Imperial Gray vs Pure White
Where Imperial Gray belongs to Behr's range, Pure White is a Sherwin-Williams color. Hue-wise, Imperial Gray belongs to the grey family and Pure White to the beige-greige family. Pure White (LRV 84) reflects noticeably more light than Imperial Gray (LRV 14), a difference of 70 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Imperial Gray runs blue while Pure White is decidedly warm, which means they'll respond very differently to warm vs cool light sources. With a ΔE of 48.9, the contrast is hard to miss. These aren't variations on a theme — they're two different answers to the same question. Below you'll find 4 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Imperial Gray vs Pure White in Real Spaces
4 real rooms side by side. Seeing Imperial Gray and Pure White in actual rooms makes the difference concrete; browse the spaces below to get a feel for how each color lives on a wall.
Kitchen
In a kitchen, colors are seen under bright task lighting that amplifies undertones — what reads neutral elsewhere can show its hand here. Pure White reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Imperial Gray.
Bathroom
Bathrooms are one of the few spaces where you're genuinely enclosed by the paint color, which makes the choice between these two more consequential. Pure White reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Imperial Gray.
House
Seen across an entire facade, subtle tonal differences become pronounced. What reads as nearly the same on a chip often reads as clearly different at scale. Pure White reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Imperial Gray.
Kitchen Cabinets
Kitchen cabinets are constantly compared against adjacent materials, which means subtle differences between these two become much more visible. Pure White reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Imperial Gray.
Color Details
Imperial Gray vs Pure White Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Imperial Gray on one side and Pure White on the other.
Digital color is approximate. These simulations are generated from the manufacturer's hex values and overlaid on grayscale room photos — your screen's calibration, brightness, and viewing angle all affect how they render. Before committing to either color, test physical samples in your own space under the light you actually live with.
More Imperial Gray comparisons
See how Imperial Gray stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
