Sherwin-Williams Shoji White (SW 7042) is a complex cream with an LRV of 74 and warm green undertones that can flash taupe. It is more saturated than a white or off-white, so it stays warm in shadowy rooms and won’t wash out in bright light. Use it on interior walls and exterior siding or trim, but not as interior white trim.
Keep reading for our full review of SW Shoji White paint, including the best coordinating colors and how to use this hue indoors and outdoors.
| Color | Sherwin-Williams Shoji White |
|---|---|
| Color number | SW 7042 |
| LRV | 74 (Light Reflectance Value, on a scale of 0 to 100) |
| Undertones | Warm green; can flash taupe |
| Color family | Complex cream — a very light beige that borders on cream |
| Best for | Interior walls and whole-house foundation color; kitchens and cabinets; exterior body or trim |
| Best trim & ceiling | Sherwin-Williams Pure White (SW 7005) or Sherwin-Williams Extra White (SW 7006) |
| Avoid pairing with | Creamy white trim — Sherwin-Williams Alabaster (SW 7008) is the creamiest that still works, and even that may lose contrast |
| Closest Benjamin Moore match | Benjamin Moore White Down (970) |
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Sherwin-Williams Shoji White (SW 7042) Tips and Tricks
- Use with: warm wood floors and furniture, terracotta tile, natural stone, warm white marble and brass; muted sage greens such as Sherwin-Williams Evergreen Fog (SW 9130); warm blues. It holds up in bright rooms and shadowy ones, which is what makes it a good open-concept and whole-house color.
- Don’t use with: creamy white trim. Shoji White is saturated enough that a warm white beside it stops reading as trim — Sherwin-Williams Alabaster (SW 7008) is as creamy as I would go, and even that can be too close. And don’t use Shoji White itself as interior white trim; indoors it is simply too dark to read as white.
- For exteriors: works as a body color or a “white” trim color and won’t wash out in full sun. It is one of my go-to whites against red brick, and I love it with Sherwin-Williams Urbane Bronze (SW 7048) trim.
- Best trim color (satin): Sherwin-Williams Pure White (SW 7005), or Sherwin-Williams Extra White (SW 7006) for a crisper contrast.
- Best ceiling color (flat): Sherwin-Williams Pure White (SW 7005), the same white used on the trim throughout our client’s home.
- Best paint matches: Benjamin Moore White Down (970) is the closest Benjamin Moore color — but buy it as White Down. Never have one brand’s color matched into another brand’s paint.
What Color is Sherwin-Williams Shoji White?
Sherwin-Williams Shoji White (SW 7042) is a complex cream paint color, which means it’s a very, very light warm beige that borders on cream. It’s warm, friendly, and cozy.
I love this color because indoors it looks like a cream that has some heft to it, so it contrasts well with popular white trim and ceiling colors such as Sherwin-Williams Extra White (SW 7006) and Sherwin-Williams Pure White (SW 7005).
What is the Shoji White LRV?
Shoji White has an LRV of 74. LRV is short for Light Reflectance Value, which is a measurement of how light (LRV=100) or dark (LRV=0) a color is. A true white would measure 100, though no real paint color gets there.
This lower LRV means that Shoji White is more saturated than a typical white or off-white, which is part of what makes it such a great interior paint color. It won’t look washed out in very bright light or dingy in darker spaces.
What are the SW Shoji White undertones?
SW Shoji White has green undertones that can flash taupe. These undertones keep the color looking warm without looking yellow in place.
Is Shoji White warm or cool?
Shoji White is absolutely a warm color! It offers a really lovely creaminess to any space it’s used in.
Does Sherwin-Williams Shoji White look yellow?
No! Because Shoji White has warm green undertones, it looks creamy without looking yellow – even in rooms with very warm light.
Using Sherwin-Williams Shoji White Interior Paint
Sherwin-Williams Shoji White (SW 7042) is one of my favorite neutral paint colors. It’s a great foundation for a whole-house color palette, works well in open-concept spaces and can be used in many different kinds of lighting.
Throughout this review, you’ll see photos of Shoji White in a real client’s home. This Colorado home is over 100 years old and is going through a renovation. It has lots of gorgeous arches throughout the house. This color was selected by my client before I visited her house for an exterior color consultation. I fell in love with her home and her palette.
Shoji White was a gorgeous choice for many of the main living areas for this home. It helped the architectural details stand out, such as the arch and original wooden front door below, and felt light and airy throughout rooms in shadows and rooms flooded with light.
Can I try Shoji White interior trim?
I would not recommend Shoji White as interior trim. It’s really too dark to be a white trim indoors. It can be used as an exterior “white” trim color, however, especially as part of a dark exterior color palette.
Should I paint a SW Shoji White kitchen?
I love SW Shoji White walls for a kitchen! In the client’s home pictured below, Shoji White walls and a warm white marble backsplash are paired with cabinets painted with Benjamin Moore Witching Hour, which is similar to Sherwin-Williams Cyberspace.
