft white that works well on trim and cabinets in many settings, but your home’s unique light and materials should guide your final choice.

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 can be found in the linked project post.