Read all about Sherwin Williams Snowbound, plus see 28 real homes that use it!
Sherwin Williams Snowbound is a clean neutral paint color that can create a pretty, cozy vibe when used in the right rooms. In this post, we’re going to do a snowy adventure over the river and through the woods into the world of Snowbound.
You’ll learn more about this shade than you ever thought possible, but by the end, you’ll have a pretty good inkling as to if this is the right neutral shade for you. Let’s get started!
First, here’s a look at Snowbound used in various spaces to give you an overview of this paint color…
Is Sherwin Williams Snowbound a Bright White?
You know that old saying, don’t judge a book by its cover? Well, the same goes for paint names. Close your eyes and imagine what the shade that evoked the name “snowbound” may look like.
Now, open your eyes and get ready for a rude awakening, because this shade is probably not what you thought of!
Have you all ever wondered who gets to name paint shades? What a fun job! I can imagine whoever named this one was stuck at home in the midst of a snowstorm, swirling wine in a glass and thinking to him or herself, “ah, yes…Snowbound.”
When you look at the swatch, you may think the shade leans far more greige. However, once it’s on a wall, the shade acts as a slightly cool, creamy white! As you’ll notice in the room examples below, this shade can be a true chameleon.
That being said, when you put Snowbound in a room that is filled with lots of bright natural light, the color lightens considerably! As you’ll see in the rooms below, the shade can vary dramatically based on the lighting.
Is Snowbound Warm or Cool?
This is a tough one. SW Snowbound at first glance looks like a warm paint. However, as you start to look at it in rooms, it becomes more evident that the tones are actually cool, not warm. That’s thanks to the gray undertones in the paint (learn more below!).
If undertones make your head hurt, you’re not alone! Grab your free copy of 5 Biggest Paint Choice Mistakes Click here or enter your email below. I’ll send the tips right away!⤵️
LRV of SW Snowbound
Another thing you need to consider anytime you pick a paint shade for your home is LRV values. If you aren’t familiar with the concept, it’s simple enough to understand.
LRV stands for “light reflective value” and it essentially tells you how light or dark a paint color will appear based on the amount of light it reflects vs absorbs.
On a scale of 0 (pitch black) to 100 (bright pure white), the LRV of Snowbound is 83. That means the shade leans decidedly bright more than dark. How this actually looks will depend on the room’s lighting and even furnishings, as you’ll see below.
LRV…what? Don’t worry, I’ve got you! Grab a FREE copy of my new guide to avoid the paint color picking mistakes people make! Click here or enter your email below. I’ll send the tips right away!⤵️
Sherwin Williams Snowbound vs. Other Paints
When trying to decide if a shade is right for you or not, it can be helpful to compare it to other popular shades and see what the differences are. Here’s how SW Snowbound stacked up against some other paint colors.
SW Snowbound vs. Snowfall
Ah, the battle of the “snow” paints. First of all, it’s important to note that there are TWO paints called Snowfall. One is Snowfall White by Benjamin Moore which is a crisp clean white, and the other is Sherwin Williams Snowfall which is very similar to SW Snowbound.
Here are the LRVs for each of these white shades:
- SW Snowbound: 83
- BM Snowfall White: 91.82
- SW: Snowfall: 73
Here’s an image to visually compare Snowbound with Ben Moore Snowfall White⤵️
Snowbound vs Alabaster
These two popular Sherwin Williams shades are often compared with each other as people decide between the two. SW Alabaster has LRV of 82, which is almost identical to that of Snowbound, 83.
Snowbound vs Alabaster is more about the undertones than about the brightness of the shades. Alabaster is warmer than Snowbound, with more beige undertones than gray. Snowbound is brighter, but Alabaster is creamier.
Sherwin Williams Snowbound vs. Benjamin Moore Pure White
To confuse everyone as much as possible, Benjamin Moore went ahead and named a color “Pure White“. No, it’s not pure white as in absolutely no pigment-at-all white as white paint. It’s actually a shade of white. And here’s how it looks next to Snowbound.
