Awhile back we posted about Choosing the Right White for Trim. It’s been one of our most popular posts. We promised a follow up on which whites trend yellow and which trend gray, so here it is.

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First, let us reiterate that if you have a “fixed white” in your room, for example a tile, appliance or other white feature, please choose a white that is the closest match. I made this mistake in my kitchen and regret it every day. I had always heard that White Dove (BM OC-17) was the perfect white for trim and had used it with great success time and time again. I like its creaminess versus a stark cold white. So it was a no brainer when I needed to select a white for our kitchen cabinets. Of course, I went with White Dove. (To read more on that project, click here.) The problem did not present itself until we were hanging the cabinet doors between the new refrigerator and stove which are also white. These new appliances (our fixed whites), had bluish-gray undertones. It became obvious, especially at night, that the whites of the new appliances were not a match for the freshly painted White Dove cabinetry. Ugh! What to do?! Buy new appliances? No. Repaint the cabinetry? No way. Live with it and hope no one notices? Yes! That’s what we’re doing, so please don’t look too closely when you come over. Can you see the difference in this picture?

So, lesson learned. Now we know that if we want to go with a white that has more bluish, gray cool undertones, we should lean toward a trim color like Chantilly Lace OC-65 or White Diamond OC-61. If your walls are painted in rich, deeper hues, a trim color with warm yellow undertones such as Mayonnaise OC-85 or Cream Froth OC-97 would be excellent choices.

That’s not to say that popular trim colors like White Dove or perennial favorite, Cloud White OC-130, should not be options. They’re just not the right choices EVERY time. It’s worthwhile to find the right white for trim AFTER you’ve made other color decisions on finishes, walls, etc.

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If you’re feeling overwhelmed by all the options for “white”, or have trouble seeing the undertones, the best way to compare them is to put them side by side. When you have several whites together, it becomes clear right away which whites have cool vs. warm undertones as in the picture above.

If you’re still stumped, we’d LOVE to help you choose the right white. That’s what our Color Quandary page is all about, so skip on over.