If you’re after a modern, non-reflective, non-yellowing matt finish, Crown Matt Emulsion is a good option as it goes on easily with a brush or roller. It has an average drying time of two hours and you can apply a second coat, if required, after four hours. For this reason warm white paints with undertones of yellow or red are generally recommended for north-facing rooms, where they'll look a lot less 'creamy' than they would painted in a room with a south-facing aspect. Ruth Mottershead at Little Greene adds, 'Many choose to use bright white in small rooms assuming white will the room appear larger, however light neutrals and soft colours used in a tonal scheme will have the same effect whilst not appearing too stark or cold.' When it comes to trade wood and metal paints our choice of fast drying, non-drip and high gloss paint finishes come in a range of colours and are suitable for multiple uses.

While the classic Pure Brilliant White is the obvious option to counterpoint more vibrantly painted walls, Crown also offers its Matt Emulsion in 64 other hues, including the soothing mid-grey of City Break, the murky, misty green of Khaki Twist, and the roaring red inferno of English Fire. Alternatively, opt for warm neutrals. ‘Maybe Maggie’ is a popular choice, as is ‘Flutterby’– an almost white. If you want something a bit creamier ‘Up Up Away’ and ‘Marbles’ are good choices.'Imbued with Sandtex’s Microseal technology to provide resilient protection from the worst of the weather, the paint can be applied straight to clean masonry without any need to worry about primers, and with a wide range of colours available to choose from, the number of coats required just depends on whether you’re trying to cover a bright colour with a light one. Best of all, its formulation enables you to cover larger areas with much more speed, saving vital time on jobs. In perfect conditions (not lashing with torrential rain and with temperatures over 10ºC), Granocryl wil be dry to the touch within one to two hours and capable of being recoated within four to six hours – an important fact seeing as, depending on the substrate you’re applying it to, two coats is generally the expected norm to achieve an ideal finish. If I’m painting walls white, then I look for a white that will work well with the other elements of the room ( flooring, curtain fabric, fireplace material, and so on). I like Farrow & Ball ‘ Joa’s White’, which is pinkish and warm, making it a great colour to use with darker timber floors and earthy tones. I’m also a fan of the Little Greene paint colour family called ‘ White Lead’, which comes in a scale of different depths.

I don’t use white paint on walls very often but I do regularly use it for skirtings, doors, windows and ceilings. My go-to white paint for skirtings, doors and windows is Farrow & Ball ‘ Pointing’, which has just enough warmth in it so that it doesn’t seem so stark against a coloured wall. For ceilings, I regularly use Farrow & Ball ‘ Wimborne White’, which has a touch of yellow that gives ceilings a warmer glow than a bright white would. As mentioned above, that will depend on your budget, how much time you have, how much work you are willing to do and, of course, personal choice when it comes to colour. Like all other paint variants, masonry paint comes with a whole spectrum of colour options available. Because it’s water-based, this paint will also never yellow with age, making it a perfect paint for any areas that might not get a lot of sunlight, such as skirting boards behind furniture and the inside of cupboards. It also comes in a great range of colours, although mostly pastel or neutral shades.When choosing white paint, we often turn to Farrow & Ball ‘ Pointing’ or ‘ Slipper Satin’ as perfect ceiling and woodwork colours that remain warm and gentle. ‘ Lime White’ from Farrow & Ball is a more sympathetic white for an older house, but it looks its best when there is a bit of green or yellow used as a decorative detail elsewhere in the room. ‘ Slaked Lime’ from Little Greene is a lovely white and can have a similar effect as Lime White in that it’s particularly good when the fabric in the room has a yellow ground colour. If the room you are decorating faces a garden, ‘ Clunch’ by Farrow & Ball can work really successfully on the walls, as it really helps to bring out and complement the greens beyond.” Alex Glover, founder of Austin James fine decorating and colour consultancy Satinwood paint has risen in popularity over the last few years. Its medium-sheen gives a more contemporary look to doors, windows and skirting boards than traditional gloss paint. Most satinwood paints are also a great choice if you’re looking to paint a radiator or any exposed metal pipework, and can even be used on kitchen and bathroom walls. Applied liberally with a brush, roller or paint pad, Wall & Ceiling goes on with ease and gives generous coverage of around 12m² per litre. As long as you avoid overspreading, annoying drips shouldn’t be a problem, and two coats should produce a fine finish in most circumstances.