So, what are the best white paint colors to use on your trim and baseboards?
I always get a bunch of questions on this topic, excited to tackle it today!
Talking about the best white paint for interior doors in addition to the best paint for trim.
Let’s get to it and choose a white paint for your trim and doors.
white trim in Benjamin Moore’s White Dove Satin Impergo OC 17
The 3 best white paint colors to use for trim, doors and baseboards:
This post was recently updated on November 8th, 2020.
What are the best white paint colors for trim and baseboards?
This is one of the most popular questions I get asked around here!
So today I’m sharing my top three favorite white paint colors to use on your trim and baseboards.
In other words, these are the best white paint colors for trim that we’ve used again and again.
Tried, true and tested door and trim paint!
White Paint Trim Color Number 1. Benjamin Moore’s White Dove OC 17
The White trim paint color here is White Dove Satin Impergo OC 17 – looks great with gray walls.
This is my go to personal preference for white trim paint.
It’s more of a softer white, with warm tones.
I also love this color for both walls and ceilings too.
I love using Benjamin Moore’s White Dove (aka BM White Dove) in the semi gloss finish.
This finish adds just a hint of sheen.
Adding the semi gloss gives the trim a bit of a subtle pop.
The gloss finish also makes dusting and cleaning/wiping up in general a whole lot easier.
When it comes to cleaning trim, baseboards and even our walls – I swear by these magic erasers to get out smudges and scuff marks.
But I’m getting off topic here…back to White Dove-
I love how it looks every time we use it, and we’ve used it a lot!
This shade of white has some warmth to it, I think it’s one of the reasons why I love it so much.
You can see how this looks above in our foyer and again here in our living room.
It works great with both all white walls and with walls with colors too.
For more info on our living room wall color, see this post on Benjamin Moore Cape Hatteras Sand.
And, for info on our blue ceiling paint choice (above) see this post on ceiling paint colors!
Paint Trim Color Number 2. Benjamin Moore’s Decorator’s White OC 149
Decorator’s White OC 149
Here we used Benjamin Moore’s Decorator White on both the walls (in an eggshell finish) and on the trim (in a semi gloss finish.)
There’s nothing wrong with using the same color on both walls and trim!
In fact, I’ve dedicated a whole post to doing this –why you should consider painting your trim and walls the same color.
Considered a cooler white, this popular color has a bluish undertone, and creates a very bright, pure white, modern look.
I like to think of this as a very clean white, I’ve also heard it describes as a super white.
Trim Color Number 3. Benjamin Moore’s White OC-151
Benjamin Moore White Dove compared with Benjamin Moore White OC – 151
When we first moved to our house here in Connecticut, I was pretty sure I was going to use White Dove on our kitchen cabinets and also on all the trim work in our kitchen.
However, once I saw it up on the white cabinets (as seen above) it didn’t look white enough for the space.
This might because our kitchen is north facing.
I had my heart set on more of true white shade of white paint.
That’s when I learned about Benjamin Moore White OC 151.
We chose this vibrant white, also simply known as Benjamin Moore White OC-151.
I love how it looks in our kitchen.
Our third floor finished attic also got the OC-151 treatment!
Benjamin Moore White OC-151
In fact, we love it so much we just used it on almost every wall in our beach house renovation, including the trim!
Using the same color with a different sheen or high gloss finish on the trim is a great way to make a space look pulled together and modern.
White with white is my go to combo lately.
You’ll never regret this chic choice.
If you need more color in the room, you can always bring it in with carpet, art, accessories and so forth!
White OC – 151
What Type of Paint Finish For Trim and Baseboards?
For your trim, baseboards, window panes, etc. you’ll want to choose a gloss paint.
There are varying degrees and different sheens of gloss to choose from: satin, semi-gloss, gloss, and high gloss.
The most popular choice is a semi-gloss finish.
If you’re unsure, you really can’t go wrong with a semi-gloss paint finish on your trim.
Regardless of what color trim you choose, a semi-gloss paint will allow your trim to stand out.
It also makes keeping it clean a bit easier.
The more you want your trim to “pop” the glossier paint you should choose.
However, just be aware – glossy paints are a bit harder to apply, if you’re not experienced, you may end up seeing brush strokes.
In addition, glossier paints have a longer drying time. (Learned this one the hard way…)
The Best Trim Paint: The Perfect White Paint Color For Trim and Baseboards
Why choose a white shade? Is this really the best choice?
Is there a bad color?
The top choices for are the three white trim colors mentioned today:
- White Dove by Benjamin Moore
- Decorators White by Benjamin Moore
- White by Benjamin Moore
This holds true even if your walls are white -these three all still all a great option.
However, you obviously do not have to choose a white color.
Is there a bad color?
The short answer is NO!
I’ve seen everything from white walls with contrasting high gloss black trim to bright yellow rooms with matching trim.
To further illustrate this point, I’ve included a photo of our powder room, with it’s black high gloss paint trim,- seen below.
Since the majority of our home’s interior trim is in fact painted white, I’ve dedicated this post on the three best white paint choices for trim.
But, I did want to mention, at the end of the day – the sky is of course the limit when it comes to paint choices (including morning sky blue!)
Conclusion-
So, there you have it, the three best white colors for your interior doors, trim and baseboards.
Hope you found the perfect white for your crown molding, etc.
For more ideas on my favorite type of trim: wainscoting, don’t miss this informative piece.
I recently added another popular white paint choice – Benjamin Moore’s Chantilly Lace to the site.
The best kitchen cabinet paint colors to use (coming from an expert) can be found here.
UPDATE: as of 1/5/21 – there’s a new post (from the same expert) based on popular demand for more colorful kitchen cabinet paint colors, which aren’t white or beige.
