Ethereal White is the perfect color for anyone looking for a richer white without heavy cream tones. (Although it can look creamy!) This gentle color is my go-to recommendation for a soft white that goes with any and all shades of wood trim.
This color is far from being one of Sherwin Williams most popular whites, but I think it’s going to get there!
If gray is being pried out of your unwilling little paws (same), Ethereal White is a great way to dip your toes into whites and warmer neutrals.
In this post I will show you Ethereal White in comparison to other popular whites, take a look at it in real homes, and of course, give you some dupes!
What Color is Sherwin Williams Ethereal White? (SW 6182)
Ethereal White is a fairly neutral off-white. It is too dark to be considered a true white.
It can look creamy, gray, or even a little green, depending on lighting and other finishes.
LRV of Sherwin Williams Ethereal White
The LRV of a color indicates on a scale of 0 – 100 how much light a color reflects (or doesn’t reflect). True black has an LRV of 0 and pure white has an LRV of 100.
In the paint world, we are working in a range of about 3 – 93 because no paint color is purely black or completely white.
At 76, Ethereal White is most definitely not a true white paint color. It even toes the line between an off-white and beige.
What Are the Undertones of SW Ethereal White?
Ethereal White is a rich off-white with gentle green undertones.
You could also say that it has gray undertones, but the grayish tones are pretty up front. There is nothing super yellow about Ethereal White.
Is Ethereal White Warm or Cool?
Ethereal White is definitely a warm white, because it is in the yellowy region of the color wheel.
What I like about it, is that it doesn’t look like a warm buttery yellow. It isn’t cool at all, but the bit of gray helps it stay pretty neutral.
The Sherwin Williams Ethereal White Color Strip
Sherwin Williams has Ethereal White on a popular color strip with a couple of heavy hitters: Dried Thyme and Rosemary.
The colors on this strip are all really versatile and neutral.
One Shade Darker Than Ethereal White
If you are wanting a color like Ethereal White that is not an off-white, check out Conservative Gray (SW 6183).
It has an LRV of 63, so it is definitely an actual color, and not a white.
Here are the other colors in this strip:
- Sherwin Williams Austere Gray (6184)
- Sherwin Williams Escape Gray (6185)
- Sherwin Williams Dried Thyme (6186)
- Sherwin Williams Rosemary (6187)
- Sherwin Williams Shade Grown (6188)
Sherwin Williams also tacks their color of the year from 2022 “Evergreen Fog” onto this same strip:
You can read my post about Evergreen Fog here.
What Trim Colors Go With Sherwin Williams Ethereal White?
First we have the trim that maybe brought you here in the first place: Traditional wood. This always seems to look good with colors in the green family!
Here in the dining room designed by Project Phoenix (@projectphoenixflips) you can see it at work:
Here the color looks a little gray below the window, and a little green around the doorway. If the ceiling was the same color, it would look even more white.
For this home they actually have a variety of pairings with Ethereal White: Some traditional warm wood trim, some dark wood doors and floors, and some white trim. We will see more of this project in just a moment!
But that brings us to why this color is my favorite creamy white for complimenting wood trim!
While Ethereal White doesn’t always look creamy in a traditional sense, it rarely looks completely cool. It doesn’t have overly warm yellow or beige undertones either. These are usually the top things that people look for in an off white. (At least right now it is!) Other things to note:
- Green and red are complementary to each other, so many of the extra warm tones in wood look nice with the undertones of Ethereal White. (Blue would technically be a better compliment on paper because it is across the wheel from orange, but it will emphasize those same orange tones a lot.)
- It’s neutral and plain enough to also work well with natural or “blonde” wood
- Dark wood makes Ethereal White look light and perfectly creamy
White Paint that Goes with Ethereal White
If you are after the perfect white paint to pair with Ethereal White, there are a few options to consider. The first should be Ethereal White!
If you want Ethereal White to look as light and bright as possible, or trick the eye into thinking it is white, use it on the trim too.
I have some great examples of this done successfully with a similar color in my post about Shoji White.
Here is a graphic of other options:
Ethereal White with Sherwin Williams High Reflective White
High Reflective White is Sherwin Williams whitest white. It is perfect for maximum white contrast with an off-white like Ethereal.
Just remember that any bright white will show off the color more, and the walls will look less white.
Ethereal White with Sherwin Williams Snowbound
Snowbound is actually a pretty true white. It isn’t as bright as High Reflective White, and instead has a hint of softness. It’s a nice choice for some contrast, but still allowing Ethereal White to look more white.
Another white option is Sherwin Williams Extra White. I didn’t include it in the graphic, because you will see it in quite a few photos coming up!
Ethereal White with Darker Contrasting Trim
If you are choosing an off-white like Ethereal, consider doing a darker trim instead, like Sherwin Williams Agreeable Gray.