Pure White’s LRV is 80.88, so it’s a smidge darker than Snowbound. It also has much cooler undertones, bending more toward a gray than a greige or even beige color.
Feeling lost? I gotcha, boo! Grab a FREE copy of my new guide to avoid the paint color picking mistakes people make! Click here or enter your email below. I’ll send the tips right away!⤵️
Real Homes Using Sherwin Williams Snowbound
Alright, time to dig into the good part: all that eye candy! But first, a warning. Do NOT fall in love with one of these rooms, run out and buy 4 cans and start painting your space! Remember the cardinal rule of painting: sample before you swipe that paintbrush!!!
As far as sampling goes, I highly recommend these mess-free, re-usable, re-positionable peel and stick paint samples ⤵
Sherwin Williams Snowbound Kitchens
The kitchen is the heart of the home, but that doesn’t mean picking the perfect paint shade for it is easy! Here are some kitchens painted SW Snowbound—it could be your perfect paint color!
A quick note here: don’t forget to consider picking the right paint finish…it’s not only about getting the color right! We have an in-depth explanation of choosing sheens here.
For kitchens, eggshell or satin are popular finish choices for walls. For cabinets consider semi-gloss or high gloss for the most durable finish (and a gorgeous glow).
1. A White That’s Good As Gold
I love a good double island, and these two are particularly pretty in Snowbound. This shade looks light and bright without being stark or overly cold in this all-white kitchen from @sitamontgomeryinteriors.
The shade looks great with warmer gold/brass accents, too.
2. Can Look Slightly Gray in Low-Light
In a kitchen like this one, from On South Drive, that has a little bit less natural light, you can see the gray undertones start to peek through. This adds just enough visual interest to keep the kitchen from looking too blinding.
3. Mild Green Undertones
This eat-in kitchen from Tag and Tibby is painted in Sherwin Williams Snowbound. All the green accents in the room make the paint pick up just a bit of that green undertone and reflect it back.
4. Can Look Warmer in Artificial Light
With warm bulbs like this kitchen has, Snowbound looks quite a bit more creamy and warm.
5. Good Option for Brightening a Kitchen
The room paint in this kitchen is decidedly warm. That helps balance out the slightly cool tones found in Sherwin Williams Snowbound so it looks more cozy.
6. Beautiful Blue and White Kitchen
Jaw-dropping right? This kitchen gives me all the heart eyes.
This space is such a great example of balancing warmer and darker hues together so that the overall look is very neutral in terms of temperature…not too warm, not too cold. As Goldilocks would say, it’s just right. The navy blue island is painted SW Salty Dog.
7. White Cabinets, Gray Kitchen Walls
Here’s a good example of when those cool, gray undertones in Snowbound start to peek through.
To me, the kitchen cabinets look very slightly gray instead of white or taupe in situations with lower light and when paired with a gray wall color, like this one (SW Amazing Gray).
8. All-White Kitchen
This kitchen is what my natural light dreams are made of! If you have a kitchen with a lot of light flooding in like this one, Sherwin Williams Snowbound can be a great option to help it from looking too stark.
Bedrooms with Sherwin Williams Snowbound
More and more homeowners are jumping on the white bedroom trend. Picking a white for a bedroom is not as easy as you might think though. There’s a delicate balance between soothing and stark, and Snowbound seems to have found it perfectly in many of these rooms.
In general for bedrooms, and low-traffic areas, flat paint is fine. If you like something with a bit of shine (and more ease of cleaning) opt for eggshell or satin.
9. Sophisticated with Darker Moldings
I definitely recommend you take a scroll through the photos below. Not only is the bedroom painted in Sherwin Williams Snowbound, but she repeated the same color palette throughout her home, so you can see how it looks in each room.
This look with the darker doors and trim details is sophisticated, for sure. The trim/door color? SW Repose Gray.
10. Can Look Almost Gray
This is a white bedroom done right! You can see the color change from top to bottom.
The color is much more gray on the top, but as your eye moves down and you see where the light hits the wall, it becomes a warmer white.
