If you’ve ever tried to choose the perfect white paint for your interior you’ll know how overwhelming it can seem. No two whites are the same and the tones and variations can seem limitless and confusing. It’s hard to even know where to start.
As makers of Australia’s most-loved whites, Dulux has enlisted four design experts to help us navigate the options and choose white paint for your walls. Julia Green of Greenhouse Interiors, Lucy Feagins of The Design Files, Bonnie Hindmarsh and Lana Taylor of Three Birds Renovations, and The Real Estate Stylist’s Sara Chamberlain and Amy Chamberlain-Primrose share how they’ve used Australia’s eight most loved Dulux whites in their work and living spaces, together with their tips on how to choose white paint yourself.
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How to choose white paint: warm vs cool
“Warm and cool whites have different undertones and can help you set a mood within a room. Various elements, such as the amount of natural light your home receives and the colours of your flooring and soft furnishings, can affect the way a shade looks on your walls. It’s made clear why our top eight whites are go-to’s and classics for a reason,” says says Andrea Lucena-Orr, Dulux’s Colour Expert.
Warm whites
In a cool space which doesn’t get much direct sunlight a warm white will lift tone of the room. It will also compliment and work with cream carpet or tiling in an older property.
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“Natural White™ is a warm white and its versatility spans across new and old properties, contemporary homes, as well as traditional. It is an excellent choice if you are giving your home a facelift before sale as it is easy to work with when styling with fresh plants and light coloured furniture.” – Sara Chamberlain, The Real Estate Stylist.
“Whisper White is warm, welcoming and has substance, and period properties – Victorian and Edwardian homes – benefit from this white given its depth. In a space that doesn’t get much bright sunlight, Dulux Whisper White can really lift the room.” – Lucy Feagins, The Design Files.
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“Antique White U.S.A.® is my hero of all whites as it is fresh and crisp without being austere and clinical, and tends to work in most spaces despite varied conditions. A total all-rounder that never disappoints!” – Julia Green, Greenhouse Interiors
“Hog Bristle® Quarter is a beautiful warm white that has the slightest ‘biscuit’ undertone – it has always been my go-to when creating cozy spaces. I have seen this colour work beautifully in heritage homes, but equally in spacious lofts to avoid austerity.” – Julia Green
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Cool Whites
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“For me, I don’t like a white to throw too much yellow or too much blue – so Dulux Vivid White™ is perfect as it sits in the middle. It is the purest white you can get.” – Bonnie Hindmarsh, Three Birds Renovations
“White on White™ is a cooler-toned white that is clean and energising, suited to modern homes with timber or concrete flooring, as well as hard surface areas like the kitchen and bathroom.” – Bonnie Hindmarsh
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“Lexicon® Quarter is a versatile white that has a slightly blueish undertone – it is crisp, clean and bright and works beautifully in modern spaces, as well as a backdrop for colourful and eclectic art, furnishings and homewares.” – Lucy Feagins, The Design Files
“Lexicon® is a bold white and pairs brilliantly with timber flooring, exposed brick and polished concrete. It is a perfect shade for displaying your artwork collection or bouncing around lots of natural sunlight.” – Amy Chamberlain-Primrose, The Real Estate Stylist
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Photos by Amelia Stanwix, courtesy of Dulux.
As an aside, Lexicon Quarter has been my white of choice for both my current apartment and our previous house – it’s bright and doesn’t seem to have a colour cast to it – it’s my go to white!
Top tip for choosing the perfect white paint
Regardless of the white you choose, experts always recommend that once you have narrowed the choice, use sample pots to test the colours. Paint large swatches on the wall, and live with them for at least a few days, looking at them morning, noon and night to see how they change under varying light conditions. This of course applies to any paint colour you’re thinking of using!
Head to the Dulux website to find out more about Australia’s most loved whites and how to choose white paint for your home.