White Exterior Paint Colors: Upload Your House and Try a White

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Two whites that look the same on a chip can look very different on a whole house. Upload a photo of your house below to see a white on your own walls, then read what four published sources say about warm and bright whites, trim, sun and samples.

Try any exterior color

Before and after examples

Example images are AI-generated: both the sample houses and their redesigns. Results change from render to render, so treat them as concepts, not exact product matches.

AI-drawn generic stand-in of a two-story house with dark green horizontal siding, black shutters, a black front door, a black garage door, white gable trim and a black shingle roof — Example 1 (prompt 1 below; the before is an AI-drawn generic stand-in house, not a real photo): the dark green is now a bright, clean white on every wall, and the black shutters, door, garage door and roof were kept. One side effect to notice: the white gable trim now disappears into the white siding. This is a picture of one white, not a real paint chip.

The same house with bright white siding on every wall including the garage wall; the black shutters, black front door, black garage door and black roof kept — Example 1 (prompt 1 below; the before is an AI-drawn generic stand-in house, not a real photo): the dark green is now a bright, clean white on every wall, and the black shutters, door, garage door and roof were kept. One side effect to notice: the white gable trim now disappears into the white siding. This is a picture of one white, not a real paint chip.

AI-drawn generic stand-in of a one-story house with brown shingle-style siding, a gable on the left, a window with gray-blue shutters, a dark front door, a brown garage door and a brown roof — Example 2 (prompt 2 below; the before is an AI-drawn generic stand-in house, not a real photo): we asked for a warm white with a gray-beige undertone and no yellow, and the siding came out a pale cream with a yellow cast, so the undertone we typed is not the undertone we got. The shutters, doors and roof were kept, and the shingle texture is fainter than before. This is why the sources say to test real samples.

The same house with pale cream siding on every wall; the gray-blue shutters, dark front door, brown garage door and brown roof kept — Example 2 (prompt 2 below; the before is an AI-drawn generic stand-in house, not a real photo): we asked for a warm white with a gray-beige undertone and no yellow, and the siding came out a pale cream with a yellow cast, so the undertone we typed is not the undertone we got. The shutters, doors and roof were kept, and the shingle texture is fainter than before. This is why the sources say to test real samples.

AI-drawn generic stand-in of a two-story house with red-brown brick walls, white gable and porch trim, black shutters on the upper windows, a black front door, a black garage door and a dark gray roof — Example 3 (prompt 3 below; the before is an AI-drawn generic stand-in house, not a real photo): all the brick, including the gable, now reads as a pale cream-yellow, not the soft warm white with no yellow that we asked for, and the brick joints still show. The black shutters, door, garage door, trim and roof were kept. Painting brick is hard to undo, so look first and test a sample patch.

The same house with all the brick painted a pale cream-yellow, with the brick joints still visible; the black shutters, door, garage door and roof kept — Example 3 (prompt 3 below; the before is an AI-drawn generic stand-in house, not a real photo): all the brick, including the gable, now reads as a pale cream-yellow, not the soft warm white with no yellow that we asked for, and the brick joints still show. The black shutters, door, garage door, trim and roof were kept. Painting brick is hard to undo, so look first and test a sample patch.

What the AI can and cannot do

It can repaint the walls, the brick or the trim in your photo a white you describe while usually keeping the shape of the house and the parts you tell it to keep, so you can judge how white looks against your roof, windows and door.

It cannot match a real paint color or an undertone. In two of our three examples we asked for a warm white with no yellow and the result had a yellow cast. Check the whole image, name every part you want repainted and test a real sample afterwards.

What white paint sources say

The points below come from four published sources: Mr. Happy House, "10 Best White Paint Colors for Exterior of House" (no author or date shown; a North Houston roofing, siding and painting company that links to paint sample kits through an affiliate partner); Plank & Pillow, "Best White Exterior Paint Colors for Your Home" (by Brooke, no date shown; a house-plan and design site that also promotes products); Kaitlin Madden, "10 Gorgeous Exterior White Paint Colors You'll Love for Years" (a personal design blog that promotes peel-and-stick samples through an affiliate link); and Life on Virginia Street, "The Best Exterior White Paint Colors" (first published April 3, 2018; a blog with affiliate links). All four earn from something, so treat them as opinions, not rules.

White named	How the sources describe it
Sherwin-Williams Pure White	Plank & Pillow: neutral with a slight warmth and the brightest white it would use outside. Mr. Happy House: bright, clean and not stark. Kaitlin Madden: like Chantilly Lace with a slight warmth.
Sherwin-Williams Extra White	Mr. Happy House: no cool or warm undertone and brighter than Pure White. Kaitlin Madden: a classic cool white with enough gray to avoid looking stark, which pairs with dark gray or black trim.
Sherwin-Williams Alabaster	Mr. Happy House: gray and beige base, creamy, neither overly warm nor stark. Kaitlin Madden: slightly darker and warmer than White Dove, suited to craftsman and cottage houses with wood accents.
Sherwin-Williams Oyster White	Warm and greige. Mr. Happy House and Life on Virginia Street suggest it for painted brick or brown accents; Plank & Pillow says it complements wood accents.
Benjamin Moore White Dove	Plank & Pillow: a soft white with a hint of warm gray, popular for brick and cottages. Kaitlin Madden: just short of bright white, warm without looking yellow.
Benjamin Moore Simply White	Plank & Pillow: warm with a slight yellow undertone, and it can look brighter than expected in strong southern or western sun. Kaitlin Madden: an off-white that often reads as bright white outdoors.
Sherwin-Williams White Duck	Mr. Happy House: a warm neutral blending greige and cream. Plank & Pillow: creamy, soft in full sun and showing more cream on cloudy or rainy days.

