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See Coordinating Colors for Sherwin Williams Natural Choice (Plus Real Homes & Dupes)

    Sherwin Williams Natural Choice is a newer favorite amongst creamy off-whites. Let’s take a look at it in a color palette, inside real homes, and finally, see some dupes!

    Starting off this review:

    What Color is Sherwin Williams Natural Choice (SW 7011)

    Natural Choice is a creamy off white paint color with a beige undertone that is balanced by a hint of gray.

    Sherwin Williams Natural Choice on a paint lid over a background photo of pampas grass in a neutral room with shadows on the wall.

    Is Natural Choice a greige?

    In my opinion, Natural Choice is too warm to be considered a greige. It is instead somewhere between off white and beige – just not a super warm beige.

    LRV of Sherwin Williams Natural Choice

    The LRV of Natural Choice is 73.

    What does that even mean?

    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.

    Sherwin Williams Natural Choice plotted on the LRV chart at 73 where 100 is pure white and 0 is pure black. Background photo is a vase in a window sill behind an overstuffed beige sofa.

    At 73, Natural Choice is squarely in off-white territory. Most neutral colors with LRVs between 70 and about 82 are classified as off whites.

    LRV of Alabaster vs Natural Choice on a scale of 0 (black) to 100 (true white)

    What Are the Undertones of Natural Choice?

    Natural Choice is a creamy beige off-white with a little bit of gray. It does not have a yellow undertone, but is more likely to flash a bit peach. (This is pretty normal with beige paint colors.)

    Sherwin Williams Natural Choice swatched beside the hex code chart for the color, over a background of swatches of fabric in natural colors.

    Is Natural Choice Warm or Cool?

    Natural Choice is a warm to neutral paint color. It does not ever look cool. It will look more neutral or gray in comparison with super warm beiges or whites. For example, here it is with Kilim Beige:

    Paint dot of Sherwin Williams Natural Choice with the same of the much warmer SW Kilim Beige.

    You can see that in comparison it does look more neutral or gray, but still not cool.

    The Sherwin Williams Natural Choice Color Strip

    Sherwin Williams does not include Natural Choice in any of the traditional light-to-dark color strips. Instead it is in this collection of off-whites:

    The official Sherwin Williams Natural Choice color strip features a collection of creamy white paint colors including Pearly White, Ivory Lace, Shoji White, White Duck, and Natural Choice, all swatched over a background of natural colored fabric samples.

    The other colors in this collection are:

    Natural Choice most closely fits into the Useful Gray color strip:

    Sherwin Williams Natural Choice slotted in after Alabaster into the color strip featuring Useful Gray, Analytical Gray, Gray Area, Studio Clay, and Adaptive Shade. Background photo is a cozy living room painted in Natural Choice.

    This one is definitely a little bit too gray. Natural Choice almost fits into the Accessible Beige color strip:

    ALABASTER, Natural Choice, and Accessible Beige all on paint dots together.

    …but it’s not quite warm enough. In the end, Useful Gray was a slightly closer match.

    Lighter Version of Natural Choice

    I have compared Natural Choice at length with the ever popular Sherwin Williams Alabaster in my post Sherwin Williams Natural Choice vs Alabaster (Which to Choose?).

    The truth is that Alabaster is quite like a lighter version of Natural choice.

    Alabaster and natural choice marked slightly overlapping on the same color wheel.

    Alabaster itself is on the darker end of white, so this is a subtle lighter shift.

    Sherwin Williams Natural Choice in a Color Palette

    Here is a color palette that I put together for Natural Choice:

    Sherwin Williams Natural Choice color palette features Shiitake, Iron Ore, Pure White, Rainwashed, and natural choice, all on paint lids over a blue green watercolor background.

    Coordinating Colors to Use With Natural Choice

    If you noticed that this palette is very similar to the one I made for Sherwin Williams Steamed Milk – No you didn’t.

    (I like what I like, baby!)

    Sherwin Williams Shiitake

    Shiitake is a warm beige color that will pair nicely with Natural Choice. Just like with Kilim Beige, this combo will keep Natural Choice looking really neutral.

    Paint dot of Sherwin Williams Natural Choice with the same of coordinating color Shiitake.

