Arcade White vs Bittersweet Stem
Arcade White and Bittersweet Stem come from the same Sherwin-Williams collection. Hue-wise, Arcade White belongs to the beige-white family and Bittersweet Stem to the beige family. The 38-point LRV gap — 86 for Arcade White vs 48 for Bittersweet Stem — means Arcade 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 23.5 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.
Arcade White vs Bittersweet Stem in Real Spaces
2 real rooms side by side. Seeing Arcade White and Bittersweet Stem 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. Arcade White reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Bittersweet Stem.
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. Arcade 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
Arcade White vs Bittersweet Stem Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Arcade White on one side and Bittersweet Stem 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 Arcade White comparisons
See how Arcade White stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 86 vs 83), so neither reads brighter in a room.
Arcade White reflects far more light (LRV 86 vs 69), opening up a space where Ammonite encloses it.
At LRV 86 vs 6, Arcade White is decisively the brighter choice.
Arcade White reflects far more light (LRV 86 vs 52), opening up a space where Purbeck Stone encloses it.
Arcade White reflects far more light (LRV 86 vs 30), opening up a space where Evergreen Fog encloses it.
At LRV 86 vs 52, Arcade White is decisively the brighter choice.
Arcade White reflects far more light (LRV 86 vs 60), opening up a space where Agreeable Gray encloses it.
At LRV 86 vs 58, Arcade White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 86 vs 27, Arcade White is decisively the brighter choice.
Arcade White reflects far more light (LRV 86 vs 43), opening up a space where French Gray encloses it.
Arcade White reflects far more light (LRV 86 vs 4), opening up a space where Naval encloses it.
At LRV 86 vs 55, Arcade White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 86 vs 13, Arcade White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 86 vs 44, Arcade White is decisively the brighter choice.
With LRVs of 86 and 84, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Arcade White reflects far more light (LRV 86 vs 21), opening up a space where Artichoke encloses it.
At LRV 86 vs 66, Arcade White is decisively the brighter choice.
A 11-point LRV gap (86 vs 74) makes Arcade White the marginally brighter of the two.
A 3-point LRV gap (86 vs 83) makes Arcade White the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 86 vs 12, Arcade White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 86 vs 68, Arcade White is decisively the brighter choice.
Arcade White reflects far more light (LRV 86 vs 41), opening up a space where Dix Blue encloses it.
Arcade White reflects far more light (LRV 86 vs 68), opening up a space where Calamine encloses it.
Arcade White reflects far more light (LRV 86 vs 25), opening up a space where Treron encloses it.
At LRV 86 vs 12, Arcade White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 86 vs 45, Arcade White is decisively the brighter choice.
Arcade White reflects far more light (LRV 86 vs 31), opening up a space where Pale Green encloses it.
Arcade White reflects far more light (LRV 86 vs 7), opening up a space where Pine Needle encloses it.
Arcade White reflects far more light (LRV 86 vs 24), opening up a space where Cement grey encloses it.
Arcade White reflects far more light (LRV 86 vs 57), opening up a space where Guilford Green encloses it.