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A true chameleon color, Sherwin Williams Shoji White (SW 7042) is a beautiful off-white paint color that marries the best of greige and cream. If you’ve been stumped on the perfect neutral paint color for your home, then this may be the one for you!
Adding the word “white” in a paint color name would lead you to believe it’s actually white. However, with Sherwin Williams Shoji White (SW-7042), this color is truly so much more.
Technically, Shoji White is a warm off-white, but as you’ll see throughout this post, it’s a chameleon color that can change depending on the natural light in your room.
On the Sherwin Williams paint fan deck, Shoji White sits right above Worldly Gray, classified as a greige. So technically, this color is a lighter greige paint color.
However, this color can’t be fully classified as a true greige either because it also can appear as a cream.
Think of it this way – if a greige and cream had a baby, Shoji White would be that baby!
If you’re looking for the best cream paint colors, this one might be a good option, however keep in mind it is more of a mix of greige with cream.
What’s the LRV?
Light Reflectance Value (LRV) is an indicator of the amount of light that is reflected by a color when a light source illuminates it. A lower value (closer to 0) indicates that a color will appear darker or absorb more light. A higher value (closer to 100) means that a color will reflect more light back at you.
The LRV of Sherwin Williams Shoji White is 74, meaning it falls on the off-white side of the LRV scale. For comparison sake, Benjamin Moore Chantilly Lace has an LRV of 90, while Sherwin Williams Pure White has an LRV of 84.
Is it a a Warm or Cool Color?
Sherwin Williams Shoji White is a warm paint color.
What Are The Undertones?
Typically a greige color has beige and gray undertones with a smidge of green. Shoji White falls perfectly into that category, but with the added cream.
Shoji White is an excellent choice if you want to create a warm atmosphere without being too bright. It’s a beautiful neutral color that won’t compete with other colors in your home’s color palette.
How Exposure Affects Shoji White
The exposure your room gets can greatly impact how a color looks on the wall, and Shoji White is no different.
South-Facing Rooms
A south-facing room gets warm yellow sunlight all day long. This will bring out the creaminess in Shoji White, making it appear its warmest.
West-Facing Rooms
West-facing rooms get similar warm light in the afternoons to south-facing rooms, so the effect on Shoji White will be similar. However, the cool morning light will make that greige undertone more apparent.
North-Facing Rooms
Warm whites and off-whites are always a good choice in North-facing rooms as the warmth of the color helps to counteract the gray cast that northern light brings. The color will look more muted and the warmth will appear much more subtle than in the rooms that get warm sunlight.
East-Facing Rooms
East-facing rooms react similarly to north-facing rooms in that they get nice morning light (but it’s not super warm and yellow) followed by a cooler cast in the afternoon. So again, Shoji White will appear more muted and not as warm.
If I’m using SW Shoji White on my walls, what white trim color will look best?
Because of the green undertones and the fact that it’s more greige than white, your best option for a white trim color would be Sherwin Williams Pure White, which is a bright white with a hint of warmth and gray. It works beautifully with greige paint colors.
Where Can I Use it?
Sherwin Williams Shoji White is of course a great choice as a wall color, whether that’s in your living room, bedroom, kitchen, dining room or hallway. It’s also certainly an option for cabinets in your kitchen or your bathroom vanity.
Many people think they want the all white look for their walls, then quickly realize it’s not for them. Lighter colors like Shoji White are a great choice in these situations.
I would not, however, choose Shoji White as a trim color, even if you’re trying to do contrasting trim. It’s too dark/off-white to be a white trim, but not dark enough to be a good color for contrasting darker trim alongside white walls.
Is Shoji White a Popular Choice for Kitchen Cabinets?
No, SW Shoji White is not a particularly popular choice for kitchen cabinets. However, that doesn’t mean it’s not the right choice for your kitchen cabinets. If your kitchen has other warm elements like wood and brass, Shoji White would be a beautiful choice for cabinets.
Love Shoji White but want a bit more color? Try SW Accessible Beige instead (it looks amazing on cabinets!).
Is Shoji White A Good Exterior Color?
If your home has more of a traditional look on the exterior walls, Shoji White can be an amazing color because it provides a neutral palette, while still keeping the home feeling fresh and modern. It’s perfectly paired with deep reds, blues, greens, taupes, grays – almost any color.
This is especially perfect for those who love soft off-whites, rather than a stark crisp white.
By the way, notice how this photo in particular helps highlight that soft green undertone that can become apparent.
What Are Some Coordinating Colors?
The following colors can be incorporated in to a coordinating color scheme with Shoji White (notice how many have a beige or slight green undertone to help the colors feel cohesive).
- Sherwin Williams Pure White
- Sherwin Williams Accessible Beige
- Sherwin Williams Stardew
- Sherwin Williams Fawn Brindle
- Sherwin Williams Evergreen Fog
- Sherwin Williams Secret Garden
- Sherwin Williams Urbane Bronze
Shoji White vs. Alabaster
When I think about Sherwin Williams Alabaster, that color is very much in the white paint color family. Although Alabaster is a warmer white and not a true white, Shoji White is definitely more beige than Alabaster.
Alabaster is a popular choice for creamy, almost off-white walls and trim. Whereas Shoji White would not be a color I would personally consider for trim.
Comparing the two paint colors, you can clearly see Shoji White’s greige undertones come to the fore.
Shoji White vs White Duck
These are incredibly similar colors, with the only difference being the little bit of green undertone that Shoji White has. If that scares you off, then Sherwin Williams White Duck may be a better choice!
Shoji White vs. Benjamin Moore Swiss Coffee
One of Benjamin Moore’s most popular neutral white paint colors is Swiss Coffee. Swiss Coffee is a warm, creamy white with a higher LRV ) than Shoji White (74), making it considerably whiter and brighter.
Swiss Coffee has a LRV of almost 84 which puts it right in the sweet spot for bright white paint colors. It’s bright enough to make a room feel light and airy. Swiss Coffee has creamy warm undertones which stop walls from looking boring and sterile.
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.
Final Thoughts
If you can’t decide between greige or cream for your walls, then Shoji White may be the perfect paint color for you!
I have white oak floors, warm white upper cabinets and midnight navy lower cabinets. The great room windows are all west facing. Would you use Shoji white for wall paint?
Thank you
I am debating between SW Shoji White OR Seapearl also called
China White by Benjamin Moore for the EXTERIOR of my home. Eastern exposure to Morning sun.
Seems the afternoon sun is making Shoji appear a little pink? I want to paint my entire exterior ( windows, soffit also) the same color! Which color will stay the Greige tone I’m looking for in all exposures best? Thank you for your opinion. I can send pics with both colors applied.
We currently have alabaster on all our trim. Do you think shoji white would work on the walls?
hello!
We are considering Shoji White for our kitchen cabinets. You mention green undertones but I cannot see it at all on my samples or my poster board that I painted. Out kitchen does not get any direct sunlight and is not particularly bright. Have you seen Shoji take on a green hue in person? Of course – I don’t want to make a mistake on this decision so any input appreciated!! Currently we are waiting it with an island that will be a darker brown wood and had been going for a warmer creamier white.
Hi! Would you recommend going with Swiss Coffee or Shoji White for a whole house color? We have alot of beige furniture. I like the depth of Shoji but am not sure if it will look right in all lighting. If we go with Swiss Coffee, then maybe Shoji in the bedrooms? What do you think?
What type of metal would look best with this color palette? Black, gold, silver, etc?