Sherwin Williams Snowbound (7004): Undertones, LRV, & Where it Works Best
Sherwin Williams Snowbound is a soft white paint color with a subtle gray base. It works well on interior and exterior trim, as well as kitchen cabinets and interior walls.
Lighting and exposure can influence how paint colors appear – especially light ones like Snowbound.
Now, to be honest, if you’re looking for the perfect, bright white paint color for your trim, walls, or exterior – THIS ISN’T IT! I’m just joking (kind of).
The thing is, Snowbound isn’t a true white. And while, in the end, it might be exactly what you’re looking for, you also need to know what you’re getting into before you start slapping it on your walls. This is why we’re settling down together for a little read as I review what makes Snowbound do what it does.
WHAT TYPE OF PAINT COLOR IS SNOWBOUND?
If the name ‘Snowbound’ has you dreaming of icy cool slopes, think again. Snowbound is a warm, soft white paint color – that’s right, WARM. And while it’s in the white world, being a soft white, it’s not as bright as more traditional ‘true white’ colors.
Being white, Snowbound will change its tune depending on its surroundings and the type of natural light/exposure it gets. For example, if your room has south-facing or warm afternoon western sunshine (even some east-facing morning light), Snowbound can look a touch creamier (more yellow) than expected. There’s another sneaky undertone hiding in there, too, but we’ll hit that shortly.
All colors will be affected by your natural or artificial light source, but because whites have the highest LRVs, they’re hit pretty darn hard.
This next image is an awesome example of Snowbound in action. Looking into the playroom, notice how the lack of direct sun makes the room look cooler (if you were IN the room, you’d see the passive warmth in Snowbound). Then, notice how gloriously warm Snowbound looks with some warm natural light!
North, East, South, West – Which Paint Color is the Best?
WHAT’S THE LRV OF SNOWBOUND?
Snowbound has an LRV of 83, putting it in the white range, but NOT FAR into it. Most of the more popular whites range from approx. 82-95. With an LRV of 83, Snowbound is pretty darn soft.
Will Snowbound look ‘white,’ or is it too soft for that?
It’s open to perception. I visited a home with Snowbound and could tell the walls weren’t legit white but a ‘soft white.’ However, ask my hubby, and he’ll see, ‘Ummm, they look white to me – isn’t white just white?’ The key with a color like Snowbound is to make it the whitest white in the space. You’ll enhance its undertones and softness when you put a whiter color against it.
The cream of the drapes (a touch too yellow for this space, but it still all looks gorgeous) shows how muted and neutral Snowbound can look.
In this next photo, compare Snowbound to the white of the door and the fan to see the shift between a white with a HIGHER LRV (similar to Sherwin Williams High Reflective White) and one with a lower LRV like Snowbound…
Not sure what LRV is? It could save your paint-lovin’ life – read all about it HERE.
Paint sampling just got a whole lot smarter (and more affordable, too)…
Get your Samplize Peel & Stick sample of Snowbound HERE!
WHAT ARE SNOWBOUND’S UNDERTONES?
Snowbound is a tricky little bugger. Many choose it thinking they’re getting some form of white…and they are, but it has more going on than the average, popular shade.
Snowbound has a touch of gray calming it, along with some pink-violet. However, in the right light, it swings a bit warmer and a wink creamier than expected.
Here’s Snowbound leaning into its slightly taupe roots…
And here it is leaning that bit warmer and slightly creamy…crazy, eh?
Again, one reason for these shifts will be the natural light. I don’t remember the exposure of the top photo, but the staircase is getting a bit of warm southern light.
WHAT’S THE BEST WHITE TRIM COLOR WITH SNOWBOUND?
Whether you’re painting your trims, cabinets, or ceilings, Snowbound is super fussy about its partners. You have two choices…
1. Paint your trims, ceilings, and cabinets the same color as your walls for a more seamless look, letting Snowbound be the whitest part of the space.
2. Paint your trims, ceilings, and cabinets a brighter, clean shade of white. This will enhance Snowbound’s undertones and make it look a bit more off-white.
This is what happens (below) when you don’t choose a bright enough white for your trim or cabinets…
The walls are Snowbound and look considerably more taupe against the yellow undertone of the cabinets. As for the degree of pink on the walls on the right side, don’t mind that. That’s likely a reflection, as Snowbound is more passive than this.
