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July 12, 2021 · 26 Comments

The Best White Paint: Sherwin Williams First Star

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Looking for the best white paint for your home’s interior? Look no further – today I’m breaking down my favorite neutral paint color for the home – Sherwin Williams’ First Star – and showing you how it looks in our home!

Neutral living room painted First Star by Sherwin Williams

Every once in a while you accidentally stumble on the best possible thing for your house without actually trying.

That’s exactly what happened with the wall color throughout the majority of our house. Our home was a spec home, meaning it was already being built by the builder in our neighborhood and we came in about halfway through the process to purchase it. That means we didn’t have say in most of the big decisions for the home. We were able to choose the flooring throughout the house, but that’s the only customization option we had at all.

In the case of our wall color, it ended up being a great thing. I don’t know that I would have originally picked Sherwin Williams’ First Star as the paint color throughout our house, but it has ended up being the absolute perfect white for our walls and I can’t imagine anything else here now! I always get asked about it when I share pictures on Instagram so I figured it was high time to devote an entire post to this beautiful color.

Neutral living room with tall fireplace and lots of plants

sherwin williams’ first star (SW 7646)

It might feel a little silly to dedicate an entire blog post to one paint color, but choosing a paint for your entire home can be beyond overwhelming. I always find it so helpful when I’m choosing colors to see examples of the color in real life situation, so my hope is that if SW First Star is a color you’re considering for your home, this post will help you make a decision about if it’s right for you!

SW First Star Undertones

Let’s talk about one of the most important things when it comes to choosing the best white paint for your home – what are the undertones?

Sherwin Williams’ First Star is a cool, light gray color with (very) slight blue undertones. In our home, it reads as mostly white, but when you look at it next to the baseboards (which are painted SW Extra White), it’s clear that it’s actually more of a gray. I love that it isn’t a pure white, because for me personally, it makes it feel a bit cozier and less stark.

I traditionally gravitate to warmer grays for my space (which is why I might not have picked this color on my own), but First Star feels like the perfect cool gray that isn’t too stark or modern feeling, but adds just the right amount of crispness to a space.

A bright, neutral kitchen and dining space

First Star vs. Agreeable Gray

I wanted to touch briefly on the differences between First Star and Agreeable Gray, because Agreeable Gray is probably the most popular Sherwin Williams neutral paint for interiors, and it’s the color many (maybe even most) of the other homes in our neighborhood are painted.

Agreeable Gray is a very similar color, the key difference being that it’s a warm, greige color rather than the cool gray of First Star. It’s also a beautiful neutral, but may lend itself better to more traditional spaces where you want a warmer tone on the walls. It’s a very versatile color that generally reads more brown/greige than white, and it looks great in almost every space.

This is the color I may have chosen for our home if I was choosing blindly, but I’m honestly so glad we ended up with First Star instead. I love the crisper, airier feel that it has, and the cooler shade really helps my entire home feel brighter.

first star in a real-life home

Now, let’s take a look at how Sherwin Williams’ First Star actually looks in a few spaces around our home.

You’ll notice that it reads slightly differently in various rooms depending on the amount of natural light in the space, and that’s going to be true of any gray or white paint that you pick! That’s why it’s so important to always sample your paint colors in various rooms and lighting situations, because the light makes all the difference.

SHERWIN WILLIAMS first star in our living room
An open living space with neutral colors

Here, you can see how First Star looks in our living room midday with no overhead lights on – just the natural light from the windows. Thanks to tons of natural light in our living room, we rarely (never?) turn on the overhead lights – we use a lamp or two in the evenings when we need to, but this room is almost always lit simply by the natural light from the windows.

SHERWIN WILLIAMS First Star in our dining room + kitchen
Side by side images of the color Sherwin Williams First Star in a dining room and kitchen

Here’s a peek at how SW First Star looks in the kitchen and dining room area.

