Buttermilk vs Pointing
Buttermilk (Cloverdale Paint) and Pointing (Farrow & Ball) come from different manufacturers. These are both beiges, so the question isn't which hue to choose — it's where within beige to land. The 3-point LRV gap — 88 for Pointing vs 85 for Buttermilk — means Pointing will open up a space more effectively. A ΔE of 1.6 puts them in subtle territory — distinguishable in direct comparison, less so from across a room. Below you'll find 3 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Buttermilk vs Pointing in Real Spaces
3 real rooms side by side. Buttermilk and Pointing 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
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. At this scale the difference is subtle — you'd need them side by side, as shown here, to reliably tell them apart.
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. In photos like these you're seeing the difference at its most direct. In a finished room, the distinction is there but not dramatic.
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. In photos like these you're seeing the difference at its most direct. In a finished room, the distinction is there but not dramatic.
Color Details
Buttermilk vs Pointing Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Buttermilk on one side and Pointing 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 Buttermilk comparisons
See how Buttermilk stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 85 vs 83), so neither reads brighter in a room.
Buttermilk reflects far more light (LRV 85 vs 69), opening up a space where Ammonite encloses it.
At LRV 85 vs 6, Buttermilk is decisively the brighter choice.
Buttermilk reflects far more light (LRV 85 vs 52), opening up a space where Purbeck Stone encloses it.
Buttermilk reflects far more light (LRV 85 vs 30), opening up a space where Evergreen Fog encloses it.
At LRV 85 vs 52, Buttermilk is decisively the brighter choice.
Buttermilk reflects far more light (LRV 85 vs 60), opening up a space where Agreeable Gray encloses it.
At LRV 85 vs 58, Buttermilk is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 85 vs 27, Buttermilk is decisively the brighter choice.
Buttermilk reflects far more light (LRV 85 vs 43), opening up a space where French Gray encloses it.
Buttermilk reflects far more light (LRV 85 vs 4), opening up a space where Naval encloses it.
At LRV 85 vs 55, Buttermilk is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 85 vs 13, Buttermilk is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 85 vs 44, Buttermilk is decisively the brighter choice.
With LRVs of 85 and 84, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Buttermilk reflects far more light (LRV 85 vs 21), opening up a space where Artichoke encloses it.
At LRV 85 vs 66, Buttermilk is decisively the brighter choice.
A 11-point LRV gap (85 vs 74) makes Buttermilk the marginally brighter of the two.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 85 vs 83), so neither reads brighter in a room.
At LRV 85 vs 12, Buttermilk is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 85 vs 68, Buttermilk is decisively the brighter choice.
Buttermilk reflects far more light (LRV 85 vs 41), opening up a space where Dix Blue encloses it.
Buttermilk reflects far more light (LRV 85 vs 68), opening up a space where Calamine encloses it.
Buttermilk reflects far more light (LRV 85 vs 25), opening up a space where Treron encloses it.
At LRV 85 vs 12, Buttermilk is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 85 vs 45, Buttermilk is decisively the brighter choice.
Buttermilk reflects far more light (LRV 85 vs 31), opening up a space where Pale Green encloses it.
Buttermilk reflects far more light (LRV 85 vs 7), opening up a space where Pine Needle encloses it.
Buttermilk reflects far more light (LRV 85 vs 24), opening up a space where Cement grey encloses it.
Buttermilk reflects far more light (LRV 85 vs 57), opening up a space where Guilford Green encloses it.