New White vs Fresh Zest
New White (Farrow & Ball) and Fresh Zest (Sherwin-Williams) come from different manufacturers. New White reads as beige-white, while Fresh Zest reads as beige — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. Their light reflectance values are nearly the same — 82 vs 82 — so neither will read significantly brighter or darker than the other. Both share a warm character, which means they'll respond to light and surrounding materials in similar ways. A ΔE of 1.1 puts them in subtle territory — distinguishable in direct comparison, less so from across a room. Below you'll find 2 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
New White vs Fresh Zest in Real Spaces
2 real rooms side by side. New White and Fresh Zest 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. At this scale the difference is subtle — you'd need them side by side, as shown here, to reliably tell them apart.
Kitchen
Kitchens often have the harshest, most revealing light in the house — under-cabinet LEDs and overhead fixtures that strip away subtlety. In photos like these you're seeing the difference at its most direct. In a finished room, the distinction is there but not dramatic.
Color Details
New White vs Fresh Zest Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see New White on one side and Fresh Zest 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 New White comparisons
See how New White stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 83 vs 82), so neither reads brighter in a room.
New White reflects far more light (LRV 82 vs 52), opening up a space where Purbeck Stone encloses it.
New White reflects far more light (LRV 82 vs 30), opening up a space where Evergreen Fog encloses it.
New White reflects far more light (LRV 82 vs 60), opening up a space where Agreeable Gray encloses it.
At LRV 82 vs 58, New White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 82 vs 27, New White is decisively the brighter choice.
New White reflects far more light (LRV 82 vs 43), opening up a space where French Gray encloses it.
At LRV 82 vs 55, New White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 82 vs 44, New White is decisively the brighter choice.
With LRVs of 84 and 82, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
At LRV 82 vs 66, New White is decisively the brighter choice.
A 7-point LRV gap (82 vs 74) makes New White the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 82 vs 12, New White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 82 vs 8, New White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 82 vs 68, New White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 82 vs 12, New White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 82 vs 45, New White is decisively the brighter choice.
New White reflects far more light (LRV 82 vs 31), opening up a space where Pale Green encloses it.