I particularly like this view because I feel like seeing it against the stark white cabinets gives you a great idea of the undertones in the color and a better picture of how it truly looks.

Sherwin Williams First Star in our upstairs hallway
Two views of a hallway with minimal natural light, painted First Star by Sherwin Williams

Here’s a great example of what First Star looks like in a space with no real natural lighting at all. Our upstairs hallway has a bit of residual light from the rest of the house during the day, but at night it’s basically a cave. On the left, you can see the first part of the hallway, where there’s more light from the rest of the house. On the right, there’s far less lighting – you really only get natural light in this space if the doors to the boys’ rooms are open. It’s a good example of how First Star might look in a home that doesn’t have a ton of natural light!


I hope this was a helpful look at how this color looks in a real-life space! To see even more images of this color throughout our home, check out our most recent house tour!

Sherwin Williams’ First Star is definitely my go-to white paint color for our home now, and I don’t see myself ever changing it. It’s ended up being the perfect white-but-not-too-white color for me, especially as a person who generally finds white walls to be boring!

What’s your favorite neutral paint color for your home?!

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Ann Marie Keen says

    October 21, 2022 at 5:46 pm

    Hello, thank you for pics and thorought of FS . I have narrowed it down to FS for our whole house, with either SW Pure white or SW Extra White trim, doors and celing? or should we paint it SW FS flat on the ceiling?
    We are coordinating with SW Indigo Batik , SW Rain and SW Worldly Gray for kitchen Cabinets (previously painted 2 yrs ago)so can’t change that, .
    We live in Arizona, so lighting is very different,- Question: SW Pure White or SW Extra white for doors, trim and ceiling? or use FS?
    Thtanks

    Reply
    • Amanda Hendrix says

      October 29, 2022 at 9:04 pm

      In our house, we have SW Pure White on our doors and trim, and we have First Star on the ceiling. 🙂

      Reply
      • Ann Marie Keen says

        January 18, 2023 at 12:02 am

        Hello, just saw your reply post, Well, in the blog it states that you used SW Extra White in the baseboards and then SW Pure white on the doors and door trim and then SW First star on walls and ceiling?? Is this correct? Please advise, I am having a struggle with SW Pure White or SW Extra White for my trim doors and baseboards. WE have a cool greyiish beige off white floor, and live in ARizona . Don’t want to pick up yellows, ..

        Reply
  2. Holly says

    October 20, 2022 at 7:18 pm

    We also get a lot of natural light.
    Hale navy kitchen island light grey counter tops with bright white cupboards (ikea) and b nickel hardware
    in the kitchen.
    In the living room we have a driftwood panelling accent wall and a driftwood colour dinning table. We live on the ocean hence the driftwood accents and brushed nickel lighting. I am considering the first star paint colour.
    What do you think?

    Reply
  3. Tina Connolly says

    October 10, 2022 at 10:38 am

    Hi,

    Would first star work in bathroom with no windows ? And could you also use it for a ceiling paint as well as the walls together ?

    Reply
    • Amanda Hendrix says

      October 11, 2022 at 2:33 pm

      Hi! Yes, we have it on a windowless bathroom in our house, and we also have it on all of our ceilings!

      Reply
    • Sheila says

      January 28, 2023 at 4:35 pm

      Any input on SW Spare White for exterior? We will have some stained wood at entrance and white windows with stained wood accent on top. Would love your opinion ( house is board and batten)

      Reply
      • Amanda Hendrix says

        February 1, 2023 at 3:53 pm

        Hi! I don’t have any experience with that specific color

        Reply
  4. Andrea Johmson says

    September 17, 2022 at 6:48 pm

    Going to use First Star in home building. Our trim and cabinets will be snowbound.
    I am having difficulty finding flooring to go.
    Whst do you have? I love it! I’m finding that the floor is too pink or greenish or gray.

