When you think “White House”, what vision immediately springs to mind? The residence of the POTUS… or a beautiful serene coastal home? Either way, both are fabulous examples of how white exteriors have transcended geographical locations, architectural style and time.

If you’re considering painting your home white, here are five reasons why it’s a great choice that will stand the test of time.

1)THE ULTIMATE ALL-ROUNDER

As Shane Warne is to Australian cricket, white paint is to home exteriors… a long-standing all-rounder.

We’re often asked why we paint “all” our houses white. Truth be told, we don’t! Check out Houses 5, 7, 9, 11 and 12 on our website for some non-white inspo. We’re also regularly asked if white homes are a current trend that will go out of style, to which we say “no way, rosé!” Even though we design our homes based on what we love, not what’s on-trend, it’s safe to say that white is a true all-rounder that has stood the test of time, geographical location and style.

From the high-flying Hamptons to the islands of Greece, Kiwi villas and Aussie beach houses, white exteriors have a place in so many different architectural styles.

A white exterior brings a classic and timeless appearance that’s as suited to traditional character homes as much as it is to contemporary ones.

2) FRESH, CLEAN VIBES

White is known for cleanliness, freshness, and simplicity. Whether it’s a crisp white linen shirt, fresh white sheets or a lick of paint on your walls, there’s something uplifting and calming about white … the sort of vibes most people would love in their home.

When it comes to home exteriors, white paint attracts natural light so it will increase the brightness of your home and create a warm and inviting environment.

If you’re painting a house to sell, a white exterior is a no-brainer as it appeals to a wide audience and acts as a blank canvas to which prospective buyers can imagine incorporating their own style. Speaking of blank canvases…

3) IT’S A BLANK CANVAS

A white exterior is like a blank canvas for you to plant, style and add pops of colour as you choose.

You might choose to use an accent colour that’s different to your primary colour to create some contrast (either subtle or bold). Sometimes a scheme might have a couple of accent colours, which is totally fine, like at Lana’s house where she chose pops of minty green (Dulux Half Box White) for her front door and external shutters to complement her pink Bougainvillea.

The versatility that comes along with painting your home white is endless. White walls will allow pops of colour from your plants, a contrasting front door or furniture that stands out and really takes pride of place on your front porch.

And if you don’t want to add pops of colour, all white’s alright too!

4) AS COOL AS A CUCUMBER

Did you know that black houses absorb more heat from the sun than white houses? This leads to hotter homes in summer with the knock-on effect of higher cooling costs. There you have it - a white house can actually save you money!

The reason being is that lighter colours reflect more light which causes the heat to reflect away from the home. Darker colours absorb light and heat and that heat remains in the home, causing it to feel hotter. Hence the reason why many homes in hotter climates are painted white, like the gorgeous homes on the island of Santorini, Greece, which inspired Lana’s home.

FUN FACT: The original reason for all the white houses in Greece and its islands was due to an outbreak of cholera in 1938. Dictator Metaxas, the ruler of Greece at the time, passed a law for all houses in the Cyclades to be whitewashed in an effort to stop its spread. The houses were whitewashed with limestone which was considered a powerful disinfectant. The side effect of the bright white colour helped reflect the sunlight and cool down the indoors temperatures.

5) IT DOESN’T GET AS DIRTY AS YOU THINK

Have you ever noticed how many white cars are on the road? In the same way that many people choose a white vehicle for perceived increased visibility and for the ability to hide dirt and grime better than their darker counterparts, a white house can actually show up less dirt than a dark one. Dark coloured houses are quick to show up bird droppings, pollen and dust. Additionally, white won’t fade as quickly as dark colours, meaning less frequent repainting.

The most important thing is to choose the right shade of white. You don’t want a white that gives off a dirty cast, making your freshly painted house look dirty, even when it’s not!

Do you think white might be the right choice for your exterior? Read on…

HOW TO CHOOSE THE RIGHT WHITE PAINT FOR YOUR EXTERIOR

White can be a gorgeous choice for your exterior but also a tricky one to pick just the right colour for your home. You don’t want a white so bright that it blinds passersby… or too dark that it just looks dirty.

Before you get bamboozled by 50 shades of white colour swatches, make sure you read our best tips to help you choose the perfect white paint for your place!

Oh, and back to the (actual) White House… just in case it happens to feature on your vision board, the exact colour is reportedly Duron’s “Whisper White,” (now made by Sherwin-Williams in the US).

And before you despair about the amount of paint you’ll need for your home, it takes 570 gallons (that’s about 2590 litres!) to paint the exterior of the White House. #ouch