Either way, you do you, Scooby-doo. If you choose a brighter white, check out…
- Sherwin Williams High Reflective White
- Benjamin Moore Chantilly Lace
SHOULD I Paint My Wood Cabinets White? A QUESTIONNAIRE
The 4 Best White Paint Colors from Sherwin Williams
IS SNOWBOUND A GOOD EXTERIOR PAINT COLOR?
With its unpredictable undertones, Snowbound isn’t a color I often recommend to my Online Color Consulting clients (for exteriors). It can work; just sample a large area to see how its undertones settle. I would also make sure there’s no whiter white around for it to contrast with, which means you’ll want your trims to be Snowbound as well.
With this next home’s palette, Snowbound is the perfect soft white paint color for the trims with the painted gray brick and taupe roof…
5 Tips for Choosing an Exterior Paint Color
IS SNOWBOUND A GOOD COLOR FOR CABINETS & TRIMS?
You bet your root-scootin’ booty it is; just be careful. Snowbound has unpredictable undertones and can look warmer than expected on cabinets. In this next photo, compare the cabinets to the white quartz backsplash (which is the same as the countertop), and it’s easier to see Snowbound’s undertones…
This kitchen/several previous rooms belong to the owner of LeMel Jewelry (mad love).
This next photo shows Snowbound cabinets in a low-light space (relying more on a mix of exterior and interior lighting than the last photo). Notice how the cabinets look a bit more creamy-warm…
The Best Off-White Cabinet Colors
WHAT COLORS ARE SIMILAR TO SNOWBOUND?
Every paint color has its own blend, and there will be no perfect match—you WILL see shifts in undertones, temperature, and depths, and Benjamin Moore doesn’t have anything that comes even close.
There aren’t many comparables to Snowbound. Other whites with similar LRVs lean warmer, like Sherwin Williams Pure White (a fabulous color that is more versatile, by the way). There are off-whites with similar (ish) tendencies like Heron Plume and White Heron, but at this point, you’re not comparing apples to apples at all; you’re apples to pork chops.
The closest comparable is Benjamin Moore’s Decorator’s White. It’s like Snowbound’s sister from the north, as it leans slightly cool (violet undertone) vs warm.
TOP TO BOTTOM: High Reflective White | Super White | Chantilly Lace | Decorator’s White
WHAT COLORS GO WITH SNOWBOUND?
Snowbound is FINICKY, which goes back to my point about not using it EVERYWHERE, especially regarding trims/ceilings/doors. The types of colors Snowbound can humor include some…
Again, this is the lovely beach home of the owner of LeMel Jewelry.
- many warm gray paint colors with a violet undertone
- some light, medium, & dark taupe paint colors
- clean whites – no yellow/creamy whites
- some grays with a stronger blue or blue-green undertone
- darker charcoal grays with any undertone (i.e., a feature or accent wall)
READ MORE
The Best Off-White Paint Colors
Paint Color Review of Sherwin Williams Pure White
Paint Color Review of Sherwin Williams Extra White
The ULTIMATE GUIDE to White Paint Colors
Benjamin Moore’s 8 Best White Paint Colors
NEED HELP?
Check out my Online Paint Color Consulting – I’d love to help!
Originally written in 2022, updated in 2024
Kylie – I have been following you for 3 years. You taught me so much about paint. I have to say I’m disappointed to see you don’t share my mad love for Snowbound. My kitchen cabinets are Snowbound with Agreeable Gray walls and Pure White trim. It was done in the Spring of 2019 and I’m still happy with it. I understand people can disagree. I’m just surprised you don’t like this popular color.
Hi Ally! So, it’s funny, I actually LOVE Snowbound (I’m thinking about using it in our lake build), but it’s just that it’s unpredictable and not as ‘safe’ as other whites. So many people use it as a trim colour and expect it to be flexible, and it just isn’t great for that application! I think what you have sounds LOVELY!
Glad I saw your posting. Got our heart set on Snowbound for cabinets being done this week. Our walls are gray and white trim. Sounds like I will be happy with our choice.
Thanks so much for this review on this not so predictable color. ” I think the joy of color should be approachable and accessible to everyone, whether you live in a bachelor suite or a mansion – I’ve got you covered.” I will always quote your words to everybody, you have been very helpful to me!!!
MELISSSSA, I just love this comment, thank you so much for taking the time to write it :).
