Learn all about Sherwin-Williams Snowbound in this paint color review.
SW Snowbound is one of the most famous off-white paint colors and one of the top 50 paint colors at Sherwin-Williams. But just because it’s popular, doesn’t mean it’s guaranteed to work in your home.
I can’t tell you how often I hear homeowners say, “Can we use SW Snowbound? My neighbor told me I should use that color, because she loves it in her house.”
The crazy part is that Snowbound can look beautiful in the right settings, but it’s actually not a great color in many other settings. As a professional paint color consultant, I’ve tested it in so many homes and have rarely had it come up as the best paint color for the project.
Of course, there are some spaces where Snowbound looks beautiful. For a recent client’s home, Snowbound really was the best option after testing other warm white paint colors. You’ll see photos from that client’s home throughout today’s post.
So, is Sherwin-Williams Snowbound the right paint color for your home? Keep reading to learn more about this hue and how to use it well!
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What Color is Sherwin-Williams Snowbound?
Sherwin-Williams Snowbound (Sample) is a warm, off-white paint color. It’s fairly muted and provides warmth without looking too creamy.
What is the SW Snowbound LRV?
The LRV of Snowbound is 83, which is typical for an off-white paint color. LRV is short for Light Reflectance Value, which measures how light (LRV=100) or dark (LRV=0) a color is. A true white paint color would have an LRV of 100.
Is Snowbound by Sherwin-Williams warm or cool?
Snowbound is definitely a warm white paint color. But because it is muted, it won’t look overly creamy on the wall.
What are the SW Snowbound undertones?
Snowbound has really strong taupe undertones that can flash very pink! In the graphic below, for example, you can see how pink Snowbound looks next to White Snow, a clean white.
You can also see the pink in Snowbound’s undertones in the client photo below. The ceiling is painted with Sherwin-Williams High Reflective White, and the trim is Snowbound like the walls. High Reflective White is almost identical to White Snow, but White Snow is a Sherwin-Williams Designer Collection color with much better cover and hide than HRW.
Compared to the ceiling, Snowbound looks very pink.
The same effect can be seen in the trim and doors below.
Does SW Snowbound look yellow?
No, Snowbound won’t look yellow. This is what so many homeowners love about this color! It can be a great option if you want a warm off-white that won’t skew yellow, even in rooms with warm light.
Sample Sherwin-Williams Snowbound
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 Sherwin-Williams Snowbound (Sample) via the link below.
Using Sherwin-Williams Snowbound Interior Paint
Snowbound isn’t the easiest white paint color to work with, but in the right settings it can be absolutely beautiful!
Can I use SW Snowbound interior trim?
Snowbound is great as a trim color when paired with Snowbound walls, but it’s risky with any other white paint colors. I definitely wouldn’t use it as a ceiling paint color because it really limits the paint colors you can use on your walls, thanks to its pink undertones.
Would a Sherwin-Williams Snowbound living room look good?
A SW Snowbound living room could look lovely! In the client’s home featured in today’s post, we picked Snowbound for the walls & trim and High Reflective White for the ceiling) and it was the best choice.
I believe their Snowbound living room worked so well because there were so many green plants in the house and lots of foliage reflecting from the outside, which helped neutralize any pink hues.
Should I try Sherwin-Williams Snowbound cabinets?
Sherwin-Williams Snowbound cabinets could look lovely but could be tricky to pair with other kitchen hard finishes. Snowbound could look discordant with warm white finishes that lean yellow or Tuscan finishes like earthy granite. Paired with crisp white finishes, natural wood or even cool greens, however, could look beautiful.
The kitchen below features SW Snowbound walls and white cabinets (Article). the white cabinets are a clean white, similar to SW White Snow or SW High Reflective White.
Is a whole-house Snowbound color palette a good idea?
Sherwin-Williams Snowbound is not my top choice for a whole-house paint color, simply because it only works in very specific settings, such as this home. White colors with pink or taupe undertones such as SW Snowbound, for example, are not the best choices for dark rooms (Article).
Snowbound can be used as part of a whole-house color palette (Article), however. And in some homes like my client’s featured today, it could work throughout the house.
Just make sure to incorporate another white or light neutral paint color (Article) into the palette for spaces where Snowbound doesn’t look right.
And of course, test your paint colors before finalizing your palette!
Using Sherwin-Williams Snowbound Exterior Paint
SW Snowbound can be a good exterior paint color, but only in certain situations. With an LRV of 83, Snowbound can look very bright outside.
Snowbound can be a good exterior white trim color (Article), but only when paired with very light body colors (as long as they’re not yellow or green).
Snowbound also looks nice as a whole-house exterior color, but it is extremely bright. Be careful about using it in a neighborhood with dark and earthy colors because it can look stark compared to the neighboring color schemes.
When Should I Avoid Sherwin-Williams Snowbound?
In the right situations, Snowbound can be beautiful. But there are definitely times to avoid this color. Avoid pairing it with yellow paint colors and very creamy white colors like Sherwin-Williams Alabaster (Article) or Sherwin-Williams Greek Villa (Article). Warm green paint colors that lean yellow are also not good with Snowbound.
I would also not recommend using Snowbound interior trim unless you’re pairing it with Snowbound walls. Otherwise, the taupe/pink undertones just make it too hard to pair with other wall paint colors.
Sherwin-Williams Snowbound Coordinating Colors
Snowbound can be a bit tricky to pair with some paint colors, but there are plenty of hues it looks beautiful with!
Does SW Snowbound go with blue?
