Sherwin-Williams AlabastervsSherwin-Williams Greek Villa
Why this comparison: Greek Villa carries a touch more beige; Alabaster stays the more neutral soft white. Alabaster and Greek Villa are visually nearly identical (ΔE 0.69). Most eyes can't tell them apart on a wall — pick whichever is easier to source.
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 84) — 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 white built on a soft red-orange base, which at this lightness lands as cream rather than yellow or beige. The hue sits at 42 degrees — squarely warm — and it carries real saturation, not the trace amount a chameleon neutral carries. That matters, because it means Greek Villa does not shift around trying to match whatever is near it. It stays warm. Whether that warmth reads as "creamy and inviting" or "why is my wall yellow" is decided entirely by what you put beside it, which is the single most useful thing to know about this color.
At LRV 84 it reflects almost as much light as the deck allows, so it behaves like a bright white on the wall, not a soft one. Set it next to Pure White (SW 7005), which has the identical LRV 84, and the difference is not brightness at all — Pure White reads clean and Greek Villa reads creamy. Against Alabaster (SW 7008, LRV 82) it is the brighter and slightly more colorful of the two. That combination of high reflectance and visible warmth is unusual, and it is why Greek Villa works in dim hallways where softer creams go dull.
Specs Side by Side
| Spec | Alabaster | Greek Villa |
|---|---|---|
| Brand | Sherwin-Williams | Sherwin-Williams |
| SKU | SW 7008 | SW 7551 |
| Hex | #EDEAE0 | #F0ECE2 |
| RGB | 237, 234, 224 | 240, 236, 226 |
| LRV | 82 | 84 |
| Undertone | yellow / warm | red-orange / warm |
| Family | White | White |
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.
Bright and creamy all day without tipping sour. This is the exposure it was made for.
Cool indirect light subtracts the warmth and it reads slightly dull. Warm bulbs help; test first.
Low direct sun pushes it to butter for a few hours. Big west windows are the deal-breaker.
2700K lamps make it cozy cream. 4000K LEDs drain it — change bulbs, not paint.
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
Whole-house walls and trim in one warm white · kitchens with wood floors and brass · cabinets over honey oak or white oak · exteriors that need warmth without going beige
You are keeping brighter builder-white trim · a west room takes hard afternoon sun · the room is a dim north box or a basement · your floors and counters are cool gray
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 Greek Villa FAQ
Which is lighter, Alabaster or Greek Villa?
They are practically the same lightness — LRV 82 vs 84. Neither will make the room brighter than the other.
Which is warmer, Alabaster or Greek Villa?
They sit in the same temperature family: Alabaster reads yellow / warm, Greek Villa reads red-orange / warm. Side by side, undertone is not the deciding factor here.
How similar are Alabaster and Greek Villa?
Alabaster and Greek Villa are visually nearly identical (ΔE 0.69). Most eyes can't tell them apart on a wall — pick whichever is easier to source. 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 Greek Villa together in one house?
Not in the same room, and be careful in the same house. At ΔE 0.69 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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