Sherwin Williams White Duck paint may not be on your radar yet…but it should be! If you are looking for a unique creamy paint with just the right touch of gray, this could be the shade for you!
In fact, this soft hue is what we personally chose for our basement—I love the airiness it brings to the space! But, it may not be the right shade for every situation. So let’s take a deep dive into White Duck and see if it’s right for YOU.
For a long time, beige paint colors were top dog. It seemed that nearly every builder was filling new houses with beige to help them sell. That’s why beiges of the 1990s are called “builder’s grade” neutrals or beiges.
Then, the trend moved to gray, and suddenly, people painted everything gray. Grays stayed in that king-of-the-colors position for a LONG time. But now, another shift in the trend of most popular paint colors is happening. This time, it’s toward off-whites and greiges.
More and more homeowners want a neutral color with some depth and warmth without looking too yellow. And that’s the beauty of these neutrals.
I’ve heard from many readers about the struggle of choosing paint colors, so I’ve been covering a variety of colors in extensive color reviews (like the one you’re reading now!). In these reviews, I share the great things about each color, as well as the areas to watch out for, in hopes of making choosing a color a more straightforward process.
In today’s color review, we’re taking a deep dive into Sherwin Williams White Duck (SW 7010), which is a light, warm, neutral but unique blend of greige and cream that brightens and adds cozy charm to any space without those dreaded shades of visible yellow.
Whites, off-whites, and other neutrals can be notoriously hard to choose because there are so many with very subtle differences! If you’re searching for the perfect light creamy greige, keep reading because I will share all the ins, outs, and secrets about Sherwin Williams White Duck.
I’m not gonna lie – choosing the PERFECT paint color isn’t as easy as seeing what you like online and simply adding it to your space. There’s an entire science behind it! 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!⤵️
White Duck at a Glance
- White Duck Sherwin Williams is described as a cool, creamy white on its color page.
- This shade is a neutral cream, with balanced undertones.
- The unique mix of greige and cream makes a welcoming color that is equal parts bright and cozy.
- White Duck is one of Sherwin Williams’ most popular colors for neutral interiors, loved for its versatile, classic look.
Sherwin Williams White Duck Undertones
Time to consult the color wheel! Because as you may already know, undertones are an inescapable part of paint – EVERY color has them.
Overall, SW White Duck’s undertones are pretty neutral. It gives a very creamy vibe and adds a warm and cozy ambiance without reading yellow or green (which can happen with beiges). It will rarely flash a faint wink of pink.
If you want similar (but different) colors to White Duck, check out Benjamin Moore Ballet White and Sherwin Williams Shoji White.
In any case, I strongly recommend utilizing paint swatches for every color you’re seriously considering. Move them around your home and check them out in different lighting situations to thoroughly evaluate paint colors. This process will help you identify undertones that can show up in your home.
How Different Types of Lighting Affect SW White Duck
Lighting plays a significant role in how White Duck reads. Thanks to its light tone, it will usually appear light and bright off-white.
The one warning I will give is that it can sometimes look a little dingy in low lighting, thanks to its greige coloring. However, both natural and artificial light work well with this color to prevent that from happening.
Here’s a general idea of how lighting will impact White Duck’s appearance:
- North-facing light – this is the coolest light, which tends to bring out the coolness of colors. White Duck will lean slightly greige in north-facing rooms, but the color’s inherent warmth will warm up the room.
- South-facing light – this bright, warm lighting will draw out the warmth of White Duck. It will read more creamy or beige in this lighting.
- East-facing light – this bright yellow morning light will make this shade read warm in the morning, but the afternoon is a different story because the light will be to the west. That’s when White Duck does its best work to warm up the room, although it will lean greige.
- West-facing light – this ultra-warm, orange-red light will make White Duck appear its warmest. Expect it to look very beige in this lighting in the evening while looking slightly more greige in the morning. If you really want to avoid those yellow undertones, I’d tread carefully here.
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!⤵️
NOTE: Paint colors rarely look the same in two different places. And don’t expect the on-screen representation of White Duck to look the same in your home! Use sample colors to see how any paint color will look in YOUR home.
As far as sampling goes, I highly recommend these mess-free, re-usable, re-positionable peel and stick paint samples ⤵
Also, the type of paint matters!
Be aware that your paint sheen choice makes an impact. As you are staring at paint samples, you may be wondering if you should go with flat paint, satin, eggshell or semi-gloss paint type. Don’t worry, I’ve got you covered! Here’s everything you need to know about choosing the best paint finish.
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!⤵️
25 Real Life Homes Using SW White Duck
Let’s ditch the techy stuff and get to the good stuff! Sherwin Williams White Duck is a popular interior and exterior shade for a reason – let’s check out real houses that use it to find out why.
