Mistakes I’ve made with White Paint
Who doesn’t love a beautiful white room? I know I do!
When we first moved into our home, I knew I wanted to brighten up some rooms by painting them white—especially the kitchen. At the time I was OBSESSED with white kitchens and knew I wanted to paint my cabinets white.
But man, I got ahead of myself, didn’t do my research, and messed up. I quickly painted my kitchen cabinets first which took me over a month. At first, I loved them! They looked beautiful next to my grey walls. But here’s the thing: I wanted to paint my walls a different colored white to compliment them.
I ended up painting my walls this beautiful white. However, once I finished and stepped back, I realized my cabinets were a lovely creamy, warm white while my walls were this cool, icy blue.
That may not sound like a big deal but it drove me crazy! They clashed, especially in different types of lighting, and I was so mad that I didn’t pick complimenting whites.
Over time, I ended up repainting both the kitchen cabinets and the walls. So to hopefully save other people headaches on pairing whites, here’s what I learned!
Lighting Matters
I held up my paint samples to different walls but I didn’t check them in different lighting. Wait 24 hours before deciding on your color. See how the morning light changes the room or how it feels when the lighting is dim.
Do your Research
I looked at pictures of white colors that I loved in theory, but I didn’t research their undertones. Just because it looks good in a picture or in someone else’s home, doesn’t necessarily mean it will work for you. Find out the different undertones and see which one would work best with your home decor.
Warm Tones aren’t Bad
I used to think warm whites meant yellow. They would look old or clash with everything. That’s definitely not true! I’ve learned to love warm tones! Soft creamy whites can brighten up a room while also exuding a homey, calm feeling.
I loved the warm color of my original cabinets but I was so scared to have a yellow or too-warm room. So I overcompensated and chose a cool white to balance it out. Well, it did the exact opposite! It clashed and left me feeling frustrated.
In reality, if I chose a neutral white or a complimentary warm white, I would have saved myself a lot of trouble.
Neutrals are the Best
Neutral whites… you can’t go wrong!
I didn’t even realize there were neutral rights at first but they’re the best. Use them in areas where you know you might paint different colors.
For example, I ended up painting my kitchen cabinets this beautiful neutral white so I could change the color of my kitchen walls later on if I wanted to.
It’s okay to make mistakes
My last tip, it’s okay to make mistakes. That might sound silly but that’s my biggest tip.
I was so scared to make a change because I didn’t want to mess up. So I didn’t change anything for almost a year. And once I did start, I made tons of mistakes! It’s inevitable. But that’s how I learned.
In the end, I’m glad I made those mistakes because it helped me to learn so much and create a home I love. Plus it’s just paint. That’s one of the easiest things to change!
Remember you got this and it’s going to look great! If you want ideas on some of my favorite white paints, click here. I have a blog post all about it, just for you! And for me… so I don’t forget.
