Sherwin Williams Extra White (SW 7006)
Sherwin Williams Extra White is a popular, clean, crisp white paint color that lacks noticeable undertones and brightens up any room.
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Choosing white paint may seem like an easy thing to do, but it’s famously difficult. Why? Because white paint isn’t just white paint!
If white paint was that simple, why would there be dozens of white color options in the paint market?
Instead, white paint has undertones that change the way various shades appear. You can find blue, gray, greige, beige, taupe, pink, or a combination of multiple undertones in white paint. No wonder choosing a shade can be so complicated!
Not long ago, I shared a color review of one of my favorite white paint colors: Benjamin Moore’s Simply White. It’s a clean go-to white that I’ve personally used and loved in several different areas of my home.
Now I have another crisp white that I want to introduce you to, Sherwin Williams’s Extra White (SW 7006). This paint shade is a true classic and a rarity because it lacks noticeable undertones.
Let’s dive in and check out this modern and fresh white paint!
NOTE: Check out these tools to make the job easier if you’re doing the painting yourself. And you may also find my best tips for painting a room in 5 simple steps helpful.
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What color is Sherwin Williams Extra White?
Here are a few quick essential qualities to know about this timeless shade:
- It’s a fresh white that leans just a tad to the cool side
- Bright white with an LRV of 86
- A designer’s favorite shade for walls, ceilings, trim, and cabinets
- A clean, crisp white color that’s bright but not stark
Undertones in Extra White
Extra White paint color is a versatile, fresh white that lacks obvious undertones. But since no color completely escapes the presence of undertones, it’s time to reveal Extra White’s secret.
It does have just a hint of blue (which normally gives it that crisp, clean appearance). SW Extra White reads clean white the vast majority of the time.
However, when a room has cool-tinted lighting (ex: north-facing light or morning west-facing light exposure), you may notice just a touch of blue undertones.
By contrast, warm-tinted lighting will make Extra White look balanced.
Fun fact: Sherwin Williams Extra White is usually the Sherwin Williams right-off-the-shelf color in the paint can. Basically, if you buy a can of paint and don’t get it tinted to another color, it will probably be Extra White.
Bottomline: Extra White is a balanced white paint color with very slightly cool undertones.
Popular White Colors Compared to Extra White
You can see how Extra White compares to other white paint colors below.
Extra White vs. Alabaster shows how SW Alabaster is warm, almost a beige compared to Extra White. And then Extra White vs. Simply White shows how Simply White is only slightly more warm than Extra White. And Snowbound is very similar to Extra White.
PRO Tip
Any time you are choosing a new paint color, you need to try out the real paint color in your home first!
The easiest and quickest way to do that is with Samplize! I solely use them for paint samples now. There’s no mess, no leftover sample pots of paint. Plus, these no-mess, peel-and-stick rectangles made from real paint, are easy to move around the room and easy to save for future reference!
LRV of SW Extra White
Light reflectance value (LRV) is the amount of light a paint color either reflects or absorbs. A higher LRV number indicates how much more light the color reflects (rather than absorbs). In other words, LRV 100 is pure white, and LRV 0 is pure black.
Extra White has a Light Reflectance Value of 86.
Sherwin Williams Extra White is the second brightest white that Sherwin Williams offers (behind only High Reflective White). It’s not much brighter than SW Snowbound, but it looks noticeably brighter since it lacks the gray undertones that make Snowbound appear muted.
Sherwin Williams Extra White Coordinating Colors
BM Extra White looks terrific with many colors, but especially cool-toned, darker shades. Sherwin Williams recommends pairing it with:
- Smoky Azurite
- Charcoal Blue
I think it looks incredible with some of my personal favorites, including:
- Mindful Gray
- Repose Gray
- Snowfall
- Iron Ore
- Light French Gray
- Storm Cloud
- Naval
- Sea Salt
- Chelsea Gray
Best Trim Colors to Go With Extra White
If you choose Extra White as your wall color, you’ll need to decide on what color you want to paint your trim.
You could choose to paint your trim Extra White as well if you love the color but are concerned about its undertones. This is a great approach to downplay those undertones.
To add contrast between trim and walls painted the same shade, try using different paint finishes. I recommend using semi-gloss for the trim so that it looks a little brighter. Then use an eggshell finish on the interior walls to make the wall color look slightly darker.
Another route you could go is to choose a brighter white for the trim color to add even more contrast to your SW Extra White walls. Good options are Sherwin Williams High Reflective White and Benjamin Moore Chantilly Lace.
Where can you use Sherwin Williams Extra White?
Extra White by Sherwin Williams is a classic, timeless white paint color. Feel free to use it nearly anywhere confidently, and it’s especially helpful for opening up small spaces or rooms that have low ceilings.
