24/06/2026
How do you choose the right white?
Every designer has their own preferred approach. Have you tried to follow one? I imagine it involved figuring out which way your windows are facing and calculating how much sunlight your room gets.
Personally, I think pure white interiors only work well in the bright light of the Mediterranean climate. The strong sunlight makes white look sharp, crisp and refreshing. The further north you move, the cooler the natural light becomes and the more careful you need to be when selecting white for your walls.
If you look carefully, you will notice that most Parisian interiors have a rose or peach hue. This makes the spaces look warmer and more welcoming. England favours greys. The natural light is cool, and it makes sense to work with nature and not against it.
My personal criteria for selecting the right white:
1. Geography: What color is the sunlight where you live?
2. Look outside. The view always affects the interior. If your windows open onto a lush garden, your wall colour will pick up a green hue. If the room faces a Victorian red-brick building … you get it.
3. Consider how you want your space to feel? Cool, moody and charismatic? Use cool, sharp tones. Inviting and homely? Choose “vanilla”.
Select your brand of paint carefully. There are many options on the market, and each posh paint brand has its own unique “feel” and pigment intensity. Get sample swatches and, once you have a shortlist of favourites, do get sample pots to try the colours in your actual space. Live with it, look at it carefully in the morning light and in the evening. Frankly, once you find the right colour, it will be obvious. If it is not obvious, it is not right!
