I think it's smart to consider how well a color of white hides first and the color second.

Consider the color second might be kind of a shocking statement coming from me. lol :)

But a color of white that hides in two coats or primer + two coats is better than an ever so slightly different color of white that takes more coats.

For example, Decorator's White has better hide than Super White.

And ScuffX gives you better hide than Advance. Also, more sheen = better hide with colors of white.

Asking the paint store pros for help with product and sheen when weighing the different options can help you decide on the right white for your project.

I think it makes it easier too. Because choosing the right white isn't just about choosing the color, it's about function (of hide) too.

When you choose one, just plan to use the same color on everything - just in different sheens. Like matte walls and semi trim/doors.

Hope that helps

Thank you, but not sure I understand, I am planning to use a Matte finish on my walls. I am most concern of the brightest and ease on the eye, but want to go as pure white as possible.

IMO the best pure white for your walls is the one that takes the fewest number of coats. I would ask the paint store people to show me those whites and I'd choose one.

I did go to the store, but they were not much help.

We did Chantilly Lace  ceiling/walls/trim. 4000k lighting. I love it as it looks crisp and clean everytime I look at it. Backdrop to everything else in the house, like the photo white surrounding a photographic print.

Look at BM distant gray.

Have you thought about picking up some white posterboard at a nearby Dollar Tree and then painting your two or three favorite whites on them (buying the smallest cans available)? You can take the painted boards to different areas of the house/room and see how the natural daylight and the evening lamp light affects them.

Chantilly lace is VERY sterile and while. Try Simply White. Still white but the undertones are much easier on the eye but everyone will still think “oh that’s white.” Simply White is a great all around white. Don’t forget to choose semi gloss for trims and doors and then your matte for walls. :)

I think there is only really one way to choose wall color . Go get 3 choices of sample paint that you think will work go get 2 large poster boards paint each board with 2 coats of a color then make sure all your lighting is the same (I like LED 4000K) then take those boards and place them in each room you are planning to apint see how they look with your furniture and at all times of the day. The sheen will make the colors look a bit different so nice to choose only one for trim and walls. BTW white walls are nice but do not work in every space .

What look are you trying to achieve. What other colors do you have in your home? Do you have other white surfaces (Cabinets, countertops, appliances, furnishings) in your home?

You will often hear the term "White is a snob" Whites don't work well with other whites. So you have to consider what other colors/finishes your white will be around.

You also need to understand your natural lighting.

I had a home with white walls and trim when I lived in Southern California and had huge windows and bright sunny days and it worked. The color was Devine Color Icing - can be color matched by BM. It is as light as Chantilly Lace but slightly warmer.

When I moved into the house the walls were white, but they were more like Chantilly Lace, very neutral. The problem was that my tile floors were a very light taupe. The white had a grayish look next to the warmth in the floor. It was too neutral and felt 'off'.

I moved from Southern California to Central Pennsylvania. I have overcast days a good part of the year and I can't have a white on white house with bright white. I need some depth to the wall color to combat the overcast skies. Without enough light white will always go gray and drab.

You also run the risk if you go too white and too neutral that your home may look like it was primed and never painted.

Another risk I am going to mention is that white on white is a huge trend right now. It was not a trend when I did it 25 years ago. I also did not have what is on trend. I didn't have a lot of other neutrals and black with my white. I had rich rich, colorful furnishings, art and linens. Much bolder than today's trend.

Trends come and go, but if you follow the trends you almost have to change when the trend changes or your home looks 'dated'.

The other thing I will note is that not everyone is truly a white on white person. The white with large, bold splashes of color fit my personality. The white, mixed with neutrals and and just a touch of color is not me. I don't ware subdued clothing, don't live a pristine life. My dog is welcome on the sofa and I keep my kitchen appliances that I use often sitting on my kitchen counter along with the dishes that I washed and didn't bother to dry and put away, but set on a mat to air dry. When given a choice I generally pick color over neutral, casual over formal, simple over ornate.

My oldest brother and his wife have a white on white home. They had this long before the current trend and it fits their personalities and lifestyle. They are empty nesters, no pets, no shoes in the house. If they are invited to a get together you can count on them arriving 30 minutes early. Christmas cards are mailed before Thanksgiving. He was a laboratory manager in a hospital before becoming the Hospital Administrator. She worked in a nuclear power plant.

They are highly organized, spotlessly clean, very type A personalities.

If you are sure that White walls are the right answer, share some pics/info of your flooring, cabinets, counter tops, furnishings, art etc. Then we can help you pick the right white to work with your other choices.

Thank you for your response. I am looking for a clean contemporary house look. My furniture is all contemporary in neutral shades. We just renovated the whole house, kitchen, baths, floors, etc... This is the last of the renovation. We are also empty nesters living in Arizona where the light is plentiful. No grays clouds, but tons of natural sun light. Below are pictures that I will share to give you an idea of the look I am going for.

It sounds like you have the perfect home for white on white and should have similar results to what I had in S.CA.

