The Best White Paint Colors (and Which Undertone Your Room Needs)

The best white paint colors for most homes are a short list of proven shades: Sherwin-Williams Alabaster and Pure White, Benjamin Moore White Dove, Chantilly Lace and Simply White, and a few others below. Which one is "best" for you depends almost entirely on undertone. Warm whites lean cream or yellow, cool whites lean gray or blue, and clean whites sit close to neutral. Your room's light and fixed finishes decide which of those looks right.

This guide groups 15 real whites by undertone, gives the light reflectance value (LRV) each brand publishes, and tells you where each one works best: walls, trim, cabinets, north-facing rooms, or exteriors.

How to read a white: undertone and LRV

Two numbers and one word tell you most of what you need to know about a white.

LRV (light reflectance value) measures how much light a color reflects, on a scale from 0 (black) to 100 (a theoretical perfect white). Most popular whites land between about 80 and 93. A higher LRV looks brighter and crisper; a lower one looks softer. Below about 80, many "whites" start reading as off-white or cream. Brands publish LRVs on each color's page, and those are the figures quoted below.

Undertone is the faint color under the white. You only see it by comparison, which is why a white that looks perfect on a chip can look yellow next to bright trim, or gray next to warm oak.

• Warm whites have yellow, cream, or beige in them. They feel soft and cozy and flatter wood, brass, and warm lighting.
• Cool whites have gray, blue, or green in them. They feel crisp and modern and pair with gray stone, chrome, and black.
• Clean whites sit close to neutral. They're the brightest and most "gallery" looking, but can feel stark in rooms with little natural light.

The fastest way to see an undertone: hold the chip against a sheet of plain printer paper. The paper is the neutral reference, and the white's lean becomes obvious. For a complete sampling routine, see how to test paint colors before buying.

The 15 whites at a glance

LRVs are rounded from Sherwin-Williams' and Benjamin Moore's own color data. We couldn't confirm Behr's published LRVs at the time of writing, so check the figure on Behr's color page or the chip. Note that Benjamin Moore Swiss Coffee (OC-45) and Behr Swiss Coffee (12) are different colors that share a name, so always order by code.

On-screen colors are approximate. Monitor settings and room photos shift whites more than any other color, so confirm with a physical sample.

Clean and bright whites

Clean whites are the closest thing to "white white." They're the right call for modern rooms, high-contrast schemes, and trim that should read as crisp.

Sherwin-Williams High Reflective White (SW 7757), LRV 92.7. Sherwin-Williams calls it the brightest, cleanest white among its colors. It's excellent on ceilings and in rooms with a lot of daylight, but in a dim room it can look harsh or slightly gray.

Benjamin Moore Chantilly Lace (OC-65), LRV 90.0. A designer standard for crisp trim and modern kitchens. It has very little visible undertone, so it plays well with both warm and cool colors. Benjamin Moore's page lists the LRV at 90.04; you may see older figures quoted elsewhere.

Benjamin Moore Simply White (OC-117), LRV 89.5. Benjamin Moore describes it as clean and crisp with "the slightest hint of warmth." That hint is what makes it work on whole rooms and cabinets without feeling clinical.

Sherwin-Williams Extra White (SW 7006), LRV 85.9. Sherwin-Williams recommends it for trim and ceilings because of its high light reflectivity. It leans slightly cool, so it looks crisp beside gray and blue walls.

Behr Ultra Pure White (1850). A very bright, clean white from Behr, sold at The Home Depot, and a practical pick for trim and ceilings in an all-white scheme. Expect it to look stark next to warm whites.

Soft, balanced whites

These are the "can't go wrong" whites. They have a little warmth or a little gray, but not enough to read as cream or gray in most rooms.

Benjamin Moore White Dove (OC-17), LRV 83.2. One of the most widely recommended whites for walls and cabinets. It's soft enough to avoid starkness and clean enough to read as white next to most trim. Benjamin Moore's page currently lists LRV 83.16.

Sherwin-Williams Pure White (SW 7005), LRV 84.0. Sherwin-Williams describes it as a bright white with the slightest yellow undertone that keeps it from looking stark, and suggests it for trim. It's a good single white for walls, trim, and ceilings in the same house.

Benjamin Moore Cloud White (OC-130), LRV 85.1. "Soft and balanced," in Benjamin Moore's words. It reads slightly warmer than White Dove in most light and suits traditional rooms with wood trim or cream fabrics.

Warm and creamy whites

Warm whites are the safest choice for rooms with wood floors, warm lighting, beige stone, or little direct sun.

Sherwin-Williams Alabaster (SW 7008), LRV 82.2. Sherwin-Williams describes it as a soft, warm but balanced white. It's the go-to for north-facing rooms and for white cabinets that need to sit beside warm wood, Sherwin-Williams includes it in both its Top Interior Colors and Top Exterior Colors collections. Next to a stark trim white, its cream shows more.

Sherwin-Williams Greek Villa (SW 7551), LRV 84.2. A "sunny white" that comes to life in natural light, according to Sherwin-Williams. It's a touch brighter than Alabaster, which helps in rooms that need warmth without losing light.

Benjamin Moore Swiss Coffee (OC-45), LRV 81.9. Benjamin Moore calls it "an essential white paint color with just the right amount of warmth." It's creamier than White Dove and very forgiving on older walls.

