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The Best Sherwin Williams Pure White Deep Dive (See it in Real Homes) SW 7005

    Sherwin Williams Pure White is a near perfect white paint color. It’s right up there with the truest, most predictable whites of all time.

    Sherwin Williams Pure White in an entrance with a blue gray door at the end of a hall.
    Photo Credit: @in_vest_homes

    It’s soft without being too creamy, and it doesn’t have any crazy undertones.

    But don’t take my word for it! Here you can see Pure White in real homes, get a feel for its undertones, and compare it to a few other popular white paint colors.

    If you are here looking for dupes, I recently moved them to a separate post: Revealing the Benjamin Moore Version of Pure White (Plus Dupes from Other Brands!)

    What Color is Pure White (SW 7005)

    Pure White reads like a pure white, but it’s actually a little warm and a little gray.

    You can see that clearly here, when compared with a really light and bright white like Benjamin Moore Simply White:

    Pure White compared to Simply White on a wall behind a side table and a chair.

    So…

    Is Pure White Too White? 

    Pure White is not a stark or wildly bright white. It does have the effect of a true white, so if you are after something overtly creamy, Pure White is not the one.

    (You might like Shoji White!)

    For most people looking for a straight-to-the-point white paint color, they will not find Pure White to be too white.

    Sherwin Williams Pure White in a room off of an entrance, all in Pure White including walls and trim.
    Photo Credit: @homesweetiepiehome

    Doesn’t it look gorgeous in the home of Ashley and Matt? (@homesweetiepiehome) You can see that it’s not a hospital white at all.

    Pure White Color Profile

    Let’s take a look at the LRV and undertones of Pure White:

    LRV of Sherwin Williams Pure 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.

    The LRV of Pure White is 84. So while it is definitely a white and not off-white, it also isn’t as light as possible. 
    For the cleanest, lightest white, I really like Benjamin Moore Chantilly Lace.

    Pure White plotted at an LRV of 84 on a scale of 100 (white) and 0 (black). Background photo is white silk.

    What Are the Undertones of Pure White?

    Pure White does not typically have any obvious undertones. Compared to the whitest white, or the white of a sheet of paper, it will look a little creamier and a little grayer, but in real life it is white and only white.

    Greenblack on a shiplap ceiling with Pure White walls and a beautiful piece of art on the wall.
    Photo Credit: @bridlewoodacres Art by: Cher @thatblonde.art

    The only time that you will find Pure White to look like anything other than white, is if you place it beside a brighter cooler white. Here is an example with bright blue-white tile:

    Sherwin Williams Pure White looks slightly creamy on kitchen cabinets beside a bright blue-white tile.
    Photo credit: @prodigiouspainting

    You may also find that it looks a little warm outside.

    Is Pure White Warm or Cool?

    While Pure White does not have any clear undertone, it is a warm or neutral white, and not cool at all.

    Pure White Color Strip

    Pure White does not have a traditional color strip that runs from light to dark. Sherwin Williams has instead grouped Pure White into a collection of neutral whites and off-whites:

    Sherwin Williams Pure White color strip including Alabaster, Westhighland White, Egret White, Pediment, Crushed Ice, and On the Rocks

    If Pure White was to be included on a regular color strip, it would be a series of greiges.

    For a darker alternative to Pure White, you might like Sherwin Williams Oyster White.

    Pure White Color Palette

    A white like Pure White will really go with anything, so I created a palette to show you how it would look with many popular Sherwin Williams colors:

    A Pure White two storey modern farmhouse with a series of popular neutrals swatched below, including Agreeable Gray, Peppercorn, Urbane Bronze, Iron Ore, Tricorn Black.

    Complementary and Coordinating Colors

    Pure White and Urbane Bronze

    I have a whole post for Urbane Bronze that you might like to look at if you are still deciding on a dark color.

    Half wall in Urbane Bronze with pure white on top half
    Photo Credit: @ang_forthewin

    Pure White gives Urbane Bronze max contrast while also complementing the brown tones with it’s subtle creaminess.