Sherwin Williams White Duck Living Rooms
1. A Paint Color That Says “Put Your Feet Up and Relax”
You’ll see a lot of work from styling expert Liz MacDonald of @getshelfhelp in this article, because she loves White Duck, and everything she touches with White Duck turns to gold!
Check out this cozy family room space decked out in nothing but neutrals (and White Duck walls)…
2. A Chic Neutral Color
You can see the creamy nature of White Duck on the walls of @our_suburban_home‘s lovely living room.
The bright natural light makes it read off-white, but there’s just enough saturation that it still contrasts well against the white trim.
3. Creamy Off White Board and Batten
This natural color scheme from @beccabrownliving has a ton of visual interest through high-contrast details without using much color.
White Duck gives the board and batten walls of this living room so much character, providing the perfect neutral base.
4. Compliments Bold Colored Decor
If you have bold colors in your furniture or home accent pieces, I’ve found that having a simple, complementary color for your walls (like this light greige) works really well.
Test out SW White Duck to see if it looks as incredible with your home furnishings and accents as it does in this living room from Patterson Custom Homes via Houzz!
5. A Beautiful Mid-Century Feel
The timeless shade of White Duck looks perfect in this design from @terribennettinteriordesign, appearing natural in both the past and the present.
Natural wood and russet furniture pick up the warm tones of this shade, bringing its creamy base to the forefront.
6. Terrific Traditional Tone
Here’s another helpful example of our paint du jour in another family room space, this one with a more traditional style, both from designer Terri Bennett.
As you can see, this shade works really well with honey oak flooring…it coordinates well, and also helps tone down some of the orange tones in that type of wood. It looks rich, without feeling dated.
7. Perfect Color for a Cozy Christmas
White Duck wears well all year round. This charming living space from @bending_oak_farmhouse shows the paint in its seasonal glory, showing its true color in contrast with bright white trim.
Its neutral base is perfect for rotating seasonal decor, pairing well with a wide range of colors.
8. A Soothing Palette for a Relaxing Space
Here’s another living room from Liz MacDonald. Different accent colors here, and when green is used in the palette, you can start to see a little bit of greige popping through in this paint.
Kitchens with White Duck Paint
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).
9. Classic Tuxedo Style Kitchen
Liz MacDonald worked wonders in this kitchen renovation, and her palette once again included White Duck walls.
It adds just a smidge of warmth into this space, which is a great choice when working with a black and white palette that can end up feeling stark if a bit of warmth isn’t introduced. This space is divine, I think!
10. A White Duck Kitchen to Make us Green with Envy
Another Liz MacDonald project here, this one with a green and off-white palette thanks to a lovely kitchen island in popular SW Pewter Green.
11. A Perfect Farmhouse Off-White
The great lighting, wood accents, and stainless steel appliances come together to let White Duck shine as a soft, creamy off-white. It really is a terrific modern farmhouse color, as showcased in @farmhouse283chappellhill‘s home!
12. White Duck Kitchen Cabinets
But this color works well in traditional and transitional homes, too. If your kitchen doesn’t get a ton of natural light like @simpleluxcreations, try lightening it up by painting your cabinets in White Duck.
13. White Duck + Wood Tones
Here, the White Duck wall color casts a warm (but not yellow, or creamy) glow over this entire room. It’s an excellent choice for a large, airy space like this beautiful kitchen and dining room by @designsbycjb.
SW White Duck Bedrooms
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. Serene Bedroom Paint Color
It may be a light color, but there’s enough greige in this off-white that it pairs well with neutrals and wood tones.
It’s working hard (seemingly behind the scenes) to make @thealexanderaenue‘s bedroom an elegant retreat.
10. Creamy Off-White with Natural Light
When you want a creamy off-white that doesn’t read yellow, I urge you to consider SW White Duck.
This example from Patterson Custom Homes (via Houzz) is one of the best at showing how neutral and soft this color appears.
11. Coastal Vibes in this Off White Bedroom
Chic and coastal, White Duck emulates white sandy beaches in this bedroom from @light.wave.designs.
Navy and crisp white accents give this room a welcome contrast, with the walls appearing as a true neutral under natural light.
12. Warms up Cool Wood Tones
Bending Oak Farmhouse uses White Duck in many spaces, and it’s very appealing in this bedroom, for sure. This paint helps warm the cooler tones in the bedroom furniture making it inviting for a night’s rest.
Home Entries Featuring White Duck Paint
13. Warm, Inviting Foyer
Paired with cooler tones in the wood flooring and the staircase banister, White Duck helps warm up @our_suburban_home‘s entry hall without making things yellow or beige-y.
14. An Elegant Cream Entry
Warm lighting paired with warm-toned decor (such as hardwood flooring) will bring out the warm creamy qualities in White Duck. This cheerful entry from @sewitcynthia is a perfect example.
