Painting the exterior of your home is a big job, but it can make all the difference when it comes to curb appeal. Finding the perfect white from the vast array of Sherwin Williams white exterior paint colors can be daunting. From warm whites to cool hues, each option has its own look and style.
To make the process easier, this article dives into the best Sherwin Williams whites for your home's exterior and provides tips on how to use them. You'll learn what to consider when selecting an exterior white, plus get inspiration featuring other home painted with white. With the right white hue, your home will stand out in a good way and be the envy of your neighborhood.
Recently, I visited my daughter who just had her house painted. After seeing how beautiful her shade of white turned out I knew I wanted to share the best white exterior paint colors by Sherwin Williams and include her house.
It just happens that at the same time my daughter had her house painted white my niece did too. In this post I am sharing both their house colors along with other friends.
This post contains affiliate links, meaning I receive a commission if you purchase using the links below at no extra cost to you. All opinions are all my own.
Best Sherwin Williams White Exterior Paint Colors
- Pure White SW 7005
- Alabaster SW 7008
- Snowbound SW 7004
- White Duck SW 7010
- Oyster White SW 7637
- Shoji SW 7042
- Creamy SW 7012
Project Tips:
- LRV – You'll read the term LRV throughout the post. It stands for Light Reflectance Value. The highest LRV is 100. The higher the number, the more light will reflect from the color. A high LRV is a highly reflective white and is great for a small room or a room that you want to be bright and sunny.
- RGB – RGB is the amount of red, blue, and green in each color. The colors with higher red levels will have warm tones, and a higher blue will be a cooler white.
- Samplize – You can get peel and stick paint samples of these colors from Samplize.
- Curbside Pickup: Did you know you can call ahead an order at your nearest Sherwin Williams and pick it up. It saves time and makes pick up easier.
- Trim Paint Colors: When picking paint for your whole house, I recommend you pick the same trim color throughout. It is a great way to keep your home's appearance consistent and make your life easier.
- Front Door Color: There is no right or wrong way when it comes to front door colors but if you pick a different color from the main exterior colors then the eye is drawn to your front door and your door will stand out more.
Best Sherwin Williams White Exterior Paint Colors FAQs:
What is the most popular Sherwin Williams white paint for exterior?
Alabaster is a popular choice of Sherwin Williams white exterior paint colors for it's soft, warm white tone. But it's definitely not the only popular white exterior paint color. Keep reading to find the best white paint colors for exterior for you.
Why is everyone painting their exterior house white?
A white house exterior can give your home a fresh, clean look. Its timeless appearance gives your home a classic look that allows for many styling options and maximizes natural light. I think you'll find the best white exterior paint color for your home here.
Pure White
Sherwin Williams Pure White is a good, clean bright white. With an LRV of 84 and a color balance of R 237 G 236 B 230, this versatile, bright white has the slightest yellow undertone that keeps it from appearing too stark.
It's a great color for your exterior, a beautiful color for trim, back door or front door. It's a wonderful especially if your home is in a darker area or surrounded by trees because it's such a bright white.
Alabaster
When you want the brightness of a white without sacrificing a warm coziness, try this soft, warm but balanced white. With an LRV of 82 and color balance of R 237 G 234 B 224, Alabaster White will look stunning on the exterior of your home.
Amy at Amy Huber Designs used Sherwin Williams Alabaster as the main color, Amazing gray for the exterior shutters and Hale Navy by Benjamin Moore on the front door. This is such a beautiful color combination!
See how lovely Alabaster White looks outside and inside your home here. If you love it as much as I do, see how gorgeous it is an interior color when I used it to transform my niece's farmhouse bathroom.
Snowbound
Check out this beautiful home from Jennifer at Gracious Spaces. She chose Snowbound by Sherwin Williams.
With an LRV of 83 and color balance of R 237 G 234 B 229, Snowbound is a versatile cool white with slight gray undertones. Other colors on her house is the garage doors, downspouts and doors are Sherwin Williams Black Magic. Her trim is also snowbound but in a semigloss.
See below how Jennifer tested different colors of whites on her home before choosing Snowbound. This is a great option to see the differences between different whites.
All these colors are Sherwin Williams except for White Dove and Chantilly Lace which are Benjamin Moore.
Here is what Jennifer said about choosing snowbound, “I think I really wanted a crisp white since we have so many trees and landscaping on our 3 acres. It was off-white so not a blinding white. I just kept coming back to it.” Now that's the sign of a good choice.
If you love Snowbound I can assure you it looks just as beautiful inside your home as outside. Check out how Snowbound looks on my daughters kitchen cabinets.
White Duck
With an LRV of 74 and color balance of R 229 G 223 B 210, this cool white is creamy and bright. A favorite for classic exteriors and accents throughout the home.
Jill over at Back Porch Lilly on Instagram graciously let me share with you this photo of her White Duck painted brick home. White Duck is a lovely exterior color on brick or wood siding.
Oyster White
Oyster White is a warm white paint color and has an LRV of 72 and color balance of R 226 G 221 B 208. Its soft, green – beige undertones make this hue both stylish and calming. You can see an example of this off-white in Jennifer's picture above where she tested it on the exterior of her home. It's great if you want a touch of warmth for your white house.
Shoji
Shoji has an LRV of 74 and color balance of R 230 G 223 B211 giving it a light but cozy feeling. Consider this warm, creamy white exterior color that borders on greige for your home exterior.
This is my daughter Savanna's house and she has wanted a white house for a long time. Her plan was to paint the brick white. But after the siding was painted Shoji white she was so happy she has decided for now to keep the brick color.
Other colors on her house is the Iron Ore painted shutters and her front door is Warm Stone. To see her door up close check out this post on how to hang a wreath on a glass door.
I asked Savanna why she chose Shoji and she said “I've always leaned towards white but I didn't want a white that was blinding so I chose it because it was a good creamy white that was warm, not too bright but also not too yellow looking.”
Look lower on this photo of her front door for a closer match to this color. The light is casting more yellow to the top and that is not what it looks like in real life. Learn more about the versatility of Shoji White in this post.
Creamy SW 7012
Creamy is a bright white with the softest of yellow undertones. It's a good option to create a subtle warmth with an LRV of 81 and color balance of R 239 G 232 B 219.
This beautiful brick painted home belongs to my niece Tracy. I asked Tracy, my niece, why she chose creamy and she said because she didn't want a white white color but wanted a white with warm undertones.
Her main reason for going white on her brick was because she wanted her house to contrast with the landscape. Also, her house is lower than the road in front of it she felt white would make it stand out more.
They have more projects to add curb appeal like a new door and exterior shutters. Check back later when I share a finished photo.
Final Thoughts
I hope you enjoyed what I believe are the best white exterior paint colors from Sherwin Williams and found some paint color inspiration. Are you ready to add a Sherwin Williams white to the exterior of your home? You can see how Alabaster white looks on my patio doors in this YouTube video.
There are so many places you could paint with these gorgeous whites. You're sure to make a great choice and find the perfect paint color for your home. If you're on the fence about which color to use, don't forget you can go to Samplize to get peel and stick paint samples.
I'd love to hear what shade you choose and for the exterior of your home!
Happy Decorating!
