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paint colors, shiplap

White Paint Colors: 5 Favorites for Shiplap

February 15, 2017

best white paint colors to paint shiplap | www.theharperhouse.com
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I get lots of questions each month about paint colors. Specifically, what’s the best white paint colors? And what color should I paint my shiplap? So I thought I’d take a little time today to share some pictures of my favorite white paint colors for shiplap to hopefully help you all out in your paint choosing conundrums. **but remember, regardless of what us experts say about paint colors – always take the time to buy a few samples and test them out in your own space. Colors change throughout the day and differ drastically depending on lighting conditions and other undertones in your room.


5 Best White Paint Colors to Paint Shiplap:

best white paint colors to paint shiplap; sherwin williams alabaster | www.theharperhouse.com

1. Alabaster – Sherwin Williams

best white paint colors for shiplap - sw alabaster | www.theharperhouse.com

Mouse House living room – SW Alabaster on shiplap

Mouse House master bath – shiplap is SW Alabaster

You can’t go wrong painting your shiplap this gorgeous warm white, Alabaster from Sherwin Williams. We chose this color for all the shiplap in Mouse House and I absolutely loved it (we used the eggshell sheen.) It’s warm but not yellow, and I loved the way it contrasted against the engineered oak floors we installed.

The queen of shiplap herself (Joanna) used Alabaster on the shiplap in her farmhouse. Brittany Hayes, of the awesome blog Addison’s Wonderland also chose Alabaster for all the trim in her new historic remodel and the shiplap in her daughter’s room. (Be prepared to spend the next hour feasting on all the gorgeous details and pics of her new home!)

2. White Dove – Benjamin Moore

favorite white paint colors for shiplap - BM white dove | www.theharperhouse.com

our current living room

White Dove by Benjamin Moore is a favorite among designers, and it’s also the color I chose to paint the shiplap currently going up in MY house! It’s a nice warm white and we’re pairing it with BM Simply White trim (a true white) for a bit more contrast. The current state of our living room is above. (we’re going to paint that brown triangle up there the middle color which is SW Silver Strand).

Veteran farmhouse blogger, Liz Marie used White Dove throughout her previous home too so you know it must be good. So tip: when in doubt, you can’t go wrong with White Dove.

3. Simply White – Benjamin Moore

BM Simply White | source: STUDIO MCGEE

Third on the list is Simply White by Benjamin Moore. It’s a clean crisp white with no noticeable undertones. Looks great on shiplap, kitchen cabinets, trim, and doors. We will be painting all the trim and doors in our house this color. Leans a bit more modern, as shown above in the gorgeous mudroom by husband and wife team, Syd and Shea McGee from Studio McGee. I am obsessed with their light and bright design aesthetic!

4. China White – Benjamin Moore

BM China White | source: Tracery Interiors

If you’re looking for white paint color that leans a tad more cool and gray, a great one to try would be China White by Benjamin Moore. It’s a favorite of Paige Schnell, owner of one of my favorite design studios, Tracery Interiors. She also wrote a gorgeous coffee table book:

5. Extra White – Sherwin Williams

SW Extra White | source: The Guest House Studio

Finally, we have Extra White by Sherwin Williams which is a bright white with just a tad bit blueish undertone. Use this color in a space with lots of natural light to counteract the warmth of the sun if you want a true white. I love how designer Christyn Dunning from The Guest House Studio used it in the gorgeous hallway above (the blue door is painted BM Yarmouth Blue.) Extra White is also a fantastic white paint color to use for trim and doors, like Erin Gates of Elements of Style used in her home here.

I hope this post was able to help you choose the best white paint colors to paint your shiplap. Do you have a favorite white that you’ve used recently? Share with us in the comments, and be sure to join the link up party below. Have an awesome week!

Check out these other posts about shiplap:

Where to Buy Real Shiplap

Adding Shiplap to the Flip House

15 Awesome Shiplap Tutorials

 

pin this to save for later:

best white paint colors to paint shiplap; sherwin williams alabaster | www.theharperhouse.com

 

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decorating farmhouse paint colors shiplap white paint colors
by Christy Harper 
87 Comments

About Christy Harper

I'm a former copywriter addicted to shiplap, Pinterest, and chocolate chip cookies. I now happily help my hubby flip houses full time, while documenting our adventures on the blog. Thanks for reading!

