Buff vs Paper Lantern
Buff and Paper Lantern 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 — 75 vs 76 — 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 1.1 puts them in subtle territory — distinguishable in direct comparison, less so from across a room. Below you'll find 1 real-room photo comparison where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Buff vs Paper Lantern in Real Spaces
1 real room side by side. Buff and Paper Lantern are close enough that the difference can be hard to judge from a chip alone — these photos show how each reads at scale, across different spaces and lighting conditions.
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. At this scale the difference is subtle — you'd need them side by side, as shown here, to reliably tell them apart.
Color Details
Buff vs Paper Lantern Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Buff on one side and Paper Lantern 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 Buff comparisons
See how Buff stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
White Dove reads slightly lighter (LRV 83 vs 75), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 75 vs 52, Buