Tar vs Pure White
Tar (Farrow & Ball) and Pure White (Sherwin-Williams) come from different manufacturers. Tar reads as grey, while Pure White reads as beige-greige — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. The 75-point LRV gap — 84 for Pure White vs 9 for Tar — means Pure White will open up a space more effectively. Where Tar leans neutral, Pure White reads warm — a distinction that shifts noticeably depending on the light source and surrounding finishes. A ΔE of 58.1 puts these firmly in different territory — two distinct design choices rather than close alternatives. Below you'll find 2 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Tar vs Pure White in Real Spaces
2 real rooms side by side. Seeing Tar 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. Pure White reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Tar.
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. Pure White returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
Color Details
Tar vs Pure White Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Tar 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 Tar comparisons
See how Tar stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 9), opening up a space where Tar encloses it.
At LRV 52 vs 9, Purbeck Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 30 vs 9, Evergreen Fog is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 60 vs 9, Agreeable Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Accessible Beige reflects far more light (LRV 58 vs 9), opening up a space where Tar encloses it.
Denim Drift reflects far more light (LRV 27 vs 9), opening up a space where Tar encloses it.
At LRV 43 vs 9, French Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Tranquil Dawn reflects far more light (LRV 55 vs 9), opening up a space where Tar encloses it.
Hardwick White reflects far more light (LRV 44 vs 9), opening up a space where Tar encloses it.
Balboa Mist reflects far more light (LRV 66 vs 9), opening up a space where Tar encloses it.
Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 9), opening up a space where Tar encloses it.
With LRVs of 12 and 9, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
With LRVs of 9 and 8, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Skimming Stone reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 9), opening up a space where Tar encloses it.
With LRVs of 12 and 9, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Saybrook Sage reflects far more light (LRV 45 vs 9), opening up a space where Tar encloses it.
At LRV 31 vs 9, Pale Green is decisively the brighter choice.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 9 vs 7), so neither reads brighter in a room.