Drift of Mist (SW 9166)
A warm off-white with gentle greige undertones. Airy and soft.
About Sherwin Williams Drift of Mist
Drift of Mist (SW 9166) is a white from Sherwin Williams's collection with an LRV of 73 and warm misty white undertones. A warm off-white with gentle greige undertones. Airy and soft.
With a light-to-medium LRV of 73, Drift of Mist sits in a versatile sweet spot. It has enough depth to read as more than a white or off-white, adding real color and character to a room, while still reflecting enough light to keep spaces feeling open and airy. This is the range where most popular whole-house colors live, because they offer warmth and personality without making rooms feel smaller.
Light Reflectance Value (LRV)
Drift of Mist has an LRV of 73, placing it in the light range on the 0-to-100 scale. LRV measures the percentage of visible light a color reflects. A pure black has an LRV of 0 and a pure white has an LRV of 100. Understanding a color's LRV helps you predict how it will feel in your space: higher LRV means brighter and more spacious, lower LRV means cozier and more intimate.
Undertone Analysis
Drift of Mist has warm misty white undertones. Undertones are the subtle background colors that become visible in different lighting conditions. Even colors that look "neutral" in the store will reveal their undertones once they are on your walls and interacting with natural light, artificial light, and the colors around them.
A warm off-white with gentle greige undertones. Airy and soft. Warm undertones like these pair naturally with other warm elements: honey-toned wood floors, brass and gold hardware, cream-colored textiles, and warm-toned furnishings. They can clash with strongly cool elements like icy blue accents or chrome fixtures, though the effect depends on the strength of the undertone.
Lighting Behavior
Light and airy. Reads as a warm off-white with barely-there greige.
Every paint color looks different depending on the light source in your room. South-facing rooms get warm, direct sunlight that brings out yellow and warm undertones. North-facing rooms get cool, indirect light that emphasizes blue and gray undertones. East-facing rooms are bright and warm in the morning, cooler in the afternoon. West-facing rooms are the opposite: cool morning, warm afternoon. Incandescent and warm LED bulbs push colors warmer, while cool-white LEDs and fluorescent tubes push colors cooler. To avoid surprises, always test Drift of Mist with a physical sample on your actual wall, and observe it at different times of day before committing.
Best Rooms for Drift of Mist
Sherwin Williams recommends Drift of Mist for: whole house, bedroom, hallway, bathroom, living room.
Drift of Mist is versatile enough to use as a whole-house color, providing a consistent, cohesive look as you move from room to room. Whole-house colors need to work in multiple lighting conditions and alongside various furnishings, which is why a balanced LRV (73) and manageable undertones are essential. Drift of Mist handles this well.
Closest Matches in Other Brands
Find the closest equivalent to Sherwin Williams Drift of Mist from other paint brands. Matches are calculated using Delta E (CIE2000), the industry standard for measuring perceptual color difference.
Benjamin Moore Matches
Behr Matches
Coordinating Colors
These colors pair beautifully with Drift of Mist for a cohesive palette. Use them for trim, accents, adjacent rooms, or furniture to create a well-designed space.
Frequently Asked Questions
We are still researching the best Sherwin Williams match for this color. Check back soon for updated match data.
Drift of Mist has warm misty white undertones. A warm off-white with gentle greige undertones. Airy and soft. Undertones become most visible when the color is on a large surface like a wall, and they shift depending on the light source in your room. Always test with a physical sample in your specific space to see how the undertones interact with your lighting, flooring, and furnishings.
Drift of Mist (SW 9166) has a Light Reflectance Value (LRV) of 73, which puts it in the light range. LRV measures the percentage of light a color reflects on a scale from 0 (pure black) to 100 (pure white). At 73, this is a light color that will keep rooms feeling bright and open.
Drift of Mist leans warm. The warm misty white undertones give it a cozy, inviting quality. It pairs naturally with other warm elements like wood tones, brass hardware, and cream textiles. In north-facing rooms, the warmth is especially welcoming.
Color data sourced from manufacturer specifications. Match calculations use Delta E (CIE2000) computed from Lab color space conversion. Last reviewed: March 22, 2026.