Sherwin-Williams Cheviot (SW 9503) Color Review

Learn all about Sherwin-Williams Cheviot in this paint color review.

Sherwin-Williams Cheviot (Sample) is a newer SW white paint color, part of their Emerald Designer Edition, and I absolutely love it. I believe that it will become one of the best, most iconic Sherwin-Williams white paint colors.

Cheviot is very similar to Benjamin Moore Simply White (Color review article) (one of the best white paint colors). I think of Cheviot as Sherwin-Williams’ answer to Simply White. It is clean, crisp and luminous on the wall and looks beautiful in many different spaces.

Many designers specify Benjamin Moore white paint colors (Article) because they tend to be brighter and cleaner than the standard Sherwin-Williams whites. I believe that the Emerald white paint color line, including Cheviot, will be very competitive with Benjamin Moore’s whites in the future.

In the projects where I have used this collection, the hide is better, the colors are crisp and clean, and beautiful. The only challenge is that you can only use this collection for interiors, and for exterior trim. 

Keep reading this Sherwin-Williams Cheviot review to learn more about this new paint color and how to use it in your home.

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

What Are the Sherwin-Williams Emerald Designer Edition Paints?

Sherwin-Williams launched the Emerald Designer Edition paint color during the pandemic. This new line of paint colors was formulated with an Ultra-White base for brighter whites and a better hide than previous paint lines for excellent coverage.

The colors are crisp, clean, and beautiful because they are formulated and mixed with an Ultra-White base.

“Customers have been asking for brighter whites, just-right blues and greens, complex grays and beiges, and more muted tones of classic hues,” says Sue Wadden, director of color marketing at Sherwin-Williams. “What we’ve created perfectly rounds out our current selection of neutral options and chromatic colors. Beyond color, our new formula helps achieve a showstopping transformation.”

Emerald Designer Edition colors are available in interior paints, and can only be mixed with the Emerald Designer Edition paint, which is available in Flat, Eggshell, Satin, and Semi-Gloss sheens. Until now, this paint could only be mixed with the Emerald Designer Edition Paints because they are available with an Ultra-White base.

As of September 11, 2024, I found that some Emerald Designer Collection paints can be ordered from the Sherwin website as Duration Home Interior Paint.

Sherwin-Williams Cheviot (SW 9503) can also be ordered as Duration Home interior paint in 1-gallon or 5-gallon sizes in Matte, Satin, and Semi-Gloss sheens.

The only paint available for exteriors with this collection of colors is the Emerald Urethane Trim Enamel, which can be used for both interiors and exteriors. It is available with the Ultra-White base, and not suitable for exterior siding, only trim.

You can’t mix this paint in any other Sherwin-Williams paint lines because they don’t have an Ultra-White base. 

At the time of publishing, these colors are only available in 1-gallon quantities.

What is the LRV of  Sherwin-Williams Cheviot?

The LRV of Sherwin-Williams Cheviot is 89, which is considered very light and bright, especially for a Sherwin-Williams white paint color. LRV stands for Light Reflectance Value, which is a measurement of how light (LRV=100) or dark (LRV=0) a color is.

What are the undertones of Cheviot by SW?

Sherwin-Williams Cheviot has really soft yellow undertones that help this color look warm on the wall. When I say it has yellow undertones, I don’t want you to think the color looks yellow, just soft and slightly warm.  It has enough yellow in it to brighten up a room with low light, but it stands up well to the bright sunshine without washing out or looking too yellow.

Sample Cheviot

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 Cheviot (Sample) via the link below.

Is SW Cheviot a warm white?

Yes, Cheviot is a warm white paint color thanks to its minimal yellow undertones. This warmth is a big part of what makes this color so special. It’s soft enough to be crisp and clean on the wall, but warm enough to keep corners from looking dingy in low light.

Check out the photo below; it was taken deep in the far corners of my studio, and Cheviot still looked great!

What is the difference between Sherwin-Williams Alabaster and Cheviot?

Alabaster (color review article) and Cheviot are both warm whites from Sherwin-Williams. Alabaster is one of the brand’s most popular white paint colors on the market today. Alabaster is darker, with an LRV of 82, and a bit warmer, with stronger yellow undertones. Both colors can be used in similar spaces, but Cheviot will look brighter and cleaner on the wall.

I expect SW Cheviot to soon join Alabaster as one of the top-selling Sherwin-Williams white paint colors (Article).

When should I use SW Cheviot?

Cheviot is a versatile white paint color that can be used in many different spaces throughout a home. Here are some of our favorite ways to use it.

Can I use Cheviot as an Interior Trim Color?

Yes, you can, especially with darker whites and other paint colors! For example, Cheviot would make a great trim and ceiling color paired with wall colors such as Alabaster (Sample), Westhighland White (Sample) , and Dover White (Sample). I would not use Cheviot trim with a wall color like Extra White (Color review article) or Pure White (Color review article). 

