Soft Grey vs Pure White
Soft Grey (Jotun) and Pure White (Sherwin-Williams) come from different manufacturers. Hue-wise, Soft Grey belongs to the greige-grey family and Pure White to the beige-greige family. The 44-point LRV gap — 84 for Pure White vs 40 for Soft Grey — means Pure White will open up a space more effectively. Both share a warm character, which means they'll respond to light and surrounding materials in similar ways. A ΔE of 24.3 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.
Soft Grey vs Pure White in Real Spaces
3 real rooms side by side. Seeing Soft Grey 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 Soft Grey.
Bedroom
Bedrooms are typically lit with warmer, lower light than the rest of the house — a condition that flatters warm tones and deepens cool ones. Pure White returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
Bathroom
Small bathrooms intensify color. A shade that seems quiet in a larger room can feel immersive when you're surrounded by it on four walls. 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
Soft Grey vs Pure White Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Soft Grey 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 Soft Grey comparisons
See how Soft Grey stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
At LRV 83 vs 40, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.
Purbeck Stone reads slightly lighter (LRV 52 vs 40), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Soft Grey reads slightly lighter (LRV 40 vs 30), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Agreeable Gray reflects far more light (LRV 60 vs 40), opening up a space where Soft Grey encloses it.
At LRV 58 vs 40, Accessible Beige is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 40 vs 27, Soft Grey is decisively the brighter choice.
French Gray reads slightly lighter (LRV 43 vs 40), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 55 vs 40, Tranquil Dawn is decisively the brighter choice.
A 4-point LRV gap (44 vs 40) makes Hardwick White the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 66 vs 40, Balboa Mist is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 74 vs 40, Shoji White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 40 vs 12, Soft Grey is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 40 vs 8, Soft Grey is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 68 vs 40, Skimming Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 40 vs 12, Soft Grey is decisively the brighter choice.
A 6-point LRV gap (45 vs 40) makes Saybrook Sage the marginally brighter of the two.
Soft Grey reads slightly lighter (LRV 40 vs 31), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Soft Grey reflects far more light (LRV 40 vs 7), opening up a space where Pine Needle encloses it.