Sherwin-Williams White Duck Color Review

Learn all about Sherwin-Williams White Duck (SW 7010) in this paint color review.

Sherwin-Williams White Duck is a gorgeous, creamy, warm, light almost-greige paint color perfect for interior walls, cabinets, and even exterior applications.

While it’s often considered an off-white paint color, it’s a cross between a very light beige and a greige. It is muted while still creamy, and perfectly balanced. It’s slightly darker than a cream and doesn’t shift to yellow, as cream colors do.

It is too muted to be a cream color, and too dark to be an off-white, but I would consider it a darker white.

Maria Killam (my color teacher) calls it a complex cream, and I would 100% agree with that!

If you’re moving away from the cool (and somewhat stark) white and gray paint color trends and want to add more warmth to your home, White Duck could be a great starting point!

Keep reading to learn more about Sherwin-Williams White Duck (sample here) and how to use this lovely paint color in your home.

*This post contains affiliate links for products I use and love. If you click on some links and purchase, I will get a small commission at no cost. This helps pay for the costs of the blog so I can continue to offer great content to our readers.

What Color is SW White Duck?

Sherwin-Williams White Duck (Sample) is fairly light. It’s warm and muted and one of our favorite Sherwin-Williams light neutrals. It is muted, but not gray, and we consider it a complex cream.

White Duck is the color I pick if I’m looking for a creamy color that won’t shift to yellow.

What is the LRV of White Duck?

The LRV of White Duck is 74, which makes it a pretty light paint color. LRV (Light Reflectance Value) is a measurement used to identify how light or dark a color is.  The scale goes from 1 (pure black) to 100 (pure white) and indicates how dark or light a color is.

Is White Duck warm or cool?

White Duck is definitely a warm paint color. It looks lovely and creamy on the wall, even in rooms with low light or cool light.

What are the undertones in White Duck?

White Duck gets its warmth from soft, barely-there green undertones. These undertones are a big part of what makes White Duck so special. It is creamy and warm without looking yellow.

Will White Duck look yellow?

White Duck doesn’t look yellow in place. Unlike many cream and off-white paint colors, It gets its warmth from subtle green undertones, not yellow ones. So while it may look very creamy in rooms with lots of warm light, it should not look overtly yellow. 

The muted tones within this color also keep the hue more muted than a traditional cream paint color. It is a very pleasant and warm homey color.

Sample White Duck

We always recommend that you test paint colors (article) in your home because lighting can completely change a color, both on interiors and exteriors.  

In the old days, this meant we painted a large poster board with sample pots and a huge mess. 

Now we have a better way to test paint, with Samplize Peel-and-Stick samples!  

• Samples pre-painted with 2 coats of real paint from the manufacturer.
• Large 9” x 14” samples to see the color better in the lighting.
• Delivered overnight
• Colors are accurate
• Less expensive than painting a large poster board with sample pots
• No mess, and no toxic paint to dispose of

I use these in my color consulting practice for exact results. Discover Samplize peel-and-stick paint samples and sample White Duck (Sample) via the link below.

When Should I Use Sherwin-Williams White Duck?

SW White Duck is a really versatile paint color that can work in many different spaces inside – and even outside – a home.

Can I use White Duck interior trim?

I don’t recommend using SW White Duck as an interior trim color. It’s a bit too dark and creamy to provide enough contrast with most paint colors. 

The only time I would consider using White Duck trim would be if I were drenching the entire room in one color and using White Duck for the walls and trim. This kind of warm, monochromatic look can look really nice. However, I would paint the ceiling white to balance the very warm tones.

Later in this post, we will show you a bedroom where that is exactly what we did.

Should I try a White Duck kitchen?

I love a SW White Duck kitchen (Sample)! White Duck was the first color I painted my own kitchen after we moved into our newly built home several years ago.  The ceiling and trim are SW Extra White, and the cabinets perfectly match SW Pure White.

The original color was Sherwin-Williams Agreeable Gray (Article), and it looked so dingy in that space. This is an east-facing room with a wall of windows, but we still don’t get much light because we have a covered porch outside. White Duck is a great color for a shady room because of its warmth.

Here is a photo of the dining nook to the right of the kitchen.

Although I eventually painted my kitchen BM Simply White (Color review article) (because I wanted to test it out in that space), I loved how creamy White Duck looked with my white and gray tuxedo cabinets (Article).

