Color spec
| Brand | Sherwin-Williams |
| Name | Antique White |
| SKU | SW 6119 |
| Hex | #E2D6BC |
| RGB | 226, 214, 188 |
| HSL | 41°, 40%, 81% |
| LRV | 67 |
| Undertone | warm red-orange tone |
| Family | Neutral |
What Color Is Antique White, Really?
Antique White SW 6119 is a warm cream rather than a white. Its LRV of 67 is high enough to keep a room bright, but it sits well below the true whites, so on a wall it always reads as a color. The undertone is a warm red-orange lean at hue 41 degrees with about 40 percent saturation, which is a lot of warmth for something with white in the name. In plain terms, this is a soft yellow-cream with a hint of tan in it.
People reach for it when a modern white feels cold or when a room needs to look older than it is. Against wood trim, stone, and traditional millwork it looks settled instead of new. It is also a common choice for ceilings and walls in homes where stark white would fight with the existing floors.
The catch is the saturation. At 40 percent, the yellow is not subtle, and in a south-facing room in the afternoon it can go from cream to noticeably buttery. It also will not read as white next to anything genuinely white; put a bright trim white beside it and Antique White will suddenly look tan. Sample it next to your trim, not just on the wall.
Antique White is a warm cream built on a red-orange base at hue 41 degrees. The number that matters most is the saturation, about 40 percent, which is high for a color in the white family. That is why it reads as a definite cream rather than a white with a hint of warmth.
Because the warmth is real, its neighbors change it a lot. Beside a clean, bright white it looks yellow and slightly tan. Beside a beige or a tan it looks lighter and cleaner, almost white again. Beside a cool gray it can look faintly gold.
The risk to test for is yellow going green under certain bulbs, or going peach when strong warm afternoon light hits it. Put a large sample on the wall that gets the most sun and check it late in the day, then check it again at night under your own lamps.
Best Rooms and Uses for Antique White
At LRV 67 Antique White is a light color, so it works on walls almost anywhere, and it is especially useful in rooms that face north or get little sun, where its warmth compensates for cool light. Living rooms, bedrooms, hallways, and older kitchens all suit it.
It is a traditional trim and millwork color as well as a wall color, and this is where its name earns itself. On paneling, wainscot, built-ins, and cabinet doors it reads like painted woodwork that has been there a while. Just avoid pairing it with a brighter white on the same surface run, because the contrast will make it look dirty rather than aged.
Outside it works as a body color on traditional houses and pairs naturally with stone, brick, and stained wood. In a bright south-facing modern room with white cabinetry, it is usually too warm.
How Lighting Changes Antique White
An LRV of 67 keeps Antique White bright without making it reflective enough to glare. What shifts is the cream, not the brightness. North-facing rooms give cool, flat light that tames the yellow and makes the color read as its most balanced, a soft off-white with warmth rather than an obvious cream. This is where it usually looks best.
South-facing rooms push it the other way. Warm, abundant light amplifies the 40 percent saturation and the walls can read distinctly buttery by mid-afternoon. East rooms are warm at breakfast and calmer later. West rooms stay quiet until late day, then warm up sharply.
Bulbs compound the effect. Warm 2700K lamps make it creamier and can tip it toward yellow at night. Neutral 3500K to 4000K light pulls it back toward a soft neutral and is the safer choice if you find the warmth heavy.
Most complaints about Antique White are a light mismatch. Upload a photo of your actual room and see it on your walls — then ask for the same wall in north light or evening lamps before you buy a single sample.
TEST IT IN YOUR LIGHT →Antique White vs Similar Colors
The nearest relatives differ mainly in how much yellow they carry. Steamed Chai SW 9509 at LRV 67 is the same brightness with a slightly softer cast. Irish Cream SW 7537 at LRV 66 is a point darker and reads a touch deeper. Echelon Ecru SW 7574 at LRV 70 and Roycroft Vellum SW 2833 at LRV 71 are lighter, so they read closer to a true off-white on a wall.
