Pearly White
SW 7009 · Sherwin-Williams
Sherwin-Williams
Pearly White
SW 7009
Subtle yellow-beige, a warm color
- Color family
- White
- Sold for
- Interior and exterior
Sherwin-Williams Pearly White SW 7009 is a quiet warm white with an LRV of 77, one clear step deeper than Alabaster SW 7008 and bright enough to keep a room open without reading stark. Measured, its undertone is a subtle yellow-beige with no pull toward red or green at all, so on a wall it reads as a soft white with a little depth rather than a cream. It is a whole-house wall color, and Sherwin-Williams lists it among its top exterior colors.
Updated
Is Pearly White warm or cool? Undertones by the numbers
leans yellow
Undertone
Subtle yellow-beige
A gentle lean, quiet on the wall.
Pearly White measures warm, with a small yellow lean that sits dead on yellow: no red to pull it pink, no green to pull it khaki, and less pigment than Shoji White SW 7042 or Alabaster SW 7008. That is why it reads as a white with shadow in it rather than a cream. Against a bright white trim it shows as a soft pale beige; against warm oak it warms up and loses most of its gray; against cool gray tile it looks whiter and slightly creamy. Sanctuary SW 9583 and White Heron SW 7627 measure as near twins, and Origami White SW 7636 is a close sibling with even less warmth.
Pearly White in north, south, east and west light
A north-facing room shows Pearly White at its grayest: the cool light takes the yellow out and leaves a soft, slightly shadowed white that still feels warm enough to live with, which is more than a bright white manages there. South light turns it creamy in the afternoon and can make a sunlit wall look close to Alabaster SW 7008. East rooms see it warm at breakfast and quieter by evening; west sun adds a little gold at the end of the day. Keep the bulbs at 2700K to 3000K and it stays true; at 4000K it flattens toward a pale gray.
Watch for
- In a sunlit south room with a cream sofa it reads creamier than the chip
- Beside Pure White SW 7005 trim it shows as a color; beside Alabaster SW 7008 trim it nearly disappears
- Under 4000K bulbs it loses its warmth and reads as a flat pale gray
Best rooms and surfaces for Pearly White
Walls are Pearly White's job, and whole houses of them: it reads white but not bright in living rooms, bedrooms and hallways, and it keeps a north bedroom from feeling cold. On kitchen cabinets it reads as a soft white with a little warmth, cleaner than a cream and gentler than a stark white, and it suits both white quartz and warm wood counters. In a bathroom it works with white tile as long as the bulbs are warm. It is a workable ceiling color over deeper walls, and it pairs with grays such as Jogging Path SW 7638, the accent Sherwin-Williams gives it, better than most warm whites do. It is too deep to be trim against a light wall.
Pearly White on an exterior
Sherwin-Williams lists Pearly White among its top exterior colors, and outdoors it behaves like a soft white with a little body. Full sun bleaches it to a near-white; the shaded sides keep a faint warm gray that stops the house from looking flat. It suits gray and black roofs, stone and brick, with Pure White SW 7005 or Extra White SW 7006 trim to keep the edges crisp and a dark door in Iron Ore SW 7069 or Peppercorn SW 7674 for weight.
Try Pearly White on your own walls
Upload a photo of your room, or the outside of your house, and TryMyHome renders Pearly White onto the walls so you can judge it in your light, with your floors and furniture. Your first five renders are free.
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Pearly White vs Alabaster, Shoji White, Greek Villa and Pure White
AlabasterPearly WhitePearly White vs Alabaster SW 7008
Pearly White is noticeably darker; both have a subtle yellow-beige undertone.
Alabaster SW 7008 is five points lighter and creamier, with more yellow in it. On a wall Alabaster reads as a warm white; Pearly White reads as the same white with the lights turned down a notch, a shade grayer and calmer. Pick Alabaster for a room that should feel bright and cozy; pick Pearly White when Alabaster looks too creamy against your counters or too bright in a sunny room.
Shoji WhitePearly WhitePearly White vs Shoji White SW 7042
Pearly White is noticeably lighter; both have a subtle yellow-beige undertone.
Shoji White SW 7042 is three points darker and carries more beige, so it reads as a warm greige-white where Pearly White reads as a soft white. Beside each other Shoji White is the color and Pearly White the lighter, cleaner one. Choose Shoji White for depth and warmth in a bright room; choose Pearly White for a north room or a house where the walls should stay white.
Greek VillaPearly WhitePearly White vs Greek Villa SW 7551
Pearly White is noticeably darker; both have a subtle yellow-beige undertone.
Greek Villa SW 7551 is seven points lighter, the top of the same strip, a warm white bright enough to be trim. Next to it Pearly White looks like a pale gray-beige. Greek Villa is the one when you want a bright warm white, or as the trim for Pearly White walls; Pearly White is the one when Greek Villa reads too bright and you want a little shadow on the walls.
Pure WhitePearly WhitePearly White vs Pure White SW 7005
Pearly White is noticeably darker; undertone subtle yellow-beige vs faint yellow-beige.
Pure White SW 7005 is nearly seven points lighter and close to neutral, so beside it Pearly White reads as a definite warm color. The two make a natural wall and trim pair: Pearly White on the walls with Pure White trim gives crisp lines and a soft room. Choose Pure White alone for a bright modern space; choose Pearly White where a bright white would feel bare.
Questions about Pearly White
Does Pearly White look yellow or gray?
It does both, and the room decides which. Its lean is a plain yellow with nothing toward red or green, so in a sunny south room it reads creamy and in a north room it reads as a soft gray-white. It never goes pink or green. Beside Alabaster SW 7008 it looks gray; beside Pure White SW 7005 it looks warm.
What colors go with Pearly White?
The two accents Sherwin-Williams gives it are Jogging Path SW 7638, a mid greige, and Grapy SW 7629, a deep taupe gray. In practice it sits well with grays, black, walnut and white oak, and it takes cool colors such as navy and sage better than creamier whites do, because it has so little yellow.
Is Pearly White good for cabinets?
Yes. On cabinets it reads as a soft warm white, cleaner than a cream and easier to live with than a stark white, and it works with both white quartz and wood counters. Pair it with Pure White SW 7005 walls or trim for a two-white kitchen, or with deeper walls such as Agreeable Gray SW 7029 for contrast.
What is one shade darker than Pearly White?
Shoji White SW 7042 is the next step down strip 254, three points deeper with a little more beige. One shade lighter is Ivory Lace SW 7013, and above that Greek Villa SW 7551 at the top of the strip. From its nearest matches, Mortar SW 9584 is a touch darker, and Sanctuary SW 9583 is a near twin a touch darker still.
Is Pearly White a good exterior color?
Yes. From the street it reads whiter than it does indoors, since daylight is stronger than any room light, so if you want visible warmth on the siding compare Shoji White SW 7042 one step down. With a same-family trim such as Greek Villa SW 7551 the house reads as one soft white; with Pure White SW 7005 trim the walls show as a color.
Get a sample before you paint
Use the visualizer to narrow your shortlist, then confirm the finalist on your actual wall. A peel-and-stick sample of Pearly White, checked in morning and evening light, is the last step before a gallon.
- Made with real paint
- Delivered next day
- Peels off clean
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