Sherwin-Williams Pure White: Paint Color Review
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Looking for the perfect white paint color? If Sherwin Williams Pure White SW7005 is on your list of contenders, you’ll want to read this post. You don’t have to be an expert to find the perfect shade of white! Sharing my experience with this brand and color to help make the choice easier for you.
Does Sherwin-Williams Pure White paint have any undertones?
With the name, you’d assume that Pure White by Sherwin Williams is just that – pure white. However, this isn’t exactly the case! While Pure White is certainly a neutral and versatile color, it has a drop of tint that gives it an almost undetectable bit of warmth without being yellow.
This is one of Sherwin-Williams’ most popular shades of white for a reason. It is bright without being stark and looks great in just about any lighting situation.
I hired a contractor to do the big jobs in my basement remodel. They only work with Sherwin-Williams paints so I chose SW Pure White for most of the walls. The space has a few small windows, so there is very little natural light so I didn’t have to worry about outdoor color casts.
In the image below, you can appreciate the contrast between the SW Black Magic and SE Pure White and see how the warm artificial lights make them look.
What is Sherwin-Williams’ whitest paint?
High Reflective White SW7757 is the brightest and cleanest option in the white color family. Check out the image below to see how it compares to Pure White and several other popular options.
Why paint your walls white?
White walls make a space feel light and airy. If you have small rooms or spaces that lack natural light, painting the walls white can make them feel larger and brighter.
Do you love to decorate? White walls are the perfect blank canvas for furniture, wall art, and other decor. Let your style be the star of the show!
One of the biggest misconceptions about white walls is that they are boring or make a space feel sterile and clinical. While that can certainly be true, it’s likely due to the lighting conditions and not the white paint. More on that below!
I used white in my basement due to the lack of natural light, but I love bright white walls with architectural details – like arched niches or molding! Check out my wall molding and vertical shiplap tutorials to make your walls more interesting.
Paint by numbers (and letters)
- R:237 G:236 B:230
- Hex Value:#EDECE6
- LRV:84
Every paint color is assigned an RGB number which is a series of 3 numbers that represent the intensity of RED, GREEN, and BLUE in a particular color. The range for each color is between 0-255 with zero being the highest intensity and 255 being the lowest.
If you do the math…there are millions of possibilities! Now you can understand why there are so many choices for EVERY color! SW Pure White has an RGB value of 237/236/230. By comparison, High Reflective White’s is RGB: 247/247/241.
When it comes to Pure White vs High Reflective White – the two colors have very similar undertone values but Pure White has a stronger presence of all three colors.
The HEX number for color is made of 3 pairs of letters or numbers. Each pair is calculated from the RGB values to create a six-character combination. If you want to use a specific color on a computer screen graphic, you can simply type in the HEX number, and your color will pop right up. No guessing or trying to select the right spot on the color wheel! The HEX number for SW Pure White is #EDECE6.
Have you seen the letters LRV and wondered what they mean? The LRV number of paint refers to its Light Reflectivity Value. You can tell how light or dark a color will be from the LRV. The higher the LRV, the more light it reflects which means it will be light and airy.
A lower LRV reflects less light and it will appear dark and moody. As seen above, SW Black Magic LRV is 3.0. By contrast, the LRV for SW Pure White is 84.0.
White paint colors in my home
My go-to paint for my built-in cabinet projects is Sherwin-Williams Urethane Trim Enamel. Great for surfaces like doors and cabinets because it’s durable and dries to a hard and very smooth finish. It is also self-leveling which means less chance of brush strokes or roll marks.
I can just buy the base Hi-Hide White right off the shelf and don’t need to add any tint to it. Read more about the paint colors in my home!
Even though I find Behr Ultra Pure White slightly inferior to work with, it’s more economical when you have a larger area to cover. I used it in my entry, hallway, and dining room after installing wall molding and have been happy with the results.
One other white paint I’ve used in my home is BM Chantilly Lace. It’s another bright white option and to be honest, I couldn’t tell the difference between that and the Behr in the adjacent hallway. See the image below!
For more details, read about the white paint colors in my home.
What is the Benjamin Moore equivalent to SW Pure White?
While there isn’t an exact match, there are several similar colors. Some have more of a gray undertone while others have more yellow. See my tips below to determine which way you need to go!
Here are some of the top white paint colors from Benjamin Moore.
SW Pure White FAQs
Painting the walls and trim the same color makes a room look more refined and elevated. The trick is to use a different sheen. Satin or semi-gloss on doors and trim allows those areas to stand out when the light hits them just right. Using different colors will exacerbate any undertones.
Don’t trust the images you see online when choosing paint colors for your home. Get some samples and paint swatches in different areas of the room. See how they look in every lighting situation before you commit.
Consider where the room is within your home and which direction your home faces. Natural light has a huge impact on how paint looks. Morning light is cooler and makes things look blue while afternoon light has a warm golden glow. Both can drastically change the look of your paint.
Artificial lighting also impacts the look of paint. I prefer warmer light bulbs (2700-3000K) to stark daylight ones (5000K) so I keep that in mind when choosing paint colors. Like natural light, artificial light creates a color cast on your walls. Warmer light bulbs will cast a soothing glow. If you’d like to learn more, read my post on lighting designs in your home.
SW Pure White was life changing. I lived in a townhouse rental with a yellow-beige for 5 years. It was dark and drab with only early morning and late afternoon direct sunlight. After buying the townhouse, all the main living spaces were painted Pure White. Instantly brighter. The white is never harsh and doesn’t discolor into a hue when it’s cloudy out. It made my mood better and created a peaceful home.
Exactly! I agree!