The Color Digest · Compare
Settled, side by side
Shoji White
Sherwin-Williams · SW 7042
Rice paper, in paint
Pure White
Sherwin-Williams · SW 7005
The white that stays out of the way
In real rooms
Every room, each colorThe difference
Read from the numbersPure White is the lighter of the two at LRV 84, 10 points above Shoji White at LRV 74. Shoji White leans warm where Pure White reads neutral. Both belong to the whites family. For a whole room, Pure White is the safer, more forgiving choice thanks to its higher LRV, while Shoji White is the bolder pick.
How they read
In their own wordsShoji White is a warm off-white with a greige base — a little grey, a little pink, no yellow. At LRV 74 it is soft rather than bright, and it has the quality of light through a paper screen: even, warm, forgiving. It is the white for people who find true whites cold and creams too sweet.
Pure White is one of Sherwin-Williams' most-specified whites for a simple reason: it has almost no agenda. A trace of grey keeps it from glaring, a trace of warmth keeps it from turning blue, and at LRV 84 it is bright without being stark. It is the white you choose when the art, the furniture or the view is the point.