Sherwin-Williams Oyster White (SW 7637) review

What color is Oyster White?

Oyster White (SW 7637) is a creamy off-white that Sherwin-Williams describes as having a soft green-beige undertone. At LRV 72.5 it is a muted white indoors and a bright warm white outdoors, which is why it is so often chosen for siding and exterior trim.

Is Oyster White warm or cool?

Warm. Its yellow–blue value is +7.0, about as warm as Creamy, while a green–red value of −0.5 adds the faint green that keeps it from looking yellow or peach.

Oyster White undertones

The green-beige note is subtle and shows most next to pink-leaning beiges and red brick, where it can look slightly green. Beside cool grays it reads warmer and creamier.

Oyster White LRV and light

At LRV 72.5 it reflects a little less light than the classic whites, so it looks much brighter in full sun than in a shaded interior.

Simulated from the manufacturer's color values. Always test a sample in your own light.

Best uses for Oyster White

Exteriors and exterior trim

Oyster White’s strongest use. In sun it reads as a warm white without the glare of brighter whites, and it pairs with red brick, warm stone and dark roofs. It also makes a soft exterior trim with deeper siding.

Kitchen cabinets

It makes a soft, creamy cabinet color, especially with lighter walls such as Pearly White or Alabaster.

Living rooms and whole-house walls

In bright homes it works as a calm, warm whole-house color, and in a living room it pairs well with linen, warm wood and leather. Test it in your darkest room, where it can look greige.

Bedrooms and bathrooms

It gives bedrooms a soft, warm calm, and suits bathrooms with warm marble and brass. In a dim bath it can look greige, so pair it with warm, bright bulbs.

When to avoid Oyster White

Avoid it as interior trim with brighter walls, where it can look dingy, and next to very pale yellow siding. If you want a whiter warm white indoors, Alabaster is brighter and less creamy.

Oyster White pros and cons

Pros

• A warm exterior white that does not glare in sun.
• Pairs with red brick, warm stone and dark roofs.
• Soft and creamy on cabinets.

Cons

• Can look dingy as interior trim beside brighter whites.
• Can look slightly green beside pink-beige finishes.
• Greige-looking in dim rooms.

Oyster White vs Alabaster

Alabaster (LRV 82.2) is clearly brighter and a little less warm, 3.2 apart. Choose Oyster White for a soft cream exterior or cabinets, Alabaster for interior walls and trim that should read white.

Oyster White exterior color schemes

For a classic look, pair Oyster White siding with light blue shutters and a white or dark front door. For a warm brick home, use Oyster White trim with warm light brick and gray shutters, such as Analytical Gray from its own coordinating colors.

Best white trim for Oyster White

Indoors, Pure White makes a clean trim without looking blue. Avoid stark whites such as Extra White, which make Oyster White look dingy. Outdoors, Oyster White can be the trim itself on deeper siding.

Oyster White color strip

Oyster White hex code, RGB and LRV

Sherwin-Williams lists Oyster White (SW 7637) as hex #E2DDD0 and LRV 72.5.

Colors that go with Oyster White

Its coordinating colors are the mid gray Analytical Gray and the deep olive-bronze Brassy, a classic exterior pairing of light body, gray accent and dark door.

Oyster White vs similar whites

Oyster White vs Natural Choice

Natural Choice is a near twin, 0.5 apart, a hair lighter and warmer; see Natural Choice vs Oyster White.

Oyster White vs White Duck

White Duck (SW 7010) is 0.7 apart and slightly lighter.

Oyster White vs Shoji White

Shoji White (LRV 74.3) is 1.4 apart, with more beige and less green.

Oyster White vs Pearly White

Pearly White (LRV 77.3) is lighter and less warm, 1.9 apart, a good wall color with Oyster White cabinets.

Oyster White vs Greek Villa

Greek Villa (SW 7551, LRV 84.2) is much brighter and a little less warm, 3.5 apart, so it makes the better interior trim and ceiling white with Oyster White walls.

How to test Oyster White

For an exterior, look at a large board in full sun and in shade, next to your brick or stone. Indoors, compare it with your trim white to make sure it does not look dingy.

Colors similar to Oyster White

Natural Choice (SW 7011) is the closest Sherwin-Williams color, 0.5 apart. Benjamin Moore lists Fog Mist (OC-31) with the same hex value, #E2DDD0, so it is effectively a match on paper; Fossil (AF-65) is 0.8 apart. See more on the white paint colors page.

ΔE is the CIEDE2000 color difference between the two manufacturer colors: around 1 is barely visible; 2–3 is visible when the chips sit side by side.

Oyster White FAQs