When I was searching for the most perfect white paint on Earth for my ceilings, I kept coming up short. Out of all of my fan decks, the colors were just not quite white enough. They were too yellow, too blue, too gray. It made me feel like the Goldilocks of white paint.
I knew that a lot of people bought white paint straight off the shelf. I considered going that route, too, until one of my favorite paint mixologists (I know that’s not a real thing, but I like calling them that) at Home Depot suggested that I add some colorant into the white base to bind the paint. Otherwise, it likely wouldn’t cover very well since it would be slightly transparent. So, we decided to add 1 ounce of white to the already white paint. Why? We just thought it sounded right. I mean white.
The color ended up being the brightest, crispest white that you’ve ever seen. I nicknamed this color “Lindsay White.” I use it anytime I need a white paint for my walls – all of my ceilings are “Lindsay White,” too. I talk about it a ton on the blog (and on Facebook), so if you’ve been around for a while you’ve probably read about it. It’s listed in my paint color tour of my home, too.
Until today, I’ve sent you all to Home Depot to get your own can of “Lindsay White” mixed with this instruction:
Get a gallon can of Glidden Interior Premium paint (red label) in a white base (I always choose flat, but sheen doesn’t matter) off the shelf. Take it to the paint counter and ask the Home Depot paint mixologist (hee hee) to add 1 ounce of white pigment into the can. They will look at you like you have 2 heads and will say something like, “You mean you are trying to make a white paint white?” Just say yes and move along.
I know that some of you have run into complications. Readers have reported that the paint person couldn’t figure out what to put into their computer or they were trying to color match with a paint chip on the wall. Oh, no, no, no. Sad face.
Today, things are going to change! I now have a pictorial tutorial for you to show your Home Depot paint pal. Just take your smart phone into the store and show this to them.
First, get this can off of the shelf (any sheen, but I always prefer flat – especially if you are just doing your ceilings).
Next, show them this picture so they’ll know exactly what to add to the base.
If you are getting 1 gallon of paint, that label shows exactly what you need. If you are buying a 5 gallon bucket, they should add 5 oz of white. I don’t buy quarts since this is actually the most used paint color in my home. Does that surprise you to hear that?
Then, they need to put it in the shaker for you, and then send you on your way when it’s finished. Easy, right?
Go in with confidence and ask for “Lindsay White.” Just don’t call it that, because it’s not in their computers…yet. 😉
Have you used “Lindsay White” before? Was it hard for the paint pros to figure out what you were talking about?
I know just what you mean when you say that the white paint is a bit transparent. I’ve found that the Behr Premium Plus (with the primer in it) was more opaque. I’m going to try and add white pigment to it as I like the Behr better than the Glidden. Thanks for the idea!
Great! Let me know how you like it!
I have definitely ordered Lindsay white in flat Behr paint. I simply asked them to add a white pigment 1oz/1gallon at Home Depot – no problem. We needed two coats of this mix over Zinsser 123 primer over the old satin off-white to hide the brush strokes but it looks awesome now!
It’s spooky how clever some ppl are. Thaskn!
Hi Emily, Great to have someone from the dark side giving their advice too… Al is in Tasmania. But they still have News Ltd there – so it's good to have insight into company policy.
i also love bright white. i always get behr ultra pure white. its beautiful!!!
I’ll have to check out that one! I generally don’t use any paint + primer products, though, so I may have never used that one.
Is this a good white for trim?
Thanks!
Yes! In a high gloss sheen, it would be gorgeous. For my trim, though, I use the Glidden Trim and Door in bright white. It’s oil based so it lasts longer than a latex and it’s a special formula that doesn’t drip or show brush strokes. Not to be an advertisement for Glidden, but it’s really what I use. 🙂
Not sure if this is going to post or not i already tried posting, and it said i posted my 1 comment too fast haha :/ .
But, have you had any trouble with the trim and door paint yellowing? My mom likes to paint her trim off white so that when it yellows its not as noticeable, but I like a fresh crisp white because it makes a house feel newer and cleaner, but i dont want to have to repaint every other year to keep it white.
the reason your paint yellows is totally because it is solvent/oil based enamel. if you have the option of water based enamel it doesn’t yellow. the tint of another colour will certainly hide the yellowing and your mum is on the right thing. remember that unless you have everything in the room white it will pick up on colours also. (my qualifications are training via three different paint companies, am colour consultant trained via ISC&D, also worked the last six years at the paint desk mixing your paint.
Yes, true. And years ago I remember my father adding in a small amount of a blue pigment into white paint to keep it from yellowing. The blue blocks a specific wavelength of yellow that keeps it brite, keeps it from yellowing. This was done mostly on boats to keep decks white, thus cool vs yellowing which was hotter. But its the exact same principal.
He is since deceased, and I can’t find hardly a trace, on the web, of anyone doing similarly. Here and there, but no specifics. What specific blue pigment, how much to a gallon?
Lindsey, do you know?
Maybe you should ask Glidden to name the paint for you! Tell them the reason why….you could be even more famous!
Ha! I’ve actually joke about that with them.
Would this paint be good for painting built-in cabinets?
So I did this with my paint, and you’re right, it worked! Only I forgot to look up how much. They added 2 drops. But it was still amazing!
Thank-you! Mentioning Lindsay White and a link here in my painting post for sure! 🙂
I just went to the Hutto Home Depot and requested this, and he didn’t bat an eye. I expected some kind of reaction, but nope! Ha!
HA! Okay, this cracks me up, because the Hutto store has been one of my main “offenders.” Maybe I finally trained him? LOL! There’s a girl and a guy that I primarily see at the paint counter there, and they think I’m crazy. I’m so glad it worked for you!
Just purchased two gallons of Lindsay White and yes the mixologist thought I was a tab bit crazy. But she was totally happy to mix it. I ended up having to go with your white because I have painted an entire room with Benjamin Moore white (a really bright white by the way. But now we can’t for the life of us figure out what color it was. Now I need to touch up a whole lot of that room and every paint I bring home from BM is wrong. So now it’s Lindsay White to the Rescue.
I just had this paint mixed today at a Home Depot in Austin. They asked the same thing….”You want to add white to white to make it whiter?” I finally pulled up your page to show them the picture…sure enough, it worked. The result is absolutely beautiful. Love it. THANK YOU!!
Would something like this work for outside paint? We are painting a Spanish revival home and want the interior and exterior whites to look as close to the same as possible.
Hi Brandon- I would think it would be fine!
I asked for the extra shot of white in the white I bought for my ceiling today. Paint associate had no problem adding it for me. It may help that I used to be a cart pusher at my store so they already knew I am a weirdo. I wish it would stop raining so much because I really would like to paint.
Yay! Weirdos unite!
Are you in Texas, too? It’s FINALLY not raining in Austin today, but we were thinking that we needed to start building an ark!
NW Arkansas. Luckily my yard is flat and drains well. It stops raining long enough on the weekends to mow. My yard looked like it had been growing for a month instead of the 6 days since its last haircut.
Does this paint color work for a bathroom ceiling? Thanks!`