Choosing the right white paint can be utterly paralysing. I know! I’ve been there. But everything becomes easier when you learn that there are only three Resene whites you need to know.
Although there are a gazillion whites (and many paint colours that say they’re white but aren’t), whites fall into three useful categories – true white, off-white and cream. In Resene paint colours that’s Alabaster, Rice Cake and Pearl Lusta.
THESE ARE THE ONLY RESENE WHITES YOU NEED TO KNOW.
Will these be the only Resene whites you’ll use?
Of course not. In reality whites sit on a spectrum from the cleanest to the creamiest and there are gorgeous in betweens. Just like Rice Cake, Quarter Rice Cake is still an off-white and has that extra hint of warmth, but it pushes closer to true white. The Biancas are all divine, running from off-white into cream.
Compare to the three known whites
What the three Resene whites do is give you a reference point that makes choosing the right white easy. If you’re coordinating with exisiting whites, compare them to the three Resene whites to diagnose what you have and figure out which type of white you’re after. If you have true white kitchen cabinetry, you’ll want true white trim. That rules out all the off-whites and creams, leaving you with a handful of true whites. They’ll all look much the same once you paint them so save yourself some stress and don’t agonise over which one. If it’s a true white it’ll look good.
Let’s look at each of the whites more closely.
True White
True white is the one white that rules them all. It’s the cleanest whitest white with the least obvious undertones. It’s not the same as a white piece of paper but as far as paint goes, this is the one that you put on the wall and everyone can tell it’s fresh, true white.
This is the white to compare all other whites and colours to. Whether you’ve got a pale paint chip or a bench top sample, comparing it to a true white sample will help you see where it sits on the spectrum.
True white looks great with blacks, greys and clean colours. It’s not as good with browns, beiges and earthy colours – it can look a bit like undercoat because it’s just too stark.
It can look fabulous on the walls if your room gets a lot of natural light, but in dark rooms without that natural light it can look cold and shadowy. Sometimes a barely there neutral (or a darker colour) can be a better choice. Remember that there is no real life instagram filter transforming dark rooms into light ethereal spaces.
Some Resene true whites are Alabaster, Quarter Black White and Half Black White.
Off-White
Off-white is often called warm white. It’s softer and warmer than true white and varies from whiter to creamier.
Off-white is the perfect in betweener and looks good with a lot of colours – from fresher colours to earthier. It’s a great choice if you’ve got earthier hard finishes to work around but want a fresher, cleaner look (true white will be too stark).
It makes a lovely white wall colour in a room with plenty of light and is a great trim colour too. While it seems like the perfect ‘go with everything’ choice, be warned that it will be too creamy for blue white hard finishes like Carrara marble and too white for creamy hard finishes. Always compare your whites to make sure you get the one that suits best, rather than crossing your fingers that off-white is the middle of the road easy choice.
Some Resene Off-Whites are Rice Cake, Half Rice Cake, Quarter Rice Cake, Half Bianca, Quarter Villa White
Cream
Cream is the warmest of whites. It belongs with warm, muted earthy colours like beiges and browns. It’s a great trim choice if you’ve got hard finishes in those colours and it also makes a pretty wall colour.
If you’ve inherited orange brick inside your home, think cream. Even if you prefer fresher whites, in the absence of any other whites, cream will look like the right white. Avoid cream if you have clean fresh colours and neutrals like fresh greys – it will look dirty.
Some Resene creams are Pearl Lusta, Orchid White and Bianca.
My whites tool
When it comes to choosing the right white, my whites tool is an invaluable piece of homemade kit, which I’ve used over and over again. When you see a ‘white’ on it’s own it can be so hard to figure out which white you’re looking at and if it really is white. All the guess work is taken away when you compare it to known whites.
You’ll notice that I’ve got Quarter Black White on the wheel instead of Alabaster. They’re both true whites so either works – see how you really don’t need to stress too much about which one?
There are a couple of extra ‘whites’ on there too. They’re not-really-whites (hello barely there neutrals), but I find them helpful and they worked with my circle so I added them in! Artistic licence.
Grey White
Grey white isn’t really white. It’s a barely there grey. Grey whites are often called cool whites and if they’re white enough and in the absence of other whites they’ll read true white.
Resene Quarter Black White and Black White are true whites but stronger versions will start to look grey. It’s the same for Alabaster which moves from a true white to a barely there grey once it becomes Seafog (4x Alabaster). I’ve put it on my wheel so I can see when true white is veering into grey territory.
