Pure White

SW 7005 · Sherwin-Williams

Sherwin-Williams

Pure White

SW 7005

Hex code

#EDECE6

Light reflectance value (LRV)

84Off-white, light and airy

0 black100 white

Undertone

Faint yellow-beige, a true neutral

Color family: White
Sold for: Interior and exterior

Try it on your walls Get a sample

Sherwin-Williams Pure White SW 7005 is a neutral white with an LRV of 84, about as bright as a wall color gets before it turns stark. Its undertone is a faint yellow-beige lean, too small to give it a visible cast, so it can read warm next to cool whites and cool next to creamy ones. It works on walls, trim, ceilings, cabinets and exteriors.

Is Pure White warm or cool? Undertones by the numbers

too close to gray to lean

Undertone

Faint yellow-beige

graysaturated

Barely off gray.

Pure White carries only a faint amount of pigment, with a lean that sits a hair past yellow toward green: neutral with a faint yellow-beige lean by our method, and no visible cast. That near-neutral position is why it is used so widely; it can read warm next to a cool white and cool next to a creamy one. Next to Alabaster SW 7008 it looks crisp, next to Extra White SW 7006 soft. Its nearest twin is White Sand SW 9582, and Snowbound SW 7004 is a very close sibling, a touch darker with a lean more toward beige.

Pure White in north, south, east and west light

Pure White is the white to reach for when you cannot predict the light, because it has so little undertone to shift: it holds up in north rooms where creamier whites go gray and in south rooms where cool whites go icy. The extremes are the exposures to watch; a bright south room with warm floors can make it look a touch cream in the afternoon, and a dim north room can leave the walls away from the window looking flat.

Watch for

Against a cream sofa or warm wood it can read cool; against bright white tile it can read cream.
In a dim north room the walls away from the window can go a touch gray.
Glossy trim in Pure White next to flat Pure White walls can show a small color difference in raking light.

Best rooms and surfaces for Pure White

Pure White goes almost anywhere: walls, kitchens, bathrooms, trim, doors, ceilings and cabinets. It is one of the most common cabinet whites because it is bright without being blue and does not turn yellow next to white quartz or marble, and as trim it pairs with almost any wall color on this site. It falls flat in a room with very little daylight, where it can look plain and a little gray; a creamier white like Alabaster SW 7008 feels cozier there. Against a warm-yellow trim from an older paint job it can look blue; repaint the trim in the same white. It sits well with almost any floor or counter because it adds no cast of its own.

Pure White on an exterior

Pure White is a standard exterior white for siding, trim and brick, and it reads brighter outside than inside, closer to a clean white than an off-white. As trim it pairs with darker bodies such as Iron Ore SW 7069, Urbane Bronze SW 7048, Pewter Green SW 6208 and Evergreen Fog SW 9130. As the body color, use Tricorn Black SW 6258 or Iron Ore SW 7069 on the door and shutters, with Extra White SW 7006 on the trim if you want a visible line.

Try Pure White on your own walls

Upload a photo of your room, or the outside of your house, and TryMyHome renders Pure 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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Pure White vs Extra White, Alabaster, Snowbound and Greek Villa

Living room walls rendered in Sherwin-Williams Extra White SW 7006, white trim, ceiling and wood floor unchanged

Pure White vs Extra White SW 7006

Pure White is a touch darker; undertone faint yellow-beige vs faint yellow-leaning green.

Extra White SW 7006 is a touch brighter, and our method reads its faint lean as yellow-green rather than yellow-beige, so it looks cooler and can read cool in north light. Pick Extra White for a crisp look with cool grays or when the trim needs to be the brightest thing in the room. Pick Pure White when the room has warm wood or warm walls and you want the white to stay soft.

Living room walls rendered in Sherwin-Williams Alabaster SW 7008, white trim, ceiling and wood floor unchanged

Pure White vs Alabaster SW 7008

Pure White is a touch lighter; undertone faint yellow-beige vs subtle yellow-beige.

Alabaster SW 7008 sits next to Pure White on strip 255, a touch darker, and its undertone moves from faint to subtle yellow-beige. That is the difference between a neutral white and a soft cream. Pick Alabaster for walls in a room that needs warmth, such as a north bedroom, with Pure White as the trim. Pick Pure White for walls when you want a cleaner white that does not turn cream in the afternoon.

Living room walls rendered in Sherwin-Williams Snowbound SW 7004, white trim, ceiling and wood floor unchanged

Pure White vs Snowbound SW 7004

Pure White is a touch lighter; both have a faint yellow-beige undertone.

Snowbound SW 7004 is a touch darker and very close to Pure White, so they are close siblings. Both are neutral with a faint yellow-beige lean; Snowbound's lean sits a little more toward beige and it can read a touch grayer on a wall. Pick Snowbound for walls when Pure White feels a shade too bright. Pick Pure White for trim, cabinets and rooms where you want the cleaner of the two.

Living room walls rendered in Sherwin-Williams Greek Villa SW 7551, white trim, ceiling and wood floor unchanged

Pure White vs Greek Villa SW 7551

Pure White is a touch darker; undertone faint yellow-beige vs subtle yellow-beige.

Greek Villa SW 7551 is nearly the same brightness, but its undertone is a subtle yellow-beige, stronger than the faint lean of Pure White, so it reads as a warm, creamy white rather than a neutral one. Pick Greek Villa when you want an unmistakably warm white for walls, with Pure White trim. Pick Pure White when the walls and trim should match, or when the room already has plenty of warmth from floors and furniture.

Questions about Pure White

Does Pure White look yellow?

Not on its own; its yellow-beige lean is too faint to show as a cast. By contrast it can read a touch cream next to bright white tile or a crisper white such as Extra White SW 7006, and a touch gray in a dim north room.

What colors go with Pure White?

Almost anything, since it adds no cast of its own. Common schemes are Pure White on walls, trim and ceiling together, or Alabaster SW 7008 walls with Pure White trim. Outdoors it trims dark siding such as Iron Ore SW 7069 or Urbane Bronze SW 7048.

What is one shade lighter than Pure White?

On its own strip, Westhighland White SW 7566 is the next step lighter and Alabaster SW 7008 the next step darker. Extra White SW 7006 is another close step up, a touch brighter and cooler.

Is Pure White good for trim?

Yes, it is one of the most common trim whites. It is bright enough to edge most wall colors, and its neutral lean means it does not clash with warm or cool walls. Use it in satin or semi-gloss, with the same color in flat on the ceiling.

Is Pure White a good whole-house color?

Yes. Its brightness and faint undertone make it usable on walls, trim, ceilings and cabinets at the same time, which is the simplest whole-house scheme. Add warmth with floors and fabrics rather than with the paint, and add a darker color on doors or an island if it feels plain.

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 Pure White, checked in morning and evening light, is the last step before a gallon.