Sherwin-Williams AlabastervsSherwin-Williams Creamy
Why this comparison: Creamy is noticeably yellower; Alabaster reads white where Creamy reads cream. Alabaster and Creamy are very close (ΔE 2.01). The difference shows up most in side-by-side comparison and under specific light.
Built from our full reviews of both colors — same measured data, same real-room photos. About the testing process →
The Numbers
LRV is essentially equal (82 vs 81) — both reflect light the same.
What Each Color Really Is
A warm off-white built on a yellow-beige base, with a small amount of grey mixed back in to keep the yellow from going buttery. That grey is the reason Alabaster became a default instead of a cream: it takes the edge off the warmth so the wall reads "soft white" rather than "antique." The trade-off is that the grey is not a pure grey — there is a faint green thread running through it, and it stays invisible only while the yellow is doing its job. Cancel the yellow and the green half of the mix is what you are left looking at.
At LRV 82 it bounces back most of the light in the room, so it behaves like a white in daily use — but it is not a bright white, and the gap shows the moment a truly bright one is in frame. Extra White SW 7006 sits at 86 and High Reflective White SW 7757 at 93; next to either, Alabaster suddenly has visible body and looks like a color rather than a blank. On its own wall, with nothing brighter nearby, your eye adapts within a minute and simply calls it white. That is the whole reason it photographs so well and why it has been Sherwin-Williams' most-specified white for a decade.
A warm cream-white with real yellow in it, and the numbers back that up: the hue lands at 43, squarely yellow-gold, at 49 percent saturation. That saturation figure is the honest part. Most popular off-whites keep their warmth at half that strength so they can drift neutral in a bad light; Creamy does not drift. It commits. On a chip the size of your hand it looks like a soft white. On four walls it looks like cream, every time.
At LRV 81 it reflects most of the light in the room, so it stays open and airy — but it is not a bright white, and the comparison that matters is Alabaster (SW 7008) at LRV 82. Same brightness, almost exactly. The difference is not lightness, it is color: Alabaster carries a hint of warmth, Creamy carries a full serving of it. If you sample them side by side and think Alabaster looks gray, you want Creamy. If you think Creamy looks yellow, you want Alabaster. That single test settles most of these decisions.
Specs Side by Side
| Spec | Alabaster | Creamy |
|---|---|---|
| Brand | Sherwin-Williams | Sherwin-Williams |
| SKU | SW 7008 | SW 7012 |
| Hex | #EDEAE0 | #EFE8DB |
| RGB | 237, 234, 224 | 239, 232, 219 |
| LRV | 82 | 81 |
| Undertone | yellow / warm | red-orange / warm |
| Family | White | Neutral |
How Light Changes Them
The cream comes forward and the room feels sunlit even on grey days. Late sun pushes it slightly buttery.
Cool daylight cancels the yellow and the green-grey base shows. This is where people repaint.
2700K lamps make it cozy cream. 4000K keeps it crisp. Change the bulbs before you change the paint.
At LRV 82 a powder room or hallway still reads bright, and the warmth feels cozy instead of cave-like.
Cool gray daylight cancels most of the yellow. It reads soft, mellow cream — never dingy.
Strong warm sun stacks onto a warm color. Afternoons can read frankly yellow. Sample first.
East is warm at breakfast, calm by noon. West is quiet all morning, golden at sunset.
2700K deepens the cream toward gold. Move to 3000K–3500K and it cleans right up.
Both Colors in Real Rooms
Photos from our full reviews — the same rooms and captions, so you can judge each color where it actually lives, not on a chip.
When to Pick Which
Kitchen and bath cabinets · trim and interior doors · south and east rooms · houses with oak, brass, or cream-toned stone
Your room faces north and is dim · your tile, quartz, or appliances are stark white · your floors are cool grey · you want a crisp modern gallery white
North- and east-facing rooms that feel cold · older homes with golden oak floors and brass · farmhouse and cottage interiors · anyone who finds Alabaster still too white
Your room gets hard south or west afternoon sun · your trim, cabinets or quartz stay a bright white · your counters and floors are cool gray · you want a clean, modern, low-color look
No comparison page can see your light. Upload one photo of your room and try both colors on the same walls, seconds apart.
Alabaster vs Creamy FAQ
Which is lighter, Alabaster or Creamy?
They are practically the same lightness — LRV 82 vs 81. Neither will make the room brighter than the other.
Which is warmer, Alabaster or Creamy?
They sit in the same temperature family: Alabaster reads yellow / warm, Creamy reads red-orange / warm. Side by side, undertone is not the deciding factor here.
How similar are Alabaster and Creamy?
Alabaster and Creamy are very close (ΔE 2.01). The difference shows up most in side-by-side comparison and under specific light. The only reliable test is seeing both in your own room and light — a side-by-side on a screen or chip flattens the difference.
Can I use Alabaster and Creamy together in one house?
Not in the same room, and be careful in the same house. At ΔE 2.01 they are so close that two walls in each will read as a tinting mistake, not a design choice. Pick one, or keep them on different floors where they are never seen together.
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