Sherwin Williams Shoji White 7042: Paint Color Review

IS THIS YOUR NEW OFF-WHITE PAINT COLOR?

Can’t decide whether you want cream, tan, or greige? Not sure which neutral paint color suits your home finishes and your personal tastes? Well, maybe there’s a shade that can do it ALL that and more – Sherwin Williams Shoji White.

I love to show RELATEABLE & REAL homes, so I ONLY use photos from my Online Color Consulting clients. This means I don’t always have the quality pics I need, but I have some SUPER helpful info to help you on your way!

WHAT TYPE OF COLOR IS SHOJI WHITE? GREIGE, BEIGE, CREAM?

Shoji White is a beautiful blend of cream and beige, making it a warm paint color. This means it doesn’t fall under one particular color family and is flexible enough to nod to several.

Here are a few examples of its flexibility…

• In some rooms, you’ll benefit from Shoji White’s soft cream-inspired backdrop without having a typical cream-yellow on your walls. Its look can be reminiscent of limewash without the smudgy look.
• Shoji White will read a bit more beige-tan in other spaces, losing that creamy warmth WITHOUT looking gray.
• Shoji White can lean more into its warm foundation in a south-facing room or the western afternoon sun.
• If you have a north or east-facing room, it will still look warm, but it’s a more passive, grayed-out warmth.

North, East, South, West – Which Paint Color is the Best?

WHAT’S THE LRV OF SHOJI WHITE?

Shoji White has an LRV of 74. This number means that Shoji White is off-white, but not by much, and it does sit on the edge of the light range. If you’re not familiar with LRV, you’ll benefit from reading this.

IS SHOJI WHITE TOO LIGHT?

I get asked this question often, and the REAL question is ‘too light for WHAT?‘

• If you have a room with tall ceilings and a lot of natural light, it will wash out quite a bit – as will any color with this high LRV. However, once the sun shifts, you’ll get it back. Any color/depth will lighten in the sun, but the higher a color’s LRV (light reflectance value) is, the more it will be affected by natural light.
• Shoji White is a beautiful exterior color and isn’t too light as long as you want a soft, subtle, off-white neutral. To more clearly see its depth, partner it with a brighter white trim, increasing the contrast between siding/stucco and trim.
• Is Shoji White too light for kitchen cabinets? It depends on the look you’re going for. If you love the trendy off-white and light-depth cabinets, this depth is great. However, this depth can be challenging to pair with wall colors as it will ONLY suit warm white walls or colors that are at least 20+ LRV points DARKER than it. You can’t partner it with a color that’s a ‘similar depth’ but in a different family.

WHAT ARE SHOJI WHITE’S UNDERTONES?

The great thing about Shoji White is that it’s super flexible. While it has a cream-yellow base with a wink of orange, it’s not so far that it leans RIGHT into beige.

Shoji White’s lack of REAL commitment to pink or green undertones makes it versatile and more susceptible to picking up cues from its environment, as shown in the above photo. As you see, it’s being greatly affected by the different light bulbs and natural light from the windows.

Interestingly, Shoji White sits right about Worldly Gray in the fan deck, followed by Amazing Gray and darker shades of greige. These ALLL have a green undertone. Undertones shift as colors lighten and darken. The lighter a color goes, the less tint/colorant it has, meaning it CAN drop an undertone entirely. Now, I’m not going to say you’ll never see any green in Shoji, as I’ve seen it; it’s just not as inclined toward it as the others.

WILL SHOJI WHITE LOOK YELLOW?

Having a bit of a cream base, Shoji White has yellow in it. I wouldn’t consider it an OVERLY yellow color, as the gray in it calms it down. If you’re feeling nervous, compare it to Sherwin Williams Aesthetic White, a gorgeous off-white beige (a bit more orange and less yellow).

Here’s Shoji White on the exterior trim of this charming little home! Notice its PASSIVE warmth with no overt yellow tones…

The Best Medium & Dark Green Paint Colors

WILL SHOJI WHITE LOOK GREEN?

While Shoji White is more likely to flash a hint of green than White Duck (which I PERSONALLY prefer), overall, it’s not NATURALLY inclined to lean this way. Just keep in mind that it can be heavily influenced by its environment. Bulbs with low CRI’s can make a paint color look green, as can light reflecting from landscaping.

WHICH WHITE TRIM COLORS GO WITH SHOJI WHITE?

Some refer to Shoji White as a white paint color – it ain’t white. With its lower LRV, Shoji White is most definitely an off-white. This means it likes to have white paint colors as its trim partners, as they offer CONTRAST between wall and trim.

• I like the simple, clean look of  Sherwin Williams High Reflective White – not warm, not cold, just white.
• Check out Sherwin Williams Pure White for a softer but still noticeable contrast.
• While some people like to try Shoji White with Alabaster, Alabaster is really too warm/yellow for Shoji; I wouldn’t do it.
• Sherwin Williams White Snow is another beautiful option for trims or cabinets with Shoji White walls.

The 4 Best White Paint Colors from Sherwin Williams

Of course, you’ll want to sample Shoji White and a few comparable shades (which we’ll look at shortly). The BEST way to sample paint is via Samplize and its peel and stick paint samples – more AFFORDABLE and FUN than traditional sampling, and made with REAL PAINT.

Plus, they’re delivered to your front door the NEXT DAY!

Get your PEEL & STICK SAMPLE OF SHOJI WHITE

WHAT PAINT COLORS GO WITH SHOJI WHITE?

Shoji White is reasonably flexible toward colors in adjoining rooms and a range of accents for feature walls, furnishings, or decor.

• Thanks to its predominantly yellow base (and minimal orange), Shoji White suits many gorgeous shades of tan.
• Shoji White partners well with greige paint colors, including shades like Sherwin Williams Amazing Gray and stronger ones like Techno Gray.
• Many shades of blue-gray, especially those with a bit more depth.
• Blue-green paint colors, as long as they have a whack (technical term) of gray in them.
• Lighter shades of gray with subtle blue-green or green undertones, such as Sherwin Williams Silverplate and Benjamin Moore Stonington Gray.
• Some mid-toned greige and taupe paint colors.

WHAT COLORS ARE SIMILAR TO SHOJI WHITE?

Whether you’re looking to compare colors within Sherwin Williams or want to find as close a match as possible in Benjamin Moore paint, I’ve got some GREAT alternatives to explore. Remember, never pick a paint color based on itself – compare it to similar shades to see the ebb and flow in depth, warmth, and undertones!

SHERWIN WILLIAMS WHITE DUCK VS. SHOJI WHITE

These two shades are very similar. They’re the same depth (LRV 74), so they’re both off-whites, but where they differ is in a MINOR shift in undertones.

Both colors have a cream (yellow) base; however, while Shoji White has a touch of orange mixed in, White Duck has just a BIT more. This means that of the two, Shoji White is MORE likely to flash green (even though that’s not its natural tendency). Shoji White is also slightly more neutral/less colorful (fractional). If these are two of my options for walls, cabinets, or otherwise, I almost ALWAYS pick White Duck for its particular undertone combo.

SHERWIN WILLIAMS SHOJI WHITE VS. OYSTER WHITE & NATURAL CHOICE

I haven’t done much blogging or Online Color Consulting with Oyster White and Natural Choice for one reason – their undertones. Whereas Shoji White is a flexible, warm neutral, Oyster White and Natural Choice are more likely to grab a green undertone (vague, but true). Is it STRONG? No, but this undertone can look a bit murky when tucked in warm neutrals like these.

Both colors are a bit lighter than Shoji White, but only by a point or two, so are quite comparable in the depth department.

The 6 Best Off-White Paint Colors

BENJAMIN MOORE WINDS BREATH VS. SHOJI WHITE

Winds Breath is LOVELY. It’s a light-depth, warm paint color with an LRV of 70. While Winds Breath has the same intentions as Shoji White – to be light, subtle, and warm, it looks like a ‘slightly darker version’ of Shoji White. I wonder if Winds Breath was lightened by 25% if it would look almost the same as Shoji White – I’ll have to try it!

FULL Paint Color Review of Benjamin Moore Wind’s Breath

BENJAMIN MOORE GRAY MIST VS. SHOJI WHITE

Gray Mist is comparable to Shoji White as they have similar undertones- with Gray Mist coming in a bit lighter at 72.83. However, in comparing the two, you’ll see that Gray Mist is a warm, off-white neutral – just like Shoji White, but it grabs a slight green undertone, even without influence from its surroundings. Gray Mist could be a great alternative if you have finishes that cater to this undertone or want a slightly more organic, natural approach.

READ MORE

Paint Color Review of Benjamin Moore Ballet White

The 11 Best Warm Neutral Paint Colors That AREN’T BEIGE! 

The 5 Best Off-White Paint Colors

Paint Color Review of Benjamin Moore Edgecomb Gray

NEED HELP?

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WRITTEN IN 2020, UPDATED FOR YOU IN 2023~!