French Vanilla
SW 7118 · #F9E9D1 · LRV 83 — warm red-orange tone, very light — near-white, broadens small spaces.
- 1Agreeable Gray60
- 2Pale Oak69
- 3French Vanilla83
- 4Moonlit Beach88
- 5Crème Fraiche93
What Color Is French Vanilla, Really?
French Vanilla reads as a warm red-orange tone — very light — near-white, broadens small spaces. The notes below cover how Sherwin-Williams SW 7118 behaves in different light and the closest matches at competing US brands.
Best Rooms and Uses for French Vanilla
French Vanilla shines on ceilings, trim and in small or low-light rooms where you need to stretch the light — and as a calm whole-home backdrop. Greige-leaning neutrals like this are the safe whole-home choice when you want warmth without committing to a color.
How Lighting Changes French Vanilla
French Vanilla is very light — LRV 83, close to white. It opens up small or dim rooms and keeps walls feeling airy. Its orange undertone is the part to watch: it gets picked up by whatever sits next to it, so test it against your trim, floor and the room's main light before committing. In north light it can read slightly cooler; a warm white trim alongside keeps it from going clinical.
Most complaints about French Vanilla 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.
Need It From Another Brand?
Any paint counter can custom-tint Sherwin-Williams SW 7118 directly. If you would rather stay in one brand's own deck, these are the closest stock matches, measured as ΔE2000. Under 2 is a difference you will not see on the wall.
| Brand | Closest color | ΔE | LRV | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Behr | Almond MilkOR-W05 · Behr | 0.8 | 83 | Color page → |
| Benjamin Moore | Country White898 · Benjamin Moore | 0.0 | 80 | Color page → |
| Valspar | Apricot Whisper8007-11C · Valspar | 1.3 | 83 | Color page → |
| PPG / Glidden | Vanilla WaferPPG1204-2 · PPG / Glidden | 3.4 | 83 | Color page → |
| Glidden | Peach Satin19YY 83/140 · Glidden | 1.1 | 83 | Color page → |
| Dutch Boy | Light Hearted110-1DB · Dutch Boy | 1.6 | 82 | Color page → |
Similar Sherwin-Williams Colors
The nearest shades to French Vanilla within Sherwin-Williams's own range, ranked by perceptual color distance — useful when you want the same look a touch lighter, darker, or warmer.
WCAG 2.1: AA is 4.5 : 1 for normal text, 3 : 1 for large text, AAA is 7 : 1.
Coordinated palette
Generated by hue-rotating #F9E9D1 in HSL space. Pair French Vanilla with one accent and one neutral — the swatches below are starting points, not final picks.
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