Read all about Sherwin Williams Oyster White, plus see 15 real homes that use it!
Sherwin Williams Oyster White (SW 7637) is a cool-leaning light greige paint color that can dramatically shift how it appears.
Sometimes paint names are misleading. If you ever pick a paint color just by its name (please don’t do that!), you may find that it looks completely different on your walls than you expected it to.
Oyster White is one of those colors. Judging by its name, you would probably think it will look like a creamy off-white (and sometimes it will!). However, if you just paint it on your walls, its greige nature may be a darker-than-expected surprise.
In this paint series, I’m covering many beautiful shades in more depth to give you all the necessary deets you need to choose a paint color you actually love. My goal is to remove some of the frustration from picking new paint colors by helping you eliminate shades that won’t work with your home or decor.
Fewer colors to choose from = an easier decision!
The newest addition to this paint post series is one I don’t want you to miss: Sherwin Williams Oyster White.
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What color is Oyster White?
SW Oyster White is surprisingly NOT white! This shade is a cool-leaning light greige paint that features very subtle green undertones.
This is a gorgeous cream color that will often read as off-white. But since it’s really a greige color instead of an off-white, it has some flexibility that can make it appear much different on your walls than you may expect.
And don’t make the mistake of confusing this paint shade with the similarly named Sherwin Williams Oyster Bay. SW 6206 (AKA Oyster Bay) is a lovely medium-toned green-gray with hints of blue undertone…a VERY different color, indeed.
PinReady to grab the cheat sheet to choosing the perfect color every time? Grab a FREE copy of my new guide to avoid the paint color picking mistakes people make! Click here or enter your email below. I’ll send the tips right away!⤵️
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FAQs about Sherwin Williams Oyster White
What other colors are similar to Oyster White?
Trying to color match between paint color brands is an almost guaranteed recipe for disaster due to differences in the color blending process.
If you want a Benjamin Moore equivalent, I think the closest match is probably Benjamin Moore Gray Mist. Although it doesn’t have quite as much warmth, it will have a similar appearance in a room.
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Is Sherwin Williams’s Oyster White warm or cool?
Oyster White is a cool-toned greige. It can flex between gray and beige but stays balanced enough to act neutral.
Where should I use Sherwin Williams Oyster White?
Oyster White can look incredible in almost any area of the house, including:
• Hallways
• Entryway
• Laundry room
• Home office
• Playroom
• Bedrooms
• Bathrooms
• Living room
• Kitchen
• Cabinets
• Exteriors
Oyster White fits well with modern, traditional, minimalist, contemporary, mid-century, and farmhouse-style homes. Or, put another way, it’s neutral enough to work well in nearly any style of home!
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Sherwin Williams Oyster White Undertones
Oyster White has a mix of gray, beige, and subtle green undertones. It’s light enough that this shade’s undertones work to give it a softness and creaminess that also has some color-shifting abilities.
I have a tool that I like to recommend that will work wonders to prevent you from choosing a paint color that you end up completely regretting once it covers your walls. Check out paint swatches (I love these peel-and-stick samples) to demonstrate EXACTLY how any paint will look in YOUR home.
This kind of sample is a breeze to move and reposition and won’t mess up your drywall. In fact, they’re SO useful that they help eliminate frustration AND prevent wasting money (now that’s a win-win!).
If undertones make your head hurt, you’re not alone! Grab your free copy of 5 Biggest Paint Choice Mistakes Click here or enter your email below. I’ll send the tips right away!⤵️
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How Different Types of Lighting Affect Sherwin Williams’s Oyster White
Natural light exposure shifts throughout the day as the sun moves from the eastern horizon to the western one. Since lighting heavily influences the appearance of paint, shifting natural light will cause ANY paint’s appearance to change throughout the day, too.
In fact, natural lighting can (and does) change so much that I frequently say not to expect ANY paint color to look the same in two different areas or at other times of the day (even in the same room!).
Oyster White is one of those chameleon paint colors (like most greiges) that displays major shifts in how it appears. You may notice significant changes in how it looks based solely on light exposure and surrounding decor.
Here’s how you can expect Oyster White to look based on different types of natural lighting.
- North-facing light – cool, blue-tinted northern exposure will cause Oyster White to show off those gray undertones more prominently.
- South-facing light – warm yellow southern exposure will make this shade appear lighter and more beige.
- East-facing light – eastern light is warm and yellow in the morning and shadowy later in the day. Oyster White will appear more beige in the morning and shift toward cooler gray in the afternoon.