View all posts by Christy Harper

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Comments

  1. Toni | Small Home Soul says: February 23, 2017 at 9:53 PM

    Ahhhh, I love shiplap and all these pictures are lovely. But the most lovely is the shiplap being installed in your home πŸ˜€

    Reply
    • theharperhouse says: February 24, 2017 at 4:06 PM

      you’re so sweet Toni! Thanks so much – it’s amazing how much of a difference it makes to an otherwise boring space! Have a great week, my friend πŸ™‚

      Reply
  2. Wesley says: March 11, 2017 at 8:26 AM

    Amazing shiplap color advice. Would love your thoughts on painting a shiplap accent wall. 3 wall open room…paint two side walls (drywall) the same color as the shiplap or a different color like you’re doing above with the Silver Strand?

    Reply
    • theharperhouse says: March 13, 2017 at 8:56 AM

      Thanks for your comment Wesley – if the room is open I would probably paint the drywall whatever color is on the other walls in the open space. If you’d like the shiplap to be more a feature or focal point in the room, you can paint that a different color than the walls. Hope this helps πŸ™‚

      Reply
  3. debbie says: March 14, 2017 at 9:47 AM

    Love these choices Christy, I have used White Dove for trim in my home since I am not a white wall kind of gal…but I don’t have shiplap either :). Love the rooms, especially your bathroom from the mouse house, it is a stunning bath!

    Reply
  4. Kathy says: March 26, 2017 at 9:56 PM

    We’ll be using shiplap for walls and a cathedral ceiling in our new construction cabin. Do you recommend using the same white from floor to the ceiling apex? We do have a definite transition height where a color change could take place. I’m just not sure if I should use the same white for everything.

    Reply
    • theharperhouse says: March 27, 2017 at 12:00 PM

      Hi Kathy, do you mean you’re also using shiplap on both ceiling and walls? Personally, I like to use the same color on walls unless you’d like to draw attention to something, create contrast, or some other design trick (like visually lowering the ceiling like we’re doing in our current home.) Joanna painted the ceilings and walls all the same color in her farmhouse (SW Alabaster) which you can check out here: https://magnoliamarket.com/the-farmhouse/

      Reply
  5. Jeannine says: April 13, 2017 at 7:39 PM

    Is it possible to let me know what white to use with my wainscotting which is painted kellymoore swiss coffee. I’m thinking about the upper half of the wall as painted white as well but thought swiss coffee would be to white white. Maybe a warm white would be nice. For my 1/2 bath with a pedestal sink and beveled glass mirror.

    Thanks,
    Jeannine

    ps. love your blog.

    Reply
    • theharperhouse says: April 17, 2017 at 10:01 PM

      Hi Jeannine, I would probably go with a nice crisp white like Benjamin Moore’s Simply White. Grab a sample first though to make sure it works in your space with the current finishes and lighting.

      Reply
      • Jeannine says: April 18, 2017 at 12:51 PM

        Thank you. I will be picking ups samples of Simply White, Alabaster, and White Dove today and will let you know.

        Warmest regards, Jeannine

        Reply
        • Kim Perry says: October 6, 2017 at 7:17 AM

          What finish did you use

          Reply
  6. sheril says: April 26, 2017 at 11:00 AM

    Gorgeous hallway! It’s time to reorganize my hallway and i am going to change things up!!!. I don’t decorate and I don’t have shiplap, but I have figured out what i really like. You are definitely an inspiration.

    Reply
    • theharperhouse says: April 28, 2017 at 9:49 AM

      thanks so much Sheril πŸ™‚

      Reply
      • Kim Perry says: October 6, 2017 at 7:16 AM

        You like the white dove what finish do you use for example pearl finish eggshell…

        Reply
        • Christy Harper says: October 9, 2017 at 10:33 AM

          For our current home (in these pics) we used Sherwin Williams Cashmere paint in Low Lustre for the shiplap (BM White Dove). The sheen is similar to a slightly shiny satin – I love it! Hope this helps, thanks for reading πŸ™‚

          Reply
          • Amy Meiencke says: January 23, 2019 at 7:37 AM

            Did you carry that low luster sheen onto all the trimwork and doors? I am putting shiplap in my new house construction and some walls will be board and batten. Everything white but doors black. Trying to diffuse out if I should use the low luster aornsatun finish on eveything. Also afraid will confuse painters if I do some semi-gloss and some satin.

          • Christy Harper says: January 23, 2019 at 8:56 AM

            Hi Amy – we always use semi gloss on all trim and doors just because it’s easier to wipe down and keep clean. I also like the slight contrast it lends between walls/trim (even using the same color paint, if you use a different sheen you will notice a difference). Also, do what YOU want and don’t worry about confusing the painters. If they can’t understand simple directions, they shouldn’t be working for you! Good luck πŸ™‚

  7. Bonnie says: May 24, 2017 at 8:23 AM

    Beautiful rooms! I’m in the middle of a kitchen renovation and just put in shiplap. I want to paint it white, along with the cabinets. Would you recommend painting the cabinets and the shiplap the same or a different shade of white? I love sw alabaster, but am not sure what color to use as contrast.

