Learn all about Sherwin-Williams Origami White in this paint color review.
SW Origami White is a darker, off-white paint color perfect for both interiors and exteriors. Indoors, Origami White is a great option if you want a light wall color that will still create contrast with white trim and ceiling paint.
It’s also a great color to help update a home that has lots of gray finishes, making it warmer and more current.
My favorite application for Origami White, however, is as exterior paint. I use this color a lot for my paint color consulting clients when they’re looking for a crisp white that won’t look cold or stark. And in today’s deep dive into this hue, you’ll see two real client homes featuring Origami White exterior paint.
Keep reading to learn more about Sherwin-Williams Origami White and how you can use this color in your home.
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What Color is Sherwin-Williams Origami White?
Despite its name, Origami White (Sample) is not really a true white paint color. It’s more like a darker off-white. Outdoors, it looks lighter and brighter, without being stark. Indoors, it’s a lovely warm neutral that still has enough pigment to contrast with white trim and ceilings.
What is the SW Origami White LRV?
This color has an LRV of 76, which is pretty light. LRV is short for Light Reflectance Value, which is a measurement of how light (LRV=100) or dark (LRV=0) a color is. An LRV of 76 makes Origami White a dark white paint color.
Is SW Origami White warm or cool?
Origami White is slightly warm. I always say that color is all about comparison, and in Origami’s case, that’s exactly the truth. It’s warmer than a blue-gray paint color (Article), but cooler than a beige color. You can see the comparisons between similar hues with different undertones below.
What are the Sherwin-Williams Origami White undertones?
Origami White has a quiet and invisible violet undertone that sometimes flashes taupe, which makes it a warmer color. You can’t see the violet in it unless you compare it with other neutrals. When I say violet, it’s very subtle. This color won’t end up looking purple. Think of it like an elephant gray, but much lighter.
Sample SW Origami White
We always recommend that you test paint colors on your home because lighting can change a color completely, both with interiors as well as 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:
Using Sherwin-Williams Origami Exterior Paint
Origami White is a great color that we use both for interiors and exteriors, but using Origami White exterior paint is definitely one of my favorite applications. Origami is a color that we use when we want a crisp white outside that doesn’t look stark. Use it as a whole-house white color, or a white trim color (Article).
It was the perfect paint color to use on a recent client’s home near Miami, which I was lucky enough to visit myself!
Video by @grace13media
I especially love using Origami White paint on a home that has tons of green foliage reflecting on the house. White paint is a mirror, and if a home has lots of green plants around it, it can be difficult to neutralize it. But the violet undertones in Origami White can definitely help.
At our client’s Florida home featured below, we saw some green reflection off the grass at certain times of day because the grass goes right up to the edge of the home.
But you can see on the same house below how there is much less green reflection where there isn’t grass directly adjacent to the wall.
SW Origami White Exterior Palette
Our client’s Florida home is a great example of Origami White exterior paint in action. This was a small house with very simple, clean lines, but it had so many unique, beautiful spaces. Our Origami White color palette really brought these spaces to life!
We used Origami White for the home’s stucco and the crown molding on the front terrace. I love how this little courtyard space looked painted with SW Origami White. It looks beautiful paired with the green plants.
We used Sherwin-Williams Mindful Gray (Sample) for the fascia (along the roofline), window trim and mullions. It was a good complement for the front iron gate and fence and was also used for the exterior doors on this home.
Finally, we painted the iron-scrolled front door and side gate with Sherwin-Williams Inkwell. Inkwell is a very dark black with blue undertones. Some might even call it a super dark blue. This color really made the gate pop! It was painted a primer-white before, and you couldn’t see how beautiful the scroll work was until we painted it black.
Sample This Color Palette
- Sherwin-Williams Origami White: Stucco, crown molding
- Sherwin-Williams Mindful Gray: Fascia, window trim, mullions
- Sherwin-Williams Inkwell: Front door, side gate
SW Origami White Exterior Trim Palette
We also love to use Sherwin-Williams Origami White as exterior white trim paint (Article). We used this hue for another client’s home with a dark color palette and Origami White was the perfect addition.
This home featured Sherwin-Williams Sea Serpent (Article) lower stucco with Sherwin-Williams Downing Slate (Sample) upper stucco. SW Origami White (Sample) was used along the roofline and for the trim. The front door of this home was painted SW Tricorn Black (Sample).
Sample This Color Palette
- Sherwin-Williams Origami White: Fascia, trim
- Sherwin-Williams Downing Slate: Upper stucco
- Sherwin-Williams Sea Serpent: Lower stucco
- Sherwin-Williams Tricorn Black: Front door
Using Sherwin-Williams Origami Interior Paint
While Origami White exterior paint is a personal favorite, this is also a wonderful color for interior applications.
Can I use Origami White as an interior trim color?
No, I would not recommend using Origami White as interior trim. The color is usually too dark to use as trim indoors. Instead, I would contrast Origami White walls with a brighter, lighter white trim color (Article).
Can I try SW Origami White cabinets?
Origami White can be used for a light kitchen cabinet color, especially when paired with slightly darker neutrals or lighter whites. Still, it’s not the first white cabinet color (Article) I typically reach for. In many cases, this color is a bit too dark to be white and too light to be a neutral cabinet color. But in some specific applications, it can work.
