Alabaster vs Snowbound
Alabaster and Snowbound come from the same Sherwin-Williams collection. Both sit in the beige-greige family, which is useful context if you're narrowing within a single hue direction. Their light reflectance values are nearly the same — 82 vs 83 — so neither will read significantly brighter or darker than the other. Both share a warm character, which means they'll respond to light and surrounding materials in similar ways. A ΔE of 2.6 puts them in subtle territory — distinguishable in direct comparison, less so from across a room. Below you'll find 8 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Alabaster vs Snowbound in Real Spaces
8 real rooms side by side. Alabaster and Snowbound are close enough that the difference can be hard to judge from a chip alone — these photos show how each reads at scale, across different spaces and lighting conditions.
Living Room
A living room wall sees more varied light than almost any other surface in the house, which makes the choice between these two more nuanced than a chip suggests. At this scale the difference is subtle — you'd need them side by side, as shown here, to reliably tell them apart.
Bedroom
Bedrooms are typically lit with warmer, lower light than the rest of the house — a condition that flatters warm tones and deepens cool ones. In photos like these you're seeing the difference at its most direct. In a finished room, the distinction is there but not dramatic.
Kitchen
Kitchens often have the harshest, most revealing light in the house — under-cabinet LEDs and overhead fixtures that strip away subtlety. In photos like these you're seeing the difference at its most direct. In a finished room, the distinction is there but not dramatic.
Bathroom
Small bathrooms intensify color. A shade that seems quiet in a larger room can feel immersive when you're surrounded by it on four walls. In photos like these you're seeing the difference at its most direct. In a finished room, the distinction is there but not dramatic.
Home Office
Home office walls matter more than most — you're looking at them all day, and a color that reads fine at first can become tiring over time. In photos like these you're seeing the difference at its most direct. In a finished room, the distinction is there but not dramatic.
House
A full exterior is the most demanding test for a paint color — scale and outdoor light both amplify differences that seem small on a swatch. In photos like these you're seeing the difference at its most direct. In a finished room, the distinction is there but not dramatic.
Front Door
On a front door, the color is both the first and last thing you see — a context where even a modest tonal difference reads clearly. At this scale the difference is subtle — you'd need them side by side, as shown here, to reliably tell them apart.
Kitchen Cabinets
Cabinet color is always seen in context — against countertops, backsplash, and hardware — which amplifies undertone differences that might disappear on a plain wall. In photos like these you're seeing the difference at its most direct. In a finished room, the distinction is there but not dramatic.
Color Details
Alabaster vs Snowbound Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Alabaster on one side and Snowbound on the other.
Digital color is approximate. These simulations are generated from the manufacturer's hex values and overlaid on grayscale room photos — your screen's calibration, brightness, and viewing angle all affect how they render. Before committing to either color, test physical samples in your own space under the light you actually live with.
More Alabaster comparisons
See how Alabaster stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
With LRVs of 83 and 82, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
At LRV 82 vs 52, Alabaster is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 82 vs 30, Alabaster is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 82 vs 60, Alabaster is decisively the brighter choice.
Alabaster reflects far more light (LRV 82 vs 58), opening up a space where Accessible Beige encloses it.
Alabaster reflects far more light (LRV 82 vs 27), opening up a space where Denim Drift encloses it.
At LRV 82 vs 43, Alabaster is decisively the brighter choice.
Alabaster reflects far more light (LRV 82 vs 55), opening up a space where Tranquil Dawn encloses it.
Alabaster reflects far more light (LRV 82 vs 44), opening up a space where Hardwick White encloses it.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 84 vs 82), so neither reads brighter in a room.
Alabaster reflects far more light (LRV 82 vs 66), opening up a space where Balboa Mist encloses it.
Alabaster reads slightly lighter (LRV 82 vs 74), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Alabaster reflects far more light (LRV 82 vs 12), opening up a space where Pewter Green encloses it.
Alabaster reflects far more light (LRV 82 vs 68), opening up a space where Skimming Stone encloses it.
Alabaster reflects far more light (LRV 82 vs 12), opening up a space where Vintage Vogue encloses it.
Alabaster reflects far more light (LRV 82 vs 45), opening up a space where Saybrook Sage encloses it.
At LRV 82 vs 31, Alabaster is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 82 vs 7, Alabaster is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 82 vs 24, Alabaster is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 82 vs 57, Alabaster is decisively the brighter choice.
A 10-point LRV gap (82 vs 72) makes Alabaster the marginally brighter of the two.