    Reply
    • theharperhouse says: May 24, 2017 at 10:53 AM

      thanks so much Bonnie πŸ™‚ You can paint them the same color if you prefer a monotone look (Joanna painted her kitchen cabs and shiplap in her own farmhouse both Alabaster.) However if you’d like some contrast, I’d recommend painting the cabinets a crisper white (Benjamin Moore Super White or Chantilly Lace are nice) and then use a warmer white like Alabaster on the shiplap. Hope this helps πŸ™‚

      Reply
      • Bonnie says: May 24, 2017 at 11:06 AM

        Thanks so much! I was stuck! Can’t wait to see it finished!

        Reply
        • Pat says: July 27, 2019 at 7:18 AM

          I am building a sunroom and I have not thought about using shiplap on the ceiling. I am going to use it on the wall but I read where a person was using it on the ceiling . What do you think of this

          Reply
          • Christy Harper says: August 1, 2019 at 8:30 AM

            I think it would look lovely on the ceiling! We used a pine shiplap on the ceiling in one of our flip houses. I think it turned out great. You can see it in this post.

  8. Kellie says: May 25, 2017 at 4:44 PM

    This is such a great post! I loved it! I used Alabaster and white dove in my home!

    Reply
    • theharperhouse says: May 27, 2017 at 8:36 AM

      thanks Kellie, yes those are 2 of my favorites for sure! πŸ™‚

      Reply
  9. Julie says: June 18, 2017 at 12:41 AM

    What color do I paint the drywall behind the shiplap to get that contrast between the cracks of the boards? Thanks in advance!

    Reply
    • theharperhouse says: June 19, 2017 at 10:18 AM

      Hi Julie, you don’t need to paint the drywall any color if you’re using the real square edged shiplap that I mention in this post: https://www.theharperhouse.com/where-to-buy-shiplap/. The contrast between the cracks is created by a shadow. Hope this helps πŸ™‚

      Reply
  10. Heidi says: June 24, 2017 at 4:06 PM

    We’re putting shiplap in our basement along with drywall. I’m going to paint the walls BM white dove and the trim BM simply white. For the finish I got eggshell for the wall and pearl/satin for the trim. What are you doing or have found works best for finish? Also, you should check out Chris Loves Julia blog – their shiplap wall in their finished basement looks great.

    Reply
    • theharperhouse says: June 29, 2017 at 9:59 AM

      Hi Heidi, for finishes we like to use eggshell or satin on walls & shiplap and then semi gloss on trim. I prefer a shinier trim and find that it makes for easier clean up (and lord knows my kids love to scuff up the trim! LOL) Thanks for visiting πŸ™‚

      Reply
  11. Selena says: July 4, 2017 at 10:57 AM

    We are having wood built ins made for both sides of our fireplace. The back of the upper shelves will be shiplap and the cabinet top will be stained. I’m having a hard time with what finish to use. The guy making them says he usually does semi gloss lacquer over the entire thing, but I’m afraid it will be too shiny. My trim and mantle are semigloss already. Would you suggest using eggshell/satin over the entire thing or use semigloss and just make the shiplap a flatter finish?

    Reply
    • Christy Harper says: July 4, 2017 at 11:26 AM

      Hi Selena – sounds like a gorgeous project! Yes, I would go with eggshell or satin for the shiplap and then semi gloss for your cabinets. Personally, I prefer a slightly shinier look on my cabs and it will be much easier to wipe clean. Good luck!

      Reply
  12. Tina Jennings says: July 18, 2017 at 11:54 AM

    We are opening a restaurant later this year and are using shiplap on the walls. I am going with Sherwin Williams Alabaster for the walls in a satin finish. Which paint type would you recommend using and what primer? I have heard that the wood can “bleed” through the paint after a couple of years and I want to take all steps to avoid this from happening. Thank you.

    Reply
    • Christy Harper says: July 21, 2017 at 1:53 PM

      Hi Tina, thanks so much for reading. Sounds like you’ve got a fun project in the works! I bet your restaurant will be gorgeous with shiplap. By far, the best primer we’ve used is the shellac based primer BIN by Zinsser (link here: http://amzn.to/2uiTYzo) It sealed all the knots in the shiplap where other primers failed. It is very smelly and you’ll need good ventilation. Also allow it to “cure” for at least 24 hours before painting over it with your final color. It’s expensive, but does an amazing job! Good luck πŸ™‚

      Reply
  13. Beverly says: September 7, 2017 at 1:41 PM

    hi,
    I have a small hall bathroom with no natural light. If I used dove white on the shiplap, what finish would you use? flat, satin, glossy…and on the trim…same white? different white? and what finish on the trim?

