Matchstick vs Pure White
Where Matchstick belongs to Farrow & Ball's range, Pure White is a Sherwin-Williams color. Matchstick reads as beige, while Pure White reads as beige-greige — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. Pure White (LRV 84) reflects noticeably more light than Matchstick (LRV 68), a difference of 16 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Both lean warm, so they'll behave similarly in mixed or changing light conditions. With a ΔE of 13.6, the contrast is hard to miss. These aren't variations on a theme — they're two different answers to the same question. Below you'll find 4 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Matchstick vs Pure White in Real Spaces
4 real rooms side by side. Seeing Matchstick and Pure White in actual rooms makes the difference concrete; browse the spaces below to get a feel for how each color lives on a wall.
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 Matchstick 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 Matchstick.
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 Matchstick.
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 Matchstick.
Color Details
Matchstick vs Pure White Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Matchstick 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 Matchstick comparisons
See how Matchstick stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 69 vs 68), so neither reads brighter in a room.
White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 68), opening up a space where Matchstick encloses it.
Matchstick reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 6), opening up a space where Iron Ore encloses it.
At LRV 68 vs 52, Matchstick is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 68 vs 30, Matchstick is decisively the brighter choice.
Matchstick reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 52), opening up a space where Mizzle encloses it.
A 7-point LRV gap (68 vs 60) makes Matchstick the marginally brighter of the two.
Matchstick reads slightly lighter (LRV 68 vs 58), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Matchstick reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 27), opening up a space where Denim Drift encloses it.
At LRV 68 vs 43, Matchstick is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 68 vs 4, Matchstick is decisively the brighter choice.
Matchstick reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 55), opening up a space where Tranquil Dawn encloses it.
Matchstick reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 13), opening up a space where Bancha encloses it.
Matchstick reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 44), opening up a space where Hardwick White encloses it.
At LRV 68 vs 21, Matchstick is decisively the brighter choice.
With LRVs of 68 and 66, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Shoji White reads slightly lighter (LRV 74 vs 68), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Snowbound reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 68), opening up a space where Matchstick encloses it.
At LRV 68 vs 51, Matchstick is decisively the brighter choice.
Matchstick reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 12), opening up a space where Pewter Green encloses it.
Matchstick reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 8), opening up a space where Duck Green encloses it.
With LRVs of 68 and 68, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
At LRV 68 vs 41, Matchstick is decisively the brighter choice.
Matchstick reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 12), opening up a space where Vintage Vogue encloses it.
Matchstick reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 45), opening up a space where Saybrook Sage encloses it.
At LRV 68 vs 31, Matchstick is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 68 vs 7, Matchstick is decisively the brighter choice.