Sherwin-Williams Creamy (SW 7012), LRV 81.2. Sherwin-Williams describes it as a bright white with "the softest of yellow undertones." It's the most cream-leaning of the Sherwin-Williams whites here. Good in cottage, farmhouse, and traditional rooms, but it can look yellow next to crisp trim or cool gray tile.

Behr Swiss Coffee (12). Behr's popular warm off-white. Use it where you'd use Alabaster or BM Swiss Coffee, and test it against the trim you plan to keep.

Cool and gray whites

Cool whites are the right partner for gray stone, marble, chrome, black accents, and modern furniture. In a dim north-facing room they can read gray.

Sherwin-Williams Snowbound (SW 7004), LRV 82.8. Sherwin-Williams describes it as a versatile cool white with a slight gray undertone that pairs with other gray-influenced colors. It's a strong choice when your palette includes greige, charcoal, or marble.

Benjamin Moore Decorator's White (OC-149), LRV 82.7. "A touch of cool gray," per Benjamin Moore. It's crisp in bright, south-facing rooms and looks sleek with gray and blue, but can go flat in low light.

Best white for each job

Walls in north-facing rooms

North light is cool and indirect, which pushes whites toward gray. Choose a warm or soft balanced white: Alabaster, White Dove, Swiss Coffee (either brand), or Cloud White. Avoid very bright clean whites and gray whites unless the room has strong artificial light.

Walls in south-facing or very bright rooms

Warm sunlight can push creamy whites toward yellow. Clean and cool whites hold up well here: Chantilly Lace, Simply White, Decorator's White, or Snowbound.

Trim and doors

Two approaches both work:

• Contrast: use a cleaner, brighter white on trim than on walls (for example, White Dove walls with Chantilly Lace trim, or Alabaster walls with Extra White trim).
• Same color, higher sheen: paint walls and trim the same white, with walls in matte or eggshell and trim in semi-gloss. This looks calm and modern and avoids undertone clashes.

What doesn't work is a warm white on trim next to a cooler white on walls; the trim tends to look dingy.

Kitchen cabinets

Cabinets sit next to counters, backsplash, and floors, so match the undertone to those. Warm wood or beige stone: Alabaster, White Dove, or Swiss Coffee. Crisp white quartz or marble: Chantilly Lace, Simply White, or Pure White. The slider below shows how much a cabinet color change shifts a kitchen.

For cabinet and countertop combinations, browse modern farmhouse kitchen ideas.

Ceilings

Most ceilings look best in a bright white, often in a flat finish. Extra White and High Reflective White are both good choices. If the walls are a warm white, a ceiling in the same color can look softer than a stark ceiling white.

Exteriors

Sunlight washes whites out outdoors, so a white that looks soft inside can look glaring on siding. Softer whites like White Dove, Alabaster, and Swiss Coffee are popular for house bodies because they look white without blinding glare. Clean whites like Chantilly Lace and Pure White work well on trim. If you're planning a white house, see the white house with black trim combination, and always test a sample board outside on more than one side of the house.

Common mistakes with white paint

• Choosing from a tiny chip under store lighting. Whites are the hardest colors to judge small. Test large samples on at least two walls.
• Ignoring fixed finishes. A white that looks great on its own can look yellow beside white quartz or gray beside cream tile. Test it right next to them.
• Mixing undertones. One warm white and one cool white in the same sight line almost always looks off. Pick one direction.
• Assuming brighter is better. In a dim room, the highest-LRV white can look grayer than a softer white, because there's not enough light for it to reflect.
• Forgetting the bulbs. Warm bulbs push whites toward cream; cool daylight bulbs push them toward blue-gray. Test in the evening with your actual lamps.

How to choose your white in three steps

1. Pick the undertone family from your light and fixed finishes: warm for north light and wood, cool for gray stone and modern rooms, clean for high-contrast trim.
2. Preview your shortlist on a photo of your room. The paint colors tool applies real brand colors to your own walls so you can rule out obvious misses.
3. Sample your top two and live with them for two days in morning, afternoon, and evening light.

Once you've chosen, use our guide to how much paint you need before buying. And if you're picking accent colors to go with your white, the 60-30-10 color rule is a quick way to balance them.

Sources

• Sherwin-Williams: Alabaster SW 7008 (accessed 2026-10-12)
• Sherwin-Williams: Pure White SW 7005 (accessed 2026-10-12)
• Sherwin-Williams: Extra White SW 7006 (accessed 2026-10-12)
• Sherwin-Williams: Greek Villa SW 7551 (accessed 2026-10-12)
• Sherwin-Williams: Snowbound SW 7004 (accessed 2026-10-12)
• Sherwin-Williams: High Reflective White SW 7757 (accessed 2026-10-12)
• Sherwin-Williams: Creamy SW 7012 (accessed 2026-10-12)
• Benjamin Moore: Chantilly Lace OC-65 (accessed 2026-10-12)
• Benjamin Moore: White Dove OC-17 (accessed 2026-10-12)
• Benjamin Moore: Simply White OC-117 (accessed 2026-10-12)
• Benjamin Moore: Swiss Coffee OC-45 (accessed 2026-10-12)
• Benjamin Moore: Cloud White OC-130 (accessed 2026-10-12)
• Benjamin Moore: Decorator's White OC-149 (accessed 2026-10-12)