    Reply
    • Christy Harper says: September 11, 2017 at 11:05 AM

      Hi Beverly, I would suggest using either satin or semi-gloss on your bathroom shiplap. They will be easier to wipe clean and will withstand moisture a tad better than flat. For the trim, I’d suggest semi gloss finish and for a monochromatic look, you can use Dove White on the trim as well. However, if you want a bit more contrast between the wall & trim, try a brighter white like Benjamin Moore Simply White.

      Reply
  14. Natalie says: October 16, 2017 at 6:30 PM

    You’re blog has helped me so much. Thank you!
    My question is: We painted all of our basement walls with β€œquiet moments” by BM and now have decided to shiplap most of the walls in the basement. Will we have to paint the walls white before applying shiplap, or will the painted walls underneath not come through?

    Reply
    • Christy Harper says: October 17, 2017 at 11:18 AM

      So glad you found my blog Natalie πŸ™‚ It just depends on how much space you leave between your shiplap (and if you use the real rabbeted edge shiplap or make your own by cutting plywood planks). If you use the real shiplap with the rabbet edges, that little piece of wood overlaps and the wall color beneath doesn’t show through at all so you would not need to repaint the walls prior to installing. We used the real shiplap and this post has more info for you: https://www.theharperhouse.com/where-to-buy-shiplap/ . Good luck!

      Reply
  15. debbie says: October 19, 2017 at 2:20 PM

    Hi Christy,
    My husband and I are building a farmhouse. I am thinking of BM Balboa Mist on walls of family/living rooms and BM White Dove on the trim. I am having a hard time with my foyer and upstairs hallway color. I like BM Revere Pewter, however I’m worried it may be to dark. It is a large area and tons on natural light and I do have a sample test done. Should I go with a softer gray like SW Repose Gray? Entering my mud room I will have shiplap. I am running White Dove on all trim and wondering if I should just paint shiplap the same. Thoughts?? Thank you in advance. πŸ™‚

    Reply
    • Christy Harper says: October 20, 2017 at 1:10 PM

      Hi Debbie, sounds like your farmhouse will be beautiful! On your shiplap question, I would definitely use the same color as your trim (just to make things easier and more cohesive). White Dove is a great choice and we used that for our shiplap in our current home and it’s gorgeous. Without seeing your home and lighting I can’t really say about your foyer/upstairs color. However to my eye, while looking at my BM & SW fan decks – it looks like Revere Pewter is a better match with Balboa Mist (they look like they have the same beigy undertones) whereas Repose Gray looks more gray than beige. There’s a reason Revere Pewter is one of the most popular colors of ALL time – you can’t really go wrong with that color! So my vote would be Revere Pewter (for whatever it’s worth, lol!) Good luck πŸ™‚

      Reply
  16. Dan says: December 12, 2017 at 9:44 AM

    Sorry if this has been asked already. I’m going to use SW Alabaster for my shiplap… would you paint the trim around windows/baseboards/corners the same Alabaster or contrast with a bright white?

    Reply
    • Christy Harper says: December 12, 2017 at 11:32 AM

      Hi Dan – you can do either, it’s totally personal preference. Joanna painted her trim the same color as the shiplap (Alabaster) but if you want more of a contrast, you can always paint your trim a brighter white or even a light gray or taupe which is popular right now as well. Good luck!

      Reply
  17. Sian Cromer says: January 19, 2018 at 6:20 PM

    Hi Christy! Your blog has been so helpful!! We are painting our office in Alabaster, and I wanted to know if we should paint the ceiling and trim in the same color.
    What are your thoughts?

    Reply
    • Christy Harper says: January 21, 2018 at 2:55 PM

      Thanks for your sweet comment, Sian! Honestly, we use the standard “ceiling white” paint at our local box store (Menards) but Lowes & Home Depot carry their own ceiling versions as well. It’s cheaper than Sherwin Williams or Benjamin Moore too. For trim, it depends on whether you’d like a monotone look or if you prefer your trim to be more of a focal point. If you’d like it to stand you, I’d recommend painting the trim a slightly brighter white to create some contrast like Simply White or Super White both by Benjamin Moore. Good luck!