This color combination gives this kitchen a warm, cozy spin on a classic black-and-white color palette.
Are Shoji White cabinets a good idea?
You could absolutely try Shoji White cabinets! This could be a great option if you want a light kitchen but want something slightly warmer and darker than traditional white kitchen cabinets.
Would a Shoji White dining room look good?
Yes, Shoji White is a beautiful color for a dining room. It pairs really well with a warm wood table and other warm finishes. In our client’s open concept dining room below, for example, Shoji White is a gorgeous backdrop for the modern brass chandelier.
Shoji White looks equally beautiful with the cooler gray dining chairs and blue rug in this space, which really shows its versatility.
Should I paint a Shoji White living room?
Shoji White is one of my favorite options for a living room paint color. It’s light and bright but still feels warm and inviting. It looks beautiful with wood floors or warm tile. I especially love it paired with natural greenery, such as in my client’s sunroom below.
In their formal living room, Shoji White is a beautiful backdrop for the home’s original stone fireplace, natural wood floors and warm, neutral furniture.
Is a Sherwin-Williams Shoji White color palette good for a whole house?
Shoji White is one of my favorite neutral paint colors to use as the foundation for a whole-house color palette because it’s so flexible and looks different (but still beautiful!) from room to room. In the photo of my client’s home below, for example, you can see how much brighter Shoji White looks on the left side of the image where there is more light. It’s a great option for paint colors for open-concept spaces.
Using Sherwin-Williams Shoji White (SW 7042) Exterior Paint
Sherwin-Williams Shoji White (SW 7042) is also one of our favorite exterior paint colors. Outdoors, it’s light and bright and works really well as a trim color or body color. It’s very similar to Sherwin-Williams Pearly White and looks like a crisp, warm white body color without looking too yellow.
Shoji White is a great option if you need a white paint color that looks good with brick, such as on the home below. The home also features Sherwin-Williams Urbane Bronze trim and I love the combination of Shoji White with Urbane Bronze.
We also like to use Shoji White as an exterior “white” trim color, such as on the shed pictured below. It looks soft and bright outside and won’t look washed out in the bright sun.
Sherwin-Williams Shoji White Coordinating Colors
Sherwin-Williams Shoji White (SW 7042) is a warm, flexible color that goes with many different hues and hard finishes. Here are some of my favorite Shoji White coordinating colors:
Does SW Shoji White go with green paint?
Yes! Because of its warm, green undertones, Shoji White looks really lovely paired with green paint colors. I especially love to use it with muted sage greens, such as Sherwin-Williams Evergreen Fog.
We used Evergreen Fog as an accent color in our clients’ whole-house Shoji White color palette, color drenching the primary bedroom in the hue. It looks absolutely gorgeous! It’s one of our favorite green paint colors!
Does Shoji White go with blue?
Shoji White looks really lovely with blue paint colors and decor, especially blues that have warm green undertones. Our client’s living room is a great example of this. Shoji White looks beautiful paired with a warm blue area rug and a deep blue couch.
What are the Best Trim and Ceiling Colors with Shoji White?
Sherwin-Williams Shoji White (SW 7042) can work well with a lot of white trim colors since it is saturated enough to provide good contrast. I especially love it with Sherwin-Williams Pure White (SW 7005) trim and ceilings, which were used throughout our client’s home. It also works well with Sherwin-Williams Extra White (SW 7006) trim, which is one of the most common trim colors in the U.S.
I wouldn’t use a very creamy white as a trim for Shoji White walls because you’ll start losing contrast. Sherwin-Williams Alabaster (SW 7008) is as creamy as I would go and even that may be too dark to provide enough contrast.
The Best SW Shoji White Alternatives
Not sure if Sherwin-Williams Shoji White (SW 7042) is the right color for your next project? See how it compares to these other popular white paint colors.
Sherwin-Williams Shoji White vs Sherwin-Williams White Duck
Sherwin-Williams Shoji White (SW 7042) and Sherwin-Williams White Duck (SW 7010) are very similar. They both have LRVs of 74 and have warm, green undertones. Shoji White looks a touch creamier on the wall and slightly less muted than White Duck.
Sherwin-Williams Shoji White vs Sherwin-Williams Alabaster
Sherwin-Williams Alabaster (SW 7008) is much lighter than Shoji White, with an LRV of 82. It has warm yellow undertones, so while it is similarly creamy it is more likely to lean yellow in place.
Sherwin-Williams Shoji White vs Sherwin-Williams Accessible Beige
Sherwin-Williams Accessible Beige (SW 7036) is essentially a darker version of Shoji White. It has similar green undertones but is much darker, with an LRV of 58. Accessible Beige is also a bit cooler than Shoji White.
Sherwin-Williams Shoji White vs Benjamin Moore Swiss Coffee
Benjamin Moore Swiss Coffee (OC-45) is lighter and creamier than Shoji White, with an LRV of 82. While it has similar green undertones, Swiss Coffee looks a bit creamier on the wall.