- West-facing light – with cooler light in the morning and very warm-toned light later in the day, you’ll notice the opposite scenario. Oyster White will start the day looking cool gray and shift toward a light soft, neutral beige.
PinGreat Coordinating Colors for Oyster White
Oyster White may be a perfect fit if you crave a light neutral that will always provide something new to look at. Thanks to its creamy nature, you can pair it with almost any color. It can look especially wonderful with darker greiges, blues, grays, and beiges.
I recommend avoiding red or orange colors because unexpected green undertones could come through.
If you need a few color ideas that shine when paired with Sherwin Williams Oyster White, check out:
- Pure White
- Extra White
- Greek Villa
- Big Chill
- On the Rocks
- Mountain Road
- Messenger Bag
- Ethereal Mood
- Chantilly Lace
- Svelte Sage
- Balanced Beige
- Virtual Taupe
- Agreeable Gray
- Mega Greige
- Special Gray
- Analytical Gray
- Brassy
PinLRV of Sherwin Williams Oyster White (SW 7637)
LRV is an abbreviation for “light reflective value.” Why does it matter? It’s a helpful and reliable way to determine how light or dark a paint color may look on your walls.
LRV ranges from 0 – 100. A color with an LRV of 0 is pure black. On the opposite end of the spectrum, an LRV of 100 is the brightest white you can imagine.
The LRV of Sherwin Williams Oyster White = 72
This LRV value puts SW Oyster White solidly in the light range. It’s light enough that it’s borderline off-white and will tend to read greige on interior walls but wash out into a soft off-white on exteriors.
PinLRV…what? Don’t worry, I’ve got you! Grab a FREE copy of my new guide to avoid the paint color picking mistakes people make! Click here or enter your email below. I’ll send the tips right away!⤵️
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Oyster White Compared to Other Colors
It’s time to compare and contrast this hue with a few other popular shades to highlight the unique qualities of each one. Let’s dive in!
Sherwin Williams Oyster White vs. Natural Choice
Let’s kick it off by comparing Oyster White to Sherwin Williams Natural Choice (SW 7011). Natural Choice has an LRV of 73, which is just slightly higher than Oyster White.
Although both colors look similar in bright light exposure, Natural Choice will tend to read lighter and warmer next to Oyster White’s crisp neutral appearance.
PinSherwin Williams Oyster White vs. Alabaster
Sherwin Williams Alabaster (SW 7008) comes in much lighter with an LRV value of 82, but they both have that creamy quality. Next to Alabaster, Oyster White will look more beige with hints of gray and green, depending on the light exposure.
If you want a shade with slightly more richness and depth, go with Oyster White over Alabaster.
PinSherwin Williams Oyster White vs. Shoji White
Sherwin Williams Shoji White (SW 7042) has an LRV of 74, making it just a little brighter than Oyster White.
In addition, Shoji White has warmer undertones, but Oyster White offers more neutral versatility.
PinMore Colors to Consider
If you feel iffy about Sherwin Williams Oyster White, never fear because I’ve got you covered! Checking out these other similar and popular color options might help you put Oyster White on the shortlist or eliminate it altogether!
- Silver Satin (Sherwin Williams) – an off-white with a hint of gray.
- Shoreline (Benjamin Moore) – a light gray-leaning greige.
- Silver Drop (Behr) – a pale and flexible greige.
- Swiss Coffee (Benjamin Moore) – soft, warm off-white shade.
- Linen White (Benjamin Moore) – a sophisticated and dreamy off-white.
- Neutral Ground (Sherwin Williams) – a neutral khaki paint shade.
- Dover White (Sherwin Williams) – a warm, creamy off-white.
- Calm (Benjamin Moore) – a light, off-white with purple undertones.
- White Duck (Sherwin Williams) – an off-white with greige leanings.
- White Dove (Benjamin Moore) – a popular warm off-white paint shade with grey undertones.
- Snowbound (Sherwin Williams) – a popular, complex, cool white paint.
Feeling lost? I gotcha, boo! Grab a FREE copy of my new guide to avoid the paint color picking mistakes people make! Click here or enter your email below. I’ll send the tips right away!⤵️
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15 Real Life Homes Using Sherwin Williams Oyster White
Ok, if your head is spinning from all that information, you can relax because the technical data portion is over. It’s time to get to the fun part: SEEING how Oyster White shifts and shimmies in real life.
Here are 15 real-life homes and spaces for you to see using this shade!
Living Rooms Painted SW Oyster White
Sheen note: Picking the right color is only winning the battle, not the war. Remember to pick the right paint finish, or sheen, also! Read up on what you need to know about picking the perfect paint sheen.
