Beguiling Mauve vs Calico
Both from Sherwin-Williams's palette. Beguiling Mauve reads as grey, while Calico reads as blue-green — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. Beguiling Mauve (LRV 40) reflects noticeably more light than Calico (LRV 35), a difference of 5 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Beguiling Mauve runs neutral while Calico is decidedly cool, which means they'll respond very differently to warm vs cool light sources. With a ΔE of 14.6, the contrast is hard to miss. These aren't variations on a theme — they're two different answers to the same question. Below you'll find 2 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Beguiling Mauve vs Calico in Real Spaces
2 real rooms side by side. Seeing Beguiling Mauve and Calico 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
In a living room, color works across both daylight and evening light — the same wall can read very differently at noon and at 8pm. The brightness difference is modest but present — Beguiling Mauve gives the walls a little more lift.
Bathroom
Bathrooms are one of the few spaces where you're genuinely enclosed by the paint color, which makes the choice between these two more consequential. Beguiling Mauve reads slightly lighter here — a subtle but real difference in how open the space feels.
Color Details
Beguiling Mauve vs Calico Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Beguiling Mauve on one side and Calico 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.