SW White Duck in Other Spaces
15. Brightens a Dark Basement
I personally use White Duck in my own home. Our basement playroom gets almost NO natural light, so it was a tough room to pin down from a paint standpoint.
We settled on White Duck because I wanted a very light, bright paint to help offset all the darkness.
Finding a paint that was warm, but still read neutral and not too beige, was important to me.
We sampled popular greige paints such as Agreeable Gray (too dark), Repose Gray (too dark), and Revere Pewter (way, WAY too dark). I finally settled on this warm off-white.
16. White Duck Painted Floors
I love this daring painted floor project! We’ve painted floors here as well, and I personally love the look AND the price point! Spoiler alert…the upkeep is NOT as difficult as many people seem to think, either.
Check out this PLYWOOD floor painted with White Duck at @white_pine_cottage…YES! Plywood! Isn’t that impressive?
17. Marvelous Mudroom Hue
Slate and charcoal hues look fabulous with White Duck, which makes Liz MacDonald‘s palette in this mudroom perfection, to me. That smidge of warmth coming through really elevates this space. If it were painted in a cooler white, it wouldn’t be nearly as appealing or inviting.
18. Dazzling Dining Room in White Duck
Once again, White Duck is looking lovely paired with the grays in the rug Liz MacDonald chose. The shade isn’t so warm that it makes the warm hardwood floors look too warm. It helps perfectly balance this space.
Sherwin Williams White Duck Exteriors
Personally, exteriors are where I think this paint color shows its true strength. See if you agree!
19. Not Too Stark
White paints can easily read as cold, sterile, or too bright. That’s never a problem with White Duck! It looks so good as an exterior paint color Plank and Pillow‘s brick home.
20. Warm, Inviting White
Want a white for your exterior that’s not cold and institutional but rather warm and welcoming for family and guests?
While you’re on the hunt for exterior white paint colors, definitely consider White Duck. It may be the right color for your home like it was for @warren_farmhouse.
21. Perfect for Porch-Sitting
Shelby Root‘s home is painted in SW White Duck, and coupled with a lovely door that blends, but still offers contrast…paint color is SW Jogging Path.
Add a golden retriever in a tartan blanket, and you’ve got one magazine-worthy porch!
22. Balances with Browns
At @casademorris White Duck was used as the main exterior color, with a darker Sherwin-Williams color, Balanced Beige was used as a trim color.
23. Paired with Pure White
And here’s kind of the opposite idea as above. This time, White Duck is paired with a much lighter trim color…the popular SW Pure White.
24. Best White Paint Color?
Paired with stained wood and popular Tricorn Black as a trim color here on @lilhouseonponderosa, Sherwin Williams White Duck SW 7010 certainly seems like it could very well be the perfect exterior siding color choice!
It’s got the right depth so that it doesn’t fall flat without any type of saturation or color interest, and it isn’t so colorful that the yellow tones takeover (or it reads as a light brown rather than white).
25. Classic Exterior Color Palette
It’s hard to go wrong with a warm-white and black exterior palette, and that’s what Lindsay chose for her beautiful home showcased at @thehousetheparksbuilt.
Even in bright sun, you can still see the warmth of White Duck here. Coupled with those wood tones over the windows, it’s a beautiful and welcoming look.
White Duck Compared to Other Colors
Comparing similar shades next to each other is a great way to get more information on how colors appear – primarily how their undertones affect the color. Here’s how Sherwin Williams White Duck compares to three similar colors.
Sherwin Williams White Duck vs. Sherwin Williams Alabaster
Since SW Alabaster has a higher LRV value of 82, it’s quite a bit brighter than White Duck will appear. Both colors are off-white with varying hints of greige. When you compare them side by side, White Duck reads as darker and more beige.
Sherwin Williams White Duck vs. Sherwin Williams Oyster White
Sherwin Williams Oyster White has an LRV of 74.23, which makes it nearly identical to White Duck. In fact, at first glance, these two colors may look similar because they both have greige undertones.
However, if you look very closely, Oyster White leans just slightly grayer. This difference will make Oyster White read darker and cooler than White Duck in certain lighting situations.
Sherwin Williams White Duck vs. Sherwin Williams Shoji White
What is the difference between White Duck and SW Shoji White? Well, these two colors are VERY similar and versatile, but they aren’t the same by any means (which is why choosing colors can be so hard).
I would say that White Duck leans ever so slightly more beige while Shoji White can flash a little green from time to time.
LRV of Sherwin Williams White Duck (SW 7010)
Looking at paint involves lots of subjective interpretation, so we need a way to evaluate paint objectively. Light Reflectance Value (LRV) is a number on a scale between 0 and 100 that’s given to each paint color based on the amount of light that hue reflects. A lower number means the color reflects less light and a higher number means it reflects more light.
