Sherwin Williams Alabaster
(All about Sherwin Williams Alabaster, pictures of it in real life and why it is the perfect warm white paint color)
I am happy to report that I have another paint spotlight post for you. I know you sit at the edge of your seats waiting for my words of paint wisdom.
Oh, you don’t?
I knew that but I still write these posts.
This time though, this post is more than just another boring ol’ paint post. This post is going to be mostly about my parent’s new condo. The condo that is painted Sherwin Williams Alabaster from top to bottom and everything in between.
And I mean everything.
My mom is still adjusting to the all white condo but look how dang pretty it is
I am a huge fan of painting your walls a neutral (ideally white) paint color and letting your decor be the star of the show. And when you are sick of that said decor, you just replace it with whatever you want. And you never have to worry about painting your walls again to match the new decor trend you are on.
If the all white look isn’t for you, that’s fine too. Alabaster can be friends with trim and cabinetry only.
Alabaster really is a pretty paint color and one that is very popular among designers and bloggers that know what they are talking about.
(I just pretend like I know what I am talking about)
It’s one of those perfect warm creamy whites. I talked about whites before in this post (Behr’s most popular white paint colors). But that post was dedicated to Behr paint colors only. If you are looking for a Behr paint color similar to Alabaster check out Cameo White.
You guys know I love Behr paint so I am all about color matching or finding a similar color.
Picking a white paint color can be a tricky thing and can play mind games on you. If you know, you know. But maybe this post will help you some.
Or not…but let’s find out.
Where to use Sherwin Williams Alabaster
The quick answer is everywhere.
On your walls..
On your trim..
And on your cabinets..
And, like my mom did, she used Alabaster for all of the above in her condo. The trick is to use different sheens on each. In my parents condo they used semigloss on their trim, satin on their cabinets and eggshell on their walls.
And if I say so myself, it looks so good.
What undertones does Sherwin Williams Alabaster have?
Alabaster has a beige/greige undertone. It has both a beige and gray base giving it just a bit of color. The undertones are very subtle though.
Is Alabaster white or cream?
Well, like I said, it’s a creamy white so I guess the answer is both. I’m sure that doesn’t help you much. It’s not a stark white and it’s doesn’t have any yellow tints to it. Put Alabaster next to a true white and you will see the the creaminess. Alabaster on it’s own though will look like a true white. The more natural light you have in your room, the whiter alabaster will look in your space.
Is Alabaster a warm or cool white?
Alabaster is a warm white thanks to it’s undertones. It comes across more creamy and less of a yellow white
What colors pair well with Alabaster
No need to invent the wheel on this one. This picture gallery from HGTV is great and will give you some ideas
You want to paint your walls or cabinetry Alabaster and are wondering if your already existing trim will match?
I think you should be ok. Most trim is painted an off the shelf white. You will notice the creaminess of Alabaster more next to your white trim but it will still look good. It’s when your trim color is more of a creamy white that I would get a tad bit worried about the two creamy whites fighting for attention.
Let’s do some comparing…
Sherwin Williams Alabaster vs Benjamin Moore White Dove
These two colors are very similar and both are very popular whites. White Dove is a go to paint color for most designers. White Dove is a tad bit more white than Alabaster and has more of a gray undertone to it.
Sherwin Williams Alabaster vs Greek Villa
If you guys play your cards right, you might see a whole post about Greek Villa soon. Greek Villa has a touch more beige undertones than Alabaster while Alabaster has a touch more gray undertones to it.
Sherwin Williams Alabaster vs Pure White
As the name suggests, Pure White is, well, more of a pure white. Pure white has more of a blue undertone and comes off as more of a cool white as opposed to the warmth of Alabaster.
Need some painting tips?
DIY Painting Supplies
I listed out some of my favorite items I use when painting…
(This post contains affiliate links.You can see my disclosure policy here)
Benjamin Moore Classic Colors Fan Deck: Just in case you want to be even more overwhelmed you can order all of the Benjamin Moore classic paint colors
Same goes for Sherwin Williams Paint Deck
Paint brushes: I love all of Wooster’s paint brushes but this one is hands down my favorite one to use. It makes cutting in so much easier.
Painter’s tape: I hate taping and I really try to avoid it but when I can’t I make sure I use a good tape
Drop Cloths: Yes, you need them and you need many. I have used trash bags and old shower liners before too.
Cleaning Cloths: These are amazing every day cloths for cleaning but work great for baseboards and walls before painting.
Paint Cup: This paint cup is brilliant and has a magnetic strip so your paint brush stays safe from falling in your paint.
Multi Position Paint Brush tool: The best tool you will ever use if you have tall ceilings or just in general. I used something similar to this to paint my 15 foot ceilings in my family room and it was a life saver.
Paint Edger: This might get a bad rap but if you do it right, it has been a nice helper for me. Especially when trimming around windows and along baseboards.
Touch up cup: Nothing is worse than having to pull out the whole can of paint for a little touch up.
How to choose the right paint color
Start with inspiration:
I talked a little bit about this in this post but I’ll touch on it again. Picking your paint color for your walls should be one of the later things you do when designing a room. Find a large focal piece (rug, art, window treatments) and look for colors in those pieces that catch your attention. Get on Pinterest and look at magazines. Get some ideas of what you like. It is your house.
Decide on the mood of the room:
Do you want your room to be light and bright or dark and moody? If you home doesn’t get a whole lot of natural light, stark white walls might look dingy. I would consider a paint with some color to it.
Grab your swatches and bring home samples
Bring home some swatches and ideally some sample paints if you feel extra ambitious. Use large foam boards from the dollar store and paint sample boards. Test them in every room. Remember each room gets different natural light. See how they look in the morning and at night.
I just recently heard of SAMPLIZE and I think it is genius. Samplize offers peel and stick paint samples that are more affordable and easier than traditional paint pots.
You can also order large free swatches from Benjamin Moore here
Consider everything in your home…your trim, your floors etc. My floors are Brazilian cherry (aka very red) and I knew I wanted a color just a tad cooler to play off the warm red tones of the floor.
Is your trim bright white, or creamy white? Very cool gray colors might not play well with very warm white trim.
Get what I am saying?
If you want to see the undertone of color, look at the darkest color on the paint color strip. If you love a paint color but fear it can be too dark, ask them to cut it with 25% or 50% white.
Keep a list of your home paint colors
It’s always a good idea to keep a list or spreadsheet of the paint colors you have used in your home. I can’t tell you know much it has helped me.
Good luck and happy painting!
All about Sherwin Williams Alabaster, pictures of it in real life and why it is the perfect warm white paint color
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