      Reply
  18. Doreen says: January 26, 2018 at 8:12 PM

    Christy,
    So happy I just found your website with advise on white paints.! We are in a complete house remodel and I’m struggling with white paints. Looking for a warm white for shiplap to go with our wide plank pine floors , which we left more of a natural pine color. We have wide moldings on baseboards and windows , which I do want to stand out from white shiplap. In reading through your advise to others, sounds like white dove on shiplap with maybe simple white on trim boards would be nice contrast.
    My problem is the kitchen cabinets. I’m going with soapstone, including on our large island. Stainless appliances.
    Any advise on cabinet paint colors. ? I’m driving my husband crazy ( and myself). Any suggestions would be most appreciated!

    Reply
    • Christy Harper says: January 29, 2018 at 11:28 AM

      So glad you found my blog Doreen! I definitely think White Dove will look great on your shiplap (it’s the color I chose for my own home’s shiplap) and Simply White will give a nice subtle contrast for your trim (I’d suggest using semi gloss on trim and satin or eggshell for shiplap.) Were you wanting white kitchen cabinets or another color altogether? If white, I’d go ahead and stick with White Dove. There’s dozens of pics online of White Dove kitchen cabinets. It’s a designer favorite for a reason πŸ™‚ If you’d like gray, my fave is BM Fieldstone (nice warm light gray.) Either way, be sure to grab a few samples first to see how the colors look in your own home with your floors and natural light. Lighting is a huge factor and north facing vs. southern exposure, etc.. can all look extremely different. Good luck!

      Reply
  19. Donna says: February 6, 2018 at 1:23 PM

    Christy…I added a room and will have shiplap on one accent wall. I will paint the other 2 walls another color. Since I have stained trim in rest of house I was going to stain the trim in this room. Question is..should I paint the trim on that shiplap wall? or put stained trim on all the walls. Thanks

    Reply
    • Christy Harper says: February 14, 2018 at 12:25 PM

      Hi Donna, that really depends on personal preference. Personally, I think painted trim would look best against your shiplap wall and therefore I would paint the trim to match in that room as well. But if you like stained trim, do what you love and throw the rule book out the window! πŸ™‚

      Reply
  20. Paula Meitzler says: April 7, 2018 at 11:27 AM

    Hi’ re-doing a living area (den) one wall is fireplace/windows/shiplap’ that I
    want to paint either Alabaster or Wh doveβ€”- My problem is I can’t decide on a wall colorβ€”-
    I’m not a gray person so would like a light tan colorβ€”β€” I’m looking at Madison Blanche SW or Natural Tan SWβ€”-
    Do you know something else to try? I’m so scared of getting a mauve or pink ton in the tans
    Thank You’
    Paula

    Reply
    • Christy Harper says: April 9, 2018 at 12:15 PM

      Hi Paula, from my swatch book it looks like Maison Blanche has peach undertones. Wall colors are hard to choose because each space is different based on the amount of natural light reflected in the space and other undertones in the room. A paint color will look drastically different in a darker north facing room versus a sunny south facing space. My best advice is to just buy a few samples of your favorite colors and paint them on some poster board or even directly on the wall. You will never know for sure unless you get your own samples and while samples do cost money, it’s a small price to pay from having to repaint an entire room! With that said, you could try Tapestry Beige from Benjamin Moore which is a color in the middle of the two that you mentioned and it has green undertones – so no pink or mauve. Hope this helps πŸ™‚

      Reply
    • Nimarie says: September 15, 2018 at 11:51 PM

      Hi Paula, not sure if you ended up painting your walls yet..I just wanted to throw out a beautiful beige, Ben Moore color out there just in case ……both my Mother & I have it painted in our homes & my Mom’s downstairs is is more of a open concept &this color is just beautiful with no pink undertones just a light & bright neutral beige , I have it in a long hallway with different painted rooms off it & with no windows t still so pretty!!!! It’s Bm Monroe Bisque. Just figured I throw that out there! Thanks !

      Reply
  21. Krista dunham says: May 11, 2018 at 2:07 PM

    I have been going back to this blog throughout our kitchen remodel! So helpful. We are doing shiplap backslash in our kitchen, and have already installed pre-painted white cabinets (like a creamy white) and a white/grey carerra quartz counters. Our ceiling is basic ceiling white and trim is a super bright white currently. We have two new windows, and I’m lost what to do with the trim. Same color as other trim through house? Same as shiplap? Same as cabinets? We were going to put up crown in kitchen that matched the new cabinets, so perhaps we have to redo all trim in house?! Haha yikes! Also, we kept going back and forth between sw alabaster and sw spare white for the shiplap color. I didn’t want it to match the cabinets so much( as alabaster does) do you think spare white is too dark? Probably preference, but I was hoping for a generally all white kitchen. None of that probably makes sense but I’m driving my husband (and myself!) crazy. Thanks in advance! Love your blog.