    Iron Ore with Pure White

    Iron Ore is an old Sherwin Williams favorite! This color can take on many forms, but most often it looks like a deep charcoal gray.

    Iron ore on a fireplace wall and media cabinets in a pure white living room with vaulted ceilings and a mustard couch
    Photo Credit: @bertrand_residence

    (You know I have a post for Iron Ore too!)

    Pure White is a great choice with Iron Ore if you want Iron Ore to look as dark as possible. The crisp contrast will still have a bit of warmth.

    Pure White and Agreeable Gray

    Agreeable Gray is the OG of versatile use-anywhere grays. It’s actually got a heavy dose of beige, so it stays super neutral.

    Agreeable Gray paint dot beside a paint dot of Pure White

    Pure White looks great with Agreeable Gray, but then again, both colors work with just about anything.

    Tricorn Black and Pure White

    Tricorn Black is the blackest black that Sherwin Williams offers. It’s an ideal choice to pair with Pure White if you are looking for a true black and white color scheme.

    Pure white painted brick at a front entrance with tricorn black front door
    Photo Credit: @ang_forthewin

    Pure White and Tricorn Black would probably be the most popular Modern Farmhouse color scheme if it weren’t for SW Alabaster.

    Tricorn Black, Agreeable Gray, Iron Ore, and Pure White are all so versatile.

    Pure White with Peppercorn

    Simply put, Peppercorn is very much like a lighter version of Iron Ore. It can be a real chameleon, but it always looks good. Pure White is a great white for a color that has many faces.

    Peppercorn paint dot beside a paint dot of Pure White

    SW Pure White Trim Considerations

    The house of Jake and Candi (@bridlewoodacres) is the perfect home to illustrate Pure White on both the walls and trim!

    Sherwin Williams Pure White on walls and trim of a modern home's entrance
    Photo Credit: @bridlewoodacres

    I will show you lots more of the beautiful home at Bridlewood Acres when we look through Pure White interiors below.

    Pure White is such a true white that you will probably want to use it for your trim – even when it’s on the wall.

    You can always choose a different sheen to give you some contrast, but to choose a contrasting white without looking funky will be difficult.

    Check out this post if you want to get your white-on-white color scheme right:

    graphic reads white walls with white trim? How to do it right!

    Pure White might actually be Sherwin Williams most popular choice for trim! It really is a foolproof color for trim and doors, or even for ceilings and cabinets!

    Sherwin Williams Alabaster Walls with Pure White Trim in a Hallway scattered with toys on the wood floor
    Pure White with Alabaster Walls – Photo Credit: Kristin Macchia

    You can use Pure White with any wall color (except for maybe with certain other whites), and you will see it in many examples across my site.

    Bathroom with Spare White walls and Pure White Trim. White vanity with double sinks and two oval mirrors.
    Spare White Walls with Pure White Trim – Photo Credit: @farmhouseintheboro

    Pure White in Your Whole Home

    Now for the fun part: Seeing Pure White in all different homes, rooms, and lighting!

    I don’t often have too many photos to share, but for Pure White I did! I tried to whittle it down a little, and serve you the best ones.

    Sherwin Williams Pure White Living Room Walls and Trim

    For lots of Pure White inspiration, check out the IG of Texas House Flipper Marissa, of @in_vest_homes.

    Pure White is a favorite use-anywhere color of hers, and she has used it in a few of her flips.

    SW Cyberspace shiplap wall and black interior doors with Pure White walls and trim.
    Photo Credit: @in_vest_homes

    The shiplap back wall in this stylish living room, is Sherwin Williams Cyberspace.

    SW Pure White Living Room with Cyberspace on shiplap back wall
    Photo Credit: @in_vest_homes

    Marissa used Pure White on the walls, trim, and ceiling, in this gorgeous space.

    In another flip, the brick fireplace got the Pure White treatment, as well as the walls.

