Saybrook Sage vs Malabar
Where Saybrook Sage belongs to Benjamin Moore's range, Malabar is a Sherwin-Williams color. Hue-wise, Saybrook Sage belongs to the grey family and Malabar to the beige family. Malabar (LRV 53) reflects noticeably more light than Saybrook Sage (LRV 45), a difference of 8 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Saybrook Sage runs green while Malabar is decidedly warm, which means they'll respond very differently to warm vs cool light sources. The ΔE 10.0 gap is real but not dramatic — close enough to use together, distinct enough to matter as a choice. Below you'll find 3 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Saybrook Sage vs Malabar in Real Spaces
3 real rooms side by side. Saybrook Sage and Malabar 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.
Living Room
In a living room, color works across both daylight and evening light — the same wall can read very differently at noon and at 8pm. The brightness difference is modest but present — Malabar gives the walls a little more lift.
House
Seen across an entire facade, subtle tonal differences become pronounced. What reads as nearly the same on a chip often reads as clearly different at scale. Malabar reads slightly lighter here — a subtle but real difference in how open the space feels.
Kitchen Cabinets
Kitchen cabinets are constantly compared against adjacent materials, which means subtle differences between these two become much more visible. Malabar reads slightly lighter here — a subtle but real difference in how open the space feels.
Color Details
Saybrook Sage vs Malabar Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Saybrook Sage on one side and Malabar 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 Saybrook Sage comparisons
See how Saybrook Sage stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 45), opening up a space where Saybrook Sage encloses it.
At LRV 69 vs 45, Ammonite is decisively the brighter choice.
Saybrook Sage reflects far more light (LRV 45 vs 6), opening up a space where Iron Ore encloses it.
A 6-point LRV gap (52 vs 45) makes Purbeck Stone the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 45 vs 30, Saybrook Sage is decisively the brighter choice.
Mizzle reads slightly lighter (LRV 52 vs 45), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 60 vs 45, Agreeable Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Accessible Beige reflects far more light (LRV 58 vs 45), opening up a space where Saybrook Sage encloses it.
Saybrook Sage reflects far more light (LRV 45 vs 27), opening up a space where Denim Drift encloses it.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 45 vs 43), so neither reads brighter in a room.
At LRV 45 vs 4, Saybrook Sage is decisively the brighter choice.
Tranquil Dawn reads slightly lighter (LRV 55 vs 45), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Saybrook Sage reflects far more light (LRV 45 vs 13), opening up a space where Bancha encloses it.
With LRVs of 45 and 44, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
At LRV 84 vs 45, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 45 vs 21, Saybrook Sage is decisively the brighter choice.
Balboa Mist reflects far more light (LRV 66 vs 45), opening up a space where Saybrook Sage encloses it.
Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 45), opening up a space where Saybrook Sage encloses it.
Snowbound reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 45), opening up a space where Saybrook Sage encloses it.
Saybrook Sage reflects far more light (LRV 45 vs 12), opening up a space where Pewter Green encloses it.
Skimming Stone reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 45), opening up a space where Saybrook Sage encloses it.
A 4-point LRV gap (45 vs 41) makes Saybrook Sage the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 68 vs 45, Calamine is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 45 vs 25, Saybrook Sage is decisively the brighter choice.
Saybrook Sage reflects far more light (LRV 45 vs 12), opening up a space where Vintage Vogue encloses it.
At LRV 45 vs 31, Saybrook Sage is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 45 vs 7, Saybrook Sage is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 45 vs 24, Saybrook Sage is decisively the brighter choice.
A 12-point LRV gap (57 vs 45) makes Guilford Green the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 72 vs 45, Just Walnut is decisively the brighter choice.