Sherwin Williams Shoji White (7042): Undertones, LRV, & Best Uses

Sherwin Williams Shoji White is an off-white, warm neutral paint color with a creamy base. It works well on interior walls, especially whole homes, and some trim.

Its flexible, warm-leaning undertones can affect how Shoji White coordinates with interior finishes. It’s also greatly influenced by the quality and amount of light it receives.

Now, if you can’t decide whether you want cream, tan, or greige, this is where Shoji White comes in – it has a lot of tricks up its sleeves. So, let’s get reading…

All the photos in my blog are from my Online Color Consulting clients, readers, & friends— because real homes deserve to be celebrated (dirty laundry & all!) While not magazine-perfect, they’re packed with ideas & proven color choices to help you create a home you’ll love.

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

Shoji White is a beautiful blend of cream and gray (slight taupe), making it a warm paint color. While that seems like a lot of colors, the gist is that it doesn’t really fall neatly into any one color family. Because of this, you’ll find that it’s flexible and movable depending on your lighting conditions.

SW Egret White | BM Classic Gray | BM Maritime White (I’ll link these later, too)

Here are a few examples of its flexibility…

• In some rooms, you’ll benefit from Shoji White’s soft cream-inspired backdrop without a typical cream-yellow paint on your walls.
• Shoji White will read a bit more weird taupe in other spaces (weird isn’t bad, it’s just so uncommitted, it’s hard to peg down), losing that creamy warmth, without looking gray.
• Shoji White can lean more into its warm foundation in a south-facing room or when exposed to the western afternoon sun.
• If you have a north or east-facing room, it can appear warm, but it will be a more passive, grayed-out warmth compared to traditional shades.

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

WHAT’S THE DEPTH (LRV) OF SHOJI WHITE?

Shoji White has an LRV of 74. This number means that Shoji White is off-white, but not by much, as it sits on the edge of the light range.

If you’re not familiar with LRV, I highly suggest you read this.

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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, it doesn’t read at all like a traditional cream. This is because Shoji White is massively neutralized by a gray base.

From there, some notice a slight pink undertone. That said, whether you see it is questionable on the best of days – sample and compare it to other shades to see how you feel. In fact, comparing it to these taupes should really help…

REVIEWS: BM Classic Gray | BM Pale Oak | SW City Loft | SW Egret White

Shoji White’s lack of commitment to undertones makes it versatile and more susceptible to picking up cues from its environment, as shown in this next photo…

As you can see, it’s greatly affected by the LRVs of the different light bulbs and by natural light from the windows, looking a bit pink in one and green in another.

ALWAYS sample and compare to similar shades to see the ebb and flow.

WILL SHOJI WHITE LOOK YELLOW?

With a cream base, Shoji White contains yellow. I wouldn’t consider it an OVERLY yellow color, as the gray/taupe calms it down, but it has a creamy backdrop, for sure.

• If you’re feeling nervous about taupe, compare it to Sherwin Williams Incredible White, which hits purple and pink hard.
• Also, compare it to Sherwin Williams Creamy, a popular shade of cream, which will help you see how muted Shoji White’s warmth is.

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

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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 white trim partners because they offer contrast.

• Check out Sherwin Williams Pure White for a soft, but still notable contrast with Shoji White.
• While some people like to try Shoji White with Alabaster, if you ask me, Alabaster is a wink too warm and yellow for Shoji; I wouldn’t do it.
• Sherwin Williams White Snow is another beautiful white paint color for trims and cabinets with Shoji White walls.

All of that said, with its higher LRV, many consider using Shoji White on their walls and trims.

The 4 Best White Paint Colors from Sherwin Williams

Get your Peel & Stick sample of Shoji White…

WHAT PAINT COLORS GO WITH SHOJI WHITE?

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

• GRAY-BLUE: Many shades of blue-gray, especially those with a bit more depth.
• DARKER GREENS: Medium and dark-toned greens can be gorgeous accents.
• GREEN-GRAYS: Green-gray paint colors can be stunning with Shoji White, either in the same room or in adjoining rooms.
• BLUE-GREEN: Blue-green paint colors, as long as they have a whack (technical term) of gray in them.
• GREIGES: Light to medium greiges, as well as darker greige paint colors can be beautiful in a palette with Shoji White.
• Shoji White will be fussy with many cream paint colors, as well as beige and tans.

