Volcanic Ash vs Pure White
Volcanic Ash (PPG) and Pure White (Sherwin-Williams) come from different manufacturers. Hue-wise, Volcanic Ash belongs to the grey family and Pure White to the beige-greige family. The 66-point LRV gap — 84 for Pure White vs 18 for Volcanic Ash — means Pure White will open up a space more effectively. A ΔE of 44.5 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.
Volcanic Ash vs Pure White in Real Spaces
7 real rooms side by side. Seeing Volcanic Ash 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 Volcanic Ash.
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 Volcanic Ash.
Color Details
Volcanic Ash vs Pure White Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Volcanic Ash 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 Volcanic Ash comparisons
See how Volcanic Ash stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
At LRV 69 vs 18, Ammonite is decisively the brighter choice.
White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 18), opening up a space where Volcanic Ash encloses it.
Volcanic Ash reflects far more light (LRV 18 vs 6), opening up a space where Iron Ore encloses it.
At LRV 52 vs 18, Purbeck Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 30 vs 18, Evergreen Fog is decisively the brighter choice.
Mizzle reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 18), opening up a space where Volcanic Ash encloses it.
At LRV 60 vs 18, Agreeable Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Accessible Beige reflects far more light (LRV 58 vs 18), opening up a space where Volcanic Ash encloses it.
Denim Drift reads slightly lighter (LRV 27 vs 18), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 43 vs 18, French Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 18 vs 4, Volcanic Ash is decisively the brighter choice.
Tranquil Dawn reflects far more light (LRV 55 vs 18), opening up a space where Volcanic Ash encloses it.
Volcanic Ash reads slightly lighter (LRV 18 vs 13), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Hardwick White reflects far more light (LRV 44 vs 18), opening up a space where Volcanic Ash encloses it.
A 3-point LRV gap (21 vs 18) makes Artichoke the marginally brighter of the two.
Balboa Mist reflects far more light (LRV 66 vs 18), opening up a space where Volcanic Ash encloses it.
Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 18), opening up a space where Volcanic Ash encloses it.
Snowbound reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 18), opening up a space where Volcanic Ash encloses it.
At LRV 51 vs 18, Pigeon is decisively the brighter choice.
Volcanic Ash reads slightly lighter (LRV 18 vs 12), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Volcanic Ash reads slightly lighter (LRV 18 vs 8), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Skimming Stone reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 18), opening up a space where Volcanic Ash encloses it.
At LRV 41 vs 18, Dix Blue is decisively the brighter choice.
Volcanic Ash reads slightly lighter (LRV 18 vs 12), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Saybrook Sage reflects far more light (LRV 45 vs 18), opening up a space where Volcanic Ash encloses it.
At LRV 31 vs 18, Pale Green is decisively the brighter choice.
A 11-point LRV gap (18 vs 7) makes Volcanic Ash the marginally brighter of the two.