Varnished Ivory vs Pure White
Where Varnished Ivory belongs to Behr's range, Pure White is a Sherwin-Williams color. Varnished Ivory reads as beige, while Pure White reads as beige-greige — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. Pure White (LRV 84) reflects noticeably more light than Varnished Ivory (LRV 72), a difference of 12 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Varnished Ivory runs red while Pure White is decidedly warm, which means they'll respond very differently to warm vs cool light sources. The ΔE 8.0 gap is real but not dramatic — close enough to use together, distinct enough to matter as a choice. Below you'll find 2 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Varnished Ivory vs Pure White in Real Spaces
2 real rooms side by side. Varnished Ivory 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.
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 Varnished Ivory.
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 Varnished Ivory.
Color Details
Varnished Ivory vs Pure White Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Varnished Ivory 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 Varnished Ivory comparisons
See how Varnished Ivory stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
White Dove reads slightly lighter (LRV 83 vs 72), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
A 3-point LRV gap (72 vs 69) makes Varnished Ivory the marginally brighter of the two.
Varnished Ivory reflects far more light (LRV 72 vs 6), opening up a space where Iron Ore encloses it.
At LRV 72 vs 52, Varnished Ivory is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 72 vs 30, Varnished Ivory is decisively the brighter choice.
Varnished Ivory reflects far more light (LRV 72 vs 52), opening up a space where Mizzle encloses it.
A 12-point LRV gap (72 vs 60) makes Varnished Ivory the marginally brighter of the two.
Varnished Ivory reflects far more light (LRV 72 vs 58), opening up a space where Accessible Beige encloses it.
Varnished Ivory reflects far more light (LRV 72 vs 27), opening up a space where Denim Drift encloses it.
At LRV 72 vs 43, Varnished Ivory is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 72 vs 4, Varnished Ivory is decisively the brighter choice.
Varnished Ivory reflects far more light (LRV 72 vs 55), opening up a space where Tranquil Dawn encloses it.
Varnished Ivory reflects far more light (LRV 72 vs 13), opening up a space where Bancha encloses it.
Varnished Ivory reflects far more light (LRV 72 vs 44), opening up a space where Hardwick White encloses it.
At LRV 72 vs 21, Varnished Ivory is decisively the brighter choice.
Varnished Ivory reads slightly lighter (LRV 72 vs 66), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
With LRVs of 74 and 72, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Snowbound reads slightly lighter (LRV 83 vs 72), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Varnished Ivory reflects far more light (LRV 72 vs 12), opening up a space where Pewter Green encloses it.
Varnished Ivory reads slightly lighter (LRV 72 vs 68), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 72 vs 41, Varnished Ivory is decisively the brighter choice.
A 5-point LRV gap (72 vs 68) makes Varnished Ivory the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 72 vs 25, Varnished Ivory is decisively the brighter choice.
Varnished Ivory reflects far more light (LRV 72 vs 12), opening up a space where Vintage Vogue encloses it.
Varnished Ivory reflects far more light (LRV 72 vs 45), opening up a space where Saybrook Sage encloses it.
At LRV 72 vs 31, Varnished Ivory is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 72 vs 7, Varnished Ivory is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 72 vs 24, Varnished Ivory is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 72 vs 57, Varnished Ivory is decisively the brighter choice.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 72 vs 72), so neither reads brighter in a room.