    Pure White painted brick fireplace in a living room with accessible beige cabinets on either side and Pure White walls and trim.
    Photo Credit: @in_vest_homes

    We will see more from Marissa in just a moment, but for the sake of staying organized, I’m taking you room by room!

    This living room is back in Bridlewood Acres:

    Pure White on a vaulted ceiling and living room walls, with a floor to ceiling stone fireplace wall painted in Greenblack.
    Photo Credit: @bridlewoodacres

    Jake and Candi recently took the plunge and painted the stone fireplace wall in Sherwin Williams Greenblack.

    Doesn’t it look amazing? The sharp angle of the black stone against the vaulted Pure White ceiling is serving allll of the drama.

    Had anyone asked whether it was a good idea, I probably would have said “Erm…no.” …And I would have been dead wrong!

    Here’s a before:

    Greenblack Built ins beside a brown and gray stone fireplace
    Photo credit: @bridlewoodacres

    Finally, here is the living room at the Bertrand Residence (@bertrand_residence):

    Pure White living room walls and ceiling with Iron Ore Fireplace
    Photo Credit: @bertrand_residence

    I just love the eclectic aesthetic that this home has! The fireplace wall and cabinets are SW Iron Ore.

    Laundry Rooms in SW Pure White

    I hope you wanted to see Pure White in a laundry room, because I actually have a few!

    This first one is also at the Bertrand Residence:

    Jasper on laundry room sink cabinet with stacked tile walls and funky black and white geometric tile floors
    Photo Credit: @bertrand_residence

    For the luscious dark green on the laundry room cabinets, the homeowners chose Sherwin Williams Jasper.

    Jasper on laundry room cabinets with stacked tile walls and funky black and white geometric tile floors
    Photo Credit: @bertrand_residence

    I’m a big fan of metallics with Pure White. The brass light fixtures are such a nice touch in this space.

    Jasper on laundry room cabinets with stacked tile walls and funky black and white geometric tile floors
    Photo Credit: @bertrand_residence

    Above this cool white tile, you can see Pure White’s undertone a little more.

    This stylish little laundry room is in the home of Tara, from @thejoyfilledfarmhouse:

    Sea salt on laundry room cabinets with a white farmhouse sink and pure white walls
    Photo credit @thejoyfilledfarmhouse

    Tara used another Sherwin Williams favorite, Sea Salt, on her laundry room cabinets.

    Sea Salt cabinets in a pure white laundry room with a shiplap back wall
    Photo Credit: @thejoyfilledfarmhouse

    The laundry room in Tara’s place is also a mud room, so this is a 2-for-1 Pure White special!

    Herringbone brick floor in adjoining mud room and laundry room with Pure White walls, trim, and built in storage
    Photo Credit: @thejoyfilledfarmhouse

    Isn’t that brick floor fabulous?

    It’s the perfect third color to go with Pure White and Sea Salt.

    Pure White for Dining Room Walls

    Hopping back to the Bertrands’ real quick, we can take a look at their Pure White and Jasper dining room:

    Geometric wood feature wall in a dining room painted in Sherwin Williams Jasper
    Photo Credit: @bertrand_residence

    Here is another shot of the open plan once it had furniture:

    Jasper on a feature wall in a dining room behind an open plan livingroom and kitchen with Iron Ore cabinets
    Photo Credit: @bertrand_residence

    Now revisiting one of Marissa’s flips, we can see her version of a Pure White open plan kitchen and dining room:

    Pure White on walls, ceiling, and trim, in a small dining room of an open plan home
    Photo Credit: @in_vest_homes

    This is the same home with the Cyberspace shiplap in the living room, so Pure White is on the walls, trim, ceilings, and even on the upper cabinets.

    Pure White walls trim and ceiling in a long open plan kitchen and dining room with walnut floors and two toned cabinets
    Photo Credit: @in_vest_homes

    Next we have beautiful Pure White woodwork in a dining room by Wood Visions (@wood_visions) :

    Pure White wainscoting
    Photo credit: @wood_visions

    Tasteful and timeless.

