(Journal — Guides)
Choosing white paint is harder than it looks
Jonas Berg
Senior Designer, Oslo
Guides
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5 min read
There is no such thing as plain white paint. Every white has an undertone, and the light in your room decides which one shows up. Here is how we choose.
A white that looks soft and creamy in a south-facing room can turn grey and cold facing north. Before we specify a single tin, we look at the light the room actually gets.
Read the undertone
Put the sample next to a sheet of pure white printer paper. Yellow, pink or green suddenly appears — that is the undertone you will live with.
Our rule of thumb
North light: choose warm whites with a hint of yellow or red.
South light: cooler, chalkier whites keep the room fresh.
Low ceilings: go one shade lighter on the ceiling than the walls.
Finish matters too
We use flat or chalky finishes on walls and a soft eggshell on woodwork. The slight contrast makes even an all-white room feel layered rather than blank.
Three whites side by side on a north-facing wall, at four in the afternoon.
Never choose a white in the shop. Choose it on your wall, at the time of day you use the room most.
Jonas Berg, senior designer
Guides
Written by Jonas Berg
Senior designer in Oslo, and the studio's unofficial expert on paint, plaster and northern light.
An interior studio designing calm homes and small hotels. Nørrebrogade 18, 2200 Copenhagen — also in Oslo and Lisbon.
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