    Reply
    • Christy Harper says: May 14, 2018 at 9:18 AM

      Hi Krista, if you want more contrast between your cabinets and shiplap you can definitely go with Spare White. It does lean a little more gray (at least to my eyes) but I’m sure it would still look pretty. Just be sure to get a sample first to test out in your space! We painted all the shiplap in our house BM White Dove (including the shiplap we used as our kitchen backsplash.) I like it because it is nice clean white that is a little warmer – and it’s a designer’s favorite for a reason. It really does look great in all areas of the house. We used SW Simply White for our trim (semi gloss). It’s a tad brighter white than White Dove. If you like the white used on your cabinets, I would suggest just using that same white on trim as well for a nice cohesive look. And you can always update your other trim around the house as time allows later on. Living through a kitchen remodel is tough – just take a deep breath and try not to stress. It’s just paint! Easier said than done, I know – LOL! But chocolate helps too – good luck!

      Reply
  22. Elizabeth says: June 17, 2018 at 7:21 PM

    Hi! I just love your blog–so much beautiful inspiration!
    I am purchasing a spa and am doing a cleaner farmhouse look and I want to paint the walls white. My main source of light is a south facing window. I have been leaning towards Alabaster but do you think that’d read too yellow? My other window is north facing and I keep reading that the light reads more cooler so would a warmer color like Alabaster work well without being shadow-y? I want to keep it easy and cohesive too. Do you recommend keeping the trim Alabaster but in a different sheen, or brighten it up with Simply White? Thank you so much! I’m looking forward to your insight.

    Reply
    • Christy Harper says: June 18, 2018 at 11:48 AM

      Hi Elizabeth, I would recommend purchasing a few samples maybe Alabaster and Simply White both and then you can test them in your space to see what the undertones are. I just don’t want to give you bad advice and since I can’t see your space, it’s nearly impossible to recommend something. Alabaster definitely has a creamy/yellow undertone where Simply White is whiter with less undertone. However, Joanna did use Alabaster for her kitchen & living room (and trim) in her farmhouse and it looks gorgeous! Trim color is entirely personal preference – if you want your trim to be more prominent then you can paint it a brighter color than your walls like Simply White or Decorators White. However, if you want your space to be more monotone you can keep it the same. Personally, I like to paint my walls in a satin or eggshell sheen and my trim semi-gloss. Hope this helps πŸ™‚

      Reply
  23. Rachel says: June 22, 2018 at 11:48 AM

    I’ve used antique white by Behr before and it’s similar to alabaster. Love this. Pinning for later.

    Reply
    • Christy Harper says: June 22, 2018 at 1:52 PM

      thanks for sharing that info Rachel!

      Reply
  24. Amy says: August 9, 2018 at 8:15 AM

    Has anyone used Chantilly Lace on Shiplap? This is what I have picked out after reading different forums and looking at a ton of samples. It’s so hard to commit though when there are so many choices out there….

    Reply
    • Christy Harper says: August 11, 2018 at 12:29 PM

      I’m sure Chantilly Lace will look stunning! If you’ve looked at samples in your space and you’ve chosen that as the winner, I say go for it! πŸ™‚ But be sure to test a sample first!

      Reply
  25. Shari Smith says: September 8, 2018 at 9:37 PM

    Hey there! We’re set to paint our shiplap at the end of the week & of course, I’m second guessing myself on which white to use. I had decided upon SW Extra White & was excited to see that it had made your top 5 ; however, your post stated to use this color in a room with lots of natural light to counteract the sun’s natural warmth. WELL….my dilemma is, we do not have a lot of natural light – sun rises on one end of our home, setting on the opposite end. Which would you recommend? I like the looks of Alabaster, but, I don’t want it to look creamy white. Any advice? Thanks so much!

    Reply
    • Christy Harper says: September 10, 2018 at 9:52 AM

      Hi Shari, since I can’t see the natural lighting conditions in your house – your best bet is to just buy a sample of each to see which one you prefer. I ALWAYS buy samples – even if I get recommendations from a professional interior designer online, colors change SO much based on lighting conditions and other undertones in the space. Extra White definitely has a smidge of a blue undertone, while Alabaster leans more toward yellow. Good luck with your project!

      Reply
  26. Michelle says: September 27, 2018 at 3:45 AM

    This blog has been very helpful. I’m planning to shiplap the wall over my fireplace. My question is, do I paint the shiplap the same color of the trim and fireplace or would it be OK to paint it a different white, like alabaster, and leave the trim white? Also, my walls are a very light grey, should I go with a white with a grey undertone for the shiplap color? Thanks for any advice on this.