    Pure White in the Bedroom for Walls and Trim

    Back in Marissa’s flip, she carried the Pure White theme into the bedroom, and also brought in the charcoal shiplap element from the living room.

    Cyberspace shiplap on bedroom ceiling with beams, and Pure White walls
    Photo Credit: @in_vest_homes

    I love the combination of Pure White with Cyberspace and natural wood tones.

    Another angle of main bedroom with Pure White walls, Cyberspace shiplap ceiling, and natural wood beams
    Photo Credit: @in_vest_homes

    Bathrooms in Pure White

    Still in Marissa’s flip house, let’s take a look at the bathroom!

    Cyberspace Shiplap in a Pure White bathroom
    Photo Credit: @in_vest_homes

    If you still doubted how white Pure White is, you can see that it isn’t noticeably warmer than the white in the marble.

    Pure White walls and trim in a gorgeous oversized bathroom with Cyberspace shiplap wall and beautiful marble walk in shower.
    Photo Credit: @in_vest_homes

    You can see how Marissa’s IG is one of my very favorites!

    Sherwin Williams Pure White in a Bright Basement

    I don’t often get good examples of colors in a basement, but today we’re lucky!

    Tara (@smalltowngatehouse) used Pure White for the walls, ceiling, and trim in her basement.

    Pure White on walls and trim at the bottom of stairs into a basement.
    Photo Credit: @smalltowngatehouse

    In the artificial lighting it looks ever so slightly warmer, but still a very true white.

    Here is the rec room in the rest of the basement area:

    Pure White on walls and ceiling in a basement with a bold striped rug and children's tent in the rec room area.
    Photo Credit: @smalltowngatehouse

    I love the fun cottage feel of Tara’s eccentric gallery wall:

    Pure White walls and trim on basement stair landing
    Photo Credit: @smalltowngatehouse

    Pure White just looks like such a pretty white here!

    Pure White on Kitchen Walls and/or Cabinets

    The moment you may have been waiting for: Pure White in kitchens!

    White is such a confusing color to get right on cabinets. If you didn’t go stock white, are you totally out of luck?

    Nay, nay! Pure White is the answer!

    (Okay, so it’s one of a few possible answers for a nice true white.)

    Sherwin Williams Pure White kitchen walls and upper cabinets with large sw naval island.
    Photo Credit: @piperstromatt

    This first kitchen is by designer Piper Stromatt (@piper_thebuildingblonde).

    Piper chose to accent Pure White perimeter cabinets with gold hardware, and add a pop of bold color in the form of Sherwin Williams Naval on the island.

    Heading back to Bridlewood Acres, Jake and Candi used Pure White on their kitchen walls, trim, and upper cabinets:

    Sherwin Williams Greenblack on lower kitchen cabinets with a white wooden hood fan over top and open wood shelves.
    Photo credit: @bridlewoodacres

    For the lowers they chose the same color as on their fireplace: SW Greenblack.

    Sherwin Williams Greenblack cabinets in a farmhouse kitchen with marble countertops and pure white walls.
    Photo credit: @bridlewoodacres

    I love that they went for copper hardware and fixtures in their kitchen. It looks amazing with Pure White!

    Sherwin Williams Greenblack cabinets in white kitchen
    Photo credit: @bridlewoodacres

    Here’s a view into the kitchen from afar:

    Pure White walls and trim throughout an open plan home
    Photo Credit: @bridlewoodacres

    The stone on their waterfall island has to be one of the nicest I’ve ever seen!

    Greenblack and pure white cabinets
    Photo credit: @bridlewoodacres

    Beautiful!

    Next let’s take a closer look at the kitchen we peeked in earlier by Marissa:

    Black picket tile with white grout in kitchen with white upper and wood lower cabinets
    Photo Credit: @in_vest_homes

    The upper cabinets in here are Pure White, and the lowers are a custom taupe stain that they came up with.

    I can’t remember the exact color of the stain, but I talked about it in my Two Tone Kitchen Cabinets post, so hop over there if you are crazy curious!

