New White vs Pure White
New White (Farrow & Ball) and Pure White (Sherwin-Williams) come from different manufacturers. New White reads as beige-white, while Pure White reads as beige-greige — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. Their light reflectance values are nearly the same — 82 vs 84 — 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 10.4 puts these firmly in different territory — two distinct design choices rather than close alternatives. Below you'll find 3 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
New White vs Pure White in Real Spaces
3 real rooms side by side. Seeing New White 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
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. The distinction reads clearly at room scale, making the choice between them concrete.
Kitchen
Kitchens often have the harshest, most revealing light in the house — under-cabinet LEDs and overhead fixtures that strip away subtlety. At this scale, the choice between them becomes clear in a way that a swatch alone can't communicate.
Kitchen Cabinets
Cabinet color is always seen in context — against countertops, backsplash, and hardware — which amplifies undertone differences that might disappear on a plain wall. At this scale, the choice between them becomes clear in a way that a swatch alone can't communicate.
Color Details
New White vs Pure White Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see New White 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 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.
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.
New White reflects far more light (LRV 82 vs 7), opening up a space where Pine Needle encloses it.