Sherwin Williams White Duck: The best warm off-white a girl could ask for
When it comes to paint colors that are neutral and versatile, White Duck is in my top five. With its unique blend and just-right depth, it’s a great option for everything from walls and cabinets to exterior siding and more!
I refer to White Duck ALL the time in my Online Paint Color Consulting.
Why?
It’s a great hybrid between the cool paint trends of the last five years and the warmer trends that we’re slowly dipping our toes into.
So, without further ado, let’s take a closer look at this bad boy…
What type of paint color is Sherwin Williams White Duck? Is it warm or cool?
White Duck is a warm neutral paint color that’s an AWESOME hybrid of cream and greige.
Greige is a blend of warm and cool – beige and gray, whereas cream is a yellow-based paint color. If you have north-facing, afternoon eastern or morning western light, you may find White Duck leans that bit more into the greige while still holding tight to its cream base. However, if you have south-facing light, White Duck will lean more into cream without going OVERLY yellow.
North, East, South, West – Which Paint Color is the Best?
Will White Duck look like a real cream paint color?
Nope. While White Duck is a warm paint color with a creamy APPROACH, the greige calms it down considerably, making it look FAR less like a traditional cream paint color!
If you love cream paint colors but DON’T love yellow (which every cream has), this could be a FABULOUS choice for you as the yellow is cut CONSIDERABLY back, even in those warmer exposures.
BTW, if you’re looking for a REAL cream with less of that neutral base, check out Sherwin Williams Creamy.
What’s the LRV of White Duck?
White Duck’s LRV is 74, which parks it in the off-white range. White Duck will hold itself a BIT better in a bright room compared to an off-white with a HIGHER LRV, but can still wash out (learn more HERE). In a dark room, it can look a bit dingy (not like a fresh cream) if you don’t have good interior lighting to support it, in which case, you might also want to sample a warmer cream paint color.
Not sure what LRV is? It could save your paint-lovin’ life – read all about it HERE.
What are the undertones of White Duck? Will it look yellow?
White Duck has VERY neutral undertones with no obvious yellow, orange, pink or green. If you’re hoping for a more muted, greige approach, YES, it could look a bit too creamy for you, but generally speaking, it’s NOT an overly yellow paint color.
What’s the best way to sample White Duck?
Like with every paint color, I highly recommend using SAMPLIZE. Samplize is a peel & stick paint sample that you can easily move around your room for over HALF THE COST of traditional sample pots – and they deliver right to your front door!
Learn all about SAMPLIZE HERE
If I’m painting my walls White Duck, what’s the best white paint color for my trim?
With White Duck, I DO like the muted white approach of Sherwin Williams Pure White, but you can easily go brighter with High Reflective White.
White Duck on the walls
SHOULD I Paint My Wood Cabinets White? A QUESTIONNAIRE
The 4 Best White Paint Colors from Sherwin Williams
Is White Duck a good color for the exterior of my home?
White Duck can be a FANTASTIC exterior color for siding, brick or other surfaces. It has a passive warmth which will fall back in north or east-facing light but can lean creamier/warmer in south-facing or afternoon western light.
5 Tips to Choosing an Exterior Paint Color
AND DID YOU KNOW? I have an AWESOME Youtube channel, full of color reviews, with dozens more waiting to be published – check it out HERE!
Is White Duck a popular off-white paint color right now?
White Duck is popular. More and more people are getting away from the cool, gray end of things but aren’t QUITE into the creams and warm beige and tans yet. White Duck is a great way to get warmth without a golden approach.
What Benjamin Moore paint colors are the same as or similar to White Duck?
GOOD QUESTION! Every color has particular nuances, and there will be NO perfect match – you WILL see shifts in undertones, temperature and depths, but you could check out…
- Benjamin Moore Ballet White is very similar to White Duck
- Sherwin Williams Shoji White if you just want a slightly adjusted version while sticking with Sherwin Williams
And if you’re thinking of color matching between brands (i.e., getting BM to make an SW paint color), you might want to read THIS first.