Cheviot may be a bit too warm to use as trim for some paint colors, but it’s a great trim option for rooms painted in the same color. I love the idea of wrapping a room in this gorgeous, warm white, painting the walls, trim and ceilings Cheviot and shifting the paint sheen (Article) to provide dimension.

Should I try SW Cheviot Cabinets?

Yes, SW Cheviot is a great option for white kitchen cabinets (Article). All-white kitchens are beautiful, but they can sometimes feel a little cold if there is too much white. Using Sherwin-Williams Cheviot paint for the cabinets adds a lovely warmth and will keep the kitchen from looking stark.

Cheviot also pairs well with darker cabinet colors, so it’s a great option for tuxedo kitchen cabinet pairings (Article). Using Cheviot for upper cabinets and a warm deep blue-green like SW Cyberspace or a medium gray like Benjamin Moore Chelsea Gray (Color review article) would look lovely.

The kitchen pictured below uses BM Simply White (Color review article) kitchen cabinets with a wood island. SW Cheviot would work well in a similar application.

Is a SW Cheviot office a good idea?

Yes, a Sherwin-Williams Cheviot office would be really beautiful! My in-home studio is painted with Cheviot and I absolutely love working in this space.

I love choosing simple neutrals for office spaces, both light and dark. In this space, I used Cheviot for the walls with an SW Iron Ore (Color review article) accent wall and I love the combination of the two colors! You can read more about this studio space in the project spotlight further down in this Cheviot review.

Can I use Cheviot for exteriors? 

At the time of this post, Sherwin hasn’t released Cheviot as an exterior paint color. Sherwin plans to launch this collection for exteriors in 2024. The Sherwin-Williams website shows it is available for exteriors, and that refers to Emerald Trim paint, which is good for interiors and exteriors.

Once it is available, I bet that Cheviot would really brighten up a very shady exposure in the best possible way. However, it may end up looking overly bright in many situations. 

White paint colors such as Cheviot that looks soft and lovely inside may look too stark or bright outdoors, where the bright sunshine makes colors appear significantly lighter. 

Another challenge for exterior white paint colors that are this bright is that they have very poor hide properties.  If the new exterior formulation performs like the interior one, then it will likely be able to overcome this objection.

Is Cheviot a good whole house color?

While Cheviot may not be the best choice for exterior paint, it works beautifully as a whole-house paint color (Article) inside. If you’re looking for a go-with-everything neutral white paint color that can be used in bedrooms, bathrooms, kitchens, living rooms and open-concept spaces, Cheviot is a great choice.

Because it works well in both sunny rooms and rooms with dim lighting, it can transition well from space to space throughout a home. 

The biggest challenge to using this paint color for large spaces is that it is only available in 1-gallon pails at this time.

Project Spotlight: My Sherwin-Williams Cheviot Studio Office

I wanted to see what Cheviot would look like, so I painted my studio office and I fell in love with SW Cheviot with it. I’ve lived (and worked) with this color for about two months now and have gotten the opportunity to see it throughout the day and even at night.

As you can imagine, I’m really particular about the lighting in my studio throughout the day. This is the space where I work on paint color consultations for my clients, so it’s really important to be in a well-lit, neutral space that allows me to focus on the colors at hand. 

These photos were taken at about 1pm, which is a balanced time to look at the colors in the space. The room has a Western exposure, with west-facing windows and a view of the mountains opposite the black accent wall (Article).

In the mornings, I often keep the blinds open and start to close them when the light gets too strong in the afternoon as the sun sets over the mountains.

You can see in the photo below that as the Western sun shines into the room it looks nice and bright but not garish. The light in the back of the room is still in shadow, but the color looks soft and luminescent in the shadows. It doesn’t look dingy in the corners as many bright whites can.

One of the best things about Cheviot – and Sherwin-Williams’ Emerald line paints in general – is that you don’t need as many coats of paint to cover the previous color. 

I’ve found that the higher the quality, the fewer coats you need. We got perfect coverage in this studio space with just two coats over SW Agreeable Gray (Color review article).

When should I avoid Cheviot?

Don’t use SW Cheviot paint if your home has a lot of Tuscan-style earthy finishes with pink-beige undertones, such as travertine or tile. Cheviot also looks best if you avoid pairing it with blue-white trim colors (although there are exceptions to this rule). Avoid pairing Cheviot with any paints that have pink undertones such as Sherwin-Williams Snowbound (Sample).

What are the Best Trim and Ceiling Colors For SW Cheviot? 

Cheviot looks best with a clean white trim and ceiling paint, such as Sherwin-Williams White Snow (Sample) , High Reflective White (Sample), or even Pure White (Sample). The white trim paint should be a cooler color than Cheviot, without being too cold.

