Our 5 favourite white paint colours from Sherwin Williams

1 Feb

If you've ever stood in the paint aisle, staring at seemingly identical shades of white and wondering if they're all secretly related, you're not alone. Picking the right white from Sherwin Williams' extensive collection is a complex task that can leave even the most experienced DIYers struggling with indecision.

When it comes to white paint, the array of choices makes it exciting, but let's face it, it can also drive you crazy. Undertones, lighting conditions, and surrounding elements all join forces to make choosing the right white feel like an overwhelming and stressful experience.

From crisp and cool tones to warm and inviting hues, Sherwin Williams offers an abundance of options that can be both a dream and a headache. It's not just about picking any white; it's about finding the white that perfectly complements the unique characteristics of your space, the ideal paint colour that turns your space into an Instagram-worthy haven.

So, let's decode the mystery together. In this blog post, we’ll talk about our favourite Sherwin Williams' white paint colors – the ones that bring timeless charm to any room. If you still feel like these don’t suit you, keep reading as we’ll briefly discover 4 other white paint options.

Pure White

Pure White is one of Sherwin Williams' most popular shades of white. It is known for its clean, crisp appearance with very subtle yellow undertones giving it a slight touch of warmth and keeping it from looking too stark. With barely any undertones, it is considered to be a true white, making it a popular choice for both interior and exterior applications.

Thanks to its very subtle undertones, Pure White pairs beautifully with many different colours and works well in different design styles, from modern to classic and coastal. It is usually a go-to choice for trims, cabinets, ceilings, and walls.

It has an LRV (Light Reflectance Value) of 84 out of 100. This means that Pure White is a crisp clean white, ideal to brighten up a space and give it a fresh new look. Those slight yellow undertones will give your interior that subtle touch of warmth and softness while still being bright enough.

Versatility and barely there undertones make Pure White a widely used paint colour in interior design. It is the ideal colour to make a space look brighter and bigger.

Eider White

Eider White can be described as a warm off-white with grey undertones, giving it a cozy and inviting feel. The versatility of this gorgeous shade makes it a great choice for interior spaces (living rooms, bedrooms, kitchens), allowing it to complement different design styles. Farmhouse, coastal, or contemporary, Eider White is a great option to consider. Whether used on walls, cabinets, or trims, this white tends to create a beautiful serene and calming atmosphere.

Eider White has an LRV (Light Reflectance Value) of 73. It’s not as bright as a crisp white, but it will give your interior a cosy, inviting, and soft look. Under a north-facing light, its grey undertones can pop up a bit more and make it look a bit cooler. However, it will lean on the creamy side under a warm south-facing light.

When applied on walls, use a clean white such as Extra White on your trims to give a beautiful contrast. If you are looking for an adjacent or accent colour to use with Eider White, consider a dark grey, a charcoal, a deep sage green, or a blue-grey.

Alabaster

Just like Pure White, Alabaster by Sherwin Williams is a very popular and widely used paint color. However, unlike Pure White, it’s a much warmer white with a hint of yellow undertone. It is known for its soft and creamy appearance, making it a favourite for interior walls, trims, and cabinets. Its balanced undertone adds a touch of coziness to a space without being overly yellow or beige.

Alabaster has an LRV of 82 which means it reflects a high amount of light and is therefore considered a relatively bright and light colour. It looks best applied in a room with ample natural light as it will reflect enough light to create an airy and bright feel. In a dark room, Alabaster might look a bit washed up.

Another one of Alabaster’s qualities is its versatility. It works well in different design styles (farmhouse, classic, or even coastal) and is an excellent paint colour choice for spaces where you want to enhance natural light such as living rooms, kitchens, or bedrooms. Its creamy look also helps create a warm and open atmosphere without being too stark or cold.

Many homeowners and designers appreciate Alabaster for its ability to create a bright and airy look while maintaining a sense of warmth. However, Alabaster’s appearance can be influenced by its undertones, the lighting conditions in your space, and the surrounding colours; so make sure to test a sample in your home and observe it at different times of the day to ensure it complements your overall design and achieves the desired effect.

Snowbound

Snowbound by Sherwin Williams is a very popular white paint colour known for its crisp and clean appearance. It’s a cool bright white with grey undertones that are more visible when put next to a crisp true white. Snowbound is also a great paint colour for trims, walls, and even kitchen cabinets to create a clean fresh atmosphere.

Snowbound has an LRV of 83 making it a bright white but not quite as crisp as Pure White. Its cool grey undertones help prevent it from appearing too stark and cold and create modern interior spaces. It works great in any room where you want to bring brightness and a fresh new look.

If you choose Snowbound for your walls, you can either apply it on your trims as well to create a harmonious look. Or, you can pair it with a crisper white like Extra White SW7006 to bring out those beautiful grey undertones. If you are looking for an accent colour to coordinate with Snowbound, consider a paint colour with grey tones such as a darker grey, a grey-blue, or a green with grey undertones.

Shell White

Shell White is another beautiful warm white from Sherwin Williams. It has warm yellow and beige undertones making it look creamier than Pure White but slightly brighter than Alabaster. It has become a favourite amongst designers and decorators as it can brighten up a space without looking too stark or washed up and boring.

It has an LRV of 83, right between Pure White and Alabaster, which means it’s just bright enough to give any space a fresh clean look but also has enough warmth to not look cold and hospital-like. Shell White looks best in rooms filled with natural light as it will beautifully display its bright creamy look. In darker spaces, it will look even creamier and more beige, which doesn’t suit every room setting.

Shell White is a very versatile paint colour. It looks great on trims, walls, and cabinets, and pairs well with many different colours with warm undertones. If looking for an accent colour, you can consider a greige, brown, grey, blue, or green. If you choose Shell White on your walls, you can apply it on your trims as well for a unified look, or pair it with a brighter white like Extra White to create contrast and bring out its beautiful yellow/beige undertones.

Other whites to consider

If none of the white paint colours we discussed above suit your needs, you can consider these other popular whites:

Extra White: crisp bright white with very subtle blue undertones. It has an LRV of 86 and is an ideal trim colour.
Shoji White: warm and cosy off-white with beige and slightly grey undertones. It has an LRV of 74.
Creamy: warm off-white with yellow undertones and an LRV of 81.
Marshmallow: warm white with very slightly pink undertones. It has an LRV of 82.
Greek Villa: bright white with slight yellow undertones and an LRV of 84.

Choosing the perfect white is no ordinary task. From the pure simplicity of Pure White to the comforting warmth of Alabaster, and the crisp, clean allure of Snowbound, each shade tells its own story. Make sure you get a few paint samples before deciding to paint your walls as there is no one-size-fits-all solution with white paints and that will help you avoid timely and costly mistakes.

If you are struggling to find the right paint colour for your space, have a look at my custom interior colour palette service. I would be more than happy to help you transform your space into your new safe haven.

Thank you for reading,

Manon from Suite Minded xx

Manon Scelles