Afternoon vs Cheerful
Afternoon and Cheerful come from the same Sherwin-Williams collection. These are both beiges, so the question isn't which hue to choose — it's where within beige to land. Their light reflectance values are nearly the same — 65 vs 63 — 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 32.0 puts these firmly in different territory — two distinct design choices rather than close alternatives. Below you'll find 10 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Afternoon vs Cheerful in Real Spaces
10 real rooms side by side. Seeing Afternoon and Cheerful 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.
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. At this scale, the choice between them becomes clear in a way that a swatch alone can't communicate.
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.
Dining Room
Dining rooms often rely on warm incandescent or candlelight, which flatters warm undertones and mutes cool ones. Side by side like this, the difference is easy to read — which is exactly why seeing them in a real space is more useful than comparing chips.
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. At this scale, the choice between them becomes clear in a way that a swatch alone can't communicate.
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. At this scale, the choice between them becomes clear in a way that a swatch alone can't communicate.
Mudroom
In a hardworking space like a mudroom, the depth and warmth of a color reads differently than in a quieter room. Side by side like this, the difference is easy to read — which is exactly why seeing them in a real space is more useful than comparing chips.
Patio
Exterior colors look different in open light — both tend to read lighter outside than on an interior swatch, and shadows read more strongly. Side by side like this, the difference is easy to read — which is exactly why seeing them in a real space is more useful than comparing chips.
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. At this scale, the choice between them becomes clear in a way that a swatch alone can't communicate.
Color Details
Afternoon vs Cheerful Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Afternoon on one side and Cheerful 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 Afternoon comparisons
See how Afternoon stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
At LRV 83 vs 65, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.
Afternoon reflects far more light (LRV 65 vs 52), opening up a space where Purbeck Stone encloses it.
Afternoon reflects far more light (LRV 65 vs 30), opening up a space where Evergreen Fog encloses it.
Afternoon reads slightly lighter (LRV 65 vs 60), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
A 7-point LRV gap (65 vs 58) makes Afternoon the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 65 vs 27, Afternoon is decisively the brighter choice.
Afternoon reflects far more light (LRV 65 vs 43), opening up a space where French Gray encloses it.
A 10-point LRV gap (65 vs 55) makes Afternoon the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 65 vs 44, Afternoon is decisively the brighter choice.
Pure White reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 65), opening up a space where Afternoon encloses it.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 66 vs 65), so neither reads brighter in a room.
A 10-point LRV gap (74 vs 65) makes Shoji White the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 65 vs 12, Afternoon is decisively the brighter choice.
A 4-point LRV gap (68 vs 65) makes Skimming Stone the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 65 vs 12, Afternoon is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 65 vs 45, Afternoon is decisively the brighter choice.
Afternoon reflects far more light (LRV 65 vs 31), opening up a space where Pale Green encloses it.
Afternoon reflects far more light (LRV 65 vs 7), opening up a space where Pine Needle encloses it.
Afternoon reflects far more light (LRV 65 vs 24), opening up a space where Cement grey encloses it.
Afternoon reads slightly lighter (LRV 65 vs 57), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.