Mortar vs Pure White
Where Mortar belongs to Behr's range, Pure White is a Sherwin-Williams color. Mortar reads as grey, while Pure White reads as beige-greige — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. Pure White (LRV 84) reflects noticeably more light than Mortar (LRV 67), a difference of 17 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Mortar runs yellow while Pure White is decidedly warm, which means they'll respond very differently to warm vs cool light sources. The ΔE 7.7 gap is real but not dramatic — close enough to use together, distinct enough to matter as a choice. Below you'll find 1 real-room photo comparison where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Mortar vs Pure White in Real Spaces
1 real room side by side. Mortar and Pure White are close enough that the difference can be hard to judge from a chip alone — these photos show how each reads at scale, across different spaces and lighting conditions.
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 Mortar.
Color Details
Mortar vs Pure White Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Mortar 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 Mortar comparisons
See how Mortar stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
At LRV 83 vs 67, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.
Mortar reflects far more light (LRV 67 vs 52), opening up a space where Purbeck Stone encloses it.
Mortar reflects far more light (LRV 67 vs 30), opening up a space where Evergreen Fog encloses it.
Mortar reads slightly lighter (LRV 67 vs 60), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
A 9-point LRV gap (67 vs 58) makes Mortar the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 67 vs 27, Mortar is decisively the brighter choice.
Mortar reflects far more light (LRV 67 vs 43), opening up a space where French Gray encloses it.
A 12-point LRV gap (67 vs 55) makes Mortar the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 67 vs 44, Mortar is decisively the brighter choice.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 67 vs 66), so neither reads brighter in a room.
A 7-point LRV gap (74 vs 67) makes Shoji White the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 67 vs 12, Mortar is decisively the brighter choice.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 68 vs 67), so neither reads brighter in a room.
At LRV 67 vs 12, Mortar is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 67 vs 45, Mortar is decisively the brighter choice.
Mortar reflects far more light (LRV 67 vs 31), opening up a space where Pale Green encloses it.
Mortar reflects far more light (LRV 67 vs 7), opening up a space where Pine Needle encloses it.
Mortar reflects far more light (LRV 67 vs 24), opening up a space where Cement grey encloses it.
Mortar reads slightly lighter (LRV 67 vs 57), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Just Walnut reads slightly lighter (LRV 72 vs 67), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.