Have you ever found yourself standing at a paint store staring into an endless sea of color swatches and trying to find white paint colors for your walls?

Feelings of overwhelm, self-doubt and indecision are enough to make you want to throw in the towel before you even begin.

I have found that choosing paint (especially white paint) is the hardest part of the design process. And I know it’s hard for many other people too!

Over the years I have painted many test patches and have learned that although there are seemingly a million versions of white paint…most don’t deserve your time and energy.

Every time I prepare to buy paint samples to test on the walls of a project, I taken the time to do thorough research before I purchase the samples. They add up fast so I want to be delibirate!

Designer Favorite White Paint Colors for Walls

Often, I’ll scour the websites and Instagram accounts of designers I admire and take note of the whites they are using in their projects. In doing this, I have seen a common pattern emerge… many of them use the same shades over and over. While it’s true that a shade of paint can look different in any given space, the frequency with which professional designers select these whites speaks to their versatility. More likely than not…. one of these will work in your space.

Here are 9 white paints that pass the test. I have only selected colors that I have seen recommended by multiple interior designers in my research, and most of them I have personally tested in my home projects or clients’ homes.

1. | Swiss Coffee – Benjamin Moore OC-45
2. | Simply White – Benjamin Moore OC-117
3. | White Dove – Benjamin Moore OC-17
4. | Chantilly Lace – Benjamin Moore OC-65
5. | Greek Villa – Sherwin Williams SW-7551
6. | Shoji White – Sherwin Williams SW-7042
7. | Snowbound – Sherwin Williams SW-7004
8. | Creamy – Sherwin Williams SW-7012
9. | Alabaster – Sherwin Williams SW-7008

Favorite White Paint Colors For Walls

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1. | Swiss Coffee (Benjamin Moore OC-45)

I’m starting with this one because it was the big winner when it came time to select an allover white paint for my personal home. This is a beautiful, creamy white with an amazing warmth to it that will help create a cozy atmosphere in your space.

I was looking for a bright white look and this was my favorite shade… but a touch too warm. So I had the painters cut the tint a bit and tested it at 50% strength… it was perfect.

Here is a photo of the home of Shea McGee from Studio McGee (Swiss Coffee @ 75%).

Photo and Design Credit: Studio McGee

Here is what it looks like in our home:

2. | Simply White (Benjamin Moore OC-117)

This is a major designer favorite white paint color for walls for good reason. It is bright and crisp and perfect for giving you a clean look. But it also has enough warmth to keep it from feeling too stark.

I chose this as our allover white paint color for our Lake Loveland Remodel (I used it on the walls, trim AND the cabinets) and it looked great everywhere except ONE wall where all the green from the trees outside our windows made it look a touch green. I compensated by adding art and decor to absorb some of the color and overall was completely happy with this choice.

3. | White Dove (Benjamin Moore OC-17)

This color looks great on cabinets, trim, exteriors… everywhere! But I especially love it on interior walls. I chose it for the trim on our very first house remodel, but unfortunately I don’t have any good pictures of it.

This is a clean, classic and timeless white. It’s a good starting point for almost any room.

Here is a great visual gallery on House Beautiful that showcases the color in a wide variety of spaces.

This one is my favorite (and the island is Hale Navy, my favorite blue!) :

4. | Chantilly Lace (Benjamin Moore BM-65)

Another classic. Chantilly Lace is great because it has a magical ability to stay true to color without being influenced by external lighting conditions the way many other white paints do. It is also less likely to read yellow than some of the other paints on this list.

We used this color on our College Cottage project to refresh the older home and bring it up to date. Check out how light and airy this space is!

5. | Greek Villa (Sherwin Williams SW-7551)

This is one my friend Chelsea’s favorite for projects with wood trim and/or accents because it plays nicely with the warmth of the wood. Here, it pairs nicely with gry-blue tile and wood trim and floor.

Kylie M. Interiors does a great job with detailed paint color reviews. You can learn more about Greek Villa in her post here.

6. | Shoji White (Sherwin Williams SW-7042)

I wanted to include one white that bordered on greige, and this is a good one if you are looking for more of a greyish white. I recently helped a friend select this white paint for her walls; we were looking for something to marry the heavy, dark wood trim in her house with some creamy white window coverings and blue accent walls. This one was the winner!

Erica Van Slyke of the Designing Vibes blog has a great write up of how this color looks in a variety of spaces in her home if you’re considering Shoji White, you might find it helpful!

Look at how lovely this looks in her space!

7. | Snowbound (Sherwin Williams SW-7004)

This color was the second place contender for our new build. It is bright and modern looking and looks really, really great with black windows and hints of light wood.

Rachel of Maison De Pax has a helpful write up about the color, along with photos from her beautiful home in Texas. Take a look!

8. | Creamy (Sherwin Williams SW-7012)

This white paint color for walls is exactly what it sounds like. A delicious, cozy, creamy white paint color. This is. a great color to use when you are looking to keep things fresh but also warm and inviting.

I first found this color via the blog Plank and Pillow, and their modern farmhouse is painted in this beautiful shade of white.

I’m in love with the way it looks in their space (not yellow at all). I do think that all the natural light helps with that. This is definitely a great white paint color to consider.

9. | Alabaster (Sherwin Williams SW-7008)

Alabaster is my final choice as it is a frequently referenced designer favorite white paint color. A former Sherwin Williams “Color of the Year”, this wall color graces many beautiful homes.

I found a lovely project by Traci Connell Interiors on the Home Bunch Blog that illustrates what the color looks like paired with a bright white trim. Click here to check out the project and look at this beautiful image from the home below:

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There you have it: a round up of my top 9 designer favorite white paint colors for walls! I hope that this list helps you begin your paint selection processs with a little more confidence and a little less overwhelm. And hopefully you enjoyed looking at these pretty, white spaces.

If you’re looking for some color, you might want to check out our organic coastal whole home paint palette as well!

Thanks for stopping by.

xoxo,

If you’re building a custom home and looking for ideas + inspiration, don’t forget to check out my blog series with all the tips & tricks I learned along the way!