Alabaster (SW 7008) vs Cotton (SW 9581)
Quick decision
- Lighter
- Cotton, LRV 83 vs 82.
- Warmer
- About the same, both warm white (Lab b* 5.2 vs 5.2).
- North rooms
- About the same: both keep their brightness and color about equally (L* 89.1 vs 88.8 in north light).
- Trim that works
- Cheviot SW 9503, #F6F2E8, LRV 89: the Sherwin-Williams white closest in hue to both.
- Closeness
- deltaE 0.2, indistinguishable. At 0.2, pick on price, finish or availability.
See each color
Alabaster (SW 7008) is about as light as Cotton (SW 9581) and about as warm: LRV 82 vs 83, deltaE 0.2 (indistinguishable).
Side by side
| Measure | Alabaster | Cotton | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Sherwin-Williams | Sherwin-Williams | |
| Color code | SW 7008 | SW 9581 | |
| Hex | #EDEAE0 | #EEEBE1 | |
| RGB | 237, 234, 224 | 238, 235, 225 | |
| HSL | 46°, 27%, 90% | 46°, 28%, 91% | |
| LRV (light reflectance value) | 82 | 83 | −1 |
| Lab L* | 92.7 | 93.0 | −0.3 |
| Lab a* | -0.7 | -0.7 | 0.0 |
| Lab b* | 5.2 | 5.2 | +0.0 |
| Undertone | Neutral | Neutral | |
| Temperature | warm | warm | |
| Color family | White | White |
Same paint, two kinds of light
Alabaster (SW 7008), published as #EDEAE0
#DBE0DE
#FFF4E0
Cotton (SW 9581), published as #EEEBE1
#DCE1DF
#FFF5E1
These swatches and the rooms above are a simulation, not a measurement. How the visualizer works
Which should you pick
Rules of thumb computed from the LRV and Lab values in the table above; no room test was done.
- Pick Cotton (SW 9581) for a small room or a north-facing room, because it is 1 LRV points lighter (83 vs 82), so it bounces back more of the limited light
Closest matches to Alabaster in other brands
Closest matches to Cotton in other brands
Common questions
- Is Alabaster the same color as Cotton?
- They are indistinguishable: a CIEDE2000 difference of 0.2. Most people cannot tell Alabaster and Cotton apart.
- Which is lighter, Alabaster or Cotton?
- Cotton, with an LRV of 83 against 82.
Full pages
Related comparisons
Sources: LRV and hex as published by the manufacturer, via PaintDB (CC BY 4.0). Color differences are CIEDE2000 values computed by this site from the hex values (data snapshot 2026-10-01). Color names and codes belong to their manufacturers.