Sherwin Williams WHITE SNOW 9541: Color Review

IS WHITE SNOW THE NEW POPULAR SHADE OF WHITE

When it comes to the best shades of white, you’re choosing between five types and HUNDREDS of options. Where do you even START?

Right here.

I’ve spent countless hours reviewing the TOP shades of white for you. And today, we’re checking out one of the new shades from Sherwin William’s Emerald Designer Collection – White Snow.

BEFORE WE GET STARTED…

To show you RELATEABLE & REAL homes, I ONLY use photos from my Online Color Consulting clients. Because this is a NEWER COLOR, I don’t have great examples of it. HOWEVER, I do have some great comparisons and images for you to check out. 

IS WHITE SNOW A WARM OR COOL SHADE OF WHITE?

While it looks pretty darn white at first glance, White Snow is a warm white.

How do I know this?

I’m not just good looks, you know (wink wink). When I’m learning about a paint color, the FIRST thing I do is compare it to other, similar colors (which we’ll do more of shortly). Sure, I could look up the scientific base of this color and nerd out on you, but I keep things pretty meat n’ potatoes around here.

Being a warm white, if you have a south-facing room or a room with warm afternoon western sunshine, White Snow can pick up a bit of this warmth and look WARMER. However, in north-facing light, White Snow isn’t REALLY warm enough to add balance – you need a warmer shade of white if you want a softer look in a northern room.

Sherwin Williams Alabaster is a soft, warm white – great for a north-facing space

Can I Paint My North-Facing Room White?

WHAT’S WHITE SNOW’S LRV?

The LRV is one of white’s most IMPORTANT features as it lets you know HOW WHITE it is. White Snow has an LRV of 90, making it a bright white (there are five types of white).

Not sure what LRV is? It could save your paint-lovin’ life – read all about it HERE.

NEED HELP?

Check out my Online Paint Color Consulting services – let me make it easy for you! 

WHAT UNDERTONES DOES WHITE SNOW HAVE?

While White Snow is a warm white, it’s BAAARELY warm. So, while a nugget of yellow is hiding in there, it’s not a color that shows up at the party. White Snow’s SUPER subtle approach becomes more obvious when you compare it to a similar white with more warmth, like Benjamin Moore’s Simply White.

Benjamin Moore Collingwood walls

These two shades are VERY comparable, but you’ll see a more noticeable yellow in Simply White (its subtle, but stronger than White Snow). White Snow doesn’t have noticeable undertones/colors; it has a more passive softness.

Again, if you have strong southern light or afternoon western sun, your walls can pick up some of this yellow-based warmth and further warm up White Snow, but this is hard to avoid with almost ANY bright or soft white color.

The Ultimate Guide to Paint Colors & Undertones

SAMPLING WHITE SNOW WITH PEEL & STICK

SAMPLIZE PEEL & STICK paint samples are AFFORDABLE, EASIER, and more ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY than traditional paint pots.

Your peel & stick samples arrive ON YOUR DOORSTEP in 1 DAY

Get your Samplize PEEL & STICK SAMPLE

WHAT WHITE TRIM COLOR GOES WITH WHITE SNOW?

If you’re using White Snow on your walls, trims, cabinets, or ALL of the above, they should all be the same white. Mixing and matching whites can create a hot mess of clashing undertones. There’s RARELY a reason to layer whites unless you’re a glutton for punishment or want to expose the undertones in one white or the other.

White Walls, Trims, Cabinets: Do They All Need to Match?

SHOULD I Paint My Wood Cabinets White? A QUESTIONNAIRE

IS WHITE SNOW A GOOD COLOR FOR THE EXTERIOR OF A HOME?

While Sherwin William’s has exterior paint in the regular Emerald line, they don’t in the Designers Collection, which is the only product you can get White Snow made in. In other words, you can’t paint your exterior White Snow.

Sherwin Williams Alabaster is another gorgeous shade of white! 

However, if you want to do your exterior trims or doors in White Snow, they do have an exterior product for these surfaces! White Snow is great if you don’t want a cold white color on your exterior trims or doors. While it DEFINITELY ‘looks and acts like white,’ it’s not stark or icy.

5 Tips for Choosing an Exterior Paint Color

Does Your Exposure REALLY MATTER When Choosing EXTERIOR Paint Colors?