    Reply
    • Amanda Hendrix says

      September 26, 2022 at 8:02 pm

      Hi! Our exact flooring has been discontinued, but it’s LVP from Armstrong!

      Reply
  5. Lisa East says

    September 17, 2022 at 7:30 am

    What do you think about First Star for kitchen cabinets?

    Reply
    • Amanda Hendrix says

      September 26, 2022 at 8:03 pm

      I think it would look great!

      Reply
  6. Ella says

    August 18, 2022 at 1:27 pm

    I found your post because I just had a house built and the builder used First Star throughout and I hate it, ha ha. Such a bland, boring color, especially since we have a big open floorplan and white kitchen cabinets. We didn’t have a choice on anything, being post-Covid with material shortages, so I was looking for ideas of what to do with it. Anyway, your home looks lovely and I’m glad you’re enjoying the color.

    Reply
  7. Clea says

    June 11, 2022 at 12:09 pm

    So light and airy I love it! We will be getting our main areas painted in first star in a couple weeks!. Except the dining room. It will be done in agreeable gray for a little warmer touch.

    Reply
  8. Jennifer Buchanan says

    June 6, 2022 at 9:51 am

    We have this color in the house that we are buying (inventory home currently in build process). I’m trying to find a nice color of “cut and loop” carpet for the upstairs that won’t clash with it. Any thoughts?

    Reply
    • Amanda Hendrix says

      June 8, 2022 at 2:02 pm

      Hi! We have a light gray/tan carpet – you can see it in some photos towards the end of the post. I don’t know the name of the color, though.

      Reply
  9. Lisa says

    April 5, 2022 at 1:48 pm

    Hi…. Will FS look white on the exterior? we will have dark brown/black trim

    Reply
    • Amanda Hendrix says

      April 8, 2022 at 1:51 pm

      I imagine it would, but I always recommend testing!

      Reply
  10. Phyllis says

    December 28, 2021 at 10:46 pm

    This was really helpful. I was going to do a cool Grey on my walls. Currently it’s that builder white color, kinda yellowish tint? But I just put in white quartz counters and liked the airy feel. But I didn’t want stark white. The way you described it as a really light cool grey is exactly what I’m looking for. It looks great in your house!

    Reply
  11. Becky Flora says

    December 8, 2021 at 6:04 am

    Finally I’ve found someone who has used First Star throughout their home like me! I love it paired with my Extra White trim. So light and airy! Could definitely use some help on my kitchen, however, where the previous owners painted the kitchen cabinets a warm Dover White (think creamy and yellow) in an area that doesn’t get much natural light. I have to fix this. Looks like we have similar granite too. What color are your cabinets and backsplash? Love your home!

    Reply
    • Amanda Hendrix says

      December 8, 2021 at 3:23 pm

      Hi! Ours are a pretty pure white – we didn’t choose the color, but it’s a good basic white. The backsplash is light gray.

      Reply
  12. Beth says

    September 27, 2021 at 12:36 pm

    Hello what color is on the ceiling? Thx

    Reply
    • Amanda Hendrix says

      October 1, 2021 at 9:16 am

      It’s First Star as well!

      Reply
  13. Lilly T says

    September 7, 2021 at 6:23 am

    Yes, I love this color! My daughter picked it for her room and it is beautiful BUT, I would not call this a white at all. This is a very light, light gray. It looks gorgeous with her gold rose accents and white bedspread but you can totally see the gray in it.
    It brightened her room soooo much! Looks beautiful in your home too! 🙂

    Reply
    • Rk says

      February 26, 2022 at 10:43 am

      Totally agree. This is not white. This is light light gray! We went with SW 7005 – Pure White in our home. That is white.

      Reply
  14. Sue says

    September 6, 2021 at 10:13 am

    You have done a great job choosing the colour. It looks lovely. I want to paint our hall and bathroom. I am leaning towards grey. Hope it looks as good as your home.
    Thanks for sharing.
    Shirley

    Reply

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