Ivory Beige
Is it a cream or isn’t it? Ivory beige is more like a complex cream – a warm barely there colour. This is your lightest choice if even cream looks too bright or too yellow for a home with earthy finishes but you want the closest thing to white you can get. It’s the type of colour you might choose if you had slate floors and no white in any of your hard finishes but you wanted a white kitchen.
If you’ve seen the fabulous rustic interiors by designer Lauren Liess, you’ll have seen plenty of ivory beige on the walls. I’ve got Resene Parchment on my whites wheel so I know when I’m veering off cream and into something richer.
So which white should you choose?
According to colour expert Maria Killam, choosing the right white really depends on what’s going on.
Starting from scratch? Choose a foundation palette. Working with hard finishes? Diagnose what they are and choose the best white to coordinate with them.
If you love fresh colours or blacks, whites and greys, or have hard finishes in these colours choose WHITE or OFF-WHITE (the whiter off-whites rather than the creamier ones).
If you love warm muted colours or browns, creams and beiges, or have hard finishes in these colours choose OFF-WHITE (the creamier off-whites rather then the whiter ones) or CREAM.
I once chose Half Black White for all the wrong reasons. Because it felt like less of a commitment than full strength Black White. I was lucky that true white is what I was after and that’s what I ended up with.
There’s a much easier way. Choose the right white by using the three Resene whites as a starting point. Keep to the right category of white and always test your paint colours before you commit to them. Then you’ll be miles ahead of where I used to be.
This is so helpful and I love the wheel idea!
So pleased 🙂 Thanks for the comment, Brook. The wheel is inspired! I use it all the time.
This is such an excellent article – I tried a million test pots and ended up with Alabaster – which has now thrown out the kitchen joinery!! Now I have a much better starting place – AMAZING thanks!!
I’m so thrilled you found it helpful. Thanks for letting me know 🙂 All the best for your future paint choices.
I wish I saw this before painting. This info is exactly what I was looking for. Better than the multiple visits at Resene, better explanation and depth of detail than the resene website. Thank you for covering the complexities of whites!!!! I’m so happy now. This explains so much more.
Yay yay yay!!! I’m so glad it was helpful.
Hi there, Just wondering of you could assist. I painted my living room walls in Alabaster. Should I paint my fireplace bricks in the same tone or rice cake, Bianca or something else? I don’t want a clinical look. Alabaster looks good in the lounge but I am redoing my hallway soon as it’s too cold there due to lack of light. If you do respond. Thank you. This article is amazing!
Hello!
Such a great article. We have double pearl lusta trim and tea coloured feature wallpaper. We are struggling to find a white to go on the opposite wall. We tried 1/4 tea but it looks almost mauve next to it. Would love to know what to would recommend?
Thanks
Alana
Hi Alana! It’s funny but tea tends to do that. As you go paler it can get purpler. Because double pearl lusta is very creamy, the yellow in it will enhance the purple (yellow and purple are complimentary colours) . So, arghhh!
I think you have a few choices:
1. Try a warm creamy white like Quarter (or half?) Pearl Lusta for your main wall colour.
2. Get rid of the Tea feature wall and choose a new main wall colour. Since Double Pearl Lusta is a cream (and a very yellowy one at that) you can choose from warm colours or these neutrals: orange beige, yellow beige, green beige; or for a warm and creamy ‘white wall’ quarter Pearl Lusta. Think warm and earthy, not fresh.
3. Just start again. New wall colour, new trim. Keep in mind your carpet colour and furniture if you’re picking new colours and make sure they’re all friends.
All the best.
I was looking for Benjamin Moore Paints in NZ and your name popped up so I found you by chance -what a find. I am a great fan of Amber Interiors and having done white (sea fog) and grey on three houses I am wanting to branch into a more natural warmer look. This is a scary move! I have Rice Cake Quarter being tested around the house and this article confirms my thoughts! Will be coming back.
Hi Gill. Thanks for your lovely comment. Scary – I totally get it!:) Resene Quarter Rice Cake is very close to Benjamin Moore White Dove. It’s a lovely off-white. Resene Quarter Villa White is another nice off-white that you might like to look at. All the best.
I loved this article on whites, it definitely cleared up a few things for me and is making my life a lot easier. I’m doing a kitch/dining reno and the colour that I picked out (ages ago now) is snowdrift pearl but I’m not sure if it is a true white or an off white. Have you heard of this colour? Do you know what it is?