    This one is also on my list of The Best Mushroom Paint Colors for Kitchen Cabinets.

    Sherwin Williams Iron Ore

    If you want Natural Choice to stay looking creamy, try pairing it with something a little cooler like Iron Ore.

    Paint dot of Sherwin Williams Natural Choice with the same of coordinating color Iron Ore.

    Iron Ore tends to be a chameleon, but most often it reads like a cool charcoal with a subtle blue undertone, which will be very complementary for Natural Choice.

    Iron Ore is on my list of favorite Dark and Moody Exterior Colors From Sherwin Williams.

    Sherwin Williams Pure White

    I went back and forth on what white to use in this palette, but ultimately settled on the fail safe Pure White:

    Paint dot of Sherwin Williams Natural Choice with the same of coordinating color Pure White.

    Pure White has a lot in common with Natural Choice! It is a warm white that is neutralized by a little helping of gray. I like Pure White with Natural Choice because it is a little bit more contrast than Alabaster.

    Sherwin Williams Natural Choice color palette features Shiitake, Iron Ore, Pure White, Rainwashed, and natural choice, all on paint lids over a background of a dried flower arrangement.

    That being said, I think that Pure White, Greek Villa, White Flour, or Benjamin Moore Simply White, would all be great trim white with Natural Choice.

    Sherwin Williams Rainwashed

    Rainwashed is a beautiful gray blue-green color that will bring cool tones into your space in the subtlest of manners.

    Paint dot of Sherwin Williams Natural Choice with the same of coordinating color Rainwashed.

    Rainwashed will balance and uplift the warm tones in Natural Choice.

    Complementary Color for Natural Choice

    The science of complementary colors is very simple: Whatever shade is directly across the color wheel is the “official” complement to any given color.

    For Natural Choice, this is a gray blue with a hint of periwinkle. Sherwin Williams Upward is a pretty good toned-down version that is more dusty blue than purple.

    Paint dot of Sherwin Williams Natural Choice with the same of complementary color Upward.

    Sherwin Williams Natural Choice for Your Home’s Interior

    Here are some real life examples of how Natural Choice can look in your home.

    Natural Choice in the Living Room

    Jen from @comforts_of_living ended up in the same place I did: Pure White with Natural Choice.

    Sherwin Williams Natural Choice in a cozy den style living room with a fireplace on the far wall.
    Photo Credit: @comforts_of_living

    There is a filter on some of these photos, so I’m showing the most accurate ones first. I think the photo above is a pretty good look at how Natural Choice usually looks on the walls.

    This one is also fairly accurate:

    Overstuffed white furniture in a cozy living room painted in Sherwin Williams Natural Choice
    Photo Credit: @comforts_of_living

    These next two photos are a little bit warm:

    An armchair in a living room in front of a wall in Sherwin Williams Natural Choice and a black fireplace with a white mantle
    Photo Credit: @comforts_of_living

    For more white pairings, check out my post: White Walls with White Trim? (Alabaster with Pure White & More!)

    Armchair in front of a fireplace wall painted in Sherwin Williams Natural Choice in the living room.
    Photo Credit: @comforts_of_living

    Ana Isabel (@anaisabelcasa) also used Natural Choice in her living room:

    A hand holds a mug with a sticky note that reads "You are loved." Background is a living room fireplace wall painted in Sherwin Wiliams Natural Choice.
    Photo Credit: @anaisabelcasa

    From what I can tell, Natural Choice is the color on the trim and ceilings as well:

    Natural Choice on walls, ceiling, trim, and doors
    Photo Credit: @anaisabelcasa

    Sherwin Williams Natural Choice in the Dining Room

    Jen used Natural Choice in her dining room as well as the living room:

    A long oak table and white farmhouse chairs in a dining room painted in Sherwin Williams Natural Choice.
    Photo Credit: @comforts_of_living

    Again, I think there is a bit of a filter on the photo, but it gives an idea.

    Sherwin Williams Natural Choice in the Bathroom

    Erin from @erinchristineinteriors used Natural Choice on the walls in this bathroom:

    Natural Choice on bathroom walls behind a round mirror with a black frame
    Photo Credit: @erinchristineinteriors

    Holly (@hollycollinsplusfive) chose Natural Choice for the shiplap in this bathroom:

    Natural Choice on shiplap paneling in a bathroom with matching vanity.
    Photo Credit: @hollycollinsplusfive

    I’m not sure if it’s the same color on the vanity, but it looks closer to Sherwin Williams Jogging Path to me.

