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:
1. Alabaster – Sherwin Williams
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
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:
Adding Shiplap to the Flip House
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Ahhhh, I love shiplap and all these pictures are lovely. But the most lovely is the shiplap being installed in your home 😀
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 🙂
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?
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 🙂
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!
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.
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/
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.
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.
Thank you. I will be picking ups samples of Simply White, Alabaster, and White Dove today and will let you know.
Warmest regards, Jeannine
What finish did you use
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.
thanks so much Sheril 🙂
You like the white dove what finish do you use for example pearl finish eggshell…
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 🙂
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.
thanks so much Bonnie 🙂 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 🙂
Thanks so much! I was stuck! Can’t wait to see it finished!
This is such a great post! I loved it! I used Alabaster and white dove in my home!
thanks Kellie, yes those are 2 of my favorites for sure! 🙂
What color do I paint the drywall behind the shiplap to get that contrast between the cracks of the boards? Thanks in advance!
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 🙂
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.
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 🙂
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?
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!
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.
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 🙂
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?
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.
You’re blog has helped me so much. Thank you!
My question is: We painted all of our basement walls with “quiet 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?
So glad you found my blog Natalie 🙂 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!
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. 🙂
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 🙂
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?
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!
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?
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!
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!
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 🙂 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!
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
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! 🙂
Hi’ re-doing a living area (den) one wall is fireplace/windows/shiplap’ that I
want to paint either Alabaster or Wh dove—- My problem is I can’t decide on a wall color—-
I’m not a gray person so would like a light tan color—— I’m looking at Madison Blanche SW or Natural Tan SW—-
Do you know something else to try? I’m so scared of getting a mauve or pink ton in the tans
Thank You’
Paula
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 🙂
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 !
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.
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!
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.
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 🙂
I’ve used antique white by Behr before and it’s similar to alabaster. Love this. Pinning for later.
thanks for sharing that info Rachel!
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….
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! 🙂 But be sure to test a sample first!
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!
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!
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.
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 🙂 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!
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?
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!
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?
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!