Desolate vs Windham Cream
Both from Benjamin Moore's palette. These are both beiges, so the question isn't which hue to choose — it's where within beige to land. They have nearly identical light reflectance values (81 vs 79), so they'll read as similarly Light in most lighting conditions. Desolate runs red while Windham Cream is decidedly yellow and red, which means they'll respond very differently to warm vs cool light sources. The ΔE 5.2 gap is real but not dramatic — close enough to use together, distinct enough to matter as a choice. Below, 5 simulated room previews show how each color reads at scale — real-room photos will be added as they become available.
Color Details
Desolate vs Windham Cream Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Desolate on one side and Windham Cream 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 Desolate comparisons
See how Desolate stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 83 vs 81), so neither reads brighter in a room.
Desolate reflects far more light (LRV 81 vs 52), opening up a space where Purbeck Stone encloses it.
Desolate reflects far more light (LRV 81 vs 30), opening up a space where Evergreen Fog encloses it.
Desolate reflects far more light (LRV 81 vs 60), opening up a space where Agreeable Gray encloses it.
At LRV 81 vs 58, Desolate is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 81 vs 27, Desolate is decisively the brighter choice.
Desolate reflects far more light (LRV 81 vs 43), opening up a space where French Gray encloses it.
At LRV 81 vs 55, Desolate is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 81 vs 44, Desolate is decisively the brighter choice.
Pure White reads slightly lighter (LRV 84 vs 81), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 81 vs 66, Desolate is decisively the brighter choice.
A 6-point LRV gap (81 vs 74) makes Desolate the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 81 vs 12, Desolate is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 81 vs 8, Desolate is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 81 vs 68, Desolate is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 81 vs 12, Desolate is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 81 vs 45, Desolate is decisively the brighter choice.
Desolate reflects far more light (LRV 81 vs 31), opening up a space where Pale Green encloses it.