Sherwin-Williams Snowbound

It seems like white-painted walls are all the rage these days. And, I’m all about it! While I don’t have every room en blanc, I do totally see the value of a crisp, clean backdrop. However, it’s a hard balance between crisp and blinding—which is why I’m so excited to talk about Sherwin-Williams Snowbound.

In my humble opinion, Snowbound is the perfect shade of paint for those who want white walls, but with a touch of cozy. It’s a lovely shade!

In fact, this creamy Sherwin-Williams white is at the top of my list of favorite paint colors, so much so that I gave it a spot of honor in the room I spend the majority of my time in: my very own kitchen! And, I liked how that looked so much I painted not one but TWO other rooms Snowbound as well! But, more on that in a bit.

In this post, we’ll dive into all things Snowbound, including the undertones, what shades to pair it with, and how to know if it’s the right hue for you.

Note: I’d be a bad friend if I didn’t tell you that even if you fall in love with this shade during this post (and you probably will!), don’t run out and buy a gallon.

Instead, pleeeeasee take the time to swatch your walls and make sure Snowbound works in YOUR home. It’s the most important step in choosing your paint colors, so don’t skip it!

What color is Snowbound?

Sherwin Williams Snowbound (SW 7004) is, at its core, a subtle creamy white that appears almost light warm gray at times. It’s not as white as some of the other popular shades, but it’s also definitely not a shade that screams gray, either. It’s subtle.

In fact, you’ll think it’s a pretty bright white until you hold a piece of white paper up against it. Then you’ll notice how it really is more of a very light creamy taupe-gray.

Sherwin Williams itself poetically says snowbound is like “stepping into a snow glade”. I couldn’t agree more. It’s an airy and bright hue that still feels cozy and soft at the same time. The best of both worlds!

Undertones

Snowbound has somewhat subtle undertones that can shift between slightly creamy yellow, gray, and even purple, depending on the lighting. Sherwin Williams calls this color a “cool white” which is interesting because I find it often looks like a warm shade.

You can see how the corner has a slightly purple tone to it where the shadow hits, while the rest of the space looks much brighter.

Either way, it invokes a cozy feeling, but if you are hoping for something that is a dazzling true white, this isn’t the one (and I honestly don’t think you should be painting your rooms a pure bright white anyway!).

As a visual, you can see how it is much softer than the window trim here, which is painted Sherwin-Williams Extra White (SW 7006).

I, however, love this shade. So much so that I painted my walls Snowbound in my dining room, kitchen, AND pantry. Most of my rooms are south facing, but I do have one set of east-facing windows, so I get a good combination of balanced light.

Just be aware that the warmer your lighting, the more warm the color will appear to be. So if you have a space with tons of western-facing windows, Snowbound will start to show off those taupey purple gray undertones. This in itself isn’t good or bad, but it’s definitely different than how it looks in my own space…which is why I highly recommend you swatch your own space before you commit!

As an example, you can see Snowbound on the top, lit by very warm lighting. The purple is really peeking through!

Also, because it is a creamy white, Snowbound will often reflect the color of the surrounding furniture and decor.

For example, my pantry cabinets are painted Sherwin-Williams Sage SW 2860. In some photos you’ll see how Snowbound is reflecting just a touch of sage vs the brighter white at the entry to the pantry.

LRV

LRV stands for “light reflective value”, which is basically a measure of how light or dark a paint color appears on a scale of 0 (pure black) to 100 (pure white). Snowbound has an LRV of 83, which means it’s definitely on the lighter side—but not super bright like some of the other whites out there.

Since a shade of pure white would have an LRV of 100, you can see that there are still a lot of brighter, whiter options out there, should that be the look you want.

I personally like that it isn’t so bright. I like to see some sort of contrast between my trim and my wall color. It’s subtle, but it’s there!

Where to Use

This creamy white is neutral enough to look good in just about any room of your house. I personally prefer lighter shades like this in common spaces more than bathrooms or bedrooms (I painted my own bedroom North Star as an example.).

As I mentioned above, I have 3 spaces in my own home painted Snowbound: my kitchen, my pantry, and my dining room. I spend a lot of time in these areas, and I really appreciate the cozy, bright space it creates.

Plus, as someone who loves to decorate for each season, pretty much any type of decor looks fantastic on this natural backdrop, as you can see in the images throughout this post!

Snowbound is also a very popular exterior paint shade since it won’t wash out in the bright sun, or look too yellow.

Complimentary Colors

One of the great things about Snowbound is that it looks amazing with a wide range of other colors. Thanks to its versatility, there are so many directions you can go with this hue!

With that said, here are a few of my favorite colors to pair it with:

1. Extra White (SW 7006): I love this combination because it gives me the crisp and bright look I want, and helps warm up Snowbound just slightly.
2. Tricorn Black (SW 6258): This true black is a great choice if you want to add a little more drama and contrast.
3. Agreeable Gray (SW 7029): This warm-toned gray pairs perfectly with Snowbound. It’s a classic and timeless combination that looks great in any home. In fact, it’s one of my own favorite paint colors – I did an entire post on Agreeable Gray here!
4. Colonnade Gray (SW 7641): For those who want a no-fail option, this is one of the two pairings SW itself suggests! It’s a warm greige that will make Snowbound like quite crisp in comparison.
5. Autumn Orchid (SW 9157): Here’s the other suggestion by Sherwin William for pairing. If you’re looking to bring out those slightly violet undertones in Snowbound this can be an option—but I have to admit this isn’t my favorite shade of paint!
6. Egret White (SW 7570) If you need a slightly moodier option in the same color family as Snowbound, Egret White is a great choice. It’s not too bright but still noticeable enough to give you some contrast. You can see how the combo looks in my kitchen, as my cabinets are painted Egret White!

While it’s not necessarily a “color”, I also love how this paint color looks with warm wood tones. It helps my antique finds really pop throughout each space!

Colors Similar to Snowbound

If you’re looking for something similar but slightly different, here are few other shades of white to:

1. Pure White (SW 7007): This is the closest shade that Sherwin Williams offers to Snowbound. It has more creamy undertones than Snowbound and is just very slightly lighter over all.
2. Alabaster (SW 7008): This is a super popular classic white that’s more warm and creamy than Snowbound, but has just enough hint of gray to keep it from being overly so.
3. Incredible White (SW 7028): This shade is a bit darker with a LRV of 74 vs Snowbound’s 83. But the undertones are very similar.
4. Eider White (SW 7014): Again, this shade has a lower LRV than Snowbound, but it’s got those same versatile gray undertones.

Final Thoughts

Snowbound is a beautiful and versatile color, perfect for adding a touch of warmth to your space without overwhelming it. But, don’t forget—swatching is always a good idea to ensure you get the exact look you’re after.

Happy painting!

More Paint Colors You May Love:

• Agreeable Gray – the “best” gray paint color
• Pigeon – cozy green-gray perfect for cabinetry
• Naval – the ultimate navy paint
• North Star – sophisticated blue-gray
• Anew Gray – my favorite “greige”

So, what do you think? Is Snowbound the right hue for you? Let me know in the comment section!

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