11. Doesn’t Always Look Cool
In this room from The Spoiled Home, Snowbound looks a lot warmer. That’s because of the warm-toned accessories on the back wall reflecting onto the paint. You can see how it has a pink tinge at the very top of the room.
Sherwin Williams Snowbound in Living Areas
If your family is anything like mine, you probably spend most of your time in the living room. OK, well maybe time is split between the living room and the kitchen—you’ve got to get snacks to fuel all those Netflix binges, right? Either way, it’s important to choose your white living room paint with care as you’ll be staring at it a lot. Here’s how SW Snowbound looks in these living rooms.
12. Pretty Paint with Navy and Neutral Accessories
In this pretty living room from City Farmhouse, Snowbound pairs well with the navy curtains and neutral accessories. If you’re looking for a paint that could work with almost any style, this could be the one!
13. White Without Yellow Undertones
If you look from left to right, you can see how the paint changes as light reflects on it. On the far right, it looks much more gray than on the left, thanks to the placement of lighting.
14. Pairs Well with Wood and Black Accents
Ahhhh…can’t you just feel the relaxation? This is one of the most zen-like spaces I’ve seen, and Snowbound helps make it perfect. Again, notice how the bright natural light on the right looks very different than the space on the far left.
15. Modern Farmhouse Family Room
Here’s another relaxing living space that looks splendid in Snowbound. One thing to note is that the shade can get pretty gray when in shadowy corners—to the left of the fireplace is a great example.
16. Clean and Updated Living Room Look
Again, you can watch the tone shift from neutral to decidedly cool as the light fades. (Photographer credit: @_kateraines_).
17. Stellar Living Space in Snowbound
In my opinion, SW Snowbound was a great choice for this living room! The shade looks perfectly creamy and serves as the perfect backdrop to these decor pieces.
18. Bright, Sunshiny Day in a Snowbound Sitting Room
Sherwin Williams Snowbound frames those beautiful windows perfectly. The gray undertones peek out just a bit, and the paint reflects just a tiny bit of green from all the lush trees.
19. Bright White Family Room
Want a modern white that can handle an entire great room? Snowbound could be the answer!
SW Snowbound in Bathrooms
White paint in the bathroom can be a tricky thing. You have to find the right balance and make sure your shade leans more soothing spa than a stark hospital. Does Snowbound perform well? Take a look and see!
Don’t forget the finish! For bathrooms the perfect sheen is either an eggshell or satin. Why? We’ll tell you in this post about paint sheen.
20. Blue and White Bath
When paired with a blue lower wall, the cool gray in Snowbound really starts to show.
21. Snowbound Bathroom
When paired with pretty wood cabinets, Snowbound’s slightly cool undertone becomes more balanced, making the paint a perfect pairing.
22. Sparkling Bath Paint Shade
Like we’ve talked about, the lighting affects the outcome of the paint immensely. In this room, the paint looks much creamier and brighter by the window, then looks silvery-gray closer to the sink.
23. Snowy Spa Retreat
Check out this lush spa-like bathroom from talented Maison de Pax! Snowbound works so well with the blue accents in this bathroom, but the effect isn’t too cooling that it’s cold.
Snowbound Exteriors
Out of all the places to paint, the exterior is by far the hardest. First of all, the light changes will never be as dramatic inside as they are outside. Secondly, it’s way more of a commitment to paint the exterior. So, choose wisely (sample, sample, sample again!). Here are how some homes look with Sherwin Williams Snowbound exteriors.
24. Pairs Well with Warm Gray Shutters
Here Snowbound acts as the perfect companion to the warmer door color and shutters. The cool undertones keep the paint from looking too yellow.
25. All White Exterior Color
Scroll through the photos below and see what I mean by how exterior lighting can change a paint. The first photo is sunnier, while the second is more overcast which makes that gray peek out even more.
Other Spaces with Sherwin Williams Snowbound
26. Shiny, Happy Playroom Paint
What a difference the right shade of paint makes! This playroom looks majorly upgraded thanks to Snowbound.
27. Gorgeous with Green Entryway & Hall
Looking for the right paint to greet your guests? Snowbound pairs well here with SW Pewter Green board and batten.
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