    Reply
    • Christy Harper says: September 27, 2018 at 8:58 AM

      If you are happy with your white trim color, I think it would be fine to paint the shiplap the same as the trim. However, if you’d like a little more contrast between your trim & shiplap then you can definitely paint it a different color. It’s just a matter of personal preference. The easiest solution would probably be paint it the same as the trim πŸ™‚ Alabaster has a slight yellow undertone so if that’s what you use, grab a sample first to make sure it looks ok with your trim color. Good luck!

      Reply
  27. Anne Peterson says: October 12, 2018 at 8:31 PM

    We’re nearing the end of a big remodeling job. Interior painting starts next week. The house has a very open floor plan, where the foyer opens to a cathedral ceiling living room, an adjacent dining room and an open kitchen. There are halls that fork off in both directions from the foyer. That said, we would like to use the same paint throughout those spaces. The home has a lot of windows and gets a lot of light! Floors are a 2-3/4″ french oak. We have added a full height ship lap fireplace flanked by floor to ceiling built-in bookcases.
    The trim throughout the house is in great shape, painted BM White Dove. I don’t want to repaint the trim because there’s so much of it and would like to minimize additional cost. My question is…what white could I use on the walls, the ship lap fireplace, and the bookcases if I wanted a little contrast from the trim? Also, do I paint the cathedral ceiling the same color as the walls?

    Reply
    • Christy Harper says: October 15, 2018 at 10:16 AM

      sounds like a gorgeous space, Anne! We used SW Alabaster in our previous flip house on the walls & shiplap and the trim was BM White Dove. There wasn’t a ton of contrast, but I think it looked great. If you want a bit more contrast, you could try a slightly grayer white like BM China White. Just grab some samples first to test out the colors in your space. For ceilings, we always just use plain flat ceiling white paint from the Menards or any big box store (cheaper and looks fine). Good luck!

      Reply
  28. Kate says: October 12, 2018 at 11:41 PM

    Did you have verticle seams between boards? My wall is only 12 feet and I can get shiplap this length which would leave no seams. I can’t decide what would look better. Maybe having seams makes it look more original?

    Reply
    • Christy Harper says: October 15, 2018 at 10:11 AM

      We tried to use the longer lengths so we would have fewer vertical seams. I think it’s just a matter of personal preference if you want vertical seams or not – either would look great. Good luck!

      Reply
  29. Celia says: January 5, 2019 at 12:24 AM

    Hi! Let me start by saying I love love LOVE your blog – so much helpful info! Two quick questions…
    1 – Does Sherwin Williams make a paint color similar to Benjamin Moore’s White Dove? By similar, I mean pretty much an exact match? Or should I just get them to color-match it?
    2 – In a west-facing room, which color would look more “yellowish”, White Dove or Alabaster? I don’t want stark-white modern, but I’m scared of the yellow that can sometimes show with Alabaster and White Dove.
    Thanks a million! πŸ™‚

    Reply
    • Christy Harper says: January 8, 2019 at 8:54 AM

      Hi Celia, I always just have Sherwin Williams color match Benjamin Moore colors (actually they both have each others’ color codes in their systems so if you go to SW and say you want BM White Dove, they already have the formula in their computers.) Unfortunately, I can’t give you much advice on your second question. I always suggest purchasing a sample jar of the colors you’re interested in and testing them in your own space as colors can look drastically different in every home and lighting situation! Thanks for reading!

      Reply
  30. Elsie Mcguire says: January 20, 2019 at 10:42 PM

    Hey! We are doing a shiplap accent wall in our bedroom.. the current color is SW β€œlight French gray”, our master only has two windows so I thought the alabaster would be good choice to add a little warmth.. what would you think?? Also, we are doing a shiplap wall in our master bath that gets a ton of natural light and is painted agreeable gray by SW.. what color white would you suggest for that shiplap? Or should we keep it the same??

    Reply
    • Christy Harper says: January 23, 2019 at 9:00 AM

      I think a shiplap wall painted Alabaster would look gorgeous with your Light French Gray walls. To keep things simple (and save $$) I would probably use the same color in your bath as well. Good luck with your projects!

      Reply
  31. Erin Reasoner says: August 9, 2019 at 1:45 PM

    I know I’m late on the bandwagon but this thread is exactly what I’m dealing with. I love BM white dove or dove white as I get them mixed up. My question is I painted my kitchen cabinets that in BM paint Advance I believe and I went ahead and painted the ceiling in my house flat paint in same color. I am wanting to paint the walls and trim and doors white. Where would you go with that. I plan on putting up some shiplap on a couple walls for dimension. Any help would be appreciated

    Reply
    • Christy Harper says: August 13, 2019 at 2:29 PM

      Any of these colors on the list would look great with White Dove, if that’s what you’re asking. I”ve used BM Simply White as trim with White Dove walls and it looks great. I’ve also used SW Alabaster on the walls. I personally prefer my trim and doors to be a tad whiter with a bit of contrast from the walls. So Simply White is a good one for trim and doors. Just be sure to grab a few samples first to see what they look like in your own space & lighting. Good luck!