Are White Duck cabinets a good idea?

I love the idea of using SW White Duck for kitchen cabinets or a bathroom vanity. White Duck is a great option if you want white kitchen cabinets (Article) but don’t want to risk the space looking too cold or sterile.

SW White Duck cabinets will help a space look bright but also bring a lot of warmth to the space. 

Does a White Duck dining room look good?

We used SW White Duck walls for our client’s dining room as part of a whole-house color palette, and the result was beautiful. 

White Duck is a warm neutral that feels light and bright but also provides a lovely contrast with the natural wood floors, white trim and white dining room rug.

Is a White Duck bedroom a good idea?

If you want a serene, calming bedroom, then Sherwin-Williams White Duck is a great option! 

The White Duck bedroom pictured below belongs to our SEO specialist, Danielle Gagnon (check out her website here to learn more about what she does). Danielle is part of our blog team here at The Color Concierge and has learned a lot about choosing paint colors during her work with us.

She recently painted her bedroom SW White Duck, and we love how it turned out! The ceiling is painted with SW Extra White. The walls were all painted With White Duck, including the accent headboard wall.

This space is a wonderful example of how one color can be used for a whole room and still have an accent on the headboard wall by adding texture instead of a different color.

Sherwin-Williams White Duck looks warm, creamy, and muted in this space, which has West-facing windows. Its subtle green undertones pair well with the green curtains and natural greenery in the room.

Is White Duck good for dark rooms?

Yes, White Duck is one of our favorite white paint colors for rooms with low light (Article)! As a light greige, it has more pigment than many traditional white and off-white paint colors, so it won’t look dingy in the shadows.

Is White Duck good for North-facing rooms?

Yes! This is an excellent option for north-facing rooms because of the warmth of the paint color. A room with White Duck would rarely look dingy.

Is SW White Duck a good whole house color?

White Duck is a fabulous whole-house (Article) foundation color. It can be used throughout the main living area and also in bedrooms, offices, and even basements. 

If you want to create your own whole-house color scheme, learn more about how to do that here or get our help with an online paint color consult.

Can I use Sherwin-Williams White Duck for Exteriors?

White Duck exterior projects are some of our favorites! The client’s home pictured below is in the Pacific Northwest. 

The photos were taken in a cloudy winter with very low light, yet White Duck still looks creamy. If we painted this color in Colorado, Florida, or California, it would look much more white than creamy.

This house had the simplest of white exterior palettes (Article). The whole house was painted White Duck, including the body, roofline, pillars, window trim, and garage door. The front door was painted Tricorn Black, a classic black color.

White Duck looks warm and beautiful paired with the client’s brick exterior (Article). It is a great “white” option to pair with earthy brick.

What are the Best Trim and Ceiling Colors For SW White Duck?

Pair White Duck with crisper whites for a great contrast with the trim and ceilings. I recommend using Sherwin-Williams Pure White (Article) or Sherwin-Williams Extra White (Article) (which happens to be one of the most common trim colors in the U.S.).

I wouldn’t pair it with warmer white trims such as SW Alabaster (Article) or even SW Greek Villa (Article) because there won’t be a good contrast.

The Best Sherwin-Williams White Duck Coordinating Colors

Does White Duck go with green?

We love to pair White Duck with green hues and decor. Because of its subtle green undertones, White Duck complements warm green accents well.

Try pairing White Duck walls with a green couch, green curtains, or natural greenery and plants like my SEO specialist Danielle did in her master bedroom.

Does White Duck go with gray?

White Duck can work well with gray and greige paint colors since it is similarly muted. I especially like to use it alongside gray paint colors with green undertones. In my kitchen, for example, SW White Duck walls look lovely with my BM Chelsea Gray (Article) kitchen cabinets.

Does White Duck go with black?

Using White Duck with black accents is a great spin on a classic black-and-white color palette. White Duck looks especially good with soft, muted blacks, such as SW Iron Ore (Article).

What is the easiest way to sample Sherwin-Williams White Duck?

You should always sample and test your paint colors. The easiest way to sample Sherwin-Williams White Duck (Sample)(and any paint color for that matter) is via SAMPLIZE. Their peel-and-stick paint samples are easy to use and true to color.

Get 10% off your Samplize order today with our exclusive discount code CC10 at checkout. Order today and get samples tomorrow!

