“Just white paint” some may say while thinking they have chosen the simple option, when in fact white may just be the trickiest selection of all. There are a million and one whites to chose from and there are many factors to consider before choosing “the one”. Did you know there are neutral whites, warm whites and cool whites? It is important to chose the right one especially when layering white on white on white but what does this mean? Most whites will have a base tint, it is rare a pure white is used, with the exception of ceilings. It is important to look at these tints as it will give an indication of what undertones the colour will throw such as yellow or blue. There is a fine line between an interior that feels fresh and relaxing and one that feels sterile and cold. There are other factors that come in to play as well such as whether the lighting and flooring is warm or cool and how much natural light the space receives which will impact how the colour is perceived. Warm white will often carry subtle peach, pink or yellow undertones. These tones are perfect if you would like to invite a soft, cozy atmosphere. They pair well with earthy organic shades and are typically used in heritage or traditional style settings, they can also be a great tool to soften a space if there isn’t much exposure to natural light such as a south facing building. As we previously mentioned, lighting has a large impact on how colour is perceived and artificial lighting is a very important factor to consider. Cool globes will enhance those cool grey/blue tones in the paint and warm globes will enhance those yellow undertones in the paint. Therefore Warm whites can be effectively used in a space to counteract cool artificial lighting such as cool light globes or fluorescents to soften the space and eliminate the sterile feeling this type of lighting projects. In a modern environment we tend see cool whites more commonly used. Cool white: with an abundance of natural light at the heart of a modern home, It is common to see cooler whites used in most interiors as cool crisp whites are an excellent way to neutralise the suns warm tones without removing it all together. Careful consideration should be taken when selecting a cool white as there is a fine line between a clean/crisp white and a white that may look more blue or grey. It is here our artificial lighting selection can play a major role in how the colour is perceived such as using cool globes with a cool white as this can highlight those blue/grey undertones further. It is also important to carefully consider the ceiling and trim colours when layering white. By using a pure white on the ceiling or trims this will create a contrast with the undertones in the wall colour which in turn can highlight blue/grey which you may or may not be hoping for. In turn another option can be to use the same colour for the ceilings, walls and trims and use a satin or gloss on the trims to create a layer of depth without the contrast in colour and therefore will just look “white”.