In The Buff vs Pure White
In The Buff (PPG) and Pure White (Sherwin-Williams) come from different manufacturers. Both sit in the beige-greige family, which is useful context if you're narrowing within a single hue direction. The 24-point LRV gap — 84 for Pure White vs 60 for In The Buff — means Pure White will open up a space more effectively. A ΔE of 12.1 puts these firmly in different territory — two distinct design choices rather than close alternatives. Below you'll find 7 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
In The Buff vs Pure White in Real Spaces
7 real rooms side by side. Seeing In The Buff 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 In The Buff.
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.
Kitchen
Kitchens often have the harshest, most revealing light in the house — under-cabinet LEDs and overhead fixtures that strip away subtlety. 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.
Home Office
Home office walls matter more than most — you're looking at them all day, and a color that reads fine at first can become tiring over time. Pure White returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
House
A full exterior is the most demanding test for a paint color — scale and outdoor light both amplify differences that seem small on a swatch. Pure White returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
Front Door
On a front door, the color is both the first and last thing you see — a context where even a modest tonal difference reads clearly. Pure White reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than In The Buff.
Color Details
In The Buff vs Pure White Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see In The Buff 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 In The Buff comparisons
See how In The Buff stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
Ammonite reads slightly lighter (LRV 69 vs 60), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 83 vs 60, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 60 vs 6, In The Buff is decisively the brighter choice.
In The Buff reads slightly lighter (LRV 60 vs 52), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
In The Buff reflects far more light (LRV 60 vs 30), opening up a space where Evergreen Fog encloses it.
A 8-point LRV gap (60 vs 52) makes In The Buff the marginally brighter of the two.
With LRVs of 60 and 60, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 60 vs 58), so neither reads brighter in a room.
At LRV 60 vs 27, In The Buff is decisively the brighter choice.
In The Buff reflects far more light (LRV 60 vs 43), opening up a space where French Gray encloses it.
In The Buff reflects far more light (LRV 60 vs 4), opening up a space where Naval encloses it.
A 5-point LRV gap (60 vs 55) makes In The Buff the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 60 vs 13, In The Buff is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 60 vs 44, In The Buff is decisively the brighter choice.
In The Buff reflects far more light (LRV 60 vs 21), opening up a space where Artichoke encloses it.
A 6-point LRV gap (66 vs 60) makes Balboa Mist the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 74 vs 60, Shoji White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 83 vs 60, Snowbound is decisively the brighter choice.
In The Buff reads slightly lighter (LRV 60 vs 51), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 60 vs 12, In The Buff is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 60 vs 8, In The Buff is decisively the brighter choice.
A 8-point LRV gap (68 vs 60) makes Skimming Stone the marginally brighter of the two.
In The Buff reflects far more light (LRV 60 vs 41), opening up a space where Dix Blue encloses it.
At LRV 60 vs 12, In The Buff is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 60 vs 45, In The Buff is decisively the brighter choice.
In The Buff reflects far more light (LRV 60 vs 31), opening up a space where Pale Green encloses it.
In The Buff reflects far more light (LRV 60 vs 7), opening up a space where Pine Needle encloses it.