    Sherwin Williams Natural Choice on Kitchen Cabinets

    Unfortunately for us, I wasn’t able to find Natural Choice on cabinets, so we will have to take inspo from the very similar Shoji White. Here is a quick look at the difference:

    Sherwin Williams Natural Choice vs Shoji White

    You might not be able to see the difference depending on your screen, but Shoji White leans slightly more red than Natural Choice.

    Here is Shoji White in a kitchen by @oakstorydesign:

    Shoji White Kitchen cabinets
    Photo Credit: @oakstorydesign

    The island here is Benjamin Moore Carolina Gull. You can see the slightly peach undertone here, which is a touch stronger with Shoji White, so Natural Choice might read a hint more neutral.

    Shoji White kitchen cabinets
    Photo credit: @oakstorydesign

    The reason it looks so white here, is because it is the only white in the space.

    Sherwin Williams Natural Choice on an Exterior

    For exteriors, let’s start with the boldest and most saturated that Natural Choice will look outside:

    A two storey brick house painted in Natural Choice in the shade near sunset. A hilly green lawn stretches out in front of it.
    Photo Credit: @summerblaiseinteriors

    Summer, of @summerblaiseinteriors, chose Natural Choice for this brick makeover.

    The sun shining on Sherwin Williams Natural Choice on a brick two storey exterior at the top of a green lawn.
    Photo Credit: @summerblaiseinteriors

    The color is so beautiful and creamy!

    Here is the absolute most yellow that I have seen Natural Choice look:

    Sherwin Williams Natural Choice on a brick two storey exterior at the top of a green lawn.
    Photo Credit: @summerblaiseinteriors

    Even so, I think it reads more “creamy” than actual yellow. Here it looks pretty darn white:

    Closeup of Sherwin Williams Natural Choice at the front of a home on an overcast day.
    Photo Credit: @summerblaiseinteriors

    If you like this, you will love my post: Stunning White Paint Colors for Classic Brick Exteriors

    Dupes for Sherwin Williams Natural Choice From Other Brands

    Want to get the look of Natural Choice from another brand? I’ve got you!

    Paint dot of Sherwin Williams Natural Choice with smaller paint dot of dupes Fossil, Salute, and confident white, over a background of macrame.

    Benjamin Moore Natural Choice Equivalent

    The best color match from Benjamin Moore, is their shade Fossil.

    Benjamin Moore Fossil (AF-65)

    Fossil is a hair lighter than Natural Choice, a whiff more saturated, and a sprinkle warmer.

    Sherwin Williams Natural Choice on half of a wall with Benjamin Moore version Fossil on the other half. There is a small wooden chair, side table, and pendant lamp in the middle of the room.

    Overall, pretty imperceptible.

    Valspar (Lowe’s) Equivalent to Natural Choice

    If you are planning to purchase your paint at Lowe’s, ask for Valspar’s shade Salute.

    Valspar Salute (7006-12)

    Salute is a little bit darker than Natural Choice and a tiny bit more gray:

    Sherwin Williams Natural Choice in a bedroom on half of the wall and Valspar Lowes dupe salute on the other half. There is a bed with neutral linens in the right side of the frame.

    Still a really great dupe!

    Natural Choice Behr Equivalent (Home Depot)

    Over at your friendly neighbourhood Home Depot, you can get a Natural Choice lookalike with their shade Confident White.

    Behr Confident White (GR-W12)

    Confident White is a tiny bit lighter and a tiny bit more yellow than Natural Choice:

    Sherwin Williams Natural Choice on half of a wall and Behr equivalent Confident White on the other half behind a white sofa and plants in a living room.

    Again you can barely tell the difference! I’m super proud of these dupes, I think they are some of the closest that I’ve found!

    Sherwin Williams Natural choice background with swatches over top of dupes Fossil, Salute, and confident White. A graphic of wheat is between the swatches and background.

    Thanks so much for reading! I hope this helped clear the muddy waters of the off-white paint world.

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