Hi. Snowdrift Pearl is very pale and I think it can swing both ways (so to speak!). It’s best with the true whites but the palest off-whites are ok too as long as they are light eg. 1/2 rice cake, 1/4 rice cake. Put anything too creamy next to it though and it’ll look really white. It’s a good choice and it’ll give you a lot of scope for decorating. As always – get large samples and compare compare compare.
Thanks for the info… I have some wooden cabinets in my kitchen and a beautiful old oak table n chairs… I have a small house… Was thinking of going with Black White… Will it look OK with wood cabinets? I have lots of light n windows.. Thanks
Wendy
I have returned to this article so many times while deciding (and needing confidence via an expert) kitchen colours. Often colours within a scheme all start to look the same which is what is so confusing and stress-inducing as they may look one colour but then put them next to another and they become quite a different colour – usually one you don’t want! Having ‘whites’ broken down like this is incrediably helpful and reconfirming. Couldn’t have chosen our new kitchen colours without it so thank you so much.
Hello. I love the Resene Black White range, as well as Alabaster. However, we have a 1980’s house with bronze anodised aluminium windows, rimu skirting & rimu door frames. Will these Resene colours suit best? I’ve been told I should choose a white with ‘green’ tones in it to match the rimu… would you agree? By the way, I LOVE your website, it is super informative & explains things clearly. Thank you!
Hi
I’m opening a small beauty room next year. I have 2 small rooms. One the beauty room and one the waiting area, not much natural light at all. I’m so confused about what white. Need to make it feel bigger and warmer. I think I need different whites for the 2 rooms but also want them to flow. In the beauty room, I want a sterile feeling but not a hospital yuck feeling. There won’t be many colours in the beauty room but having a big splash on the cabinets olive green (haven’t found the exact colour yet). In the waiting area I want a dark entrance door to flow with the dark lettering logo on the wall but I want it to have a warm feeling, comfortable. Any ideas for whites I should test out? thank you.
Oh this is interesting . I’m looking at painting exterior- over brick on New house. I’m stuck on what white . I have ebony roof joinery etc and a large harihari schist entry wall. Surrounded by white plaster houses too sign . Brick is grey with brown tones so I want it gone . I’m. Very stuck
Thank you!!! Found this article so helpful!!! I have chosen Resene Half Rice Cake for walls and 1/8 Rice Cake for trims, doors, ceiling in a new build and am agonizing a bit over the kitchen cabinet colour originally chosen (1/4 thirdon cream), which I only have a very short window left to change if I’m going to change it. I am going for a warm but fresh feel throughout and am scared 1/4 thordon cream is still going to be too cream rather than looking like a fresh white kitchen. But equally scared changing it to brighter/true white cabinets could make the wall colour wrong! When I out samples altogether including with flooring (wood look vinyl in a natural oak of sorts) cabinet sample looks white in most lights against wall/accent colour but sometimes more creamy (my worst nightmare is it will actuallylook full on cream rather than warm white! Any suggestions welcome!
This white/neutrals guru guidance is exactly what the internet was designed for!!! 😉 Last home I went Alabaster and it worked beautifully but this home is a 1915 grand old lady that I want to bring to white -its 300 sqm of pearl lusta right now and it feels like I’m living inside a pale hand!).
Alabaster, Black White et al are too stark for this home. So I am leaning to half merino or quarter rice cake. I feel they are still ‘white’ but not too harsh and yet still avoid falling in to yellow. Great with some of the lovely rimu here too. Some of larger peices of furniture I have however are a very pale, soft grey. Do you think the off whites I am looking at will clash or work with them?
Hi!I love the Peral Lusta comment 🙂 Ignoring the rimu for the moment, is there anything else in the house to work around apart from the furniture? If so, then let that be the starting point for the best type of white. Quarter Rice Cake is an off-white (just) – still very white but a warmer white than Alabaster. You could go a shade darker and still be ok. Half Merino is cooler and has a little more tends towards grey – it’s very very much like Black White. If you don’t like Black white you won’t like Half Merino. Both should work with the furniture. When you get some test pots make sure you hold them up them on the wall next to the furniture. Other options are Half Bianca (off-white and v similar to Quarter Rice Cake) or even Quarter Thorndon Cream which has a little more colour than the others with a hint of green grey. It’s warm without being yellow and looks good with pale greys.