Tips from the sources

Light. Plank & Pillow says strong south or west sun can wash out brighter whites, so a warmer white helps, while shadier or north-facing homes often do better with cleaner whites. Kaitlin Madden says to check the undertones of your roof, brick, stone, trim and driveway and choose a white that coordinates.
Trim and contrast. Plank & Pillow prefers the same white on trim; Kaitlin Madden says bright white can look harsh against a dark, bold color. For black or dark trim on a white house, see white house with black trim and exterior trim colors.
Brick and wood. Kaitlin Madden says warm whites are less stark next to brick and warm woods. See brick and siding combinations.
Sheen. The sources barely cover it. In a reply to a reader, Plank & Pillow recommends a flat finish to avoid a plastic-looking shine; the AI picture does not show sheen.
Samples. Test several whites on the house itself at different times of day and in different weather, and keep a sample next to your actual windows.

Three white changes to try

The examples were run directly on an image model, not through the tool above, so your results will look different.

Bright white over a dark body. Example 1 turns a dark green house bright white and keeps the black shutters, door and roof.
A warm white. Example 2 asks for a warm white; the result is a cream with a yellow cast.
White on brick. Example 3 paints all the brick; the result is cream-yellow with the joints still visible.

How to try a white on your house

Photograph the front in daylight, straight on, from far enough back that the whole house fits in the frame.
Upload it in the tool at the top of this page, or open the exterior designer, choose a style and click generate.
Name the parts and the white and list what must stay the same, like the prompts below.
Check the whole image. Look at the trim, the shutters, the doors and the roof, and run it again if something moved or the white looks yellow or gray.

The exact prompts behind the examples

These are the edit prompts used for the three examples, word for word. Change the parts, the white and the list of what stays to suit your house.

Prompt 1: bright clean white on every wall

Change ONLY the wall paint color: repaint the dark green siding on every wall, including the garage wall, a bright clean white. Keep the black window frames, the black front door, the black garage door, the roof, the lawn, the driveway and the camera angle exactly the same.

Prompt 2: warm white with a gray-beige undertone

Change ONLY the wall paint color: repaint the brown siding on every wall a warm white with a slight gray-beige undertone, not yellow. Keep the white trim, the dark front door, the brown garage door, the brown roof, the lawn, the driveway and the camera angle exactly the same.

Prompt 3: soft warm white on all the brick

Change ONLY the brick: paint all the brick on every wall a soft warm white with no yellow in it. Keep the white trim, the black window frames, the black front door, the black garage door, the roof, the lawn, the driveway and the camera angle exactly the same.

Before you buy paint

Test real samples. Look at the white on your own house in your own light, wet and dry.
Check the roof, brick and trim. Make sure the white works with the parts you are keeping.
Check your HOA or town for exterior color rules.

Who this is for

Homeowners and buyers planning to repaint white, or to repaint before a sale, who want to see a white on their own house before they buy paint or hire a painter.

More exterior ideas

See the exterior paint visualizer for any color, siding colors, vinyl siding colors and two-tone house exterior ideas for combining a white with a second color.

Frequently asked questions

Can I try white exterior paint on a photo of my own house?

Yes. Upload a photo of the front of your house in the tool at the top of this page, say which parts to repaint and which white, and list what must stay the same. Free accounts get 2 free renders in most countries; free renders are watermarked.

Will the picture match a real white paint color?

No. The AI draws a white from your description, and a screen and the light in your photo change how a white looks. In our second and third examples we asked for a warm white without yellow and got a cream with a yellow cast. Use the picture to judge the placement and the contrast with your trim and roof, then test real samples on your house.

Which white do the sources name most often?

Sherwin-Williams Pure White, Sherwin-Williams Oyster White and Sherwin-Williams Alabaster, Benjamin Moore White Dove and Benjamin Moore Simply White each appear in at least two of the four sources on this page, with different descriptions. For example, Plank & Pillow calls Pure White the brightest white it would use on a house exterior, while Mr. Happy House calls it clean and not stark. These are bloggers’ and a contractor’s opinions, not a ranking.

Should the trim be the same white as the walls?

It depends on the source. Plank & Pillow prefers the same white on the trim and says a brighter or slightly darker trim white can add subtle contrast. Life on Virginia Street has a reader suggesting one white for body and trim to avoid a busy look, especially with stone, and another suggesting a light gray trim. Kaitlin Madden says a bright white can look harsh against a dark, bold color. Example 1 on this page shows white trim vanishing into white siding.

Do whites look different in sun and shade?

The sources say yes. Plank & Pillow says strong south or west sun can wash out brighter whites so a warmer white helps, and shadier or north-facing houses often do better with cleaner whites. Kaitlin Madden says a white can look yellow, blue or dingy outdoors even if it looked fine indoors. Life on Virginia Street says gray weather can make some whites look cooler.

What white goes with brick or stone?

Kaitlin Madden says warm whites look less stark next to brick and warm woods like cedar, and that cool whites can suit houses with lots of stone or a black or slate roof. Mr. Happy House and Life on Virginia Street both name Oyster White for painted brick or brown accents. Example 3 paints brick white; the result came out cream-yellow.

How should I test a white before I paint?

Plank & Pillow suggests testing at least three to five colors directly on the exterior and viewing them at different times of day and in different weather. Life on Virginia Street suggests large peel-and-stick samples and testing a sample next to your actual windows, since white windows can shift the tone. Kaitlin Madden also recommends peel-and-stick samples.

Try it on your own house

Upload your house photo

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