fbpx

A light off-white. Imagine a white fog over a river or lake on a summer morning, which the sun's rays will literally touch in a few minutes.

LRV 73

Light and off-white tones are part of this category of colors that is almost impossible to fully comprehend. However, designers continue to reveal the intricacies of their use and introduce us to the most interesting and controversial options for such shades. We have already written about these colors many times. Still, if you are interested and want to continue your journey, we present to you another attractive find – the shade SW 7014 Eider White from Sherwin-Williams.

Eider White paint color features

The most important thing to know about Eider White is that it is actually a light off-white. It can be difficult to explain this feeling in words, but we will try. Imagine a white fog over a river or lake on a summer morning, which the sun’s rays will literally touch in a few minutes. This is almost the effect produced by this color. 

Another way to capture the nuances of Eider White is to match a sample of it with a sample of real white paint, for instance, SW 7005 Pure White. You can fully witness all its advantages within such a comparison – softness, calmness, neutrality, and an amazing pacifying effect. It is quite logical that SW 7014 took its rightful place in the most famous and classic Sherwin-Williams collections – such as Top 50 Colors, Living Well and Cool Whites.

Eider White: is it warm or cold?

The conspicuous presence of the purples and grays makes Eider White undeniably cool. However, “definitely” does not always mean “constantly”.

The fact is that under certain lighting conditions, this shade unobtrusively displays a warm, creamy undertone. You can also see it by comparing the sample SW 7014 with even colder and lighter shades – for example, SW 7063 Nebulous White. Thus, although Eider White refers to cool colors formally, it is impossible to deny the presence of certain warm notes, which make it so calm and relaxing.

How does lighting affect Eider White?

Designers recommend that you be careful enough with this amazing shade, as complex undertones can provide you with completely different results from what you expected. So, for example, in bright sunlight, the surface painted in Eider White will look almost white, in more restrained or insufficient light – it will acquire a soft and slightly diffused light gray tone.

However, chilly artificial light or furniture and decor in blue tones quite confidently draws a purple undertone from Eider White so that surfaces acquire a light mauve appearance. If you don’t need this effect at all, think about the lighting scenario or use this shade in another room.

LRV

The light reflectance coefficient of Eider White allows it to balance between light and off-white tones – with a borderline value for them of LRV 75. Its own indicator is 73. That is why every designer and colorist has his own opinion about which group to assign it to.

However, with such a coefficient of light reflection, one should not expect cardinal transformations in the room. Of course, with a sufficient amount of light, a room with such walls will seem quite spacious and airy, but if there is not enough light, Eider White will not provide the necessary lightness on its own.

Eider White undertones

Above, we have repeatedly mentioned the unusual undertones of Eider White, so now we are just summarizing everything that was said earlier. Yes, this light color has a unique balance of cool grays and equally cool purple undertones, but you can still notice a hint of warm beige in particular lighting conditions.

Similar colors

Despite all its eccentricity in undertones and nuances, Eider White is by no means one of its kind. In the catalogs of Sherwin-Williams itself, you can find many very similar colors, and only a very keen eye can notice significant differences between them. In addition, if you prefer paints from other manufacturers, you can find almost identical shades there as well. Here are some examples:

  • Incredible White SW 7028 – despite such a straightforward name, it is still an off-white color with cool gray notes;
  • Toque White SW 7003 – a slightly lighter shade with beige tones;
  • First Star SW 7646 – a darker shade of white with pronounced blue-gray tones;
  • Original White SW 7077  – a color very similar to Eider White with almost the same LRV; however, designers point out the slightly more noticeable warm undertones;
  • Pastel 9080 by Pantone – a lighter shade that looks much warmer under sufficient daylight;
  • English Cottage PPOC-16  by Behr – a calm and light shade that seems even cooler;
  • Adirondack PPOC-12 by Behr – slightly darker and warmer color with similar undertones;
  • Classic Gray 1548 by Benjamin Moore – despite the name, it is a very light shade, belonging to the same group as Eider White.

Coordinating colors

In general, Eider White from Sherwin-Williams is friendly and goes well with the most popular colors and shades. However, designers still recommend paying closer attention to deep grays, next to which SW-7014 seems cleaner and cooler, as well as blues and lilacs that can favorably set off purples. We offer several options for inspiration:

  • Snowbound SW 7004 – a calm off-white tone with slight gray tones on the horizon;
  • Morris Room Gray SW 0037 – a natural and soothing taupe shade;
  • Aqua-Sphere SW 7613 – a truly charming dusty blue color with cool notes;
  • In the Navy SW 9178 – a flawless interpretation of our beloved navy blue;
  • Sea Salt SW 6204  – a refreshing gray shade with green and blue undertones;
  • Dried Lavender SW 9072 – classic, deep, pleasant, and natural lavender;
  • Autumn Orchid SW 9157 – muted magenta with gray undertones, amazing in its complexity and sophistication;
  • Iron Ore SW 7069 – very deep gray, close to black; the perfect match to contrast with Eider White;
  • Caviar SW 6990 – a dark anthracite color that makes an excellent partner for the very light SW 7014.