IS WHITE SNOW A GOOD COLOR FOR KITCHEN CABINETS?

Choosing the best shade of white for your cabinets comes down to which one best suits your countertop and backsplash. More often than not, these surfaces cater towards a slightly softer white. HOWEVER, there are times when a brighter shade of white is needed, in which case, White Snow could be a great fit.

The trick is to compare 4-5 shades of white. Notice the shift between brightness and temperature. See which one flows best with your interior finishes (btw, the backsplash matters MORE than the countertop when coordinating).

How to Choose the Best White Paint Color for Your Kitchen Cabinets

WHAT COLORS ARE SIMILAR TO WHITE SNOW?

Now, THIS is where we get to have some FUN!

I love comparing colors; comparison is the KEY to finding your home’s best shade! Let’s see what we’ve got here…

WHITE SNOW vs. PURE WHITE

Pure White is among my top whites, as it works with so many colors. And while it’s SIMILAR to White Snow in that it’s a ‘white,’ a few key features set them apart…

• WHICH WHITE IS BRIGHTER & WHITER? White Snow is the whitest of the two thanks to its higher LRV of 90, whereas Pure White sits at 84 (making it a soft white).
• WHITE WHITE IS WARMER? Now, this is a tough one that you could refer to science for. Why? Well, they’re hard to compare as they’re different TYPES of white. Overall, White Snow comes across as cleaner than Pure White, which can make it look a bit warmer, but it’s also BRIGHTER, which can enhance this effect.
• WHICH ONE IS BEST WITH WHITE QUARTZ COUNTERTOPS? The average white quartz will likely suit Pure White over White Snow. Even though quartz can LOOK white, the base color is usually a soft white that’s better suited to a soft white paint color.
• CAN EITHER WORK IN A TUSCAN-STYLE HOME? Heck no, you’ll need a warmer white for that.

Pure White cabinets with Benjamin Moore Classic Gray walls

FULL Paint Color Review of Sherwin Williams Pure White

Because Pure White is SO popular, it has its own special breakdown (yes, I do play favorites – I do it with my husbands, too). The rest of these comparisons are a bit more simple.

WHITE SNOW vs. EXTRA WHITE

Extra White has an LRV of 86, making it softer looking than White Snow. As for warmth, Extra White can look COLD compared to White Snow, although due to the formulation, Extra White can pick up a touch of warmth on trims/cabinets (confusing, I know – you can thank the paint companies for that).

Both Extra White and White Snow can work with the right white quartz; just note whether your countertop looks dingy, gray, or yellow compared to your chosen cabinet color. As for the other end of the spectrum, Tuscan-style homes with finishes like travertine don’t suit whites like these and prefer warmer shades.

Paint Color Review of Sherwin Williams Extra White

WHITE SNOW vs. ALABASTER

Just as with Pure White, we’re looking at two different types of white when comparing White Snow and Alabaster. Alabaster is a soft white…a very, VERY soft white. With an LRV of 82, this is as dark as white gets before it becomes off-white. Long story short, White Snow is whiter than Alabaster.

As for temperature, Alabaster has a soft, almost creamy warmth to it, whereas White Snow is a cleaner, MUCH more subtle approach to warmth (so subtle it’s hard to tell).

REALLY, if you’re choosing between White Snow and Alabaster, wondering how they’re similar, you should be comparing/choosing between different shades of white.

Why?

It would be rare that these two whites are fighting for the same project as they suit different types of finishes.

Paint Color Review of Sherwin Williams Alabaster

WHITE SNOW vs. SIMPLY WHITE

Ahhhh, now we’re comparing apples to apples. White Snow and Simply White are similar as they have comparable LRVs (White Snow 90 / Simply White 89.52). This means they’re both BRIGHT whites.

Simply White trim and cabinets

The big difference is that Simply White is warmer than White Snow, with a more noticeable yellow undertone. BUT (Kardashian-sized), just because it’s more noticeable doesn’t mean it’s overwhelming – sample both and see which sits best with your finishes and lighting.

Paint Color Review of Benjamin Moore Simply White

WHITE SNOW vs. CHANTILLY LACE

I LOVE Chantilly Lace and it’s a great comparable to White Snow thanks to their similar LRVs (White Snow 90 / Chantilly Lace 90.04).

