Sherwin-Williams AlabastervsSherwin-Williams Snowbound
Why this comparison: Both soft SW whites; Snowbound is cooler with a gray edge, Alabaster the creamier of the two. Alabaster and Snowbound are very close (ΔE 2.37). 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 83) — 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 soft off-white built on grayed warmth, not on cream. Most people meet it as "the cool white," and on the wall that is usually how it behaves — clean, quiet, modern. But the base underneath is a gentle greige with a pink-violet lean, and that is the whole story of this color. In a well-lit room the gray flattens the pink and you get a calm, expensive-looking white. In the wrong light the gray drops out and the pink walks forward. Neither reading is a mistake in the can; they are the same paint doing what it was mixed to do.
At LRV 83 it reflects most of the light in the room, but it is not a bright white. Put it beside Extra White (SW 7006) at LRV 86 and Snowbound suddenly shows its body — softer, grayer, slightly hazy. Put it beside Alabaster (SW 7008) at LRV 82 and it flips the other way, reading cleaner and less creamy. That middle position is why it works on walls and trim in the same house: it holds enough color to soften shadows, and enough brightness to still read as white.
Specs Side by Side
| Spec | Alabaster | Snowbound |
|---|---|---|
| Brand | Sherwin-Williams | Sherwin-Williams |
| SKU | SW 7008 | SW 7004 |
| Hex | #EDEAE0 | #EDEAE5 |
| RGB | 237, 234, 224 | 237, 234, 229 |
| LRV | 82 | 83 |
| 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.
Cool daylight kills the warmth and leaves the violet. Flat, mauve-gray. Test big.
Strong sun grays out the pink and it reads as a soft, clean white all day.
2700K bulbs pull the pink forward. 3000K and a lampshade change fix most of it.
Red oak, beige carpet and terracotta bounce color up the wall. Sample above the floor.
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
Rooms with real daylight · trim and doors under greige walls · kitchen cabinets with warm wood and brass · modern-farmhouse and transitional whole-house schemes
Your room is dim and faces north · your floor, tile or carpet leans pink or mauve · your cabinets are already a creamy white · you want a crisp gallery white
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 Snowbound FAQ
Which is lighter, Alabaster or Snowbound?
They are practically the same lightness — LRV 82 vs 83. Neither will make the room brighter than the other.
Which is warmer, Alabaster or Snowbound?
They sit in the same temperature family: Alabaster reads yellow / warm, Snowbound reads red-orange / warm. Side by side, undertone is not the deciding factor here.
How similar are Alabaster and Snowbound?
Alabaster and Snowbound are very close (ΔE 2.37). 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 Snowbound together in one house?
Not in the same room, and be careful in the same house. At ΔE 2.37 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.
Ask a Question