Painting America, Color Consultant Asks, How do You choose the Right White for Your Ceilings?

Ceiling Color Consultation, Kirkland Paint Contractor, Painting AmericaShades of White

There are many, many white paints available to choose from and it can be confusing as to which one should you use.

Typically there are cool and warm whites. You would want to select from cool whites if your wall color is in cool palette and choose a warm white if the wall color is in the warm palette.

Here are three common questions answered when choosing the right paint color for your home

How do I know what colors are cool and what colors are warm?
An easy way to tell is to know that cool colors derive from blues and blacks. There are cool greens and cool reds. If they have black or blue in the color recipe they are cool colors. Pink is derived from red and is considered cool.

Watch out for pink tinted whites, unless the walls are a deeper pink, then the ceiling being pink tint white would be fine.

Warm colors derive from yellow and browns. Orange, yellow green, tans, are all warm. A creamy white is warm and has yellow in the colorant recipe, or might have a little brown.

How do I tell the difference with whites?
Cool whites have blue or gray tones. Warm whites have yellow or brown tones. An easy way to check is to use a clean piece of white computer paper to compare the paint samples to. Place the samples on the white paper and ask yourself what undertone do I see?

Or if you desire a true clean “paper” white ceiling color, you will be able to determine quickly with this method.  Select your white in day light hours, and turn on lights to see what happens to the white.

Keep in mind, all paint manufacturers have different whites. You may need to search several fan decks to find the white that is right for you.

What if I have painted crown molding?
You will need to determine if the white on the molding is warm or cool before painting the room. The color of the millwork, if painting it is not an option, will determine the warm or cool palette for the space.

We recommend that the ceiling white be different than the trim color, or you will lose the crown.

You want the crown to show for impact. If the millwork is a clean, bright white, then you are in luck. You can go cool or warm in the space.

Need some help choosing the perfect color for your home? Call us today at 425-488-1192!

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