Buff vs Denim
Both from Sherwin-Williams's palette. Buff reads as beige, while Denim reads as blue — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. Buff (LRV 75) reflects noticeably more light than Denim (LRV 14), a difference of 61 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Buff runs warm while Denim is decidedly cool, which means they'll respond very differently to warm vs cool light sources. With a ΔE of 56.9, 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 3 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Buff vs Denim in Real Spaces
3 real rooms side by side. Seeing Buff and Denim 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 LRV gap is large enough that Buff will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Denim would.
House
Seen across an entire facade, subtle tonal differences become pronounced. What reads as nearly the same on a chip often reads as clearly different at scale. Buff reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Denim.
Color Details
Buff vs Denim Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Buff on one side and Denim 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.