Sherwin Williams Alabaster: Paint Color Review

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The perfect white paint color for walls can be elusive. After all, what I consider the perfect white may be completely opposite to what you want, or what works in your home! But, Sherwin Williams Alabaster is extremely popular for good reason. This post shares all about this paint color, and will give you an idea of whether it will be a good choice or not for your home.

Why is Sherwin Williams Alabaster So Popular?

Sherwin Williams Alabaster SW 7008 is a lovely soft, creamy white. It verges almost on the territory of being off-white but is just light enough to still be considered white. If you’re looking for a soft warm white for your walls that doesn’t feel stark and cold, this may be a contender!

Alabaster has been a popular shade of white for several years and shows no signs that it’s going anywhere. It’s a great choice for walls because it doesn’t feel cold, but also an excellent choice for kitchen cabinets.

I initially chose Alabaster as the white for new kitchen cabinets in our kitchen remodel, because the color worked so well with the warmer elements (brass and wood) that I incorporated and the grays and blues that I love to work with.

Ultimately, we ended up going with BM Simply White, which is a brighter white, but it was a close call!

What is Alabaster’s LRV?

Alabaster has an LRV of 82, making it a white paint color, but one that feels like it’s closer to an off-white. If you’re looking for a fresh white, this is not the one for you.

As a reminder, LRV stands for Light Reflectance Value and it works on a scale of 0 – 100, with 0 being pure black and 100 being pure white.

Even though Alabaster has more depth of color to it than many other whites, it will appear soft and creamy, unless you pair it next to a brighter white like SW Extra White or SW Pure White which will make the creaminess more apparent.

Alabaster’s Undertones

Alabaster is a lovely, creamy warm white paint color. It technically has yellow undertones, but not so much that it will look bright yellow, thanks to a drop of gray that cools it down just enough.

If you want bright white walls, Alabaster is less white than perhaps what you may think of as “white” (if that makes sense!). In fact, even though it is technically a white paint (based on its LRV), it looks more like an off-white.

If you are looking for paint colors that are closer to true whites, I suggest looking at Benjamin Moore Chantilly Lace or for something slightly softer, Sherwin Williams Pure White.

Sherwin Williams Alabaster vs Pure White

While both Alabaster and Pure White are warm white paint colors, Alabaster is a creamy white, while Pure White is a brighter white with just a slightly warm undertone and a smidge of gray to tone it down.

Alabaster has an LRV of 82, while Pure White has an LRV of 84 making it a brighter shade of white.

Comparisons to Other Popular Warm White Paint Colors

If you’re interested to see how SW Alabaster looks compared to some other popular warm whites, I’ve pulled together some side by side swatches below so that you can easily compare the brightness and undertones between them.

Sherwin Williams Alabaster vs Sherwin Williams Greek Villa

Greek Villa is slightly whiter than Alabaster, with an LRV of 84 (compared to Alabaster’s 82).

The biggest difference between Alabaster and Greek Villa is their respective undertones: Alabaster is a creamy white with a neutral gray undertone, while Greek Villa has a slight greige undertone. However, Greek Villa looks “cleaner” (fewer visible undertones) and it just comes across as a soft warm white.

While Greek Villa is gaining in popularity, Alabaster still remains more popular overall.

Sherwin Williams Alabaster vs Benjamin White Dove

Alabaster has a bit more warmth to it than Benjamin Moore White Dove (another popular choice for a warmer white), but both have an LRV of 83 (although previously the LRV of White Dove was stated at 85!).

Looking at the comparison above, you can see how Alabaster has a warmer neutral base that calms it down, while White Dove also has a neutral base, it is just a bit lighter in color.

White Dove is one of the most popular white paint colors for both walls and trim and is a more versatile choice than Alabaster.

Sherwin Williams Alabaster vs Benjamin Moore Simply White

Alabaster is not quite as yellow as BM Simply White, making it a better choice in many situations. While BM Simply White is very popular, most people don’t realize just how yellow it can look in the wrong lighting conditions.

Since Alabaster has a neutral undertone alongside its yellow base, the yellow never becomes too overwhelming. Since Simply White does not have that neutral color to calm it down, the yellow can really come to the fore.

With that being said, Alabaster has more depth of color than Simply White, whose LRV is 91.7, making it a much brighter white.

What White Trim Color Looks Best With Alabaster?

If you have no intentions of painting your walls white and instead just want to paint your trim with Alabaster, go ahead, just know that it pairs best with a warm wall color. Blues and cool-toned grays need not apply (warm grays work!).

If you are planning on using Alabaster on your walls, the easiest way to pick a trim color that will match is to use the same paint color but in a different sheen. For example, eggshell on the walls and satin or semi-gloss on the trim.

The higher sheen will reflect more light, making the color appear lighter, but you don’t have to worry about any weird undertones coming out. This is my personal preference.

In the photo above, you can see the creaminess of the Alabaster walls against the bright white trim (SW Extra White). The cooler tones of Extra White pull out more of the gray in Alabaster, while also highlighting the yellow undertone.

Now here’s the same space, but now with the trim painted in Alabaster. You can see how the color looks significantly less yellow and now just looks soft and creamy.

If you really want to highlight the creamy side of Alabaster and not focus on it being a white, you could try pairing it with SW Pure White. It will make Alabaster look creamier on your wall and your trim will be bright white.

See Alabaster Used in Real Spaces

Living Rooms

In this space, notice how Jenna Sue chose to use Alabaster on her living room walls, but chose contrasting baseboards, alongside a cooler white color for the window trim and ceilings. This is a perfect example of making the walls appear much creamier, and less “white” than if it was all the same color.

SW Alabaster Kitchen Cabinets

Here’s a couple of examples of how lovely and soft Alabaster looks as a kitchen cabinet color.

SW Alabaster Bedroom

How beautifully soft and cream is Alabaster in this bedroom? The soft gold lights and warm wood tones really work beautifully with it, too.

SW Alabaster Bathroom

In this bathroom, the walls, trim, doors and cabinets are all painted SW Alabaster. Doesn’t it look so bright and warm in here? I love it!

Below, you’ll see a very different look where the walls are Sherwin Williams Sea Salt , while the cabinets are SW Alabaster. Personally, I would have chosen a less creamy white (SW Pure White or SW Extra White) as I don’t love creamy whites with these coastal-type colors.

Alabaster Exterior

SW Alabaster is a pretty choice for a soft white exterior paint color, especially when paired witg some warmer elements like a wooden front door.

Final Thoughts on Sherwin Williams Alabaster White as a Paint Color

Choosing a white paint color for your trim or walls can be challenging, but Alabaster is a good choice for anyone who thinks they want white but also wants to keep a cozy, warm feeling in their space. It’s one of the most popular white paint colors for good reason!

Alabaster feels fresh and modern, without being too bright or stark, and works particularly well alongside greige paint colors and lighter-toned woods.