(I have a few pictures of Agreeable Gray trim with creamy walls here.)
You might also like it with Accessible Beige trim.
Using Sherwin Williams Ethereal White for Your Home’s Interior
Okay, on to the fun part!
Ethereal White is a relatively difficult color to find in real life, so I am soooo grateful to Project Phoenix for sharing their photos with me.
Sherwin Williams Ethereal White in a Bedroom
First up, here is Ethereal White in the bedroom:
I feel like you can really appreciate how neutral it is here! It is somewhere on the warm side of gray.
As I mentioned earlier, the trim color is Sherwin Williams Extra White. Had the trim also been painted in Ethereal White, you can imagine that the room would look closer to a warm white here:
I love the contrasting doors!
Real wood like these can be hard to come by, but you could replicate the look with black interior doors.
Sherwin Williams Ethereal White in the Living Room
This next photo is probably my favorite look to Ethereal White:
It looks warm and cozy, but totally neutral at the same time! This home has such great light!
I actually think this might be a bedroom again, but you can use your imagination here.
Again the color looks divine, delish, delectable!
So soft and pretty!
Sherwin Williams Ethereal White Bathroom
Here is Ethereal White in a small cozy bathroom.
This is giving me country vibes!
Sherwin Williams Ethereal White in the Kitchen
Finally we have Ethereal White in the kitchen:
Here it is looking much more gray-green.
To get a look like this kitchen, you might like Benjamin Moore Dry Sage or Sherwin Williams Svelte Sage for cabinets.
Or, check out my post: The Best Colors for Sage Green Kitchen Cabinets
I would have liked to show you Ethereal White on cabinets as well, but like I said, this color is a bit hard to find!
You could definitely use Ethereal White on the walls with oak cabinets. This color works great with all shades of wood.
Sherwin Williams Ethereal White in a Color Palette
I used the clean soothing vibes of this home to inspire my Ethereal White color palette:
Of course white is really versatile, so you could try it out with any of your favorite colors!
Ethereal White Complementary & Coordinating Colors
I put SW Extra White in this palette because it was used so successfully in this example home, but you might also like Benjamin Moore Chantilly Lace.
Benjamin Moore Gray Owl
Gray Owl is a greenish beige neutral that would work amazing with Ethereal White’s warm green tones. It is more likely to emphasize the creaminess in Ethereal White, and tone down the gray.
You might also like Sherwin Williams Sea Salt.
Sherwin Williams Oyster Bay
Oyster Bay is a smoky sea grass kind of color. It is a bit brighter in real life than it looks in a swatch. Super pretty! This should also help Ethereal White to look creamy, because Oyster Bay is itself so gray and green.
Benjamin Moore Vintage Vogue
Vintage Vogue is a rich dark green that you can use like a neutral. It will help Ethereal White to look more white, but also a little cooler than it will look with the more gray neutrals.
Sherwin Williams Cyberspace
Cyberspace is a nice alternative to black. It’s like if charcoal and navy had a baby. Ethereal White will look pretty white in contrast to Cyberspace. You may also find that it looks cooler because it will be reflecting the blue charcoal.
Ethereal White Compared to Other Sherwin Williams Paint Colors
You have already seen the difference between Extra White and Snowbound compared to Ethereal White, but here are a few more Sherwin Williams white comparisons.
Sherwin Williams Ethereal White vs Moderne White (SW 6168)
If it made any sense to choose a dupe for Ethereal White from Sherwin Williams themselves, I guess the top choice would be Moderne White.
So what is the difference?
You tell me! (Jk….I did actually have to figure it out.)
Moderne White is a teeny tiny bit darker than Ethereal White, with an LRV of 74. It is also a little warmer, so closer to orange than to green.
Sherwin Williams Ethereal White vs Alabaster (SW 7008)
Alabaster is probably Sherwin Williams’ most popular white.
It is lighter, brighter, and warmer than Ethereal White.
While it does have a fairly strong creamy look, the LRV of SW Alabaster is 82, so it is technically still a true white paint color and not an off white like Ethereal.
Alabaster generally has neutral beige undertones, but it can look yellow (especially when paired with Extra White) and we have seen that Ethereal White does not.
Sherwin Williams Ethereal White vs Pure White (SW 7005)
Pure White has a bit of the same grayed out quality that Ethereal White has, but in an overall lighter color. Technically Pure White is also a touch warmer.
The LRV of Pure White is 84, and it generally looks pretty white.
Ethereal White vs Popular Benjamin Moore Whites
Before we move on to the dupes: Here is how Sherwin Williams Ethereal White stacks up against a couple popular choices from Benjamin Moore, that you might also be considering.
Sherwin Williams Ethereal White vs Benjamin Moore Swiss Coffee (OC-45)
Swiss Coffee is an uber popular Benjamin Moore white. It is a little warmer than SW Ethereal White, and not gray at all.
