We've written about white in a color scheme many times on Apartment Therapy. There are many whites to choose from and they all depend on the level of light in the space. Let's add another factor in - the tone of the space. Check out this white paint roundup after the jump...
Warm colors are said to advance a space, creating a sense of intimacy and a cozy feeling.
Cool colors are said to recede, or back away, making a space feel larger.
[All paint colors via Benjamin Moore]
Here's more useful information about using color:
Top 10: White Paints
AT on Color 101: Cool Colors & Warm Colors
The Power Of Color And Moods
Roundup: Escaping to Color
Find Your Style: 20 Classic to Contemporary Kitchens to Add to Your Inspiration Board
Beth's Romantic & Retro Residence
Good Food to Share 
The Big Book of Small, Cool Spaces 
Apartment Therapy Presents 
The Eight-Step Home Cure 
Shaw's Original Fir...
How To Make Perfect Bacon in the Oven
How To Cook Tender, Chewy Wheat Berries on the Stovetop
the day i realized that white wasn't just white my head exploded.
Lol....I hope you're sitting down Pistachio because, black just isn't black either.
I never gave much thought to all of the white options until I started reading AT! And, I have to agree, my head almost exploded too....until I painted my open kitchen and dining room Benjamin Moore Decorators White this past weekend after seeing Victoria's kitchen transformation! I feel totally liberated now to re-accesorize with bright color and art against the white...woo hoo!
Best TIP ever:
Compare the white you choose to a pure white chip and look at the undertone. Is it pink? yellow? green? blue?
Then compare your choice to the color of your trim -- especially if the trim is a brighter shade of white.
I learned the hard way.
My labor day weekend started out so well when I selected what appeared to be a warm white from Benjamin Moore. Pottery Barn has great little palette of their favorite chips from BM -- complimentary in stores. I fanned it open, loved Acadia -- a nice neutral warm white -- and had some mixed that day. It worked with my fabric swatches and wood colors in natural day light, so I was convinced that it would work in the room, which gets lots of morning light. So I go home, prep, cut in, paint... all with this sinking awareness that the color is in fact a cool white with the palest celedon green undertone.
En masse, what looked like 2 square inches of warm white was in fact a beautiful shade of cool white. Great, if that's what you want. But I want a warm white for my carpet and wood colors (oatmeal and walnut).
I went back to look all of PB's recommendations and discovered that most of the white/beige/yellow colors they sugges have a subtle green undertone. UGH.
In the end it was a waste of money and my labor day weekend. I'm not happy to have to paint all over again. :-(
If I had compared the chip -- or better, a sample area on the wall -- to my lighter white trim, I would have noticed the green and picked another color.
I just painted my hallway with RL's cove point-- an off-white recommended by AT. It looks great! It reminds me of clean sand.
One of the things I love about Living Etc. magazine is that they typically mention the paint color and brand featured in their interiors editorial spreads.
Wish more US magazines did the same thing.