The Best White Paint
At this point, I am a self-appointed white paint expert. I always dreamed of having a house with white walls throughout and while we never painted every room in our first home, when we moved into this house in September 2019, it was my first goal.
Everyone always asks me (seriously, I get probably 2 DMs or texts about this every single week) what my favorite or “the best” white paint is.
And they’re usually surprised by my answer.
I learned a little something from my mom about white paint. She has used the same trick for years, she’s a paint queen and I’ve never regretted following her advice.
So what is the best white paint?
It’s really, really simple.
Plain ole un-tinted bright white.
No fancy color names, no added dye. Just un-tinted base bright white.
I love a good plain, un-tinted white for a lot of reasons:
Pure color! There are no worries about color casts or undertones. You don’t have to worry about it reading too yellow, too purple, too green, too blue, etc. in a certain light.
Resale! If you’re ever planning on moving, it’s really refreshing for buyers to see homes as a blank slate. They could easily paint over the white if they wanted new colors (hello, it’s the perfect base!!) and it’s incredibly easy for you to explain to them what the paint color is if they have worries about scuffs or touchups.
Maintenance! Scuff? Hole? Kid draws on wall with permanent marker? Your good ole friend, un-tinted white, makes it really easy to fix without having to paint the entire wall because you can’t find the right color. Plus, you don’t have to worry about keeping the plaint color name somewhere handy for years and years.
What sheen of paint do you use?
I almost always go with an eggshell for walls and a high gloss for trim. However, there are times where I’ll break that rule and paint trim eggshell too. If you live in an old house with textured walls or walls with blemishes, I’d recommend going with a flat sheen instead.
What brand of paint do you prefer?
Alright, all of the professional paint people are going to hate me and chew me out but. Listen. I hate (with a burning passion) anything Sherwin Williams. You’re not going to get a SW recommendation out of me - ever. I’ve worked with many different brands of paint over 2 apartments and 2 houses (plus growing up with a mom who loves to paint too) and I would choose the cheap Walmart paint before I’d pick any type of Sherwin Williams. Again and again I end up having to repair or fix something that was painted by a professional with a SW paint. The ceiling paint in this current house is peeling off, the built in shelves in our basement were stripped of their paint by just painters tape and it took a painter 5 coats of SW brand paint to cover the blue in our hallway. I cannot stand it. It sucks… bad. I’ve never once had a good experience with it.
This is NOT sponsored in any way!! Though, hello Behr! I have a few more rooms left to paint!!
I prefer Behr brand paints. I use their Marquee line for anything that is high traffic like our front door (inside and out). Otherwise I love their Behr Ultra (their medium grade paint) and I buy it in 5 gallon buckets. Behr paint is thick, has a nice consistency and covers really beautifully. It’s durable, washable, scrubbable and stain resistant. I have also used their porch and floor paint and their masonry paint successfully.
When necessary, I will use Kilz 2 Hide All as a primer (good for when/if you’re painting over a dark color or wallpaper).
Doesn’t plain white look really utilitarian and stark?
If you’re painting a room white you probably want a bright, light and airy look! I think a room could look utilitarian and stark even with a bright color. It’s more about the light in the room, the decor and the textile choices. The wrong color of tinted white could very quickly look aged, dingy or dirty.
So there you have it! My favorite white paint is actually the simplest solution. No dye, no time at the color counter and no fuss!
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