Which White is on my Trim? Distinguishing Differences in White Vs. Alabaster

Authored by: Five Star Painting Franchise Owner, Scott Specker

In the summer of 2022, we were asked to repaint an entire house in Cumming, Georgia, for a couple relocating from California. Five Star Painting of Cumming is perfect for these jobs because we have professional estimators and project managers to take the stress away from homeowners dealing with painters. Much less to say the stress of scheduling with any trade. Getting people to show up is a huge hurdle. Further, we are equipped with an iPhone and can do a walk-through using FaceTime or even a Zoom call. This is very convenient for busy executive-like customers.

After two weeks of working in their empty house, the job went superbly, and we received a 5-star review for the painting work. See below.

“Five Star refinished our kitchen and Master Bath cabinets in a beautiful SW shade of white. The old cabinets had been done in an antique brown/yellow, and were in serious need of upgrading. The process for repainting, as Five Star does it, is fairly involved, and kept us out of our kitchen and garage as the disassembly, sanding, spraying, and reassembly progressed. In all the crew and office staff were prompt, professional and meticulous. This is a messy job without doubt, but there was no mess left. Kudos to our Estimator, Becca B., our Scheduler, Malesa M., and our Project Manager, Michael G. We were 'Five Star' satisfied.”

We were amazed that in November, when the homeowner, whom we had never met in person, emailed us to find out if we had possibly applied the wrong color to his entire trim. He was panicking. He was purchasing all new shutters or window treatments in the Alabaster color from Sherwin Williams. After checking the purchases, our Project Manager and painter were sure that an accident had occurred using extra white rather than alabaster as we intended.

We painted their trim in Extra White. The colors are so close that it is almost impossible to tell the difference. Our Project Manager and painter owned up to the mistake and went back to repaint the trim. The odd thing was that when we applied the Alabaster over the Extra White it looked exactly the same. We did this in front of the customer. However, it was important for the right color to be applied. We sent two painters and were done in two days.

What Color is Alabaster?

Alabaster has a slightly warmer undertone than extra white, appearing more stone colored than a traditional, flat, bright white. Some people agree alabaster is more beige with subtle hints of yellow. You can use alabaster anywhere in the house, as it is a popular choice for cabinets and trim.

What Color is Extra White?

Unlike alabaster, extra white is a “cool white” and less bright than traditional white paint. Extra white has cool blue undertones that give it a subtle, yet crisp personality. This paint color is not creamy like alabaster giving it a distinct difference in characteristics.

Now that we know the differences between Alabaster and Extra White, let’s get back to our customer. Soon after sending our painters out to complete the job, our customer sent a very delightful email (see below) and all was right in the “white” world. He was then able to order his shutters and assemble his home.

Final email to Scott:

“Hi Scott, Your crew is just leaving our home. They were fantastic and professional. Thank you for correcting this situation. We truly appreciate it and will absolutely consider using Five Star Painting again in the future. Y'all made it right in the end, which is what we will remember. You run a wonderful company. Best, Jared C.”