This article has helped me a lot! I’m building a beach home and the builders mentioned they’re using Snowbound as the trim work color. I am really not happy about that. I feel the same way you do about, it limits me to the wall selections.
Hi Natalia, it is SUCH a beautiful colour, but yes, a bit limiting. Any way you could ask them to shift to Pure White? I don’t see WHY it would be an issue as it’s the same brand!
I am going to ask!!! Thank you!! 😘
I have new construction underway and I used all snowbound on exterior (trim and hardie) AND snowbound walls and trim interior. In the end, i think what goes with snowbound is SNOWBOUND. Haha I did find a blue, whirlpool, that looks good in my laundry. I tried a few others for hallway and nothing worked right. Painting back to snowbound. I would call it an independently beautiful color.
Kathy, I’m SO glad to hear this, as you’re totally right – Snowbounds favourite white partner IS…Snowbound ;). ?And GREAT job with Whirlpool!!!
Happy to read this. At first I thought you were hating on the color I have in nearly every room of house… but then I realized I followed your rules (snowbound with snowbound with a hint of repose gray and more snowbound) and quickly forgave you. FYI – I do have a lot of warm wood features in my house and (in my opinion) they work really well together. I think a truer white might read too cold / clinical against wood. But I don’t plan on ever testing that theory out to know for sure. These walls will be snowbound until I hand over the keys 🙂
If using snowbound on walls and trim of a bathroom. What color white for the ceiling?
I would look at High Reflective White if you want to play off Snowbound a bit OR just stick with Snowbound :).
Hi Kylie,
I am also looking at using Snowbound in a 64 sq ft bathroom as ceiling and multi-wall option along with a feature walls within toilet nook using Urbane Bronze. North facing with window over the tub/shower. White tub, sink, toilet. Matte black fixtures. Tribecca White Gypsum vertical shower tile and American Olean Foyer Contrast floor tile for a punch of dark veining. Vanity, mirror and linen door will be a medium warm brown stained birch. Copper pendant above toilet nook with Urbane as the backdrop. Copper organic knobs on vanity. I have existing orangey undertone stained pine entrance door that’s giving me some pink vibes with my snowbound test samples.
My concern: will the Snowbound “settledown” once all of the white towels and trimmings get in there? (will have a 4 light vanity light over 4’w x 3′ mirror and a recessed light over tub. cathedral ceiling have multiple peaks from 8′-10′ high) Shooting for a rustic elegant vibe.
Welll, I wouldn’t expect it to settle down. I mean, i fyou do the walls/trims/ceilings the same, that can help, as if it’s not being compared to a real white, it can settle down. HOWEVER…with white towels, white toilet, etc…I have my doubts :).
I have found Snowbound to be nicely flexible. I have snowbound trim, with rooms painted SW Sea Salt, others Heron Plume, and getting ready to do Agreeable Grey in another. Extra white for the ceiling (all SW colors)
Hi Kylie, I can’t decide what I love more – your wit, style or color sense (do I have to choose?) Question – Kitchen cabinets appear to be Alabaster, trim is Snowbound, walls are Canvas Tan. What should I put on the ceiling?
Well, thank you Lloyd, I’ll tuck those compliments in my back pocket and carry them around with me! Now, there are a lot of shifting undertones going on there, but i would lean into Snowbound for the ceiling :).
Hi Kylie! I’m finding this article a bit late in my process and am wondering if you can help. I’ve painted my 90’s house snowbound on the trim wall and ceilings. Snowbound feels cold on the walls but oddly warm on the trim. I’m wondering what I can paint the walls to warm things up. I was hoping natural linen would work but after reading this article I think not so much!
I’m thinking of using this for my cabinets. Walls are agreeable grey. We are doing a new build and the cabinets have been painted and the countertops were installed and they do not work together well. My counters look pink when they are not (even though there may be a bit of pink undertone) Current paint color is alabaster and the quartz is silestone eternal statuario. When I compared samples of paint to my quartz sample, pure white was a near miss and both alabaster and snowbound worked well. I’m torn in repainting the cabinets now or waiting until everything is done and seeing if lighting and flooring and backsplash will make the pink go away. I’m so sad.
First, I love your insights and voice.
I am trying to pick a whole home color. It is a one story ranch (wide) with windows mostly on the East and West, one bedroom with North, and the master bath with South.
