BEST WHITE PAINT FOR INTERIOR WALLS FOR THAT FRESH FARMHOUSE LOOK

Picking the best white paint color just got easier! In this post, I’m sharing the best true white paint colors for interior walls. These aren’t creamy or off-white shades, just crisp, clean whites that designers love. White paint can be tricky, but these tried-and-true shades will help you create that bright farmhouse look you’ve been dreaming of.

Best White Paint for Interior Walls

White paint is a color that almost every interior has a little or an abundance of in their home. But what is the best white paint for interior walls?

Here are the best hues to choose from and some tips to help you pick the best white paint colors.

• Alabaster SW 7008 Sherwin Williams
• Chantilly Lace OC – 65 Benjamin Moore
• Extra White SW 7006 Sherwin Williams
• Pure White SW 7005 Sherwin Williams
• White Duck SW 7010 Sherwin Williams

Sherwin Williams Alabaster

The first color I want to introduce is SW 7008 Alabaster. 

Alabaster happened to be Sherwin Williams paint color of the year in 2016.   So what makes this one of the best white paint colors?

It is a great interior wall paint color, and it is also a popular exterior paint color.

SW 7008 is a pleasant soft white – a white with a warm undertone.  It's great for trim, walls, and the exterior of your home, and I have used it many times in homes, including my own.

This first example is a small farmhouse bathroom. Alabaster works beautifully in small spaces because with a high LRV it allows light to bounce off the walls and make the room feel larger.

To see more photos of Alabaster in this bathroom, check out my small farmhouse bathroom project.

My most recent use of Alabaster was in my French country bathroom renovation and my sister's Coastal bathroom renovation. Both these projects were extreme makeovers, especially my sister's coastal bathroom.

See how beautiful Alabaster turned out in this coastal bathroom. Lighting can play a big part in how Alabaster turns out. In my sister's bathroom, she has warm light bulbs which make the Alabaster even warmer.

In my French country bathroom, I used natural light bulbs, so Alabaster is slightly less warm.

Benjamin Moore Chantilly Lace

After recently discovering OC-65 Chantilly Lace by Benjamin Moore, I have learned that this color is becoming more and more popular.  

Chantilly Lace is one of my top white paints for kitchen cabinets. 

It is a bright white but not a stark look, and is named appropriately because it looks like fine silk or lace.

These cabinets were honey oak, and once we painted and replaced the hardware, they brightened my client's kitchen. 

Chantilly Lace is great for cabinets and walls. 

Sherwin Williams Extra White

Extra white is a great paint color for walls and the best white paint for trim if you want the whitest white you can find. Truth be told, this is my go-to paint color for trim.

SW 7006 Extra White is an all-around excellent paint color that can be used on a variety of surfaces, including furniture, cabinets, and trim.

It is a pure, clean, bright white.  Probably the whitest of whites you can purchase at Sherwin Williams.

Here is a room with Extra White on the bench, walls, and trim.  

Here is something to keep in mind when painting the walls and trim the same color. 

Use the same kind of paint on everything. 

In other words, if you are using an eggshell finish then go eggshell on the walls and the trim.  If you use two different finishes, they most likely will not come out looking like the same shade of white.

Sherwin Williams Pure White

SW 7005 Pure White that is a safe bet when you are looking for the best white paint for interior walls.  

This color has a cooler hue which gives you that fresh, clean “pure” look like Extra White but not as stark.

Our laundry room was the lucky place to find this color.  

Painting over a bright color is very tricky which is why you need good quality paint with a built-in primer. 

My post on how to paint walls white will help you do it right the first time.

Sherwin Williams White Duck

And our last best white paint colors are Sherwin Williams SW 7010.  

White Duck has a bit of grey in the white which is great if you are trying to tone down some yellow tones.  It is a softer white and gives you a little contrast if you are using Extra White on your trim.

This beautiful entry is again the home of Leslie with Deeply Southern Home. 

She used White Duck on the walls of this space because she didn't want to paint the crown mold which had aged a little and was casting a slightly yellow look.  

So her favorite paint to fix this challenge is SW 7010.

In this post, Leslie,  talks about painting the handrail, stair risers and trim perfectly every time but remember if you want to use White Duck look at her walls as an example.

Conclusion

Now that we have rounded up the best white paint colors it is time to go to the next step in making your selection.

Here is what to do next when picking a white interior paint color for your walls.  

• Pick up these five best white paint swatches. 
• Tape swatches to the wall of the room you want to paint right next to your white trim, white tile or white counter-top.
• If your room already has a color make sure to put something white behind the white paint chip like a piece of paper, so the current color doesn't affect the white.
• Watch this color through the day from sunny moments to darker times.
• Remove the swatches you like the least and narrow down to a few.
• Next, if you have something in the room that is also white like a tile back-splash or white counter-tops then put that color right next to the tile or counter-top.
• How does it look?  Does it flow nicely with the tile or back-splash or does it appear terrible?  In some situations, I pick the color based on what it will be touching.
• Now you have your white paint color selected.
• Don't forget to use the same finish if you are going with the trim and walls in the same white. 
• And remember picking white colors can be a tricky but it is not impossible.

I hope this post has helped give you the confidence to go with white in your home.

Happy Decorating!