Posted on April 7, 2020 by KylieMawdsley
Sherwin Williams Alpaca: LRV, Undertones and a Little More
When it comes to neutrals, it’s not just about picking the color you want, but the UNDERTONES you want – especially when it comes to a color like Sherwin Williams Alpaca. Why? Because it has a bit more going on than the average warm gray or taupe paint color.
I love to show RELATEABLE & REAL homes, so ONLY use photos from my Online Color Consulting clients. This means I don’t always have the quality pics I need (hence the ‘QUICK Review’), but DEFINITELY have some SUPER helpful info to help you on your way!
What type of paint color is Sherwin Williams Alpaca? Is it greige, warm gray or taupe?
Alpaca is an interesting one – a real color NINJA. It’s WARMER than a traditional warm gray, making it more of ta taupe, but also has a bit more undertone than you’ll find in some of the most popular taupe or greige paint colors (ie: Sherwin Williams Agreeable Gray). Generally speaking, I refer to Alpaca as a taupe with strong undertones.
And while Alpaca is DEFINITELY a warm neutral paint color, it flashes a bit gray in north-facing light while still keeping a soft backdrop. In south-facing light, Alpaca leans more into its taupe tendencies.
Read more: North, East, South, West – Which Paint Color is the Best?
What’s its LRV?
Alpaca has an LRV of 57. This puts it on the LOOOW end of the ‘light’ range (learn more HERE) with more depth and body than a more typical light neutral paint color.
Not sure what LRV is? It could save you paint lovin’ life – read all about it HERE.
What are the undertones of Alpaca? Will it look purple or pink?
It depends on how sensitive you are to undertones. Personally, I love neutrals, but I’m not a HUGE fan of purple-pink and I WOULD find Alpaca just a WINK too colorful (purple) for me. I might be more inclined towards the neutral approach of Sherwin Williams Agreeable Gray – but that’s me. Some homes have products in them that NEED this commitment to a purple undertone. As for pink, while it is a slightly warm purple undertone (meaning it leans more towards red/pink than blue), it doesn’t usually go too purple-pink.
The more neutral looking Sherwin Williams Agreeable Gray
What’s the best way to sample paint on my walls?
As 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 why I LOVE SAMPLIZE HERE
If I’m painting my walls Alpaca, what’s the best white paint color for my trim?
With Alpaca on the walls, I wouldn’t use trim that’s TOO creamy as it could hit an odd note with the purple undertone in Alpaca. Even Sherwin Williams Alabaster is pushing its luck and I’d lean more towards…
- Sherwin Williams Pure White
- Sherwin Williams Snowbound could be even nicer but isn’t a great WHOLE HOME trim color as it would limit you in other rooms
Read more…
The 4 Best White Paint Colors from Sherwin Williams
Taupe and Greige – What’s the Big Difference?
Is Alpaca a good color for the exterior of my home?
It would make me nervous, but could greatly depend on the colors in your roof and stone/brick, which might NEED this bit more commitment to purple. Colors like this often look a bit warmer on an exterior than an interior, and I might worry about it flashing a bit TOO purple-pink.
Read more: 5 Tips to Choosing an Exterior Paint Color
What Benjamin Moore paint colors are the same as or similar to Alpaca?
You won’t find an exact match for ANY color between brands – you WILL see shifts in undertones, temperature and depths. However, there are some with similar intentions, but different approaches…
- Benjamin Moore Nimbus
- Benjamin Moore Cumulus Cloud
If you’re thinking of color matching between brands (ie: getting BM to make an SW paint color), you might want to read THIS first.
Why isn’t Alpaca as popular?
In the greige and taupe world, Alpaca is reasonably popular, but with its increased undertone, many people defer to more neutral warm gray and greige paint colors like Sherwin Williams Repose Gray, Agreeable Gray and Benjamin Moore Collingwood.
Not sure if Alpaca is right for you? Want a bit warmer or cooler? I’ve got more!
SHERWIN WILLIAMS LIGHT FRENCH GRAY
Read more: Sherwin Williams Light French Gray Color Review
SHERWIN WILLIAMS ANEW GRAY
Read more: Paint Color Review of Sherwin Williams Anew Gray
12 BEST WHOLE HOME Gray and Greige Paint Colors
Read more: The 12 Best WHOLE HOME Gray and Greige Paint Colors
Not sure which paint color is best for YOUR home?
Check out my Online Paint Color Consulting – I’d love to help!
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Interesting… I have SW Alpaca in my north facing kitchen and dining combo. It doesn’t look at all purple or pink. Rather it tends definitely blue!! Even the lady at the SW store couldn’t figure it out as there is no blue in the color. I think it must have to do with all the wood in our house. I love the light blue undertones I get in this paint. Have now added it to my laundry room and am likely to use it for north side guest bathroom!
I also enjoy your reviews. Thanks!
Author
Good to know Liza! North-facing light CAN do that to some colours for sure. And while I haven’t seen Alpaca do that, you could just have that right environment! It is more GRAY than it is WARM/greige, so I can see how it ‘could’ (it just usually doesn’t 😉
Thank you!
Just had my kitchen painted Alpaca with a south-facing contrast wall in Redbud. I was hoping for a nice warm red but instead the wall looks pink or purple most of the day. It’s got to go but I’m not sure what to replace it with, and I don’t want to have to do it over more than once! The painters did a lovely job everywhere but this was a recommendation that didn’t work out. Any suggestions?
Author
Hi Virginia! Yes, Alpaca definitely has those undertones! I wonder if you might find Sherwin Williams Agreeable Gray a bit more subtle while having a similar ‘warm gray’ approach?
Trying to pick paint colors for a new build is terrifying. There are no walls to put “sample colors” on as the walls aren’t built yet. The builder uses only SW paints. I was looking for a “mushroomy” “taupey” color to go with pure white trim. Anew gray feels too dark and Alpaca a bit too light. Found a color called High Sierra in the emerald series that seems to hit the happy middle for me. SW 9588. Has anyone ever used that color? Any in depth advice? Whole home paint color ( kitchen living bathroom etc.. )
My kitchen cabinets in my new home are Alpaca (cabinet maker calls it something else, but that’s the closest paint color I can find). My kitchen has minimal natural light (one small SW window) and the walls are painted with flat First Star — the two look awful together! The undertones in the wall make the cabinets come off a gross fleshy pink instead of gray. I painted the walls in my bathroom with the same cabinets with Breezy, and it looks fabulous- the cabinets now look much more neutral. I want the same effect in my kitchen, but I’m worried that with little natural light, it could end up feeling like a cave if I use a darker color, and that it will always look filthy if I use anything lighter (I have messy kids).
I painted my bedroom this color and I love it. I enjoy that it has more complexity than some of the more popular gray or beige colors. It’s not too cool or too warm. It does pull a teensy mauve but looks great with shades of bedroom decor in pure white, gray, flax, or mauve.
Author
Thank you for your comment, Wendy! Notes like this help other readers decide if it could work for them!
We painted the exterior of our house with Alpaca. It is a soft contemporary with taupe brick & soft brown brick on the bottom with siding on the deck and upper story and on the sides. After reading this article, I now understand why the painter was recommending a purple tone for the deck and the bridge.
I really like the way it turned out. Our house is heavily shaded so Alpaca looks more on the cool side so I was surprised when I read that it is considered a warm tone.