White walls are a timeless staple in interior design. It's the blank canvas, the serene, clean slate, and the dependable base upon which a multitude of design schemes can be dreamed up. However, today, we've moved beyond the stark white walls that feel more clinical than calming. White, in contemporary design, is more nuanced (just ask Pantone) — peppered with warm undertones and offering that essential breathing room that many spaces need.
Have you picked a white paint for your interior walls only to discover it looks a bit blue and cold, rather than cozy and comforting? Achieving a more layered white base is all in the undertone: one wrong step and that calming, expansive feeling can quickly turn frosty and minimal. Don't worry, white walls appearing blue is a common problem when painting walls white, and many factors can lead to this illusion. Consider lighting, complementary colors, and pay close attention to samples.
To find out why your white wall may be feeling a bit blue, I've asked the experts. Here's everything you need to know to warm up this neutral, some specific paint samples, and the accompaniments you need to keep it on the warm side of the color wheel.
Why Do White Walls Look Blue?
Whether you like it or not, Pantone's color of the year announcement will likely drive an increase in white walls and a welcoming reset in our homes. 'Cloud Dancer' is a prime example of how many layers can exist in one shade of white — a small touch of warmth removes the harshness. So, when you find yourself with a blue-leaning white, more often than not, it's because the undertones are on the cool end of the color wheel.
Color expert and brand ambassador for Farrow & Ball, Patrick O'Donnell, explains, "Generic whites tend to be cool in tone — what we often refer to as Brilliant White — so if a sanctuary-like warmth is what you're after, always consider something a little more nuanced."
Once you're face-to-face with the sample book of white paint chips, you'll find that there are enough subtle variations of the color to quickly get lost. For warm tones, Patrick says, "You can look for a yellow or red-based white, such as Farrow & Ball's White Tie or Pointing, or something a little more characteristic, such as Farrow & Ball's Shaded White or Off White with greenish/gray and yellow notes."
Warm white doesn't mean you have to be tiptoeing the butter yellow line, though. As Patrick says, you can warm up cool tones with greens, reds, and grays as well. Just make sure to find the undertone of the paint color that matches the rest of your room's color scheme.
Patrick has been bringing his eye for color and design to Farrow & Ball since 2012. Over that time, he’s worked in showrooms for the brand and people’s homes to transform countless spaces. Patrick has an ISVA Fine Art & Chattels qualification and has studied specialist paint decoration at the Leonard Pardon School.
Cool Whites vs Warm Whites
How to Warm Up Your White Walls
So, I think that we've established that decorating with white is not as simple as it seems. But how can you get those pesky blues tones to fade away?
First of all, lighting can have a huge impact on how your white paint presents in a room. Patrick says, "Natural lighting, whether it's on a paint color in a north-facing room or east-facing (in the northern hemisphere), has a cooler morning light. Plus, some artificial lighting can give off a bluer note."
While you can't necessarily change the kind of natural light that streams through your window (if that's the cause, you'll have to use a warm white paint), you can easily change your bulbs. "Check for the warmth of your chosen bulbs — you want lower kelvin scale numbers as these are warmer," says Patrick. There are plenty of warm light bulbs on Amazon.
After you've taken these two main factors into account, you can start working with the other decor that's in the room. "Obviously, adding layers to a room will help white walls feel cozier," says Patrick. Think a blend of cushions on your sofa, walls drenched in pictures, curtains, and rugs.
But if you still want large areas of exposed wall, "the problem will still exist, albeit less notably," says Patrick. Sometimes it's simply down to the paint you choose; "maybe consider re-painting in a warmer or more empathetic white as mentioned above," he adds.
White paint is a more complex interior color to work with than meets the eye, but a space layered with enveloping, warm whites is well worth the effort. Of course, you can always add a little color to liven things up — and, as you can guess, there are plenty of colors that go with white.
