Cheating Heart vs Magnolia
Cheating Heart (Benjamin Moore) and Magnolia (Dulux) come from different manufacturers. Hue-wise, Cheating Heart belongs to the grey family and Magnolia to the beige family. The 74-point LRV gap — 83 for Magnolia vs 9 for Cheating Heart — means Magnolia will open up a space more effectively. Where Cheating Heart leans blue, Magnolia reads warm — a distinction that shifts noticeably depending on the light source and surrounding finishes. A ΔE of 60.8 puts these firmly in different territory — two distinct design choices rather than close alternatives. Below you'll find 5 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Cheating Heart vs Magnolia in Real Spaces
5 real rooms side by side. Seeing Cheating Heart and Magnolia in actual rooms makes the difference concrete; browse the spaces below to get a feel for how each color lives on a wall.
Living Room
A living room wall sees more varied light than almost any other surface in the house, which makes the choice between these two more nuanced than a chip suggests. Magnolia reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Cheating Heart.
Kitchen
Kitchens often have the harshest, most revealing light in the house — under-cabinet LEDs and overhead fixtures that strip away subtlety. Magnolia returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
Bathroom
Small bathrooms intensify color. A shade that seems quiet in a larger room can feel immersive when you're surrounded by it on four walls. Magnolia returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
Home Office
Home office walls matter more than most — you're looking at them all day, and a color that reads fine at first can become tiring over time. Magnolia returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
House
A full exterior is the most demanding test for a paint color — scale and outdoor light both amplify differences that seem small on a swatch. Magnolia returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
Color Details
Cheating Heart vs Magnolia Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Cheating Heart on one side and Magnolia 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 Cheating Heart comparisons
See how Cheating Heart stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