Where these two whites are different is in temperature. When you compare the two, Chantilly Lace will look a bit COLD compared to White Snow, which is warmer. Now, this doesn’t mean that Chantilly Lace is a cold white – it’s not; it’s just cooler-looking than White Snow.

Both whites could work with some marble tiles and countertops and ‘some’ white quartz countertops. Again, get your samples and see how they look compared to your finishes. Do your finishes look off-white/gray/cream compared to these whites? Do these whites look a bit YELLOW compared to your cool-toned finishes? SAMPLE SAMPLE SAMPLE!

Paint Color Review of Benjamin Moore Chantilly Lace

WHITE SNOW vs. SNOWBOUND

White Snow and Snowbound are two different types of colors entirely. Sure, they’re similar as they’re both white, but that’s where the similarities STOP faster than me passing a Starbucks.

Snowbound has an LRV of 83, so it’s white…ish. The thing is, Snowbound has a TON of undertones, including violet, and pink, and it can even flash yellow – this is all wrapped up with a bit of gray. Oooof. This is why Snowbound is rarely my fave for cabinets or trims; it’s WAAAAAY too fussy. White Snow is a more traditional approach to white, making Snowbound look off-white in comparison.

Compare the Snowbound walls to the white door – this is how NOT WHITE Snowbound is! 

Do you want my personal opinion (I know you do)? While Snowbound has its place on a small scale (i.e., a single room), I would never use it on a large scale in my home (as a trim or cabinet color) as it will limit future paint color choices.

Paint Color Review of Sherwin Williams Snowbound

WHITE SNOW vs. HIGH REFLECTIVE WHITE

So far, White Snow has been one of the WHITEST whites on this page. This isn’t the case when you compare it to High Reflective White. High Reflective White has an LRV of 93, making it Sherwin William’s whitest, most true white (a few more true whites are HERE). With its lack of undertones, High Reflective White is a great comparison to White Snow, as you’ll see how they’re similar in their general approach, but HRW exposes the weeee tiny wink of warmth hiding in White Snow.

Sherwin Williams High Reflective White

When comparing the two, I love how High Reflective White shows HOW NEUTRAL and subtle White Snow really is. Sure, it has fractional warmth, but if you put a standard warm white with High Reflective White, the yellow undertone pops more (i.e., Simply White).

Paint Color Review of Sherwin Williams High Reflective White

WHICH PAINT COLORS GO WITH WHITE SNOW?

If you have White Snow on your trim or cabinets, it suits MANY wall colors – there are few that it can’t handle. The question is, how much CONTRAST do you want? If you want a slightly softer contrast with your walls, you might explore Sherwin Williams Pure White or Benjamin Moore White Dove instead. Check out Extra White or High Reflective White if you want the MOST contrast.

As for particulars, White Snow trims or cabinets suits wall that are…

• any shade of gray, light or dark – any undertone
• greige and taupe can be great
• blues, greens, and violets can be gorgeous
• any MANY more shades, tints, tones, and hues!

HOWEVER, where you want to be careful is with shades of cream-yellow. White Snow isn’t as friendly with stronger creams and shades of yellow – these prefer a stronger yellow-based white.

The 5 Best White Paint Colors for Cabinets (and trim)

HOW DO I GET A SAMPLE OF WHITE SNOW?

Rather than offering you an assortment of ways to sample White Snow, here are the ways you can’t…

• Sherwin William’s doesn’t carry paper chip samples of White Snow in-store
• You can’t get White Snow mixed in a sample pot – it needs to be made in the Emerald Designer paint.
• Unfortunately, Emerald Designer paint isn’t available in quartz for easy sampling either.

This means that aside from Samplize, the ONLY way to see White Snow in action is to purchase a full gallon. At $125 CDN, I don’t see that happening very often, making this a tough color to make popular!

READ MORE

Sherwin Williams 9 Best White Paint Colours: EMERALD DESIGNER’S EDITION

The Ultimate Guide to White Paint Colors

Is White Still Trendy on Cabinets, Walls, & Exteriors?

NEED HELP?

Check out my Online Paint Color Consulting – I’d love to help!

Chat soon,