I hope you found these white trim color examples helpful!
Additional Cream And White Paint Color Inspiration:
If you’re looking for even more white and cream paint color inspiration, be sure to check out these other posts by clicking on each title below-
- The best cream wall paint colors
- Benjamin Moore Swiss Coffee Paint Review
- Sherwin Williams Accessible Beige Paint Review
- Favorite white paint colors for the home
- The best white exterior paint colors for your home
- Benjamin Moore Linen White Paint Review
- The Best Paint Brushes For Your Trim and Baseboards
- Sherwin Williams Alabaster White Paint Review
Ultimately you need to love the paint colors you choose for your walls.
Which is why I can’t recommend trying it out as a sample in your home first.
A great way to test out a paint color, is to get these large self sticking paint samples.
Doesn’t this sounds so clever?
No messy paint cans to deal with before you commit! Win/win!
If you’re at all curious, you can find them here and try it out as a sample in your home first!
Because even the surrounding light from one room to another can differ, and this will alter the look of any paint color.
Live with a few samples for a few days before making your final decision.
If you have any other questions, please shoot me an email or leave it in the comments below.
I always try my best to answer them.
Especially when it comes to the transformative “power of paint!”
For example…
If you’re wondering about paint finishes, like a satin finish vs. a matte, flat or eggshell, don’t miss which paint finish to choose in this post, just in case your wondering:)
A few more things…
Design lovers! Have you joined our fun and VERY helpful design Facebook group?
In this group – members share photos with their design questions and dilemmas from their own homes.
We all give opinions in with our best advice!
It’s a nice group of fellow design enthusiasts.
We also spill our best sources and tips – so it’s great for sourcing hard to find items and pieces.
Lastly, to help you even further with your home projects, download my FREE DESIGN CHEAT SHEET, because it’s loaded with all sorts of quick tips and handy measurements I know you’re going to find so helpful.
Sign up below to grab that, because it’ll be super helpful!
PS: Be sure to PIN THIS IMAGE below – because this way you’ll have all this info conveniently saved for your next home project!
*This post contains affiliate links. This means if you click a link and purchase something, I may get a small commission from it at no cost to you. For more info, please read my disclaimer. I only refer things that I truly love and hope you will too!
Hi Sue,
What paint and finish do you have on your kitchen walls? Also would appreciate a post on lighting fixtures (for bedroom, living room, family room, bathroom, etc.). Thank you, as always, for your advice and insightful posts!
It’s an eggshell finish of Farrow and Ball elephant breath. Search in the search bar of the blog for a whole post on this color.
And thanks for the post ideas!
My kitchen cabinets were painted BM- Simply White. Is BM Classic gray good for the walls or should I go little darker? Any suggestions? Thank you.
Hi Julia, Hard for me to answer this…BM Classic Gray is gorgeous and great for walls, but I don’t know what you’re looking for here in terms of dark or bright? Try out a few of the Samplize paint samples, they are so helpful! Good Luck!
Would love to get your Design Cheat Sheet.
Thank you,
Lucy
Good morning… This article is great, appreciate your opinion on whites. My personal dilemma…I just received my gorgeous custom inset cabinetry, painted in Decorator’s White (low sheen)…and I need to choose a white trim paint for all new windows and door frames. Is it best to paint all the trim in my home Decorator’s White as well? Or choose a different white (such as White OC-151)? Satin or ?? To note…I have great natural light in my home. Many thanks!
Hi! Honestly you can’t go wrong with sticking to the same white. I would change up the finish to add a little sheen to the trim!
Good Luck, sound so pretty!
Sue,
Your living room above with the 2 white sofas… what color did you use on the walls to go along with BM white dove trim?
we used Benjamin Moore Cape Hatteras Gray, more info if you search for gray paints on the blog!:)
Love all your white paint choices and recommendations! Have you ever done a post on your beautiful blue bar area and the color and finish you used in that space? I’m hoping you can send so I can find and if you have not posted about that beautiful space, what are you waiting for??!!
Thanks so much! Yes I’ve done a before and after post: https://thezhush.com/our-high-gloss-blue-butlers-pantry/
I loved BM White OC-151 and then read where it’s not white but gray white. Do you agree? It looks much whiter to me than White Dover or some of the other white that have a yellow undertone. Your thoughts?
We used it in our beach house, I think it’s white white. Doesn’t read gray to me at all!
So glad to read your comments, Sue! I agree, but was starting to doubt my own eyes (like the “Emperor Wearing No Clothes”)! I just today read that one of the most popular Benjamin Moore whites doesn’t cover as well as OC-151 because that “popular” white lacks any color in it and it won’t cover as well as OC-151 which has the added color of black. (It might have been Super White, but not sure.) Frankly, I think one of the reasons why Decorator’s White and Super White became popular was because of their names! So interesting (and frustrating) to read about white paint colors as you’re trying to make a decision. What I loved about OC-151 when I first compared it to White Dove, Decorator’s White and some of the others is the lack of cream or yellow in it. Thank you for your reply. I must learn to trust my own eyes!
I don’t think it looks gray at all. I think it has a very clean white look.
Hi there! Wondering if you could give advice on which white to choose for trim in a bedroom with a van deusen blue ceiling and classic gray walls. Picking a white is much harder than I thought it would be!
Hmmm, maybe try mixing a little of the same gray wall color into dove white by Benjamin Moore!
White dove is always a great choice!
I’m so happy to hear that someone other than me used OC-151! I have it on my kitchen cabinets and trim throughout my condo and I love it!! Seems all I ever hear about is white dove and simply white. OC-151 is so clean and doesn’t have yellow undertones.
YES! 🙂