Buttermilk vs Magnolia
Buttermilk and Magnolia come from the same Dulux collection. These are both beiges, so the question isn't which hue to choose — it's where within beige to land. The 6-point LRV gap — 83 for Magnolia vs 77 for Buttermilk — means Magnolia will open up a space more effectively. Both share a warm character, which means they'll respond to light and surrounding materials in similar ways. ΔE 9.0 means they're clearly different, but not dramatically so — they'd pair well in the same room. Below you'll find 3 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Buttermilk vs Magnolia in Real Spaces
3 real rooms side by side. Buttermilk and Magnolia 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. Magnolia reads slightly lighter here — a subtle but real difference in how open the space feels.
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. Magnolia has the edge in reflectance, which shows as a quiet sense of added space rather than an obvious contrast.
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 has the edge in reflectance, which shows as a quiet sense of added space rather than an obvious contrast.
Color Details
Buttermilk vs Magnolia Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Buttermilk 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 Buttermilk comparisons
See how Buttermilk stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