Make sure to consider your tile, countertops and other hard finishes when choosing cabinet colors, too. While paint trends (Article) are moving toward warmer colors, they don’t always make sense with your existing finishes.
Is Origami White good in dark rooms?
Origami White is not my favorite white color for dark rooms (Article). It can look dingy in a room with very low natural light, unless you have a ton of artificial light.
If you have medium exposure, it will look more neutral (especially when contrasted with white trim). And in a room flooded with sunshine, it looks like a soft off-white. With North-facing light, it will look cooler. And with South-facing light, it will appear warmer.
When to Avoid Origami White
I don’t recommend using Origami White with other white paint colors that have lots of yellow in them, such as Sherwin-Williams Alabaster (Article) or Sherwin-Williams Greek Villa (Article). Also, avoid lighter neutrals with green undertones, which can look discordant alongside Origami White’s violet undertones.
Best SW Origami White Coordinating Colors
Origami White pairs well with blues, greens, warm beiges and some gray paint colors. Some of my favorite Origami White coordinating colors are below.
Does Origami White go with blue and green?
Yes, Origami White looks beautiful paired with just about any blue paint color, thanks to its violet undertones. The moody blue exterior color palette with Origami White exterior trim shared earlier in this post is a great example of these coordinating colors.
It also works well with green paint colors (Article) that have blue undertones (rather than yellow ones), such as Sherwin-Williams Retreat, Sherwin-Williams Acacia Haze, Sherwin-Williams Halcyon Blue, Sherwin-Williams Pewter Green and Sherwin-Williams Evergreen Fog.
Does Origami White go with beige?
Origami White looks really lovely paired with beige paint colors that have pink or peachy undertones. Sherwin-Williams Natural Linen and Benjamin Moore Muslin are a couple of great examples.
Does Origami White go with gray?
I like to pair Origami White with violet grays that have similar undertones, such as Sherwin-Williams Mindful Gray, Sherwin-Williams Repose Gray and Sherwin-Williams Dorian Gray. I’m not crazy about the combination of Origami White with Agreeable Gray (Article) (and other grays with green undertones). But it does work fine if the colors are used in adjoining rooms.
Best Trim & Ceiling Paint Colors for SW Origami White
It’s important to think about your whites when you pick a wall color. I wish that we could repaint the trim and ceiling white every time that we pick a wall color, but unfortunately, it costs as much to paint the trim and ceiling white as it does to paint the walls. For that reason, we are usually stuck with the trim color that came with the house.
With an LRV of 76, I consider Origami White too dark to use as a trim and ceiling color, even if you color-drench (Article) a whole room with this hue. The color needs a white balance to bring it to life.
This color comes to life with cool whites and clean whites. Once you start pairing it with colors that have yellow, they start to look drab.
Some of the best trim colors for Origami White are Sherwin-Williams Extra White (Article), Sherwin-Williams White Snow and Sherwin-Williams Pure White (Article). Fortunately, SW Extra White is the most popular trim color in the U.S. and Canada, so there’s a good chance the trim you’re working with will pair well with Origami White.
Best Sherwin-Williams Origami White Alternatives
Not sure if Origami White is the right hue for your project? Explore some of these similar paint colors to find the one that’s perfect for you.
SW Origami White vs. SW Snowbound
With an LRV of 83, Sherwin-Williams Snowbound (Article) is lighter than Origami White. It also has taupe/pink undertones, which are warmer than Origami White’s violet undertones.
SW Origami White vs. SW Drift of Mist
Sherwin-Williams Drift of Mist (Sample) is darker than Origami Whites but has similar violet undertones. Its undertones are more prominent, so Drift of Mist looks a bit cooler in place.
SW Origami White vs. BM Classic Gray
Benjamin Moore Classic Gray (Article) has an LRV of 74, so it’s just a touch darker than SW Origami White. With green undertones that sometimes flash violet, Classic Gray is also warmer than Origami White.
SW Origami White vs. BM Cloud Cover
BM Cloud Cover (Article) is a pretty similar color to Origami White, but it’s lighter, with an LRV of 80. The two hues have very similar violet undertones, so they can be used in a lot of the same applications.
SW Origami White vs. BM Silver Satin
Benjamin Moore Silver Satin (Sample) paint is just barely lighter than Origami White, with an LRV of 74.9. Both colors have subtle violet undertones and look very similar on the wall.
Best Benjamin Moore Origami White Alternative
The closest Benjamin Moore alternative to Origami White is BM Silver Satin (Sample). They have the same undertones and nearly the same LRV, so they can be used interchangeably. Of course, always make sure to test any paint color you plan to use in your home to ensure it works well with your existing hard finishes and decor.
Key Learning Points
Sherwin-Williams Origami White is a great option for interior and exterior projects.
- Indoors, Origami White comes to life when contrasted with a lighter white trim and ceiling.
- For exteriors, you can use Origami White as a trim color or a whole-house white paint color.
- Origami White can help neutralize properties with lots of foliage, keeping the green from reflecting onto and into the home.
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 Snowbound Review
- Best Sherwin-Williams White Paint Colors
- Best White Kitchen Cabinet Paint Colors
- Best White Paint Colors for Dark Rooms
- Benjamin Moore Classic Gray Review
- Benjamin Moore Cloud Cover Review
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.