The designer is suggesting #7004 Snowbound for walls and ceilings. Trim is TBD. She gets my design overall, but I don’t know her depth of knowledge on paint, due to lack of asking on my part. My kitchen cabinets (East windows) is penciled in as #7037 Balanced Beige – a definite no on your list with Snowbound. My master cabinets (South window) is penciled in as Escape Gray, which has an intentional green undertone – but a risk on your list with Snowbound. Sounds like you would say I should seek an alternative to Snowbound. Is that accurate, or is there a flexible trim color that can make this work? What article should read for alternative that have a similar effect without the risk of colors fighting.
I want to be able to change one room at a time over the years without redoing all the trim or ceilings in our open concepts plan.
Okayk, this is pretty funny as I saw you post this on an online FB group and I was like ‘nooooo, I wouldn’t do Snowbound’. It’s not that I dont’ like Snowbound, it’s that it’s very unpredictable. I mean, every color is to a degree, but in some lights, Snowbound looks more violet, and in others it almost goes a bit pink-cream. I jsut don’t TRUST it and this variability makes it tough to partner other colors with. What about a simple shift to SW Origami White? It has a wink more depth and is a bit muddier, but still VERY light and subtle. Or how about BM White Dove 25% lighter as a wall/trim application :)?
I have painted most of my first floor in Snowbound with Chantilly lace trim. I have lots of Windows so the room gets lots of light. I added pale wood beams to cei!ing. I have a plaster fireplace. I have had multiple people ask for the colour as they love it. I love it!
Sometimes it reflects the green from outside the window and sometimes, but not often, I see the slightest hint of pink, but for most part it looks white. It works perfectly in the house.
I just used Origami White in a bathroom as it tied together a creamer white tile with marble. Really pretty and creamy in my space. It does not read white like Snowbound however. I am about to do a loft with skylights. I was thinking of Origami White, or Snowbound, but was thinking now of SW Pure White. I want warmth but not cream. Thoughts?
Looking to paint whole house. My great room has red oak flooring and we have red oak trim and doors. I have a stone fireplace in browns, greys, and black. The great room, and kitchen both are South facing. I was looking at sw pure white or snowbound. But after reading this, snowbound might pick up more pink and violet in the south facing rooms with all the oak. Will pure white work? I love contrast and I’m just trying to accent the wood and stone.
Hi Kathy, it’s SO hard for me to say without seeing the space. I mean, I trust Pure White or BM White Dove WAY more than Snowbound, as Snowbound’s undertones are just so darn unpredictable!
I am having a very hard time picking a Neutral White! We have LOTS of windows but all on one side of our home which is East/ South East Facing so after noon the entire living room is shaded. I looked at a sample of Snowbound and loved it in the morning but am not sure after that. We will have white cabinets and light oak flooring. I saw your response above and thought I might try Origami White. If we do, would you do the trim in Origami as well? I love all of your content btw and thank you!
Hi Megan! It alllll depends on which WHITE the cabinets are. Manufacturer’s white cabinets are often SUPER WHITE or quite warm – just make sure they aren’t TOO warm or Origami and Snowbound won’t be happy. A white cabinets like SW Pure White or BM Chantilly Lace is great. From there, i PERSONALLY might do my trim white, just to have a bit of contrast with the wall color, to show it off a bit more vs blend it 🙂
Hey Kylie! Your talents are many but I especially love your writing (copy editor here).
I also love Snowbound and have used it in the open spaces of my house, including the staircase wall. The newel posts and handrail are currently painted Iron Ore and it doesn’t pack enough punch for me. I was thinking darker, closer to black but–you guessed it! Which black? (Or dark, dark gray…)
Oh wow, what a GREAT compliment, thank you! And yes, if you want more color bang for your buck, Tricorn Black is wicked pretty. I also DO love BM Wrought Iron (it’s like Iron Ore, but whereas Iron Ore harbors a wee green undertone, Wrought Iron holds blue), but it sounds like you’ll want a color with a bit more meat on it – a real black :).
Hi Kylie!
Loved reading this review! We are doing Snowbound on our walls and window trim throughout the house. We are looking for a really dark Brown color to use on our floor trim as we have some other challenges that lend white floor trim to not look very good. Any thoughts on dark brown colors that pair well with Snowbound? I can handle a little gray tint but don’t prefer a full out gray trim color. Thank you!!
oooof, I would be careful as Snowbound isn’t friendly towards brown. You might not like gray, but with Snowbound having a gray base, that’s its comfort zone. I woudl check out something like SW Gauntlet Gray, which is at least a warm gray, but I would avoid brown. I mean, if you HAD to pick one, I suppose BM Willow… 🙂
I am DESPERATE. When we bought our house 9 years ago we used Snowbound for the trim/ceiling and Eider White for the walls. It looks lovely but I am finding Eider White a bit too dark in one of the rooms and want something lighter on the walls. Do you suggest anything that goes with Snowbound that is lighter than Eider White? Is my best best Snowbound? I wanted to switch to BM White Dove but that will require repainting the entire house and hubby says NO!!! We are also redoing the kitchen (insurance loss) that has Snow colored White Cabinets by Mantra. Do you think snowbound on walls/everything is safe? I’m so nervous about it clashing. I am going for a whole house color and kind of now stuck with making snowbound work in some capacity.
Hey Lizzy – 100%, your best bet is Snowbound! To go lighter than Eider White, I wouldn’t attempt anything else :). I can’t say it will suit your cabinets, but to at least get you thinking along these lines is a good idea (otherwise you should stick with Eider White).
I bought a custom home that has Snowbound for all trim, crown, doors, cabinets (except for 2 secondary bathroom cabinets have Colonnade Grey AND the kitchen island is Gauntlet Grey). The other rooms walls are painted either Mindful Grey (main color), Dovetail, or Essential Grey. Let me start by saying I have a lot of trim, doors, etc that are SNOWBOUND! And come to find out, they used an oil based paint for the trim/doors/cabinets so in any areas void of sunlight, the Snowbound is yellowing. 🙁 I recently painted a home SW Alabaster walls and BM Chantilly Lace trim. It was gorgeous. (The cabinets were custom and unsure of color. The doors were all stained.) I want to repaint this home and would go with those colors but painting all the trim/doors/cabinets/etc is a gigantic task I cringe to think about. So my question is, what the heck would I paint the walls if I wanted to avoid changing the trim/cabinets/doors from Snowbound? I fear unless I want to suck it up, the best solution is to either repaint it all or stick with Snowbound for everything? Not a predicament I want to be in. Ugh!!! I welcome any and all advice.
I am trying to paint my walls and trim snowbound. I’m using SW Superpaint satin on the walls and SW Pro Classic semi-gloss on the trim, but the super paint and pro classic do not match. The pro classic is lighter. Sherwin Williams is telling me it’s the sheen. I’ve searched the internet but haven’t run into anyone talking about this issue with this color. Have you (or anyone reading this) seen this happen before?
Wellll, Kari, the sheen can shift how the colors look, but what they aren’t telling you is that the COLOR can shift between lines of paint. Paint cans come with different ‘bases’ in them, so they foundation they used to create Snowbound in Superpaint is different from the foundation that’s used in Pro Classic. You are NOT going crazy and it’s not just the sheen. It’s also not just SW, I had this same problem with White Dove and BM between certain lines of paint – they just can’t guarantee 100% matches which is huuuuuuuuuuugely frustrating.
I am repainting an entire home that has travertine floors. The trim is antique white and is in great condition. I was wanting to add a greige color to the walls and am needing to paint cabinets in a large kitchen. My colors are more on the warm tones, khakis, taupes with pops of black and some occasional chartreuse green for some accents like pillows, artwork etc. If I kept the trim in areas could I paint the kitchen cabinets in snowbound or pure white to get a less yellow look and accessible beige walls. Trying to pull it all together with existing trim color.
HI Brooke! It’s hard to say without seeing your h9ome, but I DO know that I wouldn’t do either of those cabinet colors with Antique White or Accessible Beige! Even though your Antique White might be in good shape, it can be SUPER limiting when it comes to updating the spaces around it, without making it look murky/yellow/cream in comparison to brighter, cleaner colors. This might help! https://www.kylieminteriors.ca/how-to-update-cream-or-off-white-cabinets-trim-common-questions/
I have a GAF Timberline roof in weathered wood, which I think reads brown, beige and gray. Trying to decide if snowbound would work with it. Or would the roof look better with white duck or natural choice. I’m going for an off white. Any thoughts?! Thanks
Love your post! I am moving into a home that has Snowbound on the trim and baseboards. I really love the color White Heron for the walls, do you think that would that go okay?
Oooo, I wouldn’t. I love White Heron, but I worry about it flashing too creamy for Snowbound. Snowbound is a tricky one!