High Reflective White, Sherwin Williams’ Brightest White Paint

High Reflective White is a very clean white paint color by Sherwin WIlliams. It is a popular paint choice for trim and other accents in a home.

High Reflective White is included in the following Sherwin WIlliams paint color collections: 2017 Intrepid, Timeless White, 2021 Continuum, and Rejuvenation – Spring/Summer 2021.

Keep reading to find out all the details on this bright white paint color.

This post may contain affiliate links. If you have any questions, please see my disclaimer page.

Sherwin WIlliams High Reflective White Color Characteristics

High Reflective White is a very bright white paint color. In fact, it is Sherwin WIlliams brightest, more white paint shade.

This makes it a very classic white paint color.

High Reflective White will look white in any setting. It is about as pure white as white paints come.

Sherwin WIlliams High Reflective White LRV

High Reflective White has an LRV (Light Reflectance Value) of 93. The LRV scale goes from 0, which is completely black, to 100, which is completely white.

As you can see, an LRV is pretty high on this scale. Truth be told, white paint colors do not even come much higher than this. The only paint color that I know of that has a higher LRV than High Reflective White is Behr’s Ultra Pure White – and its LRV is 94.

So High Reflective White is just about as bright of a paint color and as white of a paint color as you can get.

Sherwin WIlliams High Reflective White Undertones

Along with having a very high LRV, High Reflective White also has very little in the way of undertones. In fact, it is virtually undertone free.

Like any white with a very high LRV, High Reflective White can take on the tones of the shades around it though. This can make High Reflective White reflect back the colors around it, and thus, make it look like it has undertones.

Is High Reflective White Warm or Cool?

High Reflective White is a pretty neutral paint color, but if I had to pick, I would say that it leans warm.

Cool paint colors have blue, green or purple undertones. In a white paint color, these undertones tend to give a chilly look.

Warm paint colors have red, orange or yellow undertones. Warm undertones can give a more creamy look.

High Reflective White just barely crosses over the warm line, with an almost there yellow undertone.

It will never look yellow though – unless you have a lot of yellow in the environment reflecting back on it.

Where Can I Use Sherwin Williams High Reflective White?

The best and most popular place to use High Reflective White is on trim. It is great on baseboards, crown molding and built-ins.

Additionally, High Reflective White can be a good color to use on cabinets, especially if you are using cooler toned fixed elements like marble countertops or bright white subway tile.

High Reflective White can be used on walls and ceilings as well.

Last, High Reflective White can be used on the trim of a home’s exterior, though a white of this brightness might be a bit of overkill. Because the outside has so much natural light, I tend to recommend going with a white that has just a bit lower of an LRV, such as Pure White or Snowbound.

Is High Reflective White Too White?

High Reflective White is a great white paint color. It is very versatile and goes with a lot of of shades. This is part of what makes it such a perfect trim paint color.

High Reflective White isn’t too white, but it does have an absence of color in it.

All those little undertones in other white paint colors help them cover better on your walls. Put another way, High Reflective White doesn’t have very much hide to it.

It won’t cover other shades on your wall easily. There just isn’t enough of any color in it to do that.

In fact, I’ve heard many paint people say that they won’t even use High Reflective White.

One way to fix this is to ask your Sherwin Williams guy or gal to add more white to High Reflective White. Adding more white to the can will give High Reflective White more hide, making it a much more usable paint color.

Sherwin Williams High Reflective White Coordinating Colors

High Reflective White is such a pure white paint color that it can go with almost any other paint color. Again, this is why it is such a good trim shade

It goes with anything, with one minor exception.

If you tend to use warm, beige tones in your home, you may want to consider going with a white with a little more warmth in it. High Reflective White will work, but it may look just a bit too stark next to the beige tones around it.

Sherwin Williams High Reflective White Trim Colors

If you are painting your walls High Reflective White, the best color to paint your trim is…

High Reflective White.

This is a good practice to use if you are painting walls any white paint color actually.

Because it is really hard to get the undertones of different white paint colors to work together perfectly, a great way to pair white walls with white trim is to paint them both the same color, but differentiate the surfaces by the sheen.

For example, you can paint the walls High Reflective White in an eggshell or satin, and then paint the trim High Reflective White in a semi-gloss.