      Reply
      • Victoria says: April 1, 2020 at 7:33 PM

        My husband and I have just purchased our first home and are doing tons of renovation! we love your blog and had a couple questions. When using this color combination for walls and trim.. what color have you painted the ceiling? Is there a specific color you used as opposed to just “standard ceiling color”. Thank you so much in advance!

        Reply
        • Christy Harper says: April 2, 2020 at 9:51 AM

          nope, we just use whatever the standard flat ceiling white color is at Menards (or your favorite big box store.) It’s decent quality, covers fine, and is far cheaper than “name brand” paints! Good luck with your project! Remodeling your fist home is so exciting, enjoy every minute πŸ™‚

          Reply
  32. Jenny says: August 31, 2019 at 5:55 PM

    I am putting Shiplap on my fireplace form floor to ceiling and I am having trouble knowing what color to paint the Shiplap. The walls are a custom warm but not yellow undertone white and the trim is a crisp white. Would you paint the Shiplap the same color as the walls or the trim?

    Reply
    • Christy Harper says: September 3, 2019 at 10:11 AM

      It’s a matter of personal preference so I don’t think there’s a right or wrong answer, but I think I would choose to paint the shiplap the same color as your trim. It would tie things in nicely with your trim and also create a bit of contrast from your walls. Hope this helps and good luck with your project! πŸ™‚

      Reply
  33. Julie Maslanka says: November 12, 2019 at 8:38 AM

    Thanks so much for all your great info. We just put shiplap on 2 walls in our beach front condo. One wall in the kitchen and one wall in the dining room. We face southwest. Our living room is very bright. The ship lap walls are in the kitchen and dining area so a little less bright. Trying to decide what colors to choose. Thinking Alabaster for the ship lap. Not sure about the wall colors in the living room. Maybe Snowdrop, Topsail or crisp linen.
    Also should the trim color match the ship lap color?

    Reply
    • Christy Harper says: November 15, 2019 at 1:20 PM

      I think Alabaster would be great for your shiplap, but just be sure to test a sample first as all colors can look differently depending on the lighting situation. I like to use Simply White for trim as it’s a little bit brighter/more white than Alabaster but you could definitely use Alabaster too just to keep things simple. Good luck!

      Reply
  34. JoAnn Halstead says: January 2, 2020 at 10:48 PM

    Your suggestions are awesome and we need your help!! We are building new home with open floor plan going with farmhouse look.. Our kitchen cabinets are purchased from Home Depot (Shaker style in Linen) with Island in Slate Blue. We liked Pittsburgh Swirling Smoke for the walls but when we tried it in the master closet it was darker. Any suggestions on a color for all walls? Bedrooms and bathroom will have shiplap as an accent wall. Should we paint shiplap the same as trim and what color trim do you recommend that would go with cabinets.

    Reply
  35. Joan Herbold says: October 29, 2020 at 1:11 PM

    Hi, love your suggestions… new to shiplap. just purchased our beach house and I want to put shiplap, one wall, in our bedroom.. I have decided to paint the wall a navy blue, put up shiplap with enough spacing to see a little navy color. But I don’t know if we should paint all walls the same color as shiplap. Our room has a yellow/white quilt, navy blue pillows, and yellow side tables… Can you help me?

    Reply
    • Christy Harper says: November 7, 2020 at 1:14 PM

      Hi Joan, thanks so much for reading my blog! I’m not sure if I understand, but I don’t think I would paint the wall under your shiplap navy unless you’re wanting a striped wall? If you paint a darker color under your white shiplap then leave spaces between the shiplap, you will get a striped effect. If you only do one wall in shiplap, then you could paint the other walls navy or blue color. However, if you’re looking for less contrast, you could also paint the walls without shiplap the same white shiplap color and then have your quilt and pillows be your pops of color. Hope this helps!

      Reply
  36. Donna says: January 16, 2021 at 8:49 PM

    Hi. I put shiplap over my fireplace mantle and was going to paint the shiplap white dove, my question is what color should I paint the mantle?
    Thank you
    Donna

    Reply
    • Christy Harper says: January 18, 2021 at 11:08 AM

      I have White Dove shiplap over my fireplace as well and we painted our mantle Simply White (Benjamin Moore) in semi-gloss. Simply White is just a tad bit brighter/whiter than White Dove. I love the look! Good luck πŸ™‚

      Reply

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