    One more from this design:

    Cyberspace accent bookshelf under the stairs in an all pure white kitchen with pure White upper cabinets and black picket tile back wall.
    Photo Credit: @in_vest_homes

    The picket tile in the kitchen is doing the most, and I love it!

    Finally we have a two-tone Pure White and green kitchen by Kelli of @walnutandpinedesign:

    Pure White on upper cabinets and walls in a kitchen with basil lowers
    Photo Credit: @walnutandpinedesign

    For the lower cabinets, Kelli chose Sherwin Williams Basil, which is just the funnest green, without being too polarizing.

    Pure White on upper cabinets and walls in a kitchen with basil lowers and a purple back wall
    Photo Credit: @walnutandpinedesign

    The walls in the kitchen are also SW Pure White.

    Pure White kitchen breakfast nook with plant shelves
    Photo Credit: @walnutandpinedesign

    That breakfast nook is the perfect place for a cheery morning coffee!

    Sherwin Williams Pure White as an Exterior Paint Color

    Finally, let’s get to Pure White on exteriors! I have quite a few, so I will try to narrow it down to the best examples.

    First up is the home of Bailey from @clarkansaslove. Her two storey farmhouse exterior is purely Pure White:

    Front of a two storey modern farmhouse painted in Pure White with black windows and a dark gray roof.
    Photo Credit: @clarkansaslove

    Out back, Bailey had a roll up garage door installed to create an indoor/outdoor living space:

    White upper cabinets with black lower cabinets and island, wood floors, and a funky garage door in the wall
    Photo Credit: @clarkansaslove

    Here is the pass through before the door was installed:

    Pure White board and batten exterior siding around a bar counter passthrough into a kitchen
    Photo Credit: @clarkansaslove

    So fun! Pure White looks amazing on this siding. Like a really rich white.

    Back at the Bertrand Residence, Pure White and Iron Ore was their color scheme of choice when it came to the exterior of their new build.

    Sherwin Williams Iron Ore and Pure White on a modern farmhouse exterior on a snowy day
    Photo Credit: @bertrand_residence

    You can see that even in the snow, Pure White looks pure white!

    Here is the exterior all finished:

    Wide angle shot of Iron Ore Garage on a Pure White house exterior
    Photo Credit: @bertrand_residence

    Well Pure White is all well and good on a brand new home, but what about your home with original horizontal siding?

    Have no fear, Headwaters Painting (@headwaters_painting_llc) is here! They repainted this older home with SW Pure White:

    Pure White retro wood siding on an older farmhouse with lots of windows
    Photo Credit: @headwaters_painting_llc

    Pure White looks fresh and clean, but still soft.

    Pure White freshly painted on the garage of an older farmhouse
    Photo Credit: @headwaters_painting_llc

    How Does Pure White Look on Painted Brick?

    Pure White is a great choice for exterior brick too!

    It’s perfect for outside because it is still a true white, but it won’t look as washed out as a super bright, or blue-white, could.

    Pure White painted brick exterior with Tricorn Black roof trim
    Photo Credit: @ang_forthewin

    You might have seen Angela’s (@ang_forthewin) house around here in other posts, because she loves using the trendy neutrals!

    (That was also her home showing off Pure White with Urbane Bronze, and with Tricorn Black.)

    Pure White Brick exterior closeup
    Photo Credit: @ang_forthewin

    Pure White looks ever so subtly soft and warm on this white brick home.

    Outside entrance area of a pure white brick home with Tricorn black modern door
    Photo Credit: @ang_forthewin

    If you’re in the midst of choosing the perfect white for your brick house, definitely check out this post:

    White brick home with green door behind words reading "White brick Paint colors." Image links to post.

    Is Pure White Good for Stucco Exteriors?

    Finally, if you are looking to repaint stucco, Pure White is a solid choice here too!

    This is a freshly done paint job by Prodigious Painting (@prodigious_painting) on a new build:

    Fresh Pure White paint job on a stucco new build
    Photo Credit: @prodigious_painting

    I will say that Pure White looks ever so slightly gray here, but that is quite out of character, so I would guess it’s from reflections of some kind.

    Pure White on a fresh new stucco home
    Photo Credit: @prodigious_painting

    SW Pure White for Exterior Trim

    If you are just here to see Pure White on Trim, it’s not a hard color to find there either!

    Two Story hale navy home with pure white trim
    Photo Credit: @headwaters_painting_llc

    It looks dark in that picture, but the exterior siding is Benjamin Moore Hale Navy.

    Here is another Headwaters Painting exterior, this time in Iron Ore and SW Dovetail with Pure White trim:

    Iron Ore and dovetail on the exterior of a heritage home
    Photo Credit: @headwaters_painting_llc

    Finally here is a traditional red brick exterior with Pure White trim, this time by the team at S&L Painting (@slpaintingsf):

    Naval on front door of a brick house with matching naval shutters and sw extra white trim
    Photo Credit: @slpaintingsf

    The front door looks black, but it is actually SW Naval.

    Sherwin Williams Pure White Dupes

    Have a preferred brand?

    Here are some great dupes for Pure White from the other big paint manufacturers.

    Sherwin Williams Pure White Dupes on a background of Pure White. Colors are Vanilla Milkshake, Bistro White, and White

    You can see these in more detail, and how they compare to Pure White, in my post: Revealing the Benjamin Moore Version of Pure White (Plus Dupes from Other Brands!)

    Comparing Pure White to Other White Paint Colors

    Pure White is very popular, so naturally there are a lot of comparisons to be made!

    This post was going to be waaaay too long if I included them all, so check out my other post: Pure White vs Other White Paint Colors (Extra White, Alabaster, & More!)

    Here are the top 5:

    Alabaster is only a little darker than Pure White, with an LRV of 82, but it is a whole lot creamier!

    Sherwin Williams Pure White swatched above several other white paint colors. Alabaster is larger than the rest.

    Like Pure White, it does still have a touch of gray to help keep things a little more neutral.

    For the best comparison of these two, head over to my post: Sherwin Williams Pure White vs Extra White (What’s the Difference?) Where you can see real life examples.

    Extra White is a green-based white, so it can read a little softer than a cool white, but it isn’t as warm as Pure White. 

    Sherwin Williams Pure White swatched above several other white paint colors. Extra White is larger than the rest.

    Extra White is a bit lighter than Pure White, with an LRV of 86.

    I briefly made this comparison early in this post, but Benjamin Moore’s Simply White is lighter and brighter than Pure White:

    Sherwin Williams Pure White swatched above several other white paint colors. Benjamin Moore Simply White is larger than the rest.

    If you’re interested in this color, check out: Simply White: A Benjamin Moore Classic (Plus Alternatives!)

    I have already written a post about Snowbound, but the comparison between Pure White and Snowbound is sooo popular that I actually had to make a post specifically for that!

    You can read it here: Sherwin Williams White Battle: Snowbound vs Pure White

    Sherwin Williams Pure White swatched above several other white paint colors. Snowbound is larger than the rest.

    Very quickly, the major difference is that Snowbound is an orange-red based white, and Pure White is in the yellow color family.

    White Dove and Pure White are actually pretty similar, but White Dove is a little more creamy.

    Sherwin Williams Pure White swatched above several other white paint colors. White Dove is larger than the rest.

    Pure White Final Moody Musings

    Well this post was long overdue, but it’s here now!

    I doubt you can have any questions left about Pure White, but let’s summarize!

    • Pure White is a beautiful true white that works great indoors and outdoors.
    • Pure White is not the verrry lightest or brightest white. If you want as light as humanly possible, look elsewhere!
    • Pure White goes with everything, so you don’t need to overthink it.

    Not the one for you? You’re in the right place! Check out these other white paint colors:

    Sherwin Williams whitetail swatched below a photo of a young deer and above several other white paints colors.
    Chantilly Lace paint lid over image of woman in a lace wedding dress.
    Paintbrush swipe swatch of Sherwin Williams Greek Villa