Sandstone vs Malabar
Sandstone (Dulux) and Malabar (Sherwin-Williams) 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 7-point LRV gap — 60 for Sandstone vs 53 for Malabar — means Sandstone 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 3.3 means they're clearly different, but not dramatically so — they'd pair well in the same room. Below you'll find 2 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Sandstone vs Malabar in Real Spaces
2 real rooms side by side. Sandstone 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
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. Sandstone reads slightly lighter here — a subtle but real difference in how open the space feels.
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. Sandstone has the edge in reflectance, which shows as a quiet sense of added space rather than an obvious contrast.
Color Details
Sandstone vs Malabar Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Sandstone 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 Sandstone comparisons
See how Sandstone stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