In addition, try using it for:
- Doors
- Wall molding
- Trim
- Cabinets
- Built-ins
- Ceilings
- Interior walls
- Fireplaces and accents
- Exteriors
Is Sherwin Williams Extra White a good color for cabinets?
Yes! Since this shade lacks obvious undertones, it makes a great go-to color for cabinets.
Home Styles That Work With Extra White
- Farmhouse
- Modern
- Traditional
- Transitional
- And more
Room Examples Using Sherwin Williams Extra White
I’ve gathered a few examples of SW Extra White (SW 7006) paint to show off how it looks in a variety of rooms and lighting situations. Take note of how different decor colors and settings impact the way that Extra White appears.
Extra White Kitchen
I love my kitchen, but I really dream of a kitchen as beautiful as this one from Paper Moon Painting. Although there is enough natural light that a darker color would also look great, Extra White has a way of making this room “pop.” Or maybe it’s all the fun splashes of color?
Sherwin Williams Extra White Living Room
This living room from Chrissy Marie Blog is stunning! SW Extra White walls give the appearance of simple and timeless decor, which she accents with a few pops of blue and wood tones.
Bedroom in SW Extra White
This bedroom from Rethink Design Studio may be a tad on the small side, but Extra White makes it look much more spacious. A simple shade like this one can sometimes seem overused, but when it’s used in combination with texture (like the beams in the ceiling), it never gets boring.
Check out my top Bedroom Paint Colors to see if Extra White makes the cut!
Sherwin Williams Extra White Accents
This color looks great on fireplaces, built-ins, and molding. As it happens, this picture from Maison de Pax has all of those elements together! Notice how clean, timeless, and just plain gorgeous these Extra White-painted accents are.
Extra White Sherwin Williams Exterior
The brightness of this paint color makes it a great exterior shade for climates that tend to be overcast. In other climates, it’s a great crisp white trim color, as seen on this house from Kylie M Interiors.
Frequently Asked Questions
Extra White leans slightly on the cool side. It will appear cooler in shadowy lighting, and it will look balanced (and even a little warm) in bright, warm lighting.
Not at all! This shade doesn’t have any yellow undertones and instead leans to the cool end of the spectrum just a tad. Instead of looking yellow, Extra White looks pure, bright, and refreshing.
Yes, but I would say that with the caveat that your climate and surroundings matter. Extra White will look incredible as a trim color for almost any home.
If you’re considering it for the body of your home, it works best in overcast or cooler climates to prevent the shade from looking too bright.
Choosing a white paint color is challenging! Check out my article about how to choose a white paint color for tips and tricks to make this difficult task easier.
Sherwin Williams Extra White is a clean, fresh white paint that imbues a chic timelessness to any space. And it’s an ideal choice for rooms where you want to create a more spacious appearance!
More Paint Colors
If you’re searching for great go-to shades to use in your home, I highly recommend a few of my favorites:
Tools to Help to Paint a Room Yourself
I’ve gathered some helpful tools for painting a room yourself. I recommend starting by checking out my tips for painting a room in 5 easy steps. I do my own painting nearly all of the time, and I use these tools to make the job easier and give professional-looking results!
- Paint Brush – These paint brushes are a little more expensive than your basic brush, but they’re worth it! I’ve used these brushes for more than a decade, and if you wash them out well after each use, they will last for years.
- Painter’s Tape – a MUST-have for taping off edges. You’ll need to tape off all edges if you don’t have a steady hand.
- Drop Cloths – a must-have to protect flooring and furniture from drips.
- Paint cup – Sure, you could use any old cup, but I’ve come to swear by this one. The magnetic piece holds your brush cleanly in place when you need to take a break. And it fits my hand perfectly, keeping it from cramping.
- Roller Tray – I’ve found the only paint tray I’ll ever use again. The magnetic piece is great for holding the roller in place. And the liners are a luxury, but I won’t paint without them because it makes cleaning up a breeze!
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Thank you for this post. The upstairs of my house: 3 bedrooms and the stairway face west; more bedrooms face east, and the hallway is interior with no window. The downstairs of my house: the living room and entry face east; the family room, an eating area, the kitchen and the dining room face east. Would this paint work throughout my home, or should I use a different whites? Thank you!
Hi Lulu, I would get a sample, paint it on a poster board or get a Samplize sample to test how it looks in every space. It will look different in each room because of the different directions and lack of natural light in some spaces. I have a main color throughout the main spaces of my home and it definitely is different in different rooms. Just make sure you like how it looks in each space with a sample before commiting! 🙂 xo, Laura