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amandakrowe

Sherwin Williams Paint help

5 years ago

Hi all - I'm in the middle of a bathroom reno, need to pick a paint color within the next 3 days and there's a national paint shortage, resulting in no samples. I'm essentially looking for a really light gray, even bordering white/off white. Our bathroom has no windows, so no natural light but will have a good amount of artificial light. Flooring is a cool gray tile, tile behind the vanity is a mint green and the shower tile is a bright white.


I've narrowed down my search to Eider White, Drist of Mist and First Star. If anyone has pictures of any of these colors in different types of light, I'd really appreciate it. Also open to suggestions or helpful feedback about undertones that people have seen with any of these shades!

Comments (24)

  • 5 years ago
    last modified: 5 years ago



    Eider White is a light near neutral from the Yellow Hue Family. It sits close to the

    Yellow-Red Hue Family so may show a little peachiness to its warmth at times. It also has the potential to colour shift lavender/purple in some light settings.



    Drift of Mist sits closer to the centre of the Yellow Hue Family. It’s slightly darker but more colourful than Eider White.


    It is likely to read a little cooler by comparison to Eider White as it is further from the adjacent Yellow-Red Hue Family.


    SW First Star sits even further clockwise into the Yellow Hue Family and is likely to read the coolest of the three colours. It is also the darkest and closest to neutral.


    Again it may just appear as a light, greyed near neutral, but it may show sign of its inherent greenness too.


    Such colours from this zone can be known to shift much more lavender/purple, in lighting which spikes heavily in blue-violet wavelengths.

  • PRO
    5 years ago

    You should really take your lead from the other materials which you have not posted images of.









  • 5 years ago
    last modified: 5 years ago

    Just because room has gray and mint green, probably doesn't mean walls have to be either of them. White? are all fixtures white? -- maybe white, and hardware a satiny blend in. Then accessories in a couple variations of the green you mentioned.

    Is it a small room?

  • 5 years ago
    last modified: 5 years ago

    Trying to help - would it be a modern/ transitional room? maybe soft grey paint then.


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  • 5 years ago
    last modified: 5 years ago

    Wondering if you'll mix pastels, with mint? white walls seem good then.


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  • PRO
  • 5 years ago

    It's a small room. Decor wise, it's somewhere between modern and mid century. I'm doing a mix of gold and oil rubbed bronze fixtures. Planning on dark gray towels and adding color with plants/artwork. Below is a picture of our tiles. The gray is a true gray, despite it looking a hit green here.

    I also decided to through Silverpointe into the mix as an option, as I'm hoping to steer away from anything too taupey.

  • 5 years ago

    Is there a pain’t shortage, meaning you won’t be able to get whole cans or paint? Or are they just eliminating samples?


    They probably still have those large paint samples that are printed on paper. You could schedule a free color consultation with a SW consultant. They will bring a bunch of those larger sample sheets.


    Make sure all your lighting is installed and your LED bulbs are installed before the consultation, or test any samples.


    Ask friends and neighbors if they have left over cans of paint in their garages. Chances are within your friend circle there are 30 different cans of various whites.

  • 5 years ago

    They are eliminating samples. No Sherwin Williams have any samples at this point and I believe most other paint stores are in a similar situation. I have peel and stick samples ordered, and they were supposed to be here today but they are delayed with USPS shipping and I'm supposed to make a decision today or tomorrow. And of course, I'm getting on a flight for the weekend later today.

  • 5 years ago

    I too am looking for the lightest gray possible for my main room without having to mix my own. So many whites turn taupe or tan. I need gray. Any suggestions?


  • PRO
    5 years ago

    I'm assuming you tried to get a sample at Lowes because they carry SW Paint

  • 5 years ago

    Unfortunately, I don't have a Lowe's near me.

  • 5 years ago

    I was also told most Lowes and Home Depots are running out of samples or are out as well. Maybe that wasn't accurate though?

  • 5 years ago
    last modified: 5 years ago

    Yes- there is a shortage. no samples or certain types of paint. i had to really struggle to get ahold of wall paint and had to go up to a higher level of paint for my closet walls. it's crazy to think about, but yes - there is a shortage. When I was looking at samples before, I liked drift of mist. i also like white wisp by BM.

  • 5 years ago

    Good for Iowa. We are out on the east coast. But thanks for your very helpful input.

  • 5 years ago

    Amandakrowe, it was you who claimed that there is a “national paint shortage” and someone in the Midwest said that was not their experience. I’m in California and we have plenty of paint and samples too. Not sure why you’re being so snarky when someone was just replying factually to something that you posted. Good luck with your project.

  • 5 years ago

    There is a paint shortage and it is an issue for many areas, there are pockets where it is less of an issue. It’s also certain paints. As the OP pointed out she had to go up a level on paint quality. Last month I couldn’t get samples at SW, but took the card to The DIY store and they made it up for me. Because I was using a higher grade paint, I had no problem getting the gallons I needed. I however listened to those in the trade there getting their paint talk about the shortages and what they have had to do to get paint. Google for the headlines. It’s a raw materials issue, the big freeze in TX is part of the problem. For some areas that had a greater supply on hand and less demand haven’t had to turn away sales or up sell/downgrade, yet. We are buying paint both in FL and WI and my husband proclaimed there was no paint shortage in WI, I insisted he buy up the paint anyway and what do you know, 3 weeks after me telling him it was an issue he let me know they were out of the cashmere we buy. In all seriousness, this has been an issue since end of March/Early April for many areas. Plenty of news articles in the last 2 days.

    To the OP, if you have Nextdoor app maybe make a plea to see if anyone has the colors you are interested in and maybe they would give you a little bit of theirs? Worst case if HD is out of samples, bite the bullet for a quart and have them make it up for you from SW.

  • 5 years ago

    I am absolutely no color expert, but I have a family member who just painted Drift of Mist. It's a beautiful neutral color that doesn't seem to lean one way or another. She has pleasant, filtered light from southwest and north windows. I will say that I am working on my own home and I won't be selecting that color because there are times when I have seen it flash purple in her home. Just something to consider!

  • 5 years ago

    I have SW Silverpointe in my bedroom, but there's a lot of natural light. It looks light gray on the paint card, but on my walls I see a very pale green/gray. It's pretty. Make sure your lighting is in before you decide since light really determines what the paint will look like.

  • PRO
    5 years ago
    last modified: 5 years ago

    Agree. Silverpointe is one of those super chameleon, light-shifting colors. One of the reasons it's so pretty IMO.


  • 5 years ago

    Thanks everyone. I think I'm going to try ICE CUBE by SW. One step over from Extra White. I'll let you know how it turns out.

  • 5 years ago

    Wait ..... Rock Candy or Ice Cube. Do I want a bit of gray or mostly white. Lake cottage, modern farmhouse

  • PRO
    5 years ago

    Do I want a bit of gray or mostly white.


    They have the same amount of Chroma - 0.16 and 0.17. In other words, one isn't significantly more neutral (gray or white) than the other.


    Ice Cube is slightly lighter (Value) and brighter (LRV) of the two.


    They belong to two different hue families. Green and Green-Yellow. Low Chroma, near neutrals like these colors can show up as "just gray" or show up bluish - it all depends on the quality of light in the space.


    It's also a matter of subjective opinion as to which one looks more neutral, more gray with no discernible amount of hue.