Magnolia vs Pure White
Where Magnolia belongs to Dulux's range, Pure White is a Sherwin-Williams color. Magnolia reads as beige, while Pure White reads as beige-greige — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. They have nearly identical light reflectance values (83 vs 84), so they'll read as similarly Light in most lighting conditions. Both lean warm, so they'll behave similarly in mixed or changing light conditions. The ΔE 8.1 gap is real but not dramatic — close enough to use together, distinct enough to matter as a choice. Below you'll find 6 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Magnolia vs Pure White in Real Spaces
6 real rooms side by side. Magnolia and Pure White 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. Side by side like this, the difference is easy to read — which is exactly why seeing them in a real space is more useful than comparing chips.
Bedroom
The context that matters most in a bedroom is how a color reads under a bedside lamp at night, not under noon daylight. The distinction reads clearly at room scale, making the choice between them concrete.
Kitchen
In a kitchen, colors are seen under bright task lighting that amplifies undertones — what reads neutral elsewhere can show its hand here. The distinction reads clearly at room scale, making the choice between them concrete.
Bathroom
Bathrooms are one of the few spaces where you're genuinely enclosed by the paint color, which makes the choice between these two more consequential. The distinction reads clearly at room scale, making the choice between them concrete.
Home Office
The test for a home office color isn't how it looks in a quick glance — it's whether it still feels right after a full day of work. The distinction reads clearly at room scale, making the choice between them concrete.
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. The distinction reads clearly at room scale, making the choice between them concrete.
Color Details
Magnolia vs Pure White Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Magnolia 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 Magnolia comparisons
See how Magnolia stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 83 vs 83), so neither reads brighter in a room.
Magnolia reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 52), opening up a space where Purbeck Stone encloses it.
Magnolia reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 30), opening up a space where Evergreen Fog encloses it.
Magnolia reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 60), opening up a space where Agreeable Gray encloses it.
At LRV 83 vs 58, Magnolia is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 83 vs 27, Magnolia is decisively the brighter choice.
Magnolia reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 43), opening up a space where French Gray encloses it.
At LRV 83 vs 55, Magnolia is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 83 vs 44, Magnolia is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 83 vs 66, Magnolia is decisively the brighter choice.
A 9-point LRV gap (83 vs 74) makes Magnolia the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 83 vs 12, Magnolia is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 83 vs 68, Magnolia is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 83 vs 12, Magnolia is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 83 vs 45, Magnolia is decisively the brighter choice.
Magnolia reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 31), opening up a space where Pale Green encloses it.
Magnolia reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 7), opening up a space where Pine Needle encloses it.
Magnolia reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 24), opening up a space where Cement grey encloses it.
Magnolia reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 57), opening up a space where Guilford Green encloses it.
Magnolia reads slightly lighter (LRV 83 vs 72), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.