Neutrals and earthy tones
Whites that aren't stark, and neutrals with some warmth
A good neutral is the colour you stop noticing, in the best way. These five run from soft white to sun-baked clay.
The white problem
Why some whites feel cold
Brilliant white has a blue edge. In cool northern light, or next to a grey floor, it can look clinical rather than clean.
A softer white carries a touch of grey or warmth, so it sits comfortably with skin tones, timber and old plaster. Chalk white is made that way: soft, with no blue edge, and still clearly white.
If your walls are already painted, hold a door sample against them. Two slightly different whites make each other look grubby, so either match their warmth or choose a clear contrast.
From soft white to terracotta
Three calm neutrals and two earthy colours, for when you want warmth that still behaves like a neutral.
- Chalk white A soft white that isn't stark. Makes small rooms feel bigger. Good for: Kitchen, Bedroom or dressing room, Home office, Children's room, Utility or boot room Try it in the planner
- Cashmere A warm, creamy beige. Calm with oak, lovely with brass. Good for: Kitchen, Bedroom or dressing room, Living room or media wall, Home office Try it in the planner
- Pebble greige Halfway between grey and beige. Forgiving on busy family doors. Good for: Kitchen, Bedroom or dressing room, Living room or media wall, Utility or boot room Try it in the planner
- Plaster pink A dusty, earthy pink. Grown-up rather than sweet. Good for: Kitchen, Bedroom or dressing room, Children's room Try it in the planner
- Terracotta clay A sun-baked orange-brown. Warm and characterful. Good for: Kitchen, Children's room, Utility or boot room Try it in the planner
Terracotta clay is a painted, colour-matched door. The other four are super-matt.
Which neutral for which room?
Busy kitchens
Cashmere and pebble greige
A creamy beige and a grey-beige that forgive the everyday: splashes, scuffs and small hands. Both are happy with oak and brushed brass.
Bedrooms and dressing rooms
Plaster pink
Dusty and earthy, nearer to bare plaster than to sugar pink. On full-height wardrobes it gives a bedroom a gentle glow, especially with warm lights inside.
Utility and family rooms
Terracotta clay
A warm orange-brown that brings character to a hard-working room. Try it with chalk white, light oak and a concrete-look worktop.
How to test a sample in your own light
A few minutes across one day tells you more than any screen.
Stand it where the furniture will go
Tape the sample upright on the wall, not flat on a table. Light falls differently on a vertical surface.
Look in the morning
Daylight only, with the ceiling light off.
Look again after dark
Under your own bulbs. Warm bulbs push neutrals yellow; cool ones push them grey.
Put it beside the fixed things
The floor, a worktop sample, the door frame, the skirting. Neutrals are all about their neighbours.
Live with two
Torn between two? Leave both up for a few days. One usually starts to look wrong.
Posted free
Order free samples
Choose up to five. Try your favourite plus the shades either side of it, so you can see which way you lean.
Not sure which white?
Send us photos of the room. We'll suggest neutrals that suit your light and draw up a free design with a price range. Or try your wall sizes in the planner first.
Free guide
Get the free planning guide
Measuring, styles, finishes and how to plan your budget, in one short guide. Then the odd email with ideas worth stealing.
Questions people ask
Anything else, send us a message and we'll talk it through.
Which white makes a small room look bigger?
A soft white such as chalk white, run floor to ceiling with handleless or push-to-open doors, so the furniture reads as one calm surface. Box room ideas.
Will a cream kitchen look yellow?
Cashmere is a warm beige rather than a yellow cream. Under very warm bulbs any cream can lean yellow, so check your sample in the evening as well as the day.
What exactly is greige?
A blend of grey and beige. Pebble greige sits halfway, so it works in both warm and cool rooms and beside most floors.
Is plaster pink just for children's rooms?
No. It's muted and earthy, which suits grown-up bedrooms, dressing rooms and even a kitchen with brass and oak.
Do pale doors show dirt?
A little more than mid tones. The super-matt surface wipes clean with a soft damp cloth and mild soap. Caring for super-matt.
Can I mix two neutrals in one room?
Yes. Cashmere tall units with chalk white wall cupboards, or pebble greige below and white above, both work well. Keep the warmth of the two similar.
Keep exploring
Warm minimal style Japandi style Super-matt doors Small bedroom storage