Aha – half bianca has been a consideration and you just moved it right up the list for me. Also taking a look at half milk white. Nothing else in the house I need to work around. The art work will give zero f’s whatever I choose, just as it should 😉 You’ve inspired me to go to next step with throwing some test pots on walls now. Including Dulux Cardona which I’ve thrown in mix based on the new found confidence your kick arse tutorial and wheel has given me. Thank you!
This is SO helpful. More helpful than the in store or online colour consultants. I have “warm white” laminate cabinetry so looking for a white that won’t make the kitchen cabinets throw too much cream. I’m thinking 1/4 parchment after reading this. Thank you!
Thank you for your inspiring article. I am from the UK and used to Farrow and Ball, and Benjamin Moore paints. Can you please give me the nearest equivalent to BM Pointer, and School House White, in Resene colours, please? I want a rich warm white.
Thank you!
Hi Kate. It sounds like you’re after a barely there neutral rather than an actual white. Farrow and Ball School House White is a barely there neutral – I’d call it a very pale beige or a complex cream. I don’t have a sample in front of me, but looking at it online I’d say it has pink beige in it. For an equivalent I’d try Resene Half Spanish white which will read a little lighter, Spanish white which will read a touch darker or Blanc. Try some test pots and make sure it’s the ‘right’ neutral for the space, not just a colour you picked in a vacuum because it’s nice. Do you have any other neutrals already? Any fixed finishes you have to work with. Choose the best barely there neutral to go with them and you’ll have your best ‘rich, warm white’.
Thank you for such an interesting and helpful article! We have a 1930’s house and are painting the wooden panelling in our hallway. We are wanting to lighten it up, as it doesn’t receive much natural light and all the wood makes it dark. We do however want to leave some of the wooden features such as doors and frames unpainted so that we retain some of the character. We’ve painted the panels 1/4 Rice Cake. However, it looks very stark. I’m wondering if we should do another coat using full strength Rice Cake, or a completely different tone of white to warm it up. I would like it to have warmth to it without looking too cream and definitely not yellow. Any suggestions would be appreciated! Thank you.
Hi. I am glad you found it helpful 🙂 Quarter Rice Cake is very very light, and white’s that light can look a bit stark and shadowy in a dark space. Full strength Rice Cake will definitely look less stark but it will still read as a white (an off-white though). It sounds to me like you might be happier with a barely there neutral.They’re almost white…like white with more oomph! Have look at my posts about choosing paint colours and neutrals to get started – there is a good selection of barely there neutrals to choose from. If you’ve got existing neutrals already then repeat them (there’s a post that will help you figure out which neutral you already have.) If you don’t have any existing neutrals you can pick the one you like the best. Look for a paint colour with an LRV% of around 73-78%. You might like Double Rice Cake, Half Thorndon cream, or Half Ecru White. They’ll ‘feel’ creamy without being yellow. Half or quarter Tea could be contenders. Also Blanc or Albescent white – they skew towards pink beige so they’ll feel warm but not yellow. Make sure you get a test pot first.
Hi! This article is fantastic – thank you. I have narrowed my choice of whites down to 3 and trying to be consistent between lighter and darker spaces and our 1920s bungalow and new extension. Currently interior is rice cake with 1/2 rice cake trims. We can
1. keep the same (rice cake) and bring through to extension. My only slight reservations is that a curved feature wall in whatever white we choose will see lots of sun and I worry it will bring out too much yellow / query using in modern extension
2. Resene 1/2 merino – liking the look of the swatch but want a warm white and can’t tell if this is too grey
3. Resene 1/4 thorndon cream – too creamy? Same issue as 1….
Your thoughts would be so helpful!
Thanks
Alexi
Hi Alexi. I’m glad you loved the article! A few thoughts – I would use the same main whites throughout the whole home. The big question is – which white is the right white with everything else that’s going on. Regardless of modern or traditional, what else do you have going on? What are the colours of the other fixed elements?
If you want a white that’s warm you’re in the world of off-whites and creams (or even a barely there beige neutral). Rice cake is a good off-white. 1/4 thorndon is very similar. 1/4 Villa white is also a nice one. They will always look warm. Yes, sunlight could bring out the warmth but off-white shouldn’t look yellow. I don’t think it’s a big issue. Choose the right white for the rest of your decor and don’t worry about that one time of day when the wall looks a bit warmer. Also – make sure you decorate. It’s easy to stress about an empty room when all you have to look at is a bare wall. Decorate and the wall becomes the backdrop it was meant to be. Decorating can cover a multitude of sins, even when a wall colour is less than perfect!