Blue paint colors look amazing with Snowbound. Some examples are SW Blustery Sky, SW Waterloo, SW Stardew, and SW Niebla Azul (Samples).
Blue-grays like SW Passive (Sample) and violet-grays like SW Repose Gray (Sample) also look fabulous with Snowbound.
Does SW Snowbound go with taupe?
Does SW Snowbound go with taupe?
Taupe colors look fantastic with Snowbound, either as an accent wall or a darker adjacent wall. Since Snowbound has taupe undertones, it should look great with taupes such as SW Egret White or BM Pale Oak. Darker taupes such as SW Taupe Tone or SW Tony Taupe also look great with Snowbound.
Does SW Snowbound go with beige?
Warm beige neutrals with pink undertones like Sherwin-Williams Natural Linen (Sample) can look good with Snowbound as an adjacent room in a whole-house color scheme, but they don’t look perfect in the same room. These warm neutrals are growing in popularity among homeowners! Avoid beige colors with green or yellow undertones, such as SW Wool Skein.
Does SW Snowbound go with green?
Green paint colors can look good with Snowbound paint if they lean to the cool side and have lots of blue in them. Blue-greens such as SW Jasper, SW Evergreen Fog and SW Quietude (Samples) also look great.
Below is Benjamin Moore Rosepine as an accent wall in an otherwise white bathroom. This cool green would look lovely with SW Snowbound.
Sherwin-Williams Quiet Moments (Sample), pictured below, would also look beautiful with Snowbound walls.
What are the Best Trim and Ceiling Colors For Sherwin-Williams Snowbound?
The best ceiling color for Snowbound walls is SW White Snow, a clean white paint color. For trim, you can use SW Snowbound or SW White Snow.
Sherwin-Williams Extra White (Article) (the most popular trim color in the U.S.) and Sherwin-Williams Pure White (Article) can also work as trim and ceilings, but aren’t as perfect.
Make sure to pick a white color for ceilings and trim that has a higher LRV than the walls. Do not pair Snowbound walls with Sherwin-Williams Alabaster or Sherwin-Williams Greek Villa, for example, because they are too dark and have too much yellow in them.
Best Sherwin-Williams Snowbound Alternatives
Not sure if Sherwin-Williams Snowbound is right for your project? Check out these alternatives.
Sherwin-Williams Snowbound vs Sherwin-Williams Alabaster
While these are both warm, off-white paint colors, they are very different! Alabaster (Sample) has strong yellow undertones that look very creamy on the wall. Snowbound’s taupe/pink undertones keep it looking warm but less creamy and earthy than Alabaster.
Sherwin-Williams Snowbound vs Sherwin-Williams Pure White
Snowbound and SW Pure White (Sample) are pretty similar, but also have their differences. Pure White has subtle yellow undertones and is slightly lighter and cleaner than Snowbound.
Sherwin-Williams Snowbound vs Sherwin-Williams White Snow
Sherwin-Williams White Snow (Sample) is a much cleaner white, with virtually no undertones. It is also much lighter than Snowbound, with an LRV of 90.
Sherwin-Williams Snowbound vs Sherwin-Williams Extra White
Sherwin-Williams Extra White (Sample) is much cooler than Snowbound, with blue undertones. It’s also a bit lighter than Snowbound, with an LRV of 86.
Sherwin-Williams Snowbound vs Benjamin Moore Atrium
Benjamin Moore Atrium White (Sample) is a great alternative to Snowbound. It has similar taupe/pink undertones but is a bit lighter than Snowbound, with an LRV of 85. It also looks a touch cleaner on the wall.
Sherwin-Williams Snowbound vs Benjamin Moore White Dove
Benjamin Moore White Dove (Sample) has the same LRV as Snowbound but is a great example of just how impactful a color’s undertones are. With warm yellow undertones, White Dove looks very different from Snowbound.
What is the Best Benjamin Moore Snowbound Equivalent?
I would recommend Benjamin Moore Atrium White if you want a similar look to SW Snowbound. While it’s not a perfect match, it has similar undertones and can be used in similar applications.
SW Snowbound Pros and Cons
Pros:
- SW Snowbound is a warm, muted paint color that won’t skew yellow.
- Snowbound pairs well with blues, cool greens, and warm beige paint colors – all popular colors with homeowners today.
- Snowbound is an off-white paint color with an LRV of 83, so it can be used both indoors and outdoors.
- Snowbound looks great with blue paint colors and greens that have blue undertones.
Cons:
- Snowbound’s taupe undertones can often flash pink, which may clash with other paint colors, especially if they have yellow or green undertones..
- Snowbound can be tricky to use alongside other white paint colors and isn’t the best option for interior trim.
- Does not work well in rooms with low light.
Key Learning Points
Sherwin-Williams Snowbound is a warm, off-white paint color with many applications throughout a home.
- Sherwin-Williams Snowbound looks beautiful in rooms with lots of light, staying warm without skewing yellow.
- Pair Snowbound with blue paint colors, cool greens and warm beiges, but stay away from yellows and paint colors with yellow undertones.
- Snowbound exterior paint can work, but could look too stark in some situations. Be sure to test carefully!
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.
No matter what, always test your paint colors. It’s a standard best practice. 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.
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Related Posts
- Sherwin-Williams Alabaster Review
- Sherwin-Williams Extra White Review
- Best Sherwin-Williams White Paint Colors
- Benjamin Moore White Dove Review
- 6 Best Sherwin-Williams White Trim Colors
- Best White Exterior Trim Colors
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.
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, please consider purchasing a color consultation. Thank you for your understanding.