Across brands the matches are unusually tight. Dunn-Edwards Sand Dollar DE6171, Behr Scribe MQ2-31 at LRV 69, and Farrow & Ball Matchstick No. 2013 at LRV 67 are all exact color matches on the numbers. Benjamin Moore Mohair 1058 at LRV 67 and Valspar Fennel Splash 6007-3B at LRV 66.9 are visually identical in normal room light. Clare Turbinado PNT100-LT-21 at LRV 66 is very close, so sample it first.
Colors That Go With Antique White
For adjacent rooms and tonal layering, stay in the same warm cream family. Echelon Ecru SW 7574 at LRV 70 and Roycroft Vellum SW 2833 at LRV 71 are both a few points lighter and work well on ceilings or a connected hall. Irish Cream SW 7537 at LRV 66 sits at almost the same brightness for a barely-there shift. Patience SW 7555 at LRV 67 is the same lightness with a slightly quieter warmth if the yellow feels too strong.
For trim, decide early. A brighter white makes crisp, clean lines but will make Antique White look tan by comparison. Painting trim and walls both in Antique White gives the soft, seamless look most people are actually after.
Materially, it likes oak, cherry, brick, limestone, and unlacquered brass. Black hardware and dark stained doors give it the contrast it needs to avoid looking bland.
Need It From Another Brand?
Any paint counter can custom-tint Sherwin-Williams SW 6119 directly — but if you would rather stay in one brand's own deck, these are the closest stock matches:
Similar Sherwin-Williams colors
closest in the Sherwin-Williams deckThe nearest shades to Antique White within Sherwin-Williams's own range, ranked by perceptual color distance — useful when you want the same look a touch lighter, darker, or warmer.
Coordinated palette
Generated by hue-rotating #E2D6BC in HSL space. Pair Antique White with one accent and one neutral — the swatches below are starting points, not final picks.
Accessibility (WCAG contrast)
WCAG 2.1: AA = 4.5:1 normal text · AA Large = 3:1 large text · AAA = 7:1 normal text.
The Questions Everyone Asks
Is Antique White actually white?
Not really. It is a warm cream with a red-orange base at hue 41 degrees and about 40 percent saturation, which is high for the white family. At an LRV of 67 it is clearly lighter than a beige but clearly darker than a true white, so on a wall it always reads as a color rather than as white.
What LRV is Antique White?
Antique White SW 6119 has an LRV of 67 on the 0 to 100 light reflectance scale. That makes it a light color that keeps a room bright without the glare of a near-100 white. For comparison, most true trim whites sit in the low 80s or higher.
Does Antique White look yellow?
It can, depending on the light. Its saturation of about 40 percent is enough for the yellow to be visible, and strong warm afternoon light or 2700K bulbs will bring it forward. In north-facing rooms the cool daylight balances it and it reads as a soft, even cream instead.
What white trim goes with Antique White?
You have two honest options. A brighter white gives crisp trim lines but will make the walls look tan by comparison, which some people dislike. Painting trim and walls both in Antique White gives the soft, seamless traditional look most people want from this color. Either choice works; just decide before you buy.
Does Antique White work in a dark room?
Yes, and this is one of its strengths. At LRV 67 it returns plenty of light, and its warmth compensates for the cool, flat daylight in north-facing rooms and low-window spaces. In those conditions it usually looks its most balanced, closer to an off-white than a cream.
Is Antique White good for cabinets or exteriors?
Yes. On cabinets, paneling, and millwork it reads like painted woodwork with some age to it, which is the main reason people choose it. Outside it works as a body color on traditional houses and sits well with brick, stone, and stained wood. It is too warm for a modern all-white scheme.
Will It Work in YOUR Room?
No page can promise how Antique White behaves in your light. Upload a photo and see it on your own walls in seconds — before you spend a cent on samples.
TRY ANTIQUE WHITE ON YOUR ROOM →Ask a Question
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