Sherwin-Williams Shoji White vs Benjamin Moore Pale Oak
Benjamin Moore Pale Oak (OC-20) is a similar hue to Shoji White, but darker, with an LRV of 69. It has warm taupe undertones, and it looks a bit cooler on the wall than Shoji White.
What is the Best Benjamin Moore Shoji White Alternative?
The closest Benjamin Moore version of Shoji White is Benjamin Moore White Down (970). White Down has an LRV of 77, so it’s a bit lighter than Shoji White. It’s also a bit creamier, with undertones that lean more toward yellow. Still, it can be used in similar ways and in similar spaces to Shoji White.
Sherwin-Williams Shoji White FAQ
Is Shoji White good for north-facing rooms?
Yes. North-facing light is cool and low, which is exactly the light that makes clean whites look dingy. Sherwin-Williams Shoji White (SW 7042) has warm undertones and enough pigment at an LRV of 74 to hold onto that warmth, so it stays creamy instead of going gray in the corners.
What sheen should I use for Shoji White walls?
For Sherwin-Williams Shoji White (SW 7042) walls, I recommend an intermediate sheen — eggshell or matte. It strikes the best balance: flat hides wall imperfections but is harder to wipe down, and gloss cleans easily but shows every flaw. Read all our tips for choosing a paint sheen.
Does Shoji White work with orange-toned wood floors?
Yes. Sherwin-Williams Shoji White (SW 7042) is warm enough to sit comfortably beside orange-toned wood rather than competing with it, which is why it works so well over warm wood floors and terracotta tile. Orange floors are strong, though, so always test a sample against yours before you commit.
Sherwin-Williams Shoji White (SW 7042) Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Looks beautiful with warm wood furniture and floors, as well as Tuscan-style finishes
- Works well in all different kinds of lighting, including outdoors, in very bright rooms and dark rooms
- Great color option if you want a creamy hue without yellow undertones
Cons:
- Not a good option for interior white trim
- Darker than you would expect based on its name, so not the best option if you truly want white walls
Sample These Paint Colors
Sherwin-Williams Shoji White (SW 7042) shifts more than most colors from one end of a room to the other. In our client’s open-concept main floor it reads noticeably brighter by the windows than it does fifteen feet away in the shadows — same wall, same paint, same day. Its green undertone can also flash taupe against cool finishes, so put a sample near the window and another in the darkest corner before you commit.
Below, grab the links to sample any of the colors we featured in today’s post:
| Paint color | Peel-and-stick sample |
|---|---|
| Sherwin-Williams Shoji White (SW 7042) | Sample Shoji White |
| Sherwin-Williams White Duck (SW 7010) | Sample White Duck |
| Sherwin-Williams Alabaster (SW 7008) | Sample Alabaster |
| Sherwin-Williams Accessible Beige (SW 7036) | Sample Accessible Beige |
| Benjamin Moore Swiss Coffee (OC-45) | Sample Swiss Coffee |
| Benjamin Moore Pale Oak (OC-20) | Sample Pale Oak |
| Benjamin Moore White Down (970) | Sample White Down |
New to peel-and-stick samples? Samplize sends real manufacturer paint, two coats, in a 9” x 14” sheet, delivered overnight — no sample pots, no poster board, no mess. I use them on every consultation. More on our method here: how to test paint colors.
Key Learning Points
Sherwin-Williams Shoji White (SW 7042) is a complex cream paint color perfect for interior and exterior applications.
- Shoji White has warm green undertones that keep it looking cozy and welcoming on the wall, without skewing yellow.
- Shoji White works really well with common white trim colors like SW Extra White and SW Pure White.
- Outdoors, Shoji White can be used as a white body color or a white exterior trim color.
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 they can recreate Sherwin-Williams Shoji White (SW 7042) with Benjamin Moore paint, don’t do it. See what happens when you paint match across brands.
No matter what, always test your paint colors. It’s a standard best practice and is the difference between a paint project you love and one you regret. 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.
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Related Posts
- Sherwin-Williams Alabaster Color Review
- Sherwin-Williams Pearly White Color Review
- Sherwin-Williams Urbane Bronze Color Review
- Best Sherwin-Williams White Paint Colors
- Best Green Paint 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 — whether that’s a whole-house color scheme or ideas for a single room.
Since founding The Color Concierge in 2017, my team and I have completed 1,000s of color consultations, online and in person. I’m a Certified Color Expert with nine years of experience creating interior and exterior color palettes throughout North America.
Every color review on this site comes from colors we’ve specified in real homes and photographed on location during our own consultations — not from a fan deck or a manufacturer’s website.
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.
One Response
I am attempting to find a SW neutral wall paint that will go with a dark brown, goldie orange wood floor. Some look more pink due to lighting and i’m trying to avoid that as well as yellow