Ideally, I wouldn’t use SW Extra White (Sample) as a trim and ceiling color with Cheviot, but it can be done. In fact, since that was my trim and ceiling color already, and I was too thrifty to repaint (as many are), I left Extra White trim in my studio space.

Luckily, it looks nice, much better than Extra White with BM Simply White in other parts of my house. I think that Sherwin must have formulated Cheviot that way because they know how many people have Extra White trim in the US.

What is the easiest way to sample Sherwin-Williams Cheviot?

You should always sample and test your paint colors. The easiest way to sample SW Cheviot (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.

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.

SW Cheviot Alternatives and Color Comparisons

There are so many great warm white paint colors to choose from, but seeing them compared to Cheviot makes it clear just how special this color – and the full Emerald Designer Collection – really is.

Notice that when compared to the legacy Sherwin-Williams white paint colors such as Alabaster and Pure White, Cheviot looks brighter and crisper. This is because of the Ultra-White base used with the Emerald Designer Collection colors.

This doesn’t mean that Cheviot and the other Emerald Designer colors are better, but they are different. If you are looking for the same type of clean, crisp white colors that you get from Benjamin Moore whites, the new Sherwin whites will get you very close.

SW Cheviot vs SW Alabaster

Both Cheviot and Alabaster (Sample) are warm whites, but they’re still pretty different. Alabaster is darker, with an LRV of 82, and even though it also has yellow undertones, it looks gray next to Cheviot. Cheviot will look brighter and crisper in place.

SW Cheviot vs SW Pure White

SW Pure White (Sample) is another similar paint color to Cheviot. It has an LRV of 84, which makes it a crisp, off-white paint color. When you compare the two whites side-by-side, Cheviot is brighter and more luminescent, and Pure White is darker and more muted.  Even though we think of Pure White as a bright white, it looks gray next to Cheviot.

SW Cheviot vs BM White Dove

SW Cheviot is much warmer than Benjamin Moore White Dove (Sample). While White Dove has similar subtle yellow undertones, it is more muted than Cheviot. With an LRV of 85, it’s also darker and appears cooler on the wall.

SW Cheviot vs BM Cloud White

SW Cheviot and BM Cloud White (Sample) are both warm white paint colors, but Cheviot is brighter than Cloud White. Cloud White has an LRV of 87, so it’s just slightly darker than Cheviot. Cloud White (Color review article) is also creamier, with more taupe-like undertones.

SW Cheviot vs BM Simply White

Benjamin Moore Simply White (Sample) is probably the closest alternative to Cheviot. Simply White is only half an LRV lighter, and when they are painted next to each other, you can tell a slight difference, but it didn’t come through in the photos. Just as in this comparison photo, if you look closely you can see a different warmth from Cheviot. Simply White is still cleaner.  

That doesn’t mean that one is better than the other, they are both really wonderful.

Can my painter match SW Cheviot to Benjamin Moore?

The simple answer is NO because Benjamin Moore’s base colors are different than Sherwin’s! The sheens are different too, and paint matchers don’t take that into consideration.

Paint matching never works. If you want to use a Benjamin Moore paint that is similar to SW Cheviot, you’re far better off using BM Simply White instead of trying to match Cheviot.

In fact, SW Cheviot and other Emerald Designer Collection colors should not be matched to any other Sherwin paint line because they aren’t available with an Ultra-White base. The results of paint matching are poor and there are no standards for the sheens. Even if your painter may truly believe it can be done, don’t do it. See results from paint matching in this post, Are Paint Matches Accurate? (Article)

Key Learning Points

Sherwin-Williams Cheviot paint is a beautiful warm white paint color that can work in just about any room of the house.

• SW Cheviot has yellow undertones that give it lots of warmth without looking yellow when painted. It works well in rooms with lots of light and rooms with low light.
• Cheviot works best paired with trim and ceiling painted in the same color, or with a slightly cooler white paint color that does not have blue undertones. Sherwin-Williams High Reflective White, White Snow, and Pure White are the best options, although SW Extra White will work.
• Cheviot is a great choice for a whole-house paint color. Use it as a hue for open-concept spaces, bedrooms, bathrooms, and even kitchen cabinets.

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. Read our post to learn how to test your paint colors like a pro. 

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Related Posts

• Best Sherwin-Williams White Paint Colors (Article)
• Best Benjamin Moore White Paint Colors (Article)
• Best White Paint Colors for Dark Rooms (Article)
• Sherwin-Williams Alabaster Color Review (Article)
• Sherwin-Williams Pure White Color Review (Article)
• Benjamin Moore Simply White Color Review (Article)
• Benjamin Moore Cloud White Color Review (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.