Shown above, Benjamin Moore Ballet White
What type of paint colors look good with White Duck?
When it comes to paint partners for White Duck, there are MANY great options, such as…
- Gray paint colors that are the same depth or darker, particularly ones with a blue or blue-green undertone. It doesn’t love a purple undertone quite as much, but it can depend on which one you’re looking at
- Some greige paint colors, preferably a green undertone rather than purple
- Blue-green blends
- Navy blue and other dark accent colors
Not sure if White Duck is right for you? I’ve got more!
READ MORE
Paint Color Review of Benjamin Moore Ballet White
The 5 Best Off-White Paint Colors
The Best Warm Neutral Paint Colors that AREN’T BEIGE!
How to Create a Timeless Home – 4 PART SERIES
Not sure which paint color is best for YOUR home?
Check out my Online Paint Color Consulting – I’d love to help!
ORIGINALLY WRITTEN IN 2020, UPDATED IN 2022, JUST FOR YOU!
Comments 30
Hello
Your page Los saving me from a paint breakdown. I’m curious what trim color you would do with white duck ?
Author
With White Duck I do like the soft look of SW Pure White or the cleaner approach of SW High Reflective White 🙂
What would you do for cabinets in the kitchen if you do white duck on the walls?
Author
Hi Terri, it’s definitely MORE about what your countertop/backsplash look like as that combo is the most important. Generally speaking though, I might look at SW Pure White :).
I am trying to decide between Ballet White and White Duck. Your reviews of both colors mention that they are very similar. However when asked about trim color pairings with each color, with Ballet White you recommend White Dove and with White Duck one of the colors you recommend is Simply White. Why do you not recommend White Dove with White Duck? Thank you!
Thank you for introducing me to white duck!! I had been struggling to decide between cabinet colors, and this is the perfect solution. Now I just need to pick a wall color! Your recommendation to pair SW Pure White with it is helpful, but I was hoping to do a slightly warmer white. Would BM White Dove or SW Alabaster be a nice complement to SW White Duck? Thank you in advance – you rock!!! Great name by the way. 😉
Author
KYLIE M! Well, at least we know there are THREE of us in the world! Sadly, Kylie Minogue gets most of the glory ;).
Now, I don’t dislike the idea of Alabaster, but PREFER the idea of White Dove as it’s just that bit more muted :). I hope that helps and i’d LOOOOOVE to see it all done!
Kylie I just love your post, you have helped tremendously. My painter only uses SW
I’m wanting to use White Duck or Oyster White for my cabinets and I know you like White Dove for wall but that’s not an option since I have to use SW. I’m trying to decide what wall color to use. My living room has both south facing and north facing windows. Should I just lighting the cabinet color to use on the walls. I feel like most of the off whites that I have tried are leaning gray. ☹️
haha I use Kylie Minogue as a reference when I try to get people to remember my name
And thank you!! Yes, it is a tough decision because our cabinet maker only uses SW and I was hoping to incorporate the wall color in our range hood. I will definitely share the final outcome (need to figure how to attach pictures first)!
THANK YOU SO MUCH! Cheers!
Hi! I’m in love with Ballet White but my contractor uses SW. You compare these two — I live up north and get little natural light. You say this could look dingy, and I’ve read that elsewhere. Is the same true of Ballet White?
Author
Hi Sonya! If you are worried about Ballet White being a bit dingy, White Duck won’t be much better, as it’s slightly less warm. It’s LOVELY, but not a terribly clean colour. Have you looked at a colour like SW Creamy maybe???
What about pairing Greek Villa for trim and ceiling with
White duck for walls? It’s in the same color line. What are
Your thoughts on that?
Hi Kylie
I’m thinking of painting my bedroom furniture white duck and the walls evergreen fog, would these 2 colours pair well together?