The differing sheens will make the paint color appear brighter or duller on the trim or walls, but the undertones will all blend together perfectly (because they are exactly the same!).

Sherwin Williams High Reflective White Compared

Whenever I do a full paint color review, I always like to compare the paint color I am discussing with other popular paint colors that are either in the same color family, or that have the same uses.

I find that this helps homeowners decide which paint color is the right one for them.

In this instance, we will compare High Reflective White to a few other popular white paint colors that are commonly used on trim.

High Reflective White vs. Pure White

Pure White tends to be my other go-to paint color for trim. It is a very popular white paint color by Sherwin Williams.

It is a very white paint color with just a hint of gray and yellow in its undertones.

Pure White has an LRV of 84, so it is not nearly as bright as High Reflective White.

That being said, it is still a very bright white paint color.

Like High Reflective White, it is very versatile, and goes well on trim with most other wall paint colors.

If you want a white paint color that is bright and almost stark, but not chilly, High Reflective White is a good choice.

But, if you want a white paint color that has a bit more softness to it, but still looks like a bright white, Pure White might be the better pick.

Click here to learn more about Pure White.

High Reflective White vs. Extra White

Extra White is a popular Sherwin Williams white paint color. It is most frequently used on trim, but it can also be used on walls, cabinets, exteriors, etc.

Extra White has an LRV of 86, making it a bit more of a color than High Reflective White. Extra White has a decidedly blue undertone in it that makes it sort of a chilly white.

Overall, the difference between High Reflective White and Extra White is the temperature. Extra White is much cooler than High Reflective White. This makes it a good shade to use with other cool paint colors, but not a great shade to use with any warm paint colors.

High Reflective White is a bit more versatile, and can be used with almost any other paint colors.

Click here to learn more about Extra White.

High Reflective White vs. Super White

Super White is a bright white Benjamin Moore paint color.

It is a similar paint color to High Reflective White, but it also has a bit more color in it.

This statement is definitely one that is relative though. Super White will look super white in almost any setting. You would never look at it and think it had any color in it, unless you compared it to High Reflective White.

Super White’s LRV is 84, so its almost 10 points lower on the LRV scale.

While High Reflective White leans warm, Super White leans a bit cool. It has slight blue and gray undertones that give it a cooler look.

Click here to learn more about Super White.

High Reflective White vs. Chantilly Lace

Chantilly Lace is one of Benjamin Moore’s purest white paint colors. It has an LRV of 90 and is extremely similar to High Reflective White.

Both lean warm, but with any really any perceptible undertone.

In some ways, Chantilly Lace might be the better trim color between the two for a big reason mentioned earlier. High Reflective White has very low hide. Chantilly Lace should do a better job at covering previous paint colors.

Click here to learn more about Chantilly Lace.

Wondering How To Pick the Perfect Paint Color?

I have the best solution for you!

Samplize sells peel and stick paint samples in almost every paint color.

These no-mess, peel and stick sheets are made from real paint, so they will show you exactly what the paint color will look like.

Simply place them on your walls next to your trim, furnishings or fixed elements, and easily see which paint color works best in your space and with your lighting.

Then, peel the sheet off your wall and reapply it somewhere else if you like. You can try several different paint colors with no mess, no fuss and no cleaning paint brushes.

Oh, and you can have them in your home by tomorrow with OVERNIGHT shipping!

As a bonus, be sure to use the code LoveRemodeled10 at check out to get an extra 10% off! Samplize sheets are cheaper than a sample can of paint, and way less work.

They are the easiest (and fastest!) way to try a paint color in your home, with no hassle.

Final Thoughts on Sherwin Williams High Reflective White

High Reflective White is among my top three best trim paint colors. It is bright, clean, and super white, making it a perfect accent to almost any coordinating colors.

It is also a great choice for pairing with the cool whites that tend to be in kitchens, such as marble and quartz, especially if you want to coordinate with them but not introduce a cool white paint color that could look a little blue in some lights (looking at you, Extra White).

If you are looking for a white paint color that is highly versatile, pick up a Samplize square of High Reflective White and see if it will work in your home!

Want to see all your paint options in one convenient place? Click here to get everything you need to start painting, including Sherwin Williams and Benjamin Moore paint color decks!

Thanks for sharing!