Is the “White on White” trend right for my house?

One popular trend right now is to paint walls and trim, white on white. This is often accomplished with the exact same shade of white paint on all the painted surfaces.

This looks especially fresh in homes with clean lines (like shaker style cabinets and squared off trim). Younger buyers, especially, are looking for white walls and white trim. Most designers will choose a combination of sheens but use all one shade of white such as all Snowbound SW 7004, or all Pure White SW 7005 or all Alabaster SW 7008.

Snowbound and Pure White are both versatile true whites and will give a very crisp, youthful feel to the design. Alabaster has the tiniest bit of yellow and will help the home feel warmer, richer and more inviting.

Depending on the style of your home, neighborhood and target buyer the white on white look might work.

However, I caution attempting this in all homes because it can come across looking builder grade or too ‘basic’ if the other surfaces aren’t updated along with the crisp new paint. For example, do not attempt the white walls on white trim if the counters, floors and backsplash are 20+ years old. This will end up feeling unfinished and will not gain the desired effect.

I also caution doing white on white color scheme for situations where the homeowner plans to paint only the walls. Sometimes the trim is not in need of painting and the homeowner only wants to paint walls. Choosing a white-white wall color will likely cause the trim and doors to look dingy.

So in general, the white on white walls & trim look can be difficult to pull off in most older, lived in homes. For that reason I recommend most homeowners choose a slightly off-white color to coordinate with the existing trim white.

Of course, if you still need help picking that perfect color to show off your house while it’s for sale please contact AJ at A Great House to schedule a full color consultation. I have the entire Sherwin Williams color wheel in my design case and can help make this decision much faster and easier.