Since you are wanting to change the wall color, but keep the cabinets and the flooring the best way to test the whites is to create a sample board and place it next to your cabinets and then next to your flooring. Painting it on the walls will make your mind compare it to the current wall color and that is the one color that is going away and isn't important.

When creating sample boards I strongly prefer using watercolor paper to using poster board or other types of surfaces unless you happen to have spare drywall pieces sitting around.

I stole these photos from someone's blog, but I love the demonstration of using color boards against the floor coloring. Painting on your walls is even harder to test than this.

Here is a link to the watercolor paper I use - paint 2 coats. They also sell it at Michaels and Hobby Lobby if you don't want to wait a couple of days for it to ship from Amazon.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00NQ49PLM/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I like 18x24 for whites because there is such a small amount of color in whites that it can be hard to see until you have a large enough sample to make the undertones obvious, but if you are only testing a few colors and comparing to your white cabinets an 8 1/2 x 11 size should be fine.

I should have asked first - but just assumed you are not repainting the cabinets. If I am right, do you happen to know what color they used on the cabinets? Do you know your current trim color. How does your trim work with your cabinets?

Another option is to take a cabinet door or drawer front off and have a paint store match the color.

It will look a bit darker on the walls because your cabinets are glossier than your wall paint will be.

Using one white paint color in different sheens is an elegant look. I also used the same white on my ceilings when I had white on white. Flat on the ceiling, eggshell on the walls, satin on the trim and doors.

Just an aside - I love your flooring!

Thanks, I love it too, it is floating flooring from Mannington.

Decorator White is our go to white.

Do you mean Chantilly Lace? I am thinking of using this color.

My entire home is painted Chantilly Lace. I wanted a beautiful cool white without going hospital white or warm because I am very definitely a cool, vibrant color person. (My home is green and white but the greens tend more toward emerald than sage.) I have large windows on all four sides so different areas get light at different times.

I love it. It is a gorgeous white without being in your face. I'd term it an elegant white. But if you want more warmth then look at Simply White.

Super White has a grey cast to it. Is that what you want?

What do you mean Chantilly Lace will be bright or hard on your eyes?

Is the color white generally bright or hard on your eyes in other situations?

If you see people wearing an all-white outfit do you need to blink and look away? Do they give you a headache? Do you never use a white tablecloth?

You are so correct! Thank you for your comments, I do not want a grey cast but a pure white, so I am leaning towards Chantilly Lace. Thank you again!

How does Chantilly Lace compare to your cabinets?

My cabinets are a true white and so it matches since Chantilly Lace is a true white, it is white on white, nice!

My go-to Benjamin Moore whites are "Chantilly Lace" and "Simply White". The latter is neither too cool nor too warm, but still feels like a white white. Try that.

Thank you

The most important thing if you are painting the walls next to the cabinets is that the two look good together. I know you are saying they are both "True Whites", but Chantilly Lace is a neutral white, no paint is truly a true white and if it were you wouldn't like it. There would be an LRV of 100 and that would be stark and unpleasant.

The LRV for Chantilly Lace is 92.2 and it has a chroma of 2.5 (0 is pure gray/black/white), everything else is some degree of color). It looks slightly gray compared to a pure white.

Simply White has an LRV of 91.7, so it is a bit brighter than Chantilly Lace. It has a chroma of 4.6 so it shows just a bit more yellow color vs gray, but is still pretty neutral (anything with a chroma of <5 is usually considered a neutral vs color.

Sherwin Williams High Reflective white has and LRV of 93, so it is a lighter, brighter white than either Chantilly Lace or Simply white. The chroma is 2.25, so it is also a bit more neutral than Chantilly Lace.

You need to test the paint color against your cabinets. Does Chantilly Lace look blueish gray next to the cabinets or does Simply White look a bit yellow next to the cabinets? Do the cabinets look lighter or darker than either of these?

Sometimes it is better to go with a white that has a bit more color, not as bright as the white on the trim and cabinets so it doesn't look like you tried to match the color and missed.

Here are all 3 colors next to pure white, and then next to each other.

Thank you

Thank you again for all your help!

Chantilly lace looked too blindingly white in my house. I used decorators white (eggshell on walls, semigloss on trim) and love it. It doesn’t look gray or cold, just a nice, crisp white. Furnishings will be cream, greige, blues and greens.

I just went through this. Love seeing chantilly lace on IG but for my old house it was too white. I’ll attach photos, we ended up going with white dove. Crazy how diff the colors seem when looked at online (white dove looking creamy) but it still looks like a good white.
The first two pics with the array of samples has the chantilly. I think if you’re going for modern you can’t go wrong with it.
The pic with the window trim the walls are white dove. Good luck!!

Thank you for the pictures and your comments!

I do not think crisp cool Chantilly lace is good for your warm floor. I would go with warmer whites Alabaster, Cloud White, Greek Villa.

Thank you for your comments.

simply white is a really lovely one. also if you dont want to go throughvthe trouble of painting fosm boards, you can order painted stickers from Samplize.com

we did simply white with trim in shoreline

Thank you