Colors have proven to play a strong communication role in a space that speaks to its purpose, value, and personality.
We humans are likely to get affected by the psychology of color as it no doubt impacts our minds and body.
Yes – that’s true!
So, choosing a paint color for your interior space is an important step towards contributing to your overall balanced state of mind.
What’s more is that colors trigger emotions while defining a style to it.
One such color that does this so brilliantly, and that I absolutely adore, is Snowbound by Sherwin-Williams.
(And no, it doesn’t really resemble snow, but we’ll get into that below!).
What “Color” is Snowbound?
Snowbound belongs to an off-white series that is highly popular among many homeowners.
The crispness of the color makes it a good option for a neutral palette collection.
This color defines the concept of greige – grey and beige merged.
However, if you have a close-up, you have to wonder if Snowbound is actually a cooler or a warmer shade?
Don’t worry! We have all been there when looking at colors like this.
Although it might seem a warmer hue at first glance, the truth is – it really is a cool shade.
The Effects of Light
Used in an updated kitchen, you can see how Snowbound looks crisp. Who says off-white appears muddy?
Snowbound truly has magic to it! The look and feel of it is highly dependent on the amount of light bouncing off the surface it’s painted on.
This color is very sensitive to natural light if you have a lot of windows in your home.
If you start applying Snowbound as your wall color, you will observe how crisply the shade takes over as a cooler tone, again, dependent on the light!
In a bright kitchen such as above, you can see it appears much brighter than when looking at the swatch.
One GREAT way to test a paint color before you buy it is to order a sample from Samplize. You can pick one up for Snowbound!
LRV is an important term in color psychology that indicates the percentage of light reflected from a surface.
Ranging from 0 to 100, 100 being the brightest and 0 black – Snowbound proudly enjoys the value of 83.
Let’s talk about Sherwin-Williams Snowbound color statistics.
- R=237; G=234; B=229
- HEX Value= #edeae5
Due to a good reflectance value of the color, it plays a strong role in the neutrals collection.
When used opposite bright accents, this shade proves to be a very subtle backdrop!
This illustration will help you identify the exact look of the color.
How to Use Snowbound in Your Space
When choosing a palette for your space, it is highly recommended to consider each and every aspect of your room!
Don’t just look at a paint sample and quickly say – “I like it, maybe I should use this”!
Each element of your room counts. Consider your furniture, flooring, window treatments, rugs, artwork, and all the possible décor items when picking up the paint color.
When it comes to Snowbound as a color for your home, let’s discuss a few places it will work best and which hues best complement the color.
First, a secret:
While designing a space, it is important to consider the aspects of choosing a neutral to avoid attention, an accent which is the highlight and a base that is dominant and dependent on the other two.
Snowbound vs Similar Colors
When you get confused about which colors to pick up as all of them seem ‘so similar’, I recommend putting the swatches together and examining their tones.
It is very common to mistake them with one another. I get it!
Let’s talk about a few color confusions that homeowners are regularly dealing with.
1. Snowbound vs Alabaster
Even though they seem to share similarities, when put together, you can see the difference.
See how placing the colors with each other can solve your problems. These two examples are more about the undertones than the brightness.
Snowbound is comparatively a cooler-toned color, whereas the Alabaster is warm-toned. It’s slight but you can see and feel the difference!
Check out my full guide on SW Alabaster here.
Order a wall-stick sample of Alabaster here to try this color on for size.
2. SW Snowbound vs BM Pure White
Pure White from Benjamin Moore Collection is often confused with Sherwin-Williams Snowbound.
However, they don’t look similar at all!
Pure White has an inclination towards cooler gray tones instead of the more greige Snowbound. Snowbound will always feel much warmer.
Order a wall-stick sample of Pure White here to test how it looks in your home vs SW Snowbound.
Additionally, Snowbound shares similarities with a number of other colors:
Torque White (SW 7003), Eider White (SW 7014), Incredible White (SW 7028), First Star (SW 7646), Big Chill (SW 7648), and Pure White (SW 7005) are noteworthy samples.
Snowbound’s Effects in Your Home
Jana Raie from On South Drive uses Snowbound throughout her home. (Unfortunately, her site is down but she really pulled it off well!)
Using contrasting tiles with a sleek Snowbound cover will make your cabinet or trim/molding stand out. For example, the kitchen sample above.
Considering the flexible use of the color Snowbound, here are some ways it affects our minds.
First and foremost, Snowbound, when used in a bedroom, will give an absolute luxe and cozy feeling to it.
The same of course is true, if you make it part of your living room palette.
If you have a smaller space for any function in your home, try using Snowbound due to its excellent LRV values.
It will make your room look spacious and bright!
Meanwhile, to get-out-of-the-regular-box in the kitchen, you could try playing with pop shades in contrast with subtle Snowbound.
There is no doubt it will not look amazing!
It is a better option to continue the greige theme if you have throughout the house, but when looking for a dark and daring mood for your space, Snowbound wouldn’t really make a great option there.
Using a darker greige tone like SW Mega Greige might help.
Highly recommended for furniture as well as bathrooms, this color will never tend to disappoint you unless you prefer to choose it wisely.
So, it is important to regard the theme of your house when choosing a palette!
Also, before choosing a palette, it is important for you to consider the live swatches and physical samples of the colors, as the screen colors can differ sometimes.
Best Snowbound Coordinating Colors
Playing with Sherwin-Williams Snowbound can be quite fun!
After all, this off-white paint has such versatile characteristics that it can easily mold into any color palette – whether warm, cool, bold, bright, or simply minimalistic.
However, don’t forget to experiment with the undertones of this color since that can be a challenge sometimes.
Don’t worry! I am going to elaborate on the two different types of color palettes for you – monochromatic and contrasting (warm and cool)!
Contrasting Color Palette
So, here are a few of the paint colors I would recommend for a contrasting palette (cool)!
- SW 9138 Stardew – see my review here!
- SW 9178 In the Navy
- SW 7064 Passive – see my review here!
This was a cool color palette that will readily make your space feel crisp, chilly and yet not so chilly, and soothing!
You must use matte black lighting fixtures to go with this palette for a cohesive appeal.
Definitely don’t shy from white marble, brown wooden furniture, and navy blue accents on pillows and artwork.
Warmer Color Palette
Now here’s another palette that falls slightly on the warmer end of the scale –
- SW 7036 Accessible Beige – see my review here!
- SW 7675 Sealskin – see my review here!
- SW 9140 Blustery Sky
This warmer Snowbound palette is rather more eye-catching and contrasting!
Consider using satin brass or oil-rubbed bronze fixtures to go with this palette. Even polished chrome will make a wonderful statement!
Monochrome Color Palette
Lastly, if you like the minimal and modern feel of monochromes, here’s a palette just for you –
- SW 7022 Alpaca – see my review here!
- SW 7023 Requisite Gray
- SW 7024 Functional Gray
This monochromatic palette would adore the use of matte black fixtures that tend to protrude and rather make quite an eye-catchy statement.
You could consider white or beige Italian marble to pair along with dark-toned granite on the countertops.
For your ceilings, trims, and moldings – SW Extra White or SW Pure White in itself makes a great option!
More Colors that Go with Snowbound