This one tool can give you a clear indication of how light or dark the actual color is – rather than how dark it SEEMS to be. It’s information a paint company will provide to help you subjectively measure the intensity of a hue.
The LRV of SW White Duck = 74
This value places White Duck in the light range. It has just enough saturation to read as a soft white. Due to its light nature, it will usually look lighter than a true greige.
Below, here’s how White Duck looks next to pure white…
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!⤵️
And if this is a color you’re seriously considering, remember paint-sampling is better than ending up paint-sorry! I highly recommend these peel and stick samples because they are inexpensive, re-usable and re-positionable…
FAQs about White Duck
Here are some specific questions I’ve received about this paint shade. If you have any additional questions, feel free to leave them in the comment box below!
What color is Sherwin Williams White Duck?
Many people say they love cream colors but hate when they lean yellow. Since EVERY cream shade has yellow in it, it’s hard to avoid – unless you have another color taming the yellow beast.
That’s the beauty of White Duck. It’s one of the few Sherwin-williams paint colors that is a warm creamy color, but with greige undertones that tone down the yellow while still letting the warmth shine through. With this shade, you can have your cake and eat it too!
Where should I use SW White Duck?
Depending on your lighting, this shade can work beautifully in almost any area of the home, both on interior walls and exterior use.
I tend to recommend this color to people who live in a small space or colder regions because it will make your room feel bright, airy, and warm.
Consider using White Duck in:
Kitchens
Bathrooms
Living rooms
Bedrooms
Staircases
Laundry rooms
Hallways
Basements
Ceilings
And more!
Given its beautiful neutral nature and versatility, this shade works in nearly every style of home too! It’s a favorite for modern farmhouse decor.
Remember, color image accuracy isn’t always the best; it’s impossible to get an accurate color read from the internet alone! Always use a color swatch or material sample before committing to a new paint color. 
How much area does a quart of SW paint cover?
By best approximation, a quart of paint covers about 400 square feet. This can change based on the paint manufacturer, surface materials, molding, and more.
The Sherwin-Williams company actually offers a paint calculator to help you order paint ensuring it will cover the entire surface of your intended space.
What paint is a match of Sherwin Williams White Duck?
White Duck is a unique shade, making it tricky to find an exact equivalent. Benjamin Moore Ballet White is close, having similar values for both light and undertones.
Within the company’s color collection, the closest shade to White Duck is Shoji White. 
What’s the easiest way to use a paint sample?
Using Samplize peel and stick samples is the best way for you to make a judgment call. They’ll ship you a physical color swatch that you can easily apply to your space – no paint required.
Great Coordinating Colors for White Duck
Thanks to its neutral versatility, finding great colors to pair with White Duck isn’t a challenge. Here are a few tips to guide you:
- Look for gray or greige paint colors that are darker or have blue-green undertones.
- Avoid pairing with purple undertones.
- It complements blue-gray blends and dark accent colors (such as navy blue) well.
Try pairing these specific shades from the company’s color collection with Sherwin Williams White Duck:
- High Reflective White
- Tradewind
- Moody Blue
- Special Gray
- Mega Greige
- Worldly Gray
- Warm Stone
- Gateway Gray
- Status Bronze
- Distance
- Contented
- Dovetail
- Barcelona Beige
- Black Fox
More Colors to Consider
If you love modern off-whites and greiges, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed with Sherwin Williams White Duck. This warm, light off-white paint displays all its best features and greige undertones nearly anywhere you use it. But, if you aren’t quite feeling this one, here are a few more from the color archive to check out!
- Anew Gray (Sherwin Williams) – a light-medium warm greige
- Aesthetic White (Sherwin Williams) – a beautiful off-white with greige undertones
- Mindful Gray (Sherwin Williams) – a warm greige falling in the light-medium range
- Eider White (Sherwin Williams) – a light, creamy off-white with a touch of greige
- Light Pewter (Benjamin Moore) – a crowd-pleasing light gray with greige undertones
- Swiss Coffee (Benjamin Moore) – an off-white with rich, creamy undertones
- Linen White (Benjamin Moore) – a rich, creamy off-white
- Dover White (Sherwin Williams) – a creamy off-white with beige and yellow undertones
- Pure White (Sherwin Williams) – a clean, fresh, crisp white
- Chantilly Lace (Benjamin Moore) – a bright, white with cool undertones
Pin this paint color for later! And if you use this paint shade, leave a comment on the pin! That helps others decide if they want to try this color, too!
Ready to show those boring, beige walls who’s the boss at home? Grab my free guide to help you sidestep the mistakes that almost everyone makes when it comes to picking paint! You’ll be on your way to perfect paint promptly…pinky swear.
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