Swiss Coffee does have a tendency to look a little yellow, which is why it isn’t one of my personal favorites. The LRV is 83.93, so it is also quite a bit lighter.
(To be clear, this is the Benjamin Moore color, but there are several different brands that have a Swiss Coffee color.)
Sherwin Williams Ethereal White vs Benjamin Moore White Dove (OC-17)
White Dove is a really nice warm white by Benjamin Moore with beige undertones. With an LRV of approx 84 it is a true white.
White Dove is in a similar area on the color wheel to Ethereal White, but without any gray. I almost recommended it for a trim color, but I didn’t feel 100% sure what undertone it would bring out.
Dupes for Sherwin Williams Ethereal White
Time to get into some dupes! Here are the closest ones from every competing brand that we will be looking at:
Benjamin Moore Ethereal White Dupes
Let’s start with the Benjamin Moore dupes! I’ve narrowed it down to White River and Grandma’s China.
Sherwin Williams Ethereal White vs Benjamin Moore White River (1499)
White River is probably the closest Benjamin Moore equivalent to Ethereal White.
It is a touch darker, with an LRV of 74 (73.69) and a little less gray.
Sherwin Williams Ethereal White vs Benjamin Moore Grandma’s China (CSP-365) aka Behr Soft Focus (T18-09)
The hex code for Grandma’s China is the same as for Behr’s “Soft Focus” so this is a two-for-one dupe for Ethereal White!
This color is a touch warmer (closer to orange) and a little less gray than Ethereal White.
Benjamin Moore says that the LRV of Grandma’s China is 72.48, but Behr says the LRV of Soft Focus is 75, so that’s interesting.
I think 75 is more accurate, because there’s no way this color is 3.5 points darker than Ethereal White (in my opinion).
Valspar Ethereal White Dupes (Lowe’s)
Next let’s take a look at Valspar color matches for Ethereal White.
I actually found quite a few great options. I narrowed it down to four, but the closest two are Gilded Linen and Satin Snow.
Sherwin Williams Ethereal White vs Valspar Gilded Linen (6002-1A)
Like a lot of these dupes, Gilded Linen is just a touch warmer and less gray that Ethereal White.
Gilded Linen is also a hair lighter, with an LRV of 73.838.
Sherwin Williams Ethereal White vs Valspar Satin Snow (7004-17)
The LRV of Valspar’s Satin Snow is right on the money with Ethereal White, at 76.128. It is just a little bit warmer.
Sherwin Williams Ethereal White vs Valspar Mineral Ash (7006-19)
Valspar’s Mineral Ash is one of the only dupes that is actually a bit more gray than Ethereal White.
It is also a little lighter, with an LRV of 77.015.
Sherwin Williams Ethereal White vs Valspar Divine Cream (7006-8)
Divine Cream is a bit cooler (greener) and lighter than Ethereal White, with an LRV of 77.053.
Ethereal White Behr Dupes (Home Depot)
Here’s a reminder of all the dupes we’re covering:
Behr makes two close equivalents to Ethereal White: White Pepper and Weathered White.
Sherwin Williams Ethereal White vs Behr White Pepper (PPU24-13)
The first Behr color match to Ethereal White, is the shade White Pepper.
White Pepper is a little bit warmer and lighter than Ethereal White. It has an LRV of 78.
Sherwin Williams Ethereal White vs Behr Weathered White (HDC-NT-21)
Equally close to SW Ethereal White, but in slightly different ways, is the Behr shade Weathered White.
Weathered White is still lighter, with an LRV of 77, but a bit closer than White Pepper.
On the other hand, Weathered White is even warmer than White Pepper, so it is a bit further from the tone of Ethereal White.
You can see in the comparison how Ethereal White does look more greenish in comparison to Weathered White.
Finally, one last comparison that is not a color match at all! :
Sherwin Williams Ethereal White vs Behr Ethereal White (BL-W04)
I always like to compare colors of the same name when I get the chance, and Behr also has a shade named “Ethereal White.”
Behr’s version of Ethereal White is a very pale blue, so nothing like the warm off-white of Sherwin Williams Ethereal White.
The LRV of Behr Ethereal White is 86.
Ethereal White Final Moody Musings
I hope you enjoyed this deep dive into the heavenly world of Ethereal White! This color is one of my favorite off whites, partially because it’s so underrated, and partially because I love a color that wears many hats!
If you want a creamy off white that stays neutral and never yellow, this is the one! It should definitely be on your list if you want all of that, AND a great look with wood trim or flooring.
Shall we summarize?
- Ethereal White is a grayed down version of creamy white with subtle green undertones
- Ethereal White is darker than traditional whites (and even some off-whites) so you would not use it in place of a “true” white
- This color is a great compromise between gray, beige, and white
Not the shade for you? I have white paint colors all over!
Check out these crowd pleasers:
