Sherwin Williams Whitetail is a white that I really haven’t heard a whole lot about. I don’t know why that is, because it is very similar to a lot of extremely popular whites, and it seems super versatile.
If you are looking for a color that isn’t already in every home, Whitetail may be the one! Let’s talk about undertones, see it in real homes, compare it to other colors, and try to figure out why it’s not in favor.
What Color is Sherwin Williams Whitetail SW 7103?
Well I already kind of gave this one away, SW Whitetail is a bright creamy white. It’s similar to the ever popular Alabaster, and I will compare the two (and many more) in just a minute.
Sherwin Williams Whitetail LRV
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.
True white paint colors range from about 82 – 93.
Sherwin Williams Whitetail has an LRV of 86, so it’s pretty white. At 86 it is one of the lightest whites that Sherwin Williams offers. Most popular ones fall into the 82 to 84 range.
Don’t forget that the bright white of a piece of paper or your computer screen is not possible in paint!
Sherwin Williams Whitetail Undertones
You can see from the swatch that Whitetail has a yellowy-beige undertone. It is much less gray than many of the most popular SW whites.
On the wall, Whitetail can sometimes have a hint of yellow, peach, or something in between.
This exterior photo is probably the strongest that Whitetail’s undertone will look:
It does look a bit extra peach here, but I think that’s mostly reflection from all the orange dirt.
Just to give you a complete picture, here is Whitetail where it looks very white:
In this basement billiards room where Whitetail is the only white, it looks very crisp contrasted against the black doors and trim.
In fact every picture of this room has Whitetail looking very clean and white:
Here is a look at Whitetail with a very typical undertone:
It looks like a true white, but with a hint of creamy softness.
Sherwin Williams Whitetail: Is it Warm or Cool?
Whitetail is a warm white. Sometimes it can appear fairly true white, but it would never look cool. It also doesn’t ever look gray.
If you are looking for a whiter white, try Chantilly Lace.
Sherwin Williams Whitetail Complementary Colors
Whitetail’s complementary color would be a pale blue, almost periwinkle color. Sherwin Williams Upward would be a pretty good choice.
Here are a couple of other options from both Benjamin Moore and Sherwin Williams:
Sherwin Williams Wishful Blue
Wishful Blue is a super soft pastel blue with a sophisticated muted quality.
Benjamin Moore White Heaven
White Heaven is a brighter pastel that definitely runs into periwinkle territory. It is more subtle when paired with cool whites, or bolder and more purple with creamy whites like Whitetail. It’s a nice choice for a country cottage color scheme.
You may also like Benjamin Moore Blue Heather.
Sherwin Williams Whitetail Coordinating Colors
Note: I have recently made an updated color palette for Whitetail, so feel free to pop on over to that post for even more coordinating color ideas.
Of course people are out here doing whatever they want with creamy white paint colors!
Whitetail would look great in a black and cream color scheme, which is a more soothing take on the ever popular black and white theme. (Bearing in mind that it will look very white, as we saw earlier.)
Here I have made a palette of pastel colors that go with Whitetail:
Benjamin Moore Baby’s Breath
Baby’s Breath is a soft gray-green that works well as a neutral.
Sherwin Williams Snowdrop
Snowdrop is another pastel blue that is more subtle than wishful blue. It’s actually very close to white.
Sherwin Williams Eider White
Eider White is actually an off-white, or a very pale tan/sand color. It works so well with creamy white colors like Whitetail.
Sherwin Williams Whitetail vs Alabaster
Alabaster is probably one of Sherwin Williams most popular whites (if not the most popular!). It’s similar to Whitetail, but let’s look at the differences!
Alabaster is from a similar color family to Whitetail, but it is a touch warmer. Thanks to the bit of extra gray in Alabaster, its undertone leans more beige than yellow, where Whitetail has a cleaner brighter look that does look somewhere between yellow and peach. (Although beige is also not out of the question.)
The LRV of Alabaster is 82, compared to Whitetail’s 86. This means that Alabaster is right on the line of white and off-white, where Whitetail is one of the brighter whites you can get from Sherwin Williams.
You can see that Alabaster looks a little gray in comparison to Whitetail, but rest assured, it never looks gray on the wall.
If you love Alabaster you might love Whitetail even more! Whitetail is the same basic color as Alabaster, but brighter.
Sherwin Williams Whitetail vs Greek Villa
Greek Villa is another beigey white that is super popular. (I have also written a whole post about it.)
Greek Villa is darker and more gray/muted that Whitetail. The LRV of Greek Villa is 84, so it is right in between Whitetail and Alabaster.
Greek Villa doesn’t usually lean yellow, and sometimes Whitetail does, so that’s the biggest difference between these colors. Like Alabaster, Greek Villa tends to have a creamy beige undertone.
If you really want to dive into those differences, you will like my post Greek Villa vs Alabaster
Sherwin Williams Whitetail vs Dover White
Dover White is yet another creamy white by Sherwin Williams. It is a tiny bit darker than Whitetail, with an LRV of 83, and that’s the major difference. Where Whitetail is definitely white, Dover White more often looks like an off white.
In terms of undertone I find that Whitetail and Dover White are very similar. They both have hard-to-place warm undertones, somewhere between yellow and peach. Both are not really gray at all.
I have a whole post for Sherwin Williams Dover White on Cabinets and another for Dover White Dupes.
Sherwin Williams Whitetail vs Westhighland White
The LRV of Westhighland White is the same as Whitetail: 86.
Westhighland White on closer inspection, makes me question why we have Westhighland White AND Whitetail.
Why?
Because they’re basically the same color.
You can see that the RBG changes by only one number:
- Red: 244 > 243
- Green: 239 > 238
- Blue: 228 > 227
I did confirm this on the Sherwin Williams website too, it’s not just the color picker I used.
While Whitetail is the touchiest of touches lighter than Westhighland White, the LRV didn’t even change, so the difference is negligible at best, and imperceptible with the human eye at worst.
So, how to choose between Whitetail and Westhighland White? Throw a dart at the two swatches. Flip a coin. Ask someone who likes to give their opinion about anything and everything. Ask the paint mixer to surprise you.
Just a few suggestions to help you on your way!
Sherwin Williams Whitetail vs Creamy
I ran out of room on my super profesh color card and had to squeeze Sherwin Williams Creamy in someplace!
Again, this color is very similar to Whitetail, but maybe not as much as it looks here (and definitely not as similar as Weshighland White!).
Creamy is the “darkest” color on this list, with an LRV of 81. At 81, Creamy is venturing into off-white territory now, and isn’t a white-white, where Whitetail still is!
Creamy is a really nice color! It’s like a beige-white. Whitetail and Creamy are in the same general color family, but they look quite different because Creamy is so much darker.
If you like the idea of a creamy white, that doesn’t ever look bright white or cool white, but also doesn’t look yellow, Creamy may be your perfect color!
Benjamin Moore Whitetail Equivalent
There are a couple of Benjamin Moore Whitetail options. No surprise there! Paint manufacturers love their whites.
My two picks are also extremely popular colors: Swiss Coffee, and White Dove.
Whitetail vs Benjamin Moore White Dove
The LRV for White Dove is 85.4 compared to Whitetail’s 86. Very similar, but a touch darker.
White Dove is also slightly cooler than Whitetail. The final difference is that White Dove is less saturated, so it has a bit more gray than Whitetail.
Over all, pretty similar, but Whitetail does look a little more creamy than White Dove, and I think that is down to the saturation.
Whitetail vs Benjamin Moore Swiss Coffee
Not to be confused with many colors that have the same name, Swiss Coffee has been a Benjamin Moore favorite for years and years!
Swiss Coffee has an LRV of 84, so it is a little darker than Whitetail. It is also a little bit cooler.
Against Whitetail, Swiss Coffee looks a touch more gray, but on the wall in real life, I think they look pretty similar.
Swiss Coffee also has a tendency to look a little yellow in certain natural light, just like Whitetail. These are two colors that you would want to compare at home and see how they look in your space, because if you like one, you will probably like the other!
If you want a white that is as light as possible but still creamy, take a look at Benjamin Moore Simply White.
Valspar Whitetail Equivalent (Whitetail at Lowe’s)
Valspar actually has a pretty good dupe for Whitetail with their color Creme Fraiche.
Creme Fraiche is a bit darker than Whitetail, with an LRV of 82.4. Whitetail is a little warmer, and a little less gray than Creme Fraiche.
Overall, pretty similar colors, but Creme Fraiche does look more neutral:
So, Why Isn’t Anyone Using Whitetail?
Pros: Whitetail is a great bright white for your home if you want a warm white that never looks cool or gray.
I’ll be honest, I have NO IDEA why Whitetail hasn’t gained much traction in the land of decor. I may even ask around in some groups and ask what other people think about it.
The best that I can come up with, for why people may not want to use Whitetail is that:
- It’s too similar to many other whites
- It can be yellow creamy
It’s possible that there are just more popular colors with better track records and more examples, so when it comes right down to choosing a color, people go with a sure thing.
I have noticed myself that while many people like creamy whites again, there are a lot of people that specifically say “no yellow!” This is another possible reason that Whitetail hasn’t gained popularity. (I don’t know how great that theory is, because there are plenty of popular yellow toned whites.)
My thoughts? As long as you don’t HATE yellow, definitely give Whitetail a shot in your home and see how it reacts with your lighting, finishes, and other factors. Overall it’s a super nice color, and for me would be a welcome change from the uber popular Alabaster. (I just like to be different!)
Not the white for you? Check out SW Snowbound for a whiter white, or see if any of these other creamy colors tickle your fancy:
