Paint Color Review: Sherwin-Williams Pure White 7005

If you’re looking for a soft, flexible white paint color that works well for trim, cabinets, walls, and exterior siding, it’s time to take a look at Sherwin-Williams Pure White 7005. This versatile color has a gentle hint of warmth, making it a bit less stark than other popular white paints. Let’s take a closer look to see if it might work well for your next project.

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What is the LRV of Pure White?

Light Reflectance Value (LRV) is a measure of how much light a paint reflects back into a room. On the LRV scale, 100% is highly reflective and zero is not reflective at all. SW Pure White has an LRV of 84%. This means it will reflect quite a bit of light but won’t be as glaring or bright as a white with a higher LRV, such as Sherwin-Williams High Reflective White. 

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You must sample this color in the space you intend to use it before you start putting it on your walls and trim! (We mail 8″ x 10″ paint swatches of our recommendations to our Virtual Color Consultation clients.)

What is the “undertone” of Pure White? Will it look yellow or pink?

If we take a look at its spectral data, we see SW Pure White has a hue angle of 106.961°. This puts it (just barely) in the Yellow hue family, nudging the Green-Yellow hue family pretty closely. 

This is the same area of the color wheel where many popular neutrals live, as there’s a good balance of warmth and coolness. It has a very high lightness value (94.457) balanced with a decent amount of chroma (4.065). This means that it’s bright and clean, but has just enough pigment to keep it from feeling too sterile.

Will it look yellow or pink on the walls? Probably not much. That said, white paint is incredibly reflective and can easily mirror its surroundings’ color. So, for example, if you’ve got a lot of red furnishings or red brick in your home, it may reflect a bit of pink. If you’ve got a lot of sunlight filtered by leafy green plants, it could reflect a little bit of that green back to you. 

Perception will also be influenced heavily by your lighting. SW Pure White can shift a bit depending on your exposure. Southern light and afternoon Western light is warmer and a bit yellow which intensifies the warmth of Pure White. Light in a north-facing room is less intense, so you might find it a bit softer in those rooms. Artificial light also affects paint color perception. Using the right color light bulbs (3000 K to 3500 K) will give this color a more balanced appearance. Using soft white bulbs (2700 K) can make it look more yellow, whereas daylight bulbs (4000 K+) can make it look bluish.

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Can I pair Sherwin-Williams Pure White with another white paint color? Will it look yellow?

It might. If you have SW Pure white on the walls, I recommend using it on the trim and/or cabinets as well. Simply change the sheen or finish to give it some dimension. For example, use eggshell for the walls and satin for the cabinets and trim. When you start trying to mix and match white paints, their differences in hue and chroma become much more obvious. One will likely end up highlighting the hue family of the other, causing it to look grayer/yellower/dingier by comparison.

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What are other paint colors that are equivalent or similar to Sherwin-Williams Pure White?

As a reminder, I don’t recommend color matching between brands. You cannot color match between brands and expect to get identical results. You will see shifts in color and depth. But if you’re looking for something similar to Pure White in another brand, there are options: 

• Benjamin-Moore White Heron OC-57
• Behr Arcade White GR-W8 
• Behr Silky White PPU7-12
• PPG Gypsum PPG1006-1

How does SW Pure White compare to other popular white paint colors?

Compared to other popular white paint colors, SW Pure White takes its own approach:

• Sherwin-Williams Pure White vs. Sherwin-Williams Extra White: Pure White has a bit more warmth than SW Extra White. Both are commonly used as clean trim colors. Between the two, I’d use Pure White with warmer colors and opt for Extra White with a cooler color palette.
• Sherwin-Williams Pure White vs. Sherwin-Williams Alabaster: Pure White is generally less popular for walls than its cousin, SW Alabaster, a softer, warmer white. Alabaster is slightly creamier without being yellow.
• Sherwin-Williams Pure White vs. Sherwin-Williams Snowbound: SW Snowbound is another popular white paint color that’s less versatile than Pure White and almost a bit taupe by comparison. I’d avoid it for use as a trim or cabinet color.
• Sherwin-Williams Pure White vs. Sherwin-Williams High Reflective White: Pure White has a lot more warmth and depth than the exceptionally clean, stark SW High Reflective White.
• Sherwin-Williams Pure White vs. Benjamin Moore Simply White: Like SW Pure White, BM Simply White is part of the Yellow hue family (106.615°). The difference, however, is that Pure White is balanced with a tiny dose of gray/black that mutes its yellow appearance and gives it a lot more flexibility. With BM Pure White, the yellow can be more obvious, especially if you’re pairing it with a cool white quartz countertop or bright white subway tile. 

Need Help Choosing a Color?

Need help finding the right paint color? Order a Virtual Color Consultation Report from the color professionals at Three Bears Home Staging to get a custom, curated palette and guidance for your next painting project.

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