There is no mess, and the cost is less expensive than purchasing a sample and a white poster board. Since you don’t need to dispose of the paint, it’s also environmentally friendly!

With Samplize you can easily see how different shades look on your unique wall. Click to order Samplize’s SW White Duck paint samples.

The Best SW White Duck Alternatives

White Duck and SW Shoji White

Sherwin-Williams White Duck and Sherwin-Williams Shoji White (Sample) are similar colors but still look fairly different in place. They both have an LRV of 74, but Shoji White has warmer taupe undertones than White Duck and is less muted.

White Duck vs SW Alabaster

Sherwin-Williams Alabaster (Sample) is one of the most popular creamy white paint colors on the market. While it can be used in similar spaces as White Duck, it’s actually very different. With an LRV of 82, Alabaster is much lighter than White Duck. It also slight yellow undertones so it looks creamier on the wall.

White Duck vs SW Oyster White

Sherwin-Williams Oyster White (Sample) has an LRV of 72, so it’s a bit darker than White Duck. It has similar invisible green undertones, but is less muted than White Duck.

White Duck vs SW Natural Choice

Sherwin-Wiliams Natural Choice (Sample) has an LRV of 72, so it’s darker and cooler than White Duck. It also has green undertones. In comparison, White Duck has much warmer undertones, and in my opinion is more pleasing.

White Duck vs BM Ballet White

Benjamin Moore Ballet White (Sample) is a cream color with warm pink undertones. It has an LRV of 71.97, so it’s a bit darker than White Duck. It also looks a bit warmer and crisper on the wall.

White Duck vs SW Pearly White

SW Pearly White (Sample) is a creamy warm paint color with green undertones. It has an LRV of 77, so it’s much lighter than White Duck. If you love White Duck but it’s not light enough, Pearly White is a lighter version.

What is the Best Sherwin-Williams White Duck Benjamin Moore Equivalent?

There is no exact equivalent to White Duck in the Benjamin Moore collection of colors. However, Ballet White (Sample) is the best Benjamin Moore alternative to Sherwin-Williams White Duck. The two colors have the same undertones, but be sure to test carefully as they aren’t identical.

Remember: NEVER, EVER use paint matches from a different brand than the one specified. Results are poor and there are no standards for the sheens.  Even though your painter may truly believe it can be done, don’t do it. See results from paint matching here.

Key Learning Points

Sherwin-Williams White Duck is a creamy, light greige paint color perfect for inside and outside the house.

• SW White Duck has warm green undertones, making it creamy without skewing yellow.
• While it’s often considered an off-white paint color, it’s a cross between a very light beige and a greige. It is muted while still creamy and perfectly balanced.
• White Duck is a wonderful light complex cream paint color for North-facing, low-light, and darker rooms.
• Test your paint colors with Samplize peel-and-stick samples.

No matter what, always test your paint colors. It’s a standard best practice, and Samplize peel-and stick samples are a great way to do it!  Whenever I test my paint colors, they are perfect, and when I don’t test they turn out wrong. Learn how to test your paint colors here.

Online Color Consulting

If you still need help with paint colors, check out our Online Color Consulting Packages.

Related Posts

• Classic Kitchen Design Elements (Article)
• Benjamin Moore Chelsea Gray Color Review (Article)
• Sherwin-Williams Alabaster Color Review (Article)
• Sherwin-Williams Oyster White (Article)
• Best White Paint Colors for Dark Rooms (Article)
• Best Exterior White Trim Colors (Article)
• Best White Paints for Brick Houses (Article)

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About the Author

Hi, I’m Michelle Marceny, founder, owner, and Principal Color Designer at The Color Concierge. I believe a fresh coat of paint can completely transform a space. The Color Concierge was born out of my drive to help clients fall back in love with their homes. My clients trust me to help them find the perfect paint color for their home – whether it’s a whole-house paint color scheme or ideas for a single room. 

Since The Color Concierge was founded in 2017, we have completed over 3000 color consultations, both online and in-person.  I am a Certified Color Expert with 7 years of experience creating interior and exterior color palettes throughout North America.

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We love your comments! Please note that the blog is meant as general advice, and it is not possible to give out specific answers to your paint questions. If you want more specific advice, our Online Color Consultations will help you pick your paint colours. Thank you for your understanding.