White Bedroom Colors From Paintings, With Pairings
The best white for a bedroom is rarely pure white. These three soft whites, measured from public-domain paintings, carry a faint pink, green or warm yellow tint and reflect 73 to 78 percent of light. Three companion colors from the same paintings show what to pair with them.
Quick answer
Use the pink-tinted white on bedroom walls, the green-tinted white on an accent wall, and the warm yellow white on furniture. Add the blues in textiles and the dark brown in wood.
Every color on this page was measured from one of these public-domain paintings.
Shades of white
#EDE1E6LRV 78
Misty Pink White
A very light white with a pink-red undertone and an LRV of 78, so it bounces light around a bedroom. Use it on all four walls. It was measured from Claude Monet's "Branch of the Seine near Giverny (Mist)".
A very light white with a green undertone and an LRV of 76. It suits a white accent wall beside a window or behind the bed. It comes from Homer Dodge Martin's "On the Seine".
Sherwin-Williams SW 6435 Gratifying Green
Very close
Farrow & Ball No. 252 Pavilion Blue
Close
#E2DED4LRV 73
Warm Stone White
A very light white with a warm yellow undertone and an LRV of 73, the softest of the three. Use it on a dresser, headboard or other large furniture. It comes from the Belgian "Landscape with the Penitent Saint Jerome".
A light color with a cool blue undertone and an LRV of 64. It works well in curtains, bedding or a throw against the pink white walls. It comes from Monet's "Branch of the Seine near Giverny (Mist)".
A very dark color with a warm yellow undertone and an LRV of 5. Keep it to small, grounding pieces such as a bed frame, a floor or a picture frame. It comes from "Landscape with the Penitent Saint Jerome".
A mid-tone with a cool blue undertone and an LRV of 22. Use it for one bold piece, such as an upholstered bench or headboard, or a single accent wall. It comes from Monet's "Branch of the Seine near Giverny (Mist)".
The same paint reads differently in cool north light, warm south sun and under evening lamps. Find the column closest to your room.
Color
Neutral daylight
North light
South light
Evening lamps
Misty Pink White
Pale Green White
Warm Stone White
Soft Lavender Blue
Try these colors in a room
Pick which color goes on the walls, the big furniture and the bold piece. Floors, shadows and trim follow your choice.
The framed picture on the wall is Branch of the Seine near Giverny (Mist).
How do I choose the best white paint for bedroom walls?
Start with the undertone, not the word white. All three whites here sit between LRV 73 and 78, so they read light and bounce light. What separates them is the faint tint.
The pink-red white (#EDE1E6, LRV 78) is the lightest. It adds a little warmth, which helps in a bedroom with cool, gray light. The green white (#DEE5D3, LRV 76) feels fresh and quiet. It works on walls or on one accent wall beside a window. The warm yellow white (#E2DED4, LRV 73) is the softest and sits well against wood. It suits a headboard wall or large furniture.
Pick one white for the walls and let the others appear in furniture or bedding. Two tinted whites side by side can look accidental unless one is clearly the main color.
What colors go with a white bedroom?
Pair white walls with colors from the same paintings and the room holds together. The light blue-violet (#CFD0E7, LRV 64) suits curtains, a throw or pillowcases. The mid-tone blue (#7C809B, LRV 22) suits one bold piece, such as a bench, a headboard or an accent wall. The very dark olive brown (#483F23, LRV 5) is best kept small: a bed frame, a floor or a mirror frame.
If the other walls are a deeper color, a white accent wall behind the bed gives the eye a place to rest.
For trim and ceiling, the simplest choice is the same white as the walls, which keeps the edges soft. If you want the trim to show, choose a white lighter than the wall. For flooring, mid to dark wood suits the yellow white. Cooler gray floors suit the green white.
How do white bedroom walls look in different light?
Light changes a white more than it changes a darker color. In a room with cool, bluish daylight, the pink-red white and the yellow white look warmer and more comfortable. In a room with strong warm light, the green white keeps things from turning creamy.
Because all three whites are above LRV 60, they brighten a small or shaded bedroom. They will not feel heavy, even on all four walls and the ceiling.
Evening matters most in a bedroom. Warm lamps push every white toward yellow, and the pink white may read a little peachier. Cooler bulbs make the green white look cleaner. Check your walls under the bulbs you actually use at night, not only in daylight.
How do I test white paint samples for a bedroom?
Paint a large sample, about two feet square, on poster board or directly on the wall. Two coats give a truer color. Small paper chips make whites look flatter and more alike than they are.
Move the board around the room. Look at it by the window, in a corner and next to the bed, in the morning, in the afternoon and under lamps at night. Hold it beside your bedding, headboard and floor, since those colors change how the undertone reads.
The paint matches on this page are the closest measured to each painting color, not exact copies. The closest match for the pink-red white is Sherwin-Williams SW 6834 Spangle. For the green white it is Sherwin-Williams SW 6435 Gratifying Green. For the yellow white it is Sherwin-Williams SW 6070 Heron Plume. Sample them in your own room before you buy a full can.
FAQ
What is the best white paint for bedroom walls?
For a calm, light room, choose a soft white with a faint undertone. The pink-red white (#EDE1E6, LRV 78) is the lightest here, and the warm yellow white (#E2DED4, LRV 73) is the softest. Test both in your own light.
What colors go well in a white bedroom color combination?
Light blue-violet (#CFD0E7) works for textiles and mid-tone blue (#7C809B) for one bold piece. A very dark olive brown (#483F23) suits wood or a frame. Keep the dark and bold colors to small areas.
Is there an apple white color for a bedroom?
If you want a white with a faint green cast, the green-tinted white (#DEE5D3, LRV 76) is the closest on this page. Its closest paint matches include Sherwin-Williams SW 6435 Gratifying Green and Behr N350-1 Hazy Trail.
What is a good white wash color for a bedroom?
A soft, slightly warm white reads as a wash rather than a bright white. The warm yellow white (#E2DED4, LRV 73) is the closest option here and sits well against wood furniture and floors.
Should I paint one white accent wall in my bedroom?
Yes, if the other walls are a deeper color. Paint the wall behind the bed, because it is the one you see most. The green white (#DEE5D3) or pink-red white (#EDE1E6) both work, and the ceiling and trim can stay a matching white.
Save these colors
A card with every color on this page, its LRV and the paintings it comes from. Pin it, or take it to the paint store.
Painting images: The Art Institute of Chicago, public domain (CC0).
Colors measured by Light & Pigment. Paint names belong to their brands and matches are approximate. Colors look different on screen than on a wall, so always test a sample.
From Branch of the Seine near Giverny (Mist), Claude Monet