The use of Eider White in interior

Another great news: Eider White can be used absolutely in any room – of course, if you choose the appropriate colors and correctly compose the lighting scenario. In addition, its neutrality makes it a universal solution for almost any interior style – except for high-tech, which prefers cleaner and brighter variations of white and  Mediterranean, which is looking more towards warming tones. Regarding any other style, you can use SW 7014 without any restrictions.

Living room

In the largest room with walls painted in Eider White, you immediately feel the urge to lie down on the sofa or sit back in a cozy armchair and let your thoughts flow freely and without any compulsion. It is calm and cool, cozy and light – and it does not matter whether it is a classic interior or something in the Japanese style.

At the same time, accents play a special role in rooms with such a background. Look for finishes in true white tones, use earthy brown furnishings, add black or natural wood accents to set the rhythm of the interior, and ensure that Eider White feels cool or warm enough.

Bedroom

If you have chosen this wonderful light shade for your bedroom, we can advise you to consider one of the following scenarios – complement the room with accessories and furniture in blue tones, or opt for pinkish and beige furnishings.

In the first case, you will get a fairly cool and discreet bedroom with a slight touch of vintage ease. In the second, a surprisingly cozy and warm room, where the lilac Eider White tones will be presented in the most sophisticated light.

By the way, if you dare choose SW 7014 for a bedroom in a Farmhouse or Vintage style, you will not regret the result for a bit. Huge amounts of wood, gray-beige linen, and dark aged metal lead to a perfect and authentic combination against this light shade.

Kitchen and dining room

And right away, a little life hack from colorists: if you want your kitchen to look cozy and sophisticated, paint the kitchen cabinets in Eider White, and choose a cool light gray shade for the background. So you can create a feeling of integrity and completeness of the entire interior as a whole.

Eider White is equally successfully combined with warm creamy and simple creamy tones. Against such backgrounds, it looks cleaner, cooler, and more elegant, while wood and black accents add clarity and fullness to the whole picture.

If you gravitate towards modern interior solutions, consider combining SW 7014 with stainless steel gadgets. This texture will make this shade even brighter and more expressive.

Bathroom

Let’s not beat around the bush and admit right away: Eider White is surprisingly good for the bathroom. It is able to add coziness, relaxation, and privacy even to the most restrained and laconic environment with a predominance of chrome details. However, we still suggest not to dwell on minimalism and admire the play of the undertones of this light color in combination with brass hardware and similar fittings, wooden pedestals and decor, and even charming gray tiles on the floor.

Kids’ room

A soft off-white shade is a versatile option for a child’s bedroom. It successfully adds neutrality, is pleasant for the eyes, and harmoniously combines with pastels and bright details.

Today, designers often choose Eider White for nurseries. And we will tell you a little secret: the fact is that soft and dim lighting is usually present in nurseries, and this shade looks surprisingly warm and friendly in this light. However, even in brighter lighting, in a teen’s room, it looks by no means worse, avoiding any dazzling effect and adding freshness. Thanks to this, you can safely select furniture and textiles in cheerful and juicy colors.

The use of Eider White for the house exterior

Designers do not have a clear answer on whether it is possible to choose Eider White for painting the house exterior. Moreover, most of them still recommend completely abandoning such an idea because in different weather and climatic conditions, as well as under the influence of the decor and greenery surrounding the house, it can behave completely unpredictable. However, even its opponents admit that, in some cases, this color looks very advantageous. Here are several options for the appropriate use of the SW 7014:

  • Paint the brick walls directly without leveling.
  • Choose it for a house located in a sunny area.
  • Match it with a roof, doors, and shutters in dark gray or black.

In all these cases, Eider White acquires sufficient clarity and brightness, while remaining soft, slightly washed out, and welcoming.

We can safely say that the collection of light shades familiar to you has been enriched with another representative of this kind from Sherwin-Williams. We are not sure if you fell in love with it as we did, but we can confidently say that you will never regret choosing Eider White to decorate your house – it is so unique in action and pleasing to the eye!

online interior design service
Give a new look to your room with our professional online interior design service