Re: 1/2 Merino – it’s more of a true white and heads towards grey. Much fresher and cleaner.It will make Rice Cake look dirty if you put them next to each other.Good in a modern space but ONLY if the rest of the decor asks for true white.
Finally – get large samples. Test them, especially next to carpet. Good luck and if it all gets too hard it might be time for a colour consult 🙂
Hi I want to paint my walls in low sheen Alabaster Resene or Quarter Black White – what white colour would you paint the architraves and ceiling? And for architraves would it be semi-gloss Lustacryl and low sheen for ceiling.
Hi Moira. Check out my blog post about trim colour https://islandhouse.co.nz/how-to-choose-the-best-resene-trim-colour/ As for the type of paint, Resene will give you good advice when you go in to buy the paint.
Whites are doing my head in! I am using Porters Paint Irish linen on the walls in the living area (warm umber white) and looking for a trim/ ceiling colour that will suit that but also the Indian Ink lounge walls (feels like it needs something not too stark) and the Carrara marble that is on the ensuite floor (down the other end of the house). I am currently looking at 1/4 merino … this looks like 1/4 rice cake to my untrained eye.. are they pretty much the same? I have bought so many test pots and am completely confused!
Hi Emily. This is one of those questions that needs a paint consult. Lots going on and I’d need to see some photos and samples and ask a few more questions. But to answer the trim question – 1/4 rice cake is warmer than merino. Use large samples and compare compare compare.
Hello, this article is great. Useful for us in choosing paint colours for the house, and useful for 13 year-old daughter who is going to become an artist. We have Resene Black Haze on all ceilings and trims in our relocated house. Now we need to find a good bright white with a high LRV for a long dark hall. A lot of the whites make the Black Haze look grey…interesting mission! Love your comments if you have time. 🙂
Hi. Tricky tricky. Black haze straddles that middle ground between being a ‘white’ and almost a ‘barely there grey’. A bright high LRV white (eg. alabaster) will always make it look grey because comparatively it is. You have a few solutions:
1. Go darker on the walls (greyed neutral or fresh colour) so you have contrast and the trim looks lighter and whiter.
2. Go whiter and brighter on the walls but know that you will have a ‘lighter wall, darker trim’ scenario going on. That’s ok – some people do it on purpose (see my blog post on trim).
3. paint the walls the same colour
4. repaint the ceiling and trim in a lighter colour. Ouch. sorry!
Moral of the story – unless you paint the walls the same colour you need to create CONTRAST so the trim doesn’t look dirty.
Good luck.
Hello!
This is fabulous, thank you!
I am currently doing my bathroom and we are putting in Venetian plaster for all of the walls. The bathroom features are all white (including tapware) and I’m so unsure as to what sort of white to make the Venetian plaster.
I was thinking a subtle contrast with a warmer white? It will have a slight gloss over it. I know it needs a bit of a contrast to the rest of the white in the room!
Let me know if at all possible what your thoughts would be 🙂
Thank you,
Paige!
Hi,
Ive found your article sooo helpful.
Im painting my walls either 1/4 or 1/2 rice cake. The kitchen cabinets will be in a paint lacquar finish: I was thinking of 1/4 Thorndon cream (seems slightly darker than rice cake – as I know lacquar comes up lighter) but nervous this would look too cream or would you just stick with 1/4 Rice cake?
I just want an off white without being too cream.
Thanks
Oh thank you! I’m so grateful for your expertise on this. I have a very tricky hall space that I’m trying to lighten up. I say ‘space’ because it’s has corners and weird stairs, no windows and low ceilings. Resene said Alabaster but I’m not sure it has the warmth I’d like. Maybe Triple Rice Cake or Pearl Lusta, and I was even thinking about painting the ceiling yellow. Everything is in the table. Don’t have any ideas that might help? Thank you!
Hi,
I cannot commit to a white as afraid to get it wrong in our large open plan kitchen/dining/living space. In fact we will probably do the whole house the white.
We are completely south facing and the current color is drought – 1/2 maybe. This is a nice warm color to live in but we would like to go lighter. We trialed 1/2 bianca in our north facing bed room and it feels cold to me so it put me off continuing.
It needs to be warm but not yellowy.
I would love some advice!