Backwoods vs Pure White
Backwoods (Benjamin Moore) and Pure White (Sherwin-Williams) come from different manufacturers. Backwoods reads as green-grey, while Pure White reads as beige-greige — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. The 71-point LRV gap — 84 for Pure White vs 13 for Backwoods — means Pure White will open up a space more effectively. Where Backwoods leans green, Pure White reads warm — a distinction that shifts noticeably depending on the light source and surrounding finishes. A ΔE of 53.8 puts these firmly in different territory — two distinct design choices rather than close alternatives. Below you'll find 2 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Backwoods vs Pure White in Real Spaces
2 real rooms side by side. Seeing Backwoods 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
Kitchens often have the harshest, most revealing light in the house — under-cabinet LEDs and overhead fixtures that strip away subtlety. Pure White returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
Kitchen Cabinets
Cabinet color is always seen in context — against countertops, backsplash, and hardware — which amplifies undertone differences that might disappear on a plain wall. Pure White returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
Color Details
Backwoods vs Pure White Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Backwoods 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 Backwoods comparisons
See how Backwoods stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
At LRV 83 vs 13, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.
Purbeck Stone reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 13), opening up a space where Backwoods encloses it.
Evergreen Fog reflects far more light (LRV 30 vs 13), opening up a space where Backwoods encloses it.
Agreeable Gray reflects far more light (LRV 60 vs 13), opening up a space where Backwoods encloses it.
At LRV 58 vs 13, Accessible Beige is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 27 vs 13, Denim Drift is decisively the brighter choice.
French Gray reflects far more light (LRV 43 vs 13), opening up a space where Backwoods encloses it.
At LRV 55 vs 13, Tranquil Dawn is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 44 vs 13, Hardwick White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 66 vs 13, Balboa Mist is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 74 vs 13, Shoji White is decisively the brighter choice.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 13 vs 12), so neither reads brighter in a room.
At LRV 68 vs 13, Skimming Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 13 vs 12), so neither reads brighter in a room.
At LRV 45 vs 13, Saybrook Sage is decisively the brighter choice.
Pale Green reflects far more light (LRV 31 vs 13), opening up a space where Backwoods encloses it.
Backwoods reads slightly lighter (LRV 13 vs 7), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Cement grey reads slightly lighter (LRV 24 vs 13), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Guilford Green reflects far more light (LRV 57 vs 13), opening up a space where Backwoods encloses it.
Just Walnut reflects far more light (LRV 72 vs 13), opening up a space where Backwoods encloses it.