Brilliant white. Linen white. Winter white. Adobe white. Even Cucumber White. (Cucumber white?) So many shades of white, and so little ability for most of us to tell the difference between them – let alone choose the right shade for our walls.

Shouldn’t white be simple? Why all the choices?

Well, the physics of it are a bit complex, boiling down to white being essentially a non-color (or all colors, depending on your source). In paint, it’s really about which teeny tiny drop of color the white is mixed with. The New York Times  tackled the subject the other day, noting “One small drop of pigment can easily throw the entire color into another mood, another quality of light, another feeling … you cannot emphasize enough how different the standard whites are.”

So which white is right for you? Among other things, it depends on the feeling your going for, the amount of light a room sees, and the furniture that fills it. There are warm whites and cool whites, each dancing with natural light a little bit differently, and complementing the color scheme and furniture in your room. Decorators, even, often find whites hard to choose, so don’t worry – you’re not alone.

Your best bet is this: find images of white rooms that appeal to you, and get several samples that resemble them. Then watch how they look on your walls throughout the day, in morning light and at dusk, against the backdrop of your home.

And be grateful – in the natural world there are literally millions of shades of white; when it comes to what’s in the one-gallon cans, there are just a couple hundred.

If you're inspired to make one (or many) of your rooms white, CertaPro Painters can deliver a paint job you'll love — with certainty. Request a free painting estimate from your local CertaPro.

[image: doorsixteen via flickr]