If you are thinking of repainting your walls with a classic soft white color, you will most likely choose between Sherwin Williams Alabaster and Benjamin Moore White Dove. In this post, you will discover their differences, and it will help you decide which color works for you.
Sherwin Williams Alabaster has a greige undertone, while Benjamin Moore White Dove has a gray undertone. White Dove is closer to pure white with LRV 85.35 than the Alabaster with LRV 82. Alabaster is warmer than White Dove, but both go well in rooms with natural lighting.
Learning the differences makes you choose the color that you want without regret. Weigh their features and see what best suits your style, mood, and aesthetic. Continue reading to learn more about their differences, where to apply the color best, and whether it looks good on your exterior.
Differences Between Sherwin Williams Alabaster & Benjamin Moore White Dove
Alabaster by Sherwin Williams was announced as the 2016 Sherwin Williams color of the year. It symbolizes a new beginning, provides comfort, and refreshes worn-out minds. It belongs to the line's neutral collection.
On the other hand, White Dove by Benjamin Moore, also known as PM-19, is one of the best-selling colors. It has a flawless style with its pure and timeless white hue. It belongs to the line's off-white collection.
Undertone
Alabaster has versatility and can emphasize your decorations and home's architecture due to its neutral tone. It has a soft and off-white shade with a gray-beige undertone. It is also a bit warmer than the White Dove. Meanwhile, White Dove has yellow and grayish undertones and works well with natural light.
LRV
Light Reflectance Value or LRV has a scale from 0 to 100. 0 means pure black, while 100 is pure white. Alabaster has an LRV of 82, and White Dove has an LRV of 85.38, meaning the latter is lighter and close to pure white. The LRV works hand in hand with the natural light of a room, which can make your room lighter or darker.
Which One Has A Warmer Tone?
Sherwin Williams Alabaster is a warm color with a neutral tone. Its soft white hue is revealed under natural light, while its greige undertones are better emphasized in a dimly-lit room.
Conversely, White Dove has a creamy white color that injects warmth into a room. In the morning with the sunlight, White Dove appears soft and chalky, while it looks yellowish or creamy at night.
Coordinating Colors
Alabaster naturally blends with other neutrals, such as doeskin, gray area, wool skein, and urbane bronze. They all suit interior or exterior colors. You can also pair Alabaster with brighter colors like the billowy breeze, antique red, vintage gold, and retro mint. You can also apply it to the interior or exterior.
Benjamin Moore White Dove coordinates with colors, such as balboa mist, Kendall charcoal, country redwood, and revere pewter. Also, it goes well with camouflage, ivy lane, nature's reflection, and avocado.
Check out this interior paint satin on Amazon.
Where Can The Color Be Used?
Sherwin Williams has some advice on where to use Alabaster in your home. The color is ideal for your bedroom or nursery as it is a color that encourages healing, relaxation, and meditation. You can use it in your entryway or home office for a tranquil but stylish look. Also, you can use it in your bathroom with a contrasting dark tone.
White Dove can be used in different areas in the house, such as your kitchen, to give a soft and inviting atmosphere. You can also use this color in the living room for a clean and spacious look. Painting your dining room with White Dove will create an effortlessly elegant look. It matches well with hardwood and creates a cozy and welcoming feeling.
You can even incorporate this color in your bedroom to inject warmth into the interior. Your vanity and other furniture will also look polished when paired with White Dove paint.
The Color In Interiors
Both colors complement different rooms in the house. Here are more room examples where both colors are applied. Apply colors to furniture to give it an accent and vibe while painting the color to the entire room makes it more complete and gives off the vibe you want as clean and classic.
Kitchen
Sherwin Williams Alabaster is a versatile interior color as it flatters the space. It also reflects light well.
Bedroom
Alabaster is suitable for resting areas, such as the bedroom, as it provides an easy and tranquil atmosphere. It brightens up your room, giving no space for a depressive mood.
Bathroom
Sherwin Williams Alabaster paired with contrasting dark tones gives character to your bathroom. It is another place in your house where you use the color flatteringly and makes the space vibrant.
Living Room
Benjamin Moore White Dove is a great color for a living room where natural light easily comes in. The combination gives a warm feel to the room. The living room can also look chic when paired with a subtle shade of gray. It highlights decorations and furniture in the room.
Check out this sofa table for the living room on Amazon.
Dining Room
A White Dove-colored dining room with wood furniture creates a homey and welcoming atmosphere. The white color can also incorporate well with traditional styles and patterns, such as bricks and a wooden chandelier.
Check out this farmhouse chandelier on Amazon.
Is It Suitable For Exteriors?
Alabaster is a good choice for your house exterior if you want to achieve a clean monochromatic look. However, it can also match with other designs, contrasting colors, and with neutrals. It can provide a modern look to a farmhouse or any traditional building. It makes your home exterior look simple but sophisticated.
Use White Dove in various types of architecture and a choice for painting trims to brighten your exterior. It may sometimes look shiny during the day when the sunlight hits it.
Testing Paint Color
Test your paint color before making your final choice. There are peel-and-stick paint samples available in the market. It is wiser to try the color out on your wall under different lighting to get an idea of how the room looks during those times.
The peel-and-stick adhesive is harmless to your interior surface. You can paste and remove them from anywhere in your home. Take time to try out the color under different conditions and on different corners.
Does Alabaster Look Dingy?
Alabaster works fine on walls and ceilings. It has enough white to make your wall or ceiling bright and looks soft. It does not look dingy. It has a creamy tone and is not as bright as pure white. But it's strong enough to brighten your interior surface. Use it to add liveliness and to make your room upbeat.
What Cabinet Color Goes With Alabaster Walls?
Neutral colors are the go-to to pair with Alabaster. You will never go wrong with creams, tans, beiges, or shades of gray. These always blend well together.
However, you can also try bright colors to give character to the furniture. Blue, green, or yellow for your cabinets make your room colorful. The two-tone combination creates a modern and stylish look that affects the entire room.
Check out this interior paint blue refrain on Amazon.
Does Benjamin Moore Have An Alabaster?
Benjamin Moore, like Sherwin Williams, also makes the shade Alabaster, under their off-white collection. It is also known as 876, PM-13, or OC-145. It has a similar color to white opulence. The maker described it as a fresh, youthful white with a flattering touch of pink.
In Closing
Sherwin Williams Alabaster and Benjamin Moore White Dove have different undertones. Alabaster is greige, while White Dove is gray. White Dove is also lighter than Alabaster, but Alabaster is warmer. Both colors blend well in different places around the house, both interior, and exterior.
Discover more about paint and its uses in these posts:
What is a good dupe for Ben Moore Swiss coffee in sherwin? I really like the Swiss coffee in pictures but when I went to my local store to get samples it was gone lol and I really don’t want to buy through the mail but I do have a sherwin store close by.