1. Casual Off-White Paint Color
Check out how Sherwin Williams Oyster White flexes in the lighting of this living room from Laurie at Fresh-Picked. There are hints of beige near the peach curtains and wood accents, while the shadows show hints of gray.
2. Works for Mid-Century Modern
Style by Emily Henderson highlights the unassuming neutral nature of Oyster White – and it’s definitely NOT white. But it sure is a gorgeous pale greige. Photographer: Sarah Tramp for EHD.
Sherwin Williams Oyster White Bedrooms
In general for bedrooms, and low-traffic areas, flat paint is fine. If you like something with a bit of shine (and more ease of cleaning) opt for eggshell or satin.
3. Shabby Chic Off-White Master
Hello, beigey-greige! The shabby chic decor and warm artificial lighting in this bedroom from Originally Worn Online pull out the warmer beige undertones.
4. Perfect Nursery Neutral
Remember how I mentioned that Oyster White could flash a hint of green once in a while? Well, Aseky Bonnaire is showing us exactly how that’s done, and it’s stunning.
Kitchens using Oyster White Paint
For kitchens, eggshell or satin are popular finish choices for walls. For cabinets consider semi-gloss or high gloss for the most durable finish (and a gorgeous glow).
5. Warm, White Cabinets
Because Sherwin Williams Oyster White has some beige undertones, it’s not an icy cold greige.
As @upcycledsmithery highlights in this gorgeous kitchen, it is neutral enough to work with cool colors. Here it even reads warm next to the blue-gray walls.
6. Pulls Everything Together
Style by Emily Henderson created a stunning farmhouse kitchen that I’m drooling over!
I love how pale Oyster White as the wall color reads as it expertly ties together the dark accents, white trim, marble counters, and dark cabinets (which are SW Pewter Green). Photographer: Sarah Tramp for EHD.
7. A Friend of Green
Oyster White reads beige in this kitchen from @marjorie_verschueren, which ties together the warm wood floors and cool green cabinets. Plus, it keeps this space light and bright.
SW Oyster White Bathrooms
Don’t forget the finish! For bathrooms the perfect sheen is either an eggshell or satin. Why? We’ll tell you in this post about paint sheen.
8. Changing with the Light
White Gunpowder‘s bathroom highlights how Oyster White can shift from looking washed out and off-white to pale gray due to how the lighting hits it.
9. Ideal Backdrop for Gallery Art
As Prepford Wife shows, the last thing you want on a gallery wall is for the paint to detract from the art! There’s no danger of that happening with Oyster White as the backdrop.
Oyster White Exteriors
10. Beautiful Contrast That’s Not Too Stark
Many whites are just too bright to use as an exterior paint color. I do not want to have to wear sunglasses just to be able to look at a home!
Start at Home Decor brilliantly used Oyster White for this home, which reads as a soft, creamy white.
11. A Warm White That Works with Gray and Wood Exterior Accents
Meghan of Four Daughters Farmhouse made a great choice for the exterior of her gorgeous farmhouse by using Oyster White.
This shade has enough warmth and depth to keep it from looking sterile, and it works well with the gray roof shingles, as well as the warm wood tones of the porch columns.
12. Ultimate Off-White Curb Appeal
This home from Go Willow Homes is stunning! I could sit here and look at it all day. I love the soft off-white appearance of Sherwin Williams Oyster White against the dark accents.
13. Timeless Exterior Color Palette
Julie Kaplan’s home is picture perfect with a black and white color scheme that’s always en vogue.
Oyster White really shines on a home exterior…just enough pigment to keep it an interesting shade instead of washed-out. Paired here with popular SW Iron Ore on the shutters.
Other Homes Featuring Oyster White
14. Washed Out in the Light
Oyster White may be washed out in this room from Thistlewood Farms that is lucky enough to have lots of light, but it still has enough saturation to read as pale greige.
15. Stunning against Black Interior Doors
Oyster White is just the right choice in this home from Manhattan Nest because it has enough saturation to contrast the bright white trim color while not visually detracting from the black doors.
Now that you’ve had a chance to study Sherwin Williams Oyster White and see it in real-life examples, are you ready to grab a peel and stick paint sample and consider it more closely? I hope you love this gorgeous light greige!
Pin this paint color for later! And if you use this paint shade, leave a comment on the pin! That helps others decide if they want to try this color, too!
PinReady to show those boring, beige walls who’s the boss at home? Grab my free guide to help you sidestep the mistakes that almost everyone makes when it comes to picking paint! You’ll be on your way to perfect paint promptly…pinky swear.
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