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

White Duck and Shoji White are very…very similar. They’re the same depth (LRV 74), so they’re both off-whites, but they have slightly different undertones.

Both colors have a cream (yellow) base; however, of the 2, White Duck is more likely to have a subtle green undertone. And again, while Shoji White can appear a touch pink, it can also settle pretty dang neutral.

REVIEWS: BM Wind’s Breath | SW Modern Gray | SW White Duck | BM Ballet White

If these are two of my options for walls, off-white cabinets, or otherwise, I tend to favor Shoji White, but it can depend on the interior finishes.

COLOR REVIEW: Sherwin Williams White Duck

SHERWIN WILLIAMS SHOJI WHITE VS. OYSTER WHITE & NATURAL CHOICE

I haven’t done much blogging or Online Color Consulting with Sherwin Williams 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 they’re comparable in depth.

The 6 Best Off-White Paint Colors

SHOJI WHITE VS. SHERWIN WILLIAMS WHITE SESAME

Newer to the paint scene, White Sesame offers a lot to the average home… but it’s not that different from Shoji White.

Depth-wise, White Sesame has an LRV of 73, so it’s a wink darker than Shoji White. And while both can pick up a vague taupe-pink undertone, it’s not common or overbearing (for most people).

Here’s your Peel & Stick sample of White Sesame…

As mentioned in White Sesame’s color review, I wish they’d made it a bit darker (lower LRV) to create a more noticeable difference from Shoji White, offering a less subtle shift/better alternative.

BENJAMIN MOORE WIND’S 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, dirtier version’ of Shoji White.

Of the two, Shoji White is more likely to suit the average interior finish over Wind’s Breath, but both are worth comparing!

FULL Paint Color Review of Benjamin Moore Wind’s Breath

Here are a few more popular alternatives to Shoji White. The BOLD that are the best comparisons…

CHECK OUT THEIR REVIEWS: SW Aesthetic White | SW Heron Plume | SW Pure White | SW Pearly White | SW White Heron | SW Origami White

WHERE SHOJI WHITE DOES (& DOESN’T) LOOK ITS BEST

Shoji White is no one-trick pony, but it’s also not a whole herd – it has limitations. Let’s find out where it does its best work…

SHOJI WHITE ON EXTERIOR FINISHES

Heck yeah, Shoji White can be a smart choice for your exterior siding or trim. With its modest warmth, it’s a great way to get a lighter, brighter, off-white exterior without the starkness of white.

REVIEWS: SW Natural Tan | BM Edgecomb Gray | SW Balanced Beige | SW Accessible Beige | SW White Duck

DOES SHOJI WHITE GO WITH CREAM CABINETS & TRIMS?

Sorry, but it’s a hard no. Cream cabinets have too much yellow to layer well with Shoji White. You’ll have a hot mess of undertones on your hands and your walls.

DOES SHOJI WHITE GO WITH WOOD CABINETS & TRIMS?

Whether you have wood cabinets, furniture, trim, or flooring, Shoji White can be an interesting partner, as its undertones are subtle enough to humor most stain colors.

While I have to find the before, here’s Shoji White on painted kitchen cabinets, with a gorgeous oak floor…

However, if you have STRONG red or pink-stained woods, even though Shoji White can grab a minor pink undertone, it could look a bit creamy in comparison – its undertone just isn’t that strong.

QUICK SUMMARY (TL;DR)

• Sherwin Williams Shoji White is a warm, off-white paint color
• While it has a creamy tendency, it’s not a cream paint color, as it has a gray undertone.
• It’s popular on walls, whether in a single room or an entire home. It’s also great for exteriors.
• One of its best white paint color pairings is Sherwin Williams Pure White.

READ MORE

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

Benjamin Moore Maritime White: IMAGES, Info, & More

The Best Off-White Paint Colors

Paint Color Review of Benjamin Moore Edgecomb Gray

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