Sherwin Williams Extra White 7006 in Real Spaces

SW Extra White is an extremely popular white paint color and a wonderful choice for ceilings, trim, and cabinetry. Read on for details about SW 7006 and to see pictures of it in real spaces!

White trim work is about as classic as it gets. Though colorful trim and cabinets can be fun, you can pretty much never go wrong with the perfect white trim paint… And Sherwin Williams Extra White is a perfectly classic choice.

So today I thought I’d continue the paint color reviews with some real-life images of Sherwin Williams Extra White SW 7006 in various spaces.

SW 7006 Extra White Paint Color

I want to start by talking about the paint: its make up, its undertones, its strengths… Then we’ll get more specific about how to use it in real spaces. Note: the images you see in the post are actually painted with SW 7006.

The Perfect classic white

Disclaimer: I always recommend testing colors in the actual space where you intend to use them. Even after doing this job for years, I still bring paint samples into each space and watch them at different times of day before making a decision. So while Extra White is an incredibly strong option, remember that you’ll want to consider your own space and these factors before deciding for sure.

That said, Extra White is a bright, crisp white paint that looks truly white against most other colors. In fact, it is actually the straight-off-the-shelf color of almost all of the SW paint lines. So if you walk into the store and buy a can of paint without having it tinted, you will likely get Extra White.

With any color, though, it is important to consider its undertones to know how the paint color may change depending on lighting conditions and color pairings. And Extra White is no exception.

SW Extra White Undertones

Undertones are simply the colors that can appear in certain lights or when next to other colors. And despite its name, Extra White is not 100% white; it actually has some cool undertones, or hints of blue gray in it.

As a cool white, Extra White can look a little stark white or clinical against some other colors. It can also make warmer colors look more yellow by comparison. However, just because a color could pair negatively with another color, doesn’t mean it will. See further down in this post for more info on pairing SW Extra White with other colors!

In the meantime, know that northern light tends to make cool colors even cooler, while southern light tends to look warmer. East/West rooms will be warmer when the sun shines in morning/evening and cooler at the other times of day. So consider that when deciding whether a slightly cool color is right for your space.

Sheen

While we’re on the subject of paint, a common question I receive is what sheen should you use for wall or trim paint? Generally speaking, sheens work on a spectrum. The more matte the paint, the more it hides the imperfections or texture since it reflects the least amount of light. The glossier the paint, though, the more durable and cleanable it is.

Here’s a quick run down (in order from most matte to most glossy):

• flat (or “matte”): best for ceilings and sometimes walls (can show grease and scuffs)
• eggshell: best for walls (if you want to be able to wipe/clean them), can be used for ceilings if you want to simply spray ceilings and walls together
• satin: best for trim (or even walls in super high humidity spaces)
• semigloss: best for trim (gives a slightly more traditional look than satin)
• gloss: can be amazing for a high pop of style…. but needs to be used intentionally

SW Extra white is a great choice for trim and ceilings. It is not my favorite choice for interior walls, since that’s where the slightly blue or purple undertone can sometimes raise its ugly head.

Light Reflective Value

The Light Reflective Value or LRV of any paint is a number assigned based on how much light the color reflects, with 0 being absolute black and 100 being pure white. The higher the number, the more light is reflected. Extra White has an LRV of 86, which makes it a true bright white paint color but NOT the brightest white on the market by any means.

For the record, no actual paint has an LRV of 100. Sherwin Williams High Reflective White (which is one of the brightest paint whites you can get) is 93. Pretty much anything 80 or above is considered white, and “off whites” can hover from ~70-80.

SW Extra White’s LRV of 86 is reflective enough to be a true white while soft enough not to overpower other soft tones in the room.

How to test Paint Colors

As I said, testing your paint shade in your actual space, especially with whites, is so important. I’ve never had a problem with paint swatches all over my walls, but I realize that’s sometimes inconvenient. And due to challenges in getting paint samples these days, I am excited to share a better option.

Samplize will send you a reusable peel and stick sheet made with real paint. It allows you to move the sample around in the room to catch the different lights. I hope you find this tool as helpful as I have!

Get your peel and stick paint samples here.

Similar Colors to Extra white

How does Extra White compare to other popular paint colors?

Sherwin Williams Extra White VS Pure white

The names can be confusing, but there is a distinct different between SW Extra White and Sherwin Williams Pure White. Pure White is a warm white with very slight yellow undertones, while Extra White is cool. I would not pair the two together.

If you are trying to decide between them for a trim color, though, you have to ask yourself if you want the trim to blend with the wall color or pop against it. For cool wall colors, I recommend Extra White (Pure White can look yellow by comparison), but for warm wall colors you can often go either way. See below for more ideas on pairing wall colors with Extra White.

Extra White vs high reflective white

Due to its cool tones, Extra White gives the impression of a bright white against most other colors, but if you want a real pop of white, then High Reflective White, with an LRV of 93, is the way to go.

Other similar bright, cool whites include Benjamin Moore Chantilly Lace and Decorator’s White. Both of these are bright and a touch cool – and therefore have a similar clean, stark look to Extra White.

USING SHERWIN WILLIAMS EXTRA WHITE FOR TRIM

All those things we mentioned about blue undertones become super important when pairing wall colors with trim colors.

Typically, a cool trim color goes best with cool wall colors (blues, grays, etc.). SW Extra White is almost always a wonderful trim choice when planning on a cool wall color. It will read as a crisp, clean, true white.

For example, SW Extra white is paired here with a crisp SW Ellie Gray exterior. A creamy trim paint would have looked dingy against the Ellie Gray, but the cool Extra White was perfectly classic.

Pairing a cool trim color with a warm wall color can make the trim pull blue or the wall look dingy… BUT just because a color could pair negatively with another color, doesn’t mean it will.

For example, I have paired SW Extra White with Sherwin Williams Alabaster (a lovely warm white) and found it worked beautifully. Instead of making the trim look blue, pairing it with Alabaster (at least in this home) actually just helped the trim pop a bit against the soft white walls.

It also pairs beautifully with SW Agreeable Gray walls, which are a warm greige color. Again, the coolness of the Extra White allows it to really pop as a bright white against the warmth of the greige walls.

In short, it’s important to remember that SW Extra White has a slightly cool undertone, but that doesn’t necessarily limit you from using it with most other colors. It’s simply important to remember to try the colors in the actual space where you’ll be using them.

what color trim for extra white walls?

I typically don’t really recommend Extra White for walls. For my favorite white wall colors, see here. But if you want to use Extra White on the walls, then I would definitely also recommend it for the trim. It’s tricky to choose a trim paint that won’t look dingy next to Extra White walls except for SW High Reflective White (if you just want something that will pop even more).

Mixing Extra white with Colored Trim

If all white trim feels too boring, then SW Extra White can pair with other trim colors beautifully. In this remodel, we used Extra White for the baseboards and windows and paired it with SW Iron Ore (a cool dark charcoal color) french doors and stairs.

I also think it could be beautiful with deep blue or warm gray trim accents.

More Exterior and Interior Paint Color Ideas

If you enjoyed this, be sure to check out these other paint color posts:

• Agreeable Gray SW 7029 in Real Spaces
• SW White Duck and SW Tricorn Black Exterior
• The Best White Paint Colors

Overall, I think Sherwin Williams Extra White is one of the simplest white paint color options, especially for ceilings and trim. And if you think you might agree, be sure to pin this for your next makeover!