Barley vs Pure White
Barley (Cloverdale Paint) and Pure White (Sherwin-Williams) come from different manufacturers. These are both beige-greiges, so the question isn't which hue to choose — it's where within beige-greige to land. The 41-point LRV gap — 84 for Pure White vs 43 for Barley — means Pure White will open up a space more effectively. A ΔE of 25.8 puts these firmly in different territory — two distinct design choices rather than close alternatives. Below you'll find 4 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Barley vs Pure White in Real Spaces
4 real rooms side by side. Seeing Barley 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.
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. Pure White reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Barley.
Bedroom
Bedrooms are typically lit with warmer, lower light than the rest of the house — a condition that flatters warm tones and deepens cool ones. 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
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.
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. 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
Barley vs Pure White Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Barley 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 Barley comparisons
See how Barley stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
At LRV 83 vs 43, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.
Purbeck Stone reads slightly lighter (LRV 52 vs 43), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Barley reflects far more light (LRV 43 vs 30), opening up a space where Evergreen Fog encloses it.
Agreeable Gray reflects far more light (LRV 60 vs 43), opening up a space where Barley encloses it.
At LRV 58 vs 43, Accessible Beige is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 43 vs 27, Barley is decisively the brighter choice.
With LRVs of 43 and 43, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
At LRV 55 vs 43, Tranquil Dawn is decisively the brighter choice.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 44 vs 43), so neither reads brighter in a room.
At LRV 66 vs 43, Balboa Mist is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 74 vs 43, Shoji White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 43 vs 12, Barley is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 43 vs 8, Barley is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 68 vs 43, Skimming Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 43 vs 12, Barley is decisively the brighter choice.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 45 vs 43), so neither reads brighter in a room.
Barley reads slightly lighter (LRV 43 vs 31), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Barley reflects far more light (LRV 43 vs 7), opening up a space where Pine Needle encloses it.