Barely Pear vs Dusty Heather paint color comparison

Barely Pear vs Dusty Heather

Both are Sherwin-Williams colors. Hue-wise, Barely Pear belongs to the beige-yellow family and Dusty Heather to the blue-grey family. At LRV 83 vs 28, Barely Pear will read as the brighter of the two — a 55-point gap that matters most in north-facing or low-light rooms. The tonal difference — Barely Pear's warm character against Dusty Heather's cool — becomes most visible against white trim or in morning light. At ΔE 38.2, these are genuinely distinct colors — a strong contrast if used together, or a meaningful choice between two different directions. Below you'll find 10 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.

Barely Pear vs Dusty Heather in Real Spaces

10 real rooms side by side. Seeing Barely Pear and Dusty Heather 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

Living rooms test a color across a full range of conditions — morning sun, afternoon shade, and evening lamp light all shift how both of these read. Barely Pear returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.

Barely PearA cozy living room painted in Barely Pear

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Dusty HeatherA contemporary living room painted in Dusty Heather

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Bedroom

Bedroom walls are often seen under warm artificial light, a context that shifts both colors from how they look on a chip. The LRV gap is large enough that Barely Pear will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Dusty Heather would.

Barely PearA industrial bedroom painted in Barely Pear

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Dusty HeatherA traditional bedroom painted in Dusty Heather

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Kitchen

Kitchen lighting tends to be bright and directional, which sharpens contrast and makes undertone differences more apparent. The LRV gap is large enough that Barely Pear will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Dusty Heather would.

Barely PearBarely Pear — vintage kitchen

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Dusty HeatherDusty Heather — earthy kitchen

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Dining Room

Dining room light is typically the warmest in the house, which shifts both colors toward the red end of the spectrum compared to daylight. Barely Pear reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Dusty Heather.

Barely PearBarely Pear paint in a mid century dining room

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Dusty HeatherDusty Heather paint in a moody dining room

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Bathroom

Bathrooms amplify color — the enclosed space and reflective surfaces make what reads subtle elsewhere feel more present here. The LRV gap is large enough that Barely Pear will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Dusty Heather would.

Barely PearBarely Pear — earthy bathroom

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Dusty HeatherDusty Heather — coastal bathroom

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Home Office

In a home office, wall color sits in your peripheral vision for hours at a time, so temperature and undertone matter more than you might expect. The LRV gap is large enough that Barely Pear will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Dusty Heather would.

Barely PearSherwin-Williams Barely Pear in a mid century home office

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Dusty HeatherSherwin-Williams Dusty Heather in a unique home office

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Mudroom

A mudroom color needs to hold up under the most casual scrutiny: a glance as you're coming and going, often in mixed or artificial light. Barely Pear reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Dusty Heather.

Barely PearBarely Pear paint in a traditional mudroom

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Dusty HeatherDusty Heather paint in a industrial mudroom

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Patio

Patio colors are seen under changing outdoor light throughout the day — morning, midday, and golden hour each reveal different qualities. Barely Pear reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Dusty Heather.

Barely Pearboho patio featuring Barely Pear by Sherwin-Williams

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Dusty Heatherrustic modern patio featuring Dusty Heather by Sherwin-Williams

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House

At full exterior scale, the difference between these two colors becomes much easier to judge than from a small chip. The LRV gap is large enough that Barely Pear will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Dusty Heather would.

Barely PearBarely Pear color — traditional house inspiration

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Dusty HeatherDusty Heather color — maximalist house inspiration

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Front Door

Front doors are seen in isolation against the rest of the facade, which makes them a high-stakes surface where even subtle differences matter. Barely Pear returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.

Barely Pearmodern luxury front door featuring Barely Pear by Sherwin-Williams

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Dusty Heatherminimalist front door featuring Dusty Heather by Sherwin-Williams

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Color Details

Barely Pear
Sherwin-Williams · 9666
LRV82.7
BrandSherwin-Williams
Number9666
Undertone—
TemperatureWarm
BrightnessLight
Dusty Heather
Sherwin-Williams · 9073
LRV27.8
BrandSherwin-Williams
Number9073
Undertone—
TemperatureCool
BrightnessMedium

Barely Pear vs Dusty Heather Simulated Comparison

5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Barely Pear on one side and Dusty Heather on the other.

Bathroom
Bedroom
House
Kitchen Cabinets
Living Room

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.