Author
Hi Lori, I just might take a look at SW Aesthetic White instead, it’s just a bit more muted against the green ;).
Kylie,
I am really stuck. Our home has White Duck trim, doors, and ceilings. I want to paint the walls a bright fresh white or beige color that leans warm rather than cool. We have West- facing window… what do you recommend?
Author
Hiya! You might want to check out my most recent blog post on cream paint colours as White Duck will have similar tendencies, just with LESS yellow – so you’re lucky!
Hi Kylie!! Thank you so much for all of your awesome paint color reviews!! They have helped me out so much!! I have a chair rail in my kitchen and will be painting it (along with all of my trim) with Sherwin Williams Pure White. The wall above the chair rail will be White Duck. Which color would pair best on the wall under the chair rail – Sherwin Williams Pavillion Beige or Benjamin Moore Natural Linen?
Thank you!!
I am so glad I found your website. I am painting my exterior with White duck (SW) and I came across your blog! I love the blue green door in this article (the one with the two wagons in front of the door). Could you please tell me the color name and the company? Thank you so much.
Author
Hi Lakshmi, that’s BM Sioux Falls 🙂
Hey Kylie! We have a west facing home and are thinking of painting the brick. We really love white duck because it’s not stark white or too cool. Does the yellow become very strong in the afternoon sun? Is there a better white, in your opinion, for west facing exterior? Our roof is gray with a slightly green undertone… so there’s that. LOL.
Hi Kylie. I just painted my kitchen in White Duck from Sherwin Williams (not color matched) and it is looking a little purple!! My kitchen is even south facing!! I have not painted my trim yet which is quite yellow and my living room which is open to my kitchen is yellow (which I was planning on painting white duck as well). Could the yellow trim and yellow living room be causing it to look purple?!? We also only did one coat – the previous color was similar to Benjamin Moore Gentle Cream. Please help!!
Hello Kylie, We are building The Tyrell Place Plan by Frank Betz. The house is East facing. We are doing an all brick front with black exterior windows and gutters. The siding will be vinyl. Would we be able to use white vinyl siding and trim near roof? If not, what white would you suggest that is not yellow, I’m ok with bright but was thinking something else may look better overall. I love your blog and videos, thanks for all the info!
Hi Kylie,
Could you compare and contrast White Duck with Neutral Ground? I’m considering using one of those on interior doors with Creamy walls but want to make sure I understand the undertones before committing. Thanks!
Hi Kylie, would White Duck or shoji white go with a tile floor that is beige with a light pink beige? Before I knew I had a pink undertone to my tile floor I purchased a Quartz counter that is white with green gray veining. Would Maritime white, Shoji White, or white duck work with my pink undertone?]
Author
Oooo, ALL of those make me nervous. Maritime White will definitely be the closest (I mean, this is without seeing your countertop), but it might not have enough pink???
Could white duck pair with cream trim?
Our entire house’s trim is a cream that could lean yellow at times. I’m trying to avoid the room looking yellow though.
Author
Oooo, I don’t think so. I mean, it can depend on the cream, but my first thought is nope.
Hi Kylie!
I made the mistake of using SW Greek Villa trim throughout the house (it was before I discovered your blog I promise!). I’d hoped to use Shoji White on the walls. We get mostly East/West light and some Northern light. I’m worried Shoji White still appears a bit dark in our hallways and East facing living room (which get lots of ambient natural light) West facing study and dining rooms. I can’t tell if it just looks super dark because the walls are primed. Should I try White Duck or will that not pair well with the GV trim? Looking for a very soft greige feel. I tried Greek Villa on the walls too but that feels like a too bright white (maybe it’ll be better after it’s fully painted)
I have natural cherry kitchen cabinets (cherry wood with clear coat). Over the years the cabinets have turned a little more red than I wanted. It’s time to paint the walls, will SW White Duck help tone down the red in the cabinets? If not do you have any suggestions in a neutral paint color?