Blackened vs Pure White
Where Blackened belongs to Farrow & Ball's range, Pure White is a Sherwin-Williams color. Hue-wise, Blackened belongs to the grey family and Pure White to the beige-greige family. Pure White (LRV 84) reflects noticeably more light than Blackened (LRV 71), a difference of 13 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Blackened runs neutral while Pure White is decidedly warm, which means they'll respond very differently to warm vs cool light sources. The ΔE 6.2 gap is real but not dramatic — close enough to use together, distinct enough to matter as a choice. Below you'll find 5 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Blackened vs Pure White in Real Spaces
5 real rooms side by side. Blackened 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. The LRV gap is large enough that Pure White will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Blackened would.
Bedroom
The context that matters most in a bedroom is how a color reads under a bedside lamp at night, not under noon daylight. Pure White reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Blackened.
Kitchen
In a kitchen, colors are seen under bright task lighting that amplifies undertones — what reads neutral elsewhere can show its hand here. Pure White reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Blackened.
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. Pure White reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Blackened.
Kitchen Cabinets
Kitchen cabinets are constantly compared against adjacent materials, which means subtle differences between these two become much more visible. Pure White reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Blackened.
Color Details
Blackened vs Pure White Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Blackened 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 Blackened comparisons
See how Blackened stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
