Sherwin Williams Snowbound: 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!

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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

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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). 

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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