Paint Color Review – Versatile White Paint

POSH Home Staging

If you’re looking for a soft, flexible white paint color that works well for trim, cabinets, walls, and even exterior siding, it’s time to take a look at Sherwin Williams Pure White / SW 7005. This versatile color has a gentle hint of warmth, making it slightly less stark than other popular white paints. Below is the scoop on this paint color.

Understanding the LRV of Pure White

What is an LRV? The Light Reflectance Value measures the amount of light a paint color will reflect back into the room. On the LRV scale, 100% is a highly reflective paint, whereas a zero is not reflective at all. SW Pure White has an LRV of 84% which means it will reflect a good amount of light. However, it won’t be glaring or as bright as a white with a higher LRV like Sherwin Williams’ High Reflective White.

Undertones of Pure White

Will SW Pure white look yellow or pink? Let’s take a look at its spectral data. The hue angle of SW Pure White is 106.961 degrees. This places it on the edge of the green-yellow hues. This is the same family of color where many of the popular neutrals reside because there is a good balance of warmth and coolness. With a high lightness value at 94.457 balanced with a good amount of chroma at 4.065, this paint is bright and clean without feeling cold and sterile.

The question now is, will it look yellow or pink on my walls? In most cases, probably not. However, remember it is white…white is reflective and can at times act as a mirror reflecting its surrounding colors. One example would be, say you had decorated with a red sofa for you have a red brick accent wall or fireplace, you may see a pink tone. Or if you decorate with green leafy plants in a bright sun-filled room, you may see projections of green.

Another element that effects how you see color is your lighting. SW Pure White can be influenced by the room’s exposure to the sunlight. Light coming from the South or the afternoon’s Western light is typically warmer and leans toward the yellow tones which will intensify the warmth of SW Pure White. For rooms facing North, the light is not as harsh and it may give a softer feel to the room. Artificial light plays a role as well. Depending no the wattage of a light bulb, you can sway the undertones from yellow to blue…utilizing a bulb in the 3000K t o3500K will help provide a balance in appearance.

To Pair or Not to Pair Pure White

Can we pair SW Pure White with another white paint? Will it look yellow? It might. If you have Pure White on the walls, I highly recommend repeating this color on your trim and/or cabinets versus pairing with another white. Best way t add dimension or texture is with the sheen or finish. For example, a sheen of eggshell on the walls nicely pairs with a satin finish on the trim. Avoiding mixing whites will save you from highlighting the hue family of the other white…alleviating the feeling of greyed walls.

Comparing Other Popular Sherwin Williams’ Whites

Sherwin Williams Pure White VS Sherwin Williams Extra White: only one color number away, Pure White has a touch more warmth, however both are commonly used as clean trim colors. Deciding factor, use Pure White with warmer colors and go with Extra White with a cooler color palette.

SW Pure White VS SW Alabaster: Alabaster is a more popular selection for walls with its softer, warmer white feel. It is slightly creamier without being yellow.

SW Pure White VS SW Snowbound: Another extremely popular white yet a little less versatile than Pure White. Snowbound tends to lean toward a taupe-y feel in comparison.

SW Pure White VS SW Highly Reflective White: Pure White has a lot more warmth and depth, whereas Highly Reflective White is clean and stark.

Equivalent Whites from Other Brands

As a rule of thumb, I do not recommend trying t cleo match between brands. For example, like SW Pure White, Benjamin Moore Simply White is part of the yellow hue family @ 106.615 degrees. However, the difference between the two is Sherwin Williams Pure White is balanced with a dab of grey/black that mutes its yellow appearance and gives this color its flexibility while BM Simply White’s yellow can be more obvious when pairing with a cool white quartz or bright white subway tile.

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