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Every day I get questions about the perfect white paint color for wall, trim and doors. While there’s no perfect color that will work for everyone, Sherwin Williams Pure White comes close to it, thanks to how versatile it is.
If you’re looking for a versatile bright white that looks soft yet works with both warm and cool colors, SW Pure White is an excellent choice. In fact, since we remodeled our kitchen a few years ago, we’ve slowly been repainting all our trim and interior doors this color (which were previously BM Decorator’s White and then SW Extra White).
Is Pure White A Bright White?
While pure white is, as the name suggests, quite white, it does not feel cold and stark and only has the smallest drop of yellow to warm it up. This makes it a great choice for walls, trims, cabinets, and exterior siding.
It has an LRV of is 84, meaning it reflects a lot of light. This makes it a soft white color, and not an in-your-face ultra-bright white.
If you want to learn more about LRV and how it’s SO important when choosing paint colors, I’ve written a whole blog post about it.
What Are the Undertones of SW Pure White?
Pure White has the slightest hint of warmth (touch of yellow) and the tiniest touch of gray to offset the warmth.
This slight softness makes it a great option for any design style. It pairs well with cool-toned colors such as blues, greens, and grays and with warmer colors like greige, beige, and tan paint colors. This is what makes it such a versatile shade of white.
Where Does it Work Best?
Pure White as a trim and door color will work in any room of your home, with any exposure. It doesn’t matter whether you have warm south-facing light, only morning light, afternoon light or gray northern light. It’s an excellent, versatile choice for a soft warm white.
However, for walls in a room that gets cool light all day long, Pure White may lean more into its gray undertone, but it will still appear as a soft white. I personally don’t love how it looks on the walls on this east facing bedroom and would prefer something a smidge warmer without that slight gray cast.
On the other hand, a south facing room or rooms with a lot of warm western afternoon light will see the warmer undertone become a lot more apparent. Below, you can see how dramatically different it looks in the morning in my powder room (west facing) versus the afternoon when it’s getting warm sunlight.
We also used Pure White to spray our deck. It ties in perfectly with our bright white siding, so I know it would also be a great color if you were choosing to paint the exterior of your house a bright white.
What Paint Sheen Should I Use?
The sheen of paint used on walls, trim, and ceilings can make a difference in the final look of the space.
For walls, a matte or eggshell finish is typically used, while a semi-gloss or gloss finish is recommended for trim and doors. Ceilings should be painted in a flat finish. Using these different sheens will create a subtle contrast and add dimension to the space.
SW Pure White on Kitchen Cabinets
If you’re wondering how this particular color works on kitchen cabinets, the photo below is a great example at how well it works not only on cabinets, but in the whole kitchen—walls, ceiling, and trim! It’s a great option if you’re looking for a timeless white for your kitchen.
Pure White versus Extra White
Now, let’s compare Pure White to other popular Sherwin Williams white shades.
Sherwin Williams Extra White (SW 7006) is a brighter, crisper white with a higher LRV of 86. It doesn’t have the softness that Pure White has and can appear starker in certain lighting (especially East facing rooms or those with Northern exposure). It has a tendency to flash a little blue, so I usually prefer to use it alongside other cool colors.
If you place Pure White alongside Extra White, it will immediately look a bit dirty, thanks to that little drop of black that gives it the gray undertone.
Extra White is one of those really bright whites, that when placed next to another white, instantly makes them look dingy.
I would not use these two whites together. If you are choosing between the two for doors and trim, Extra White is a really bright, crisp, almost stark white that can turn a little bit blue in cool light. Pure White is less bright and has barely any tendency to show its undertones, making it a great choice.
Pure White vs Alabaster
Sherwin Williams Alabaster (SW 7008) is a warmer white with both a yellow undertone and some gray to help soften it up. It has an LRV of 82, making it a slightly darker option than Pure White. Alabaster verges on feeling like an off-white.
While it’s a popular color for walls, trims, and cabinets, it’s not what you would want to choose for a traditional “white” trim or cabinet color.
Pure White vs Snowbound
If you’re looking for a traditional “white” white, Sherwin Williams Snowbound most likely is not the color for you. It’s not a true white and has warmer undertones that make it lean closer to the off-white color range, despite its LRV of 83.
Snowbound has a taupe undertone that can look quite pink in certain lights, while in southern exposures it can even look a bit creamy.
If you’re looking for a soft, warmer color for your walls, Snowbound may not be a bad choice, but if you’re looking for a nice bright white for your trim and doors, this is probably not the color you’re looking for.
Pure White vs High Reflective White
High Reflective White is Sherwin Williams’ whitest white, and it’s almost a completely true white with no visible undertones. If you want a really really bright white that is neutral (no warmth, no coolness) then High Reflective White is an excellent choice.
High Reflective White is actually the base white used to make other paint colors so it has no tint added to it.
Compared to High Reflective White, Pure White will look a lot softer, and depending on the light, you’ll notice either the warmth or that touch of gray. Of course, that’s only when they are compared side by side.
Don’t Forget…
Don’t forget – no matter what you’ve read or photos you’ve seen online, it’s really important to sample paint colors in your home before committing!
Samplize provides real paint samples that are easy to move around your home, and cheaper than buying a gazillion paint pots! It’s the only way I buy paint samples.
What Colors Compliment SW Pure White
SW Pure White is very versatile and works with both cool and warm color schemes. Benjamin Moore Silver Satin is one of my favorites to pair with SW Pure White because of the contrast. However, any color can easily be paired with SW Pure White because of it’s versatility.
Basically, it works with any paint color and that’s why it’s so loved. So whether your home is full of grays and blues or you lean warmer with beiges or tans, Pure White will work.
Is Pure White Good in a Dark Room?
It depends. If you are looking for a nice bright white for trim that’s not stark, then it’s a great choice. If you’re looking for a white paint color to brighten up a dark room, other shades of white would be a better choice as a paint color for a dark room.
FAQ’s
No. SW Pure White is a nice, bright white with a slight softness to it. It does not look dingy.
In a room with cool light (North facing for example), the slight gray undertone of Pure White can become apparent. However, in most lighting conditions it won’t look gray. I have never seen it look gray as a trim color, only slightly on walls.
Yes, SW Pure White is a nice bright white that works well in ceilings.
Final Thoughts
Pure White is considered to be one of the most popular whites for many reasons —it shows as a soft, clean white that doesn’t come off too stark or cold.
I love it for trim, doors and wainscoting and exteriors, but I’ve come to prefer warmer whites on my walls (but that’s a personal preference!).
In a north-facing room, the slight gray undertone may become more apparent, while in a south-facing room it will look a bit warmer, especially as a wall color. The inherent sheen used for trim reflects more light, so the undertones are less apparent as the light changes.
Pure White works with both warm and cool color palettes, making it incredibly versatile.
More White Paint Colors
Still on the hunt for the perfect shade of white? Then these might do the trick!
I’ve read a few times that some houses don’t look good with white walls. What circumstances would cause that to be the case? I’m planning on painting most of my house white, but reading that makes me a little nervous.
I think the houses that don’t look good with white walls are the ones that feel cold and sterile. It’s really important that first you choose the right white, and second that you warm up the space with lots of warm wood tones, soft furnishings and some color (even if it’s just throw pillows).
what color is the wall
SW Pure White
I’ve browsed through soo many white paint color articles !! These walls almost look gray to me.. is the room north facing?
East and south! They look slightly gray because the white in the wallpaper is much whiter PLUS the walls are painted in a matte finish which doesn’t reflect light. Eggshell looks much brighter white.
This article gave me so much peace. We painted our kitchen cabinets Pure White a year ago and they are beautiful. We are taking the leap and using Pure White on all the main floor walls and trim. This article gave me reassurance that it will be a good choice! Thank you!
Is the wall and trim the same color?
Yes. Just different sheens.
Looks fantastic. What color and sheen did you use for the ceiling?
Ceiling is always flat ceiling paint in just the standard off-the-shelf color. I never bother with tinting.