White tends to be a go-to interior paint color because it make rooms look more spacious, melds well with all other colors, and should serve as a simple option to avoid the dilemma often raised when picking paint colors. However, with more than 150 available shades of white, choosing the right white paint is not as simple as you might think.

In fact, the varying shades of white paint combined with how each respectively interacts with light can make choosing a perfect white interior paint more confounding than picking out a perfect shade of blue or other color. Consider, for just one example, that a warm shade of white paint used in New England may appear almost pink when used in the Naples, Florida area. That’s because the natural light in the northeast tends to be grayer than in southwest Florida.

Thus, Naples-based FCI Painting urges its customers to choose a cooler shade of white if they want to avoid the pink tint that can emerge in white-painted rooms. Read on to learn more tips from FCI painting on how to choose the right shade of white:

More than 150 Shades, but Three Primary Categories

If the thought of considering from among more than 150 shades of white sounds daunting, then ease your mind by knowing that white paints typically fall under three distinct categories:

• Warm-Toned
• Cool-Toned
• Pure White

In general, cool-toned whites work best in rooms that receive lots of natural sunlight, especially in rooms that catch the rays of the setting sun. Cool-toned whites also tend to add the most dimension to a room. Warm-toned whites tend to work better with artificial lighting and combine especially well with natural materials in a room, such as wooden accents. Pure whites, typically used by art galleries and any area used as a showcase, are best suited to make other colors stand out.

It’s All About the Lighting

Other than most pure whites, the shade of white you choose will always appear different under varying lighting—whatever you see in the paint store will often look totally different in the room you’ve designated for it. Thus, it pays to look at samples of your potential white paint options with the different lighting that the room will be exposed to. Not only should you review samples at different times of day, but in different parts of the room, and at night under all possible lighting configurations.     

Don’t Forget the Trim!

When coming up with a white trim to match your white walls, try to keep it simple and choose a shade that has an undertone of your primary white. In fact, you can often achieve a desired aesthetic look with your white paint, by painting the trim in the same color but with a different finish, preferably one with more shine than the walls. In fact, the most popular one-color combination is flat ceiling, eggshell walls, and semi-gloss trim. Whatever you do, resist the urge of trying to mix warm-toned and cool-toned whites in the same room, as the contrast generally comes across as quite jarring.

Still Struggling to Find the Perfect White?—Contact FCI Painting!

If trying to choose a white paint for your interior spaces has you confounded, consider a consultation with Naples, Florida-based FCI Painting. With more than 20 years of experience helping southwest Florida residents and business owners paint their interiors, we are well attuned at picking out the perfect white paints for your spaces and their distinct lighting. To learn more about how FCI Painting can help you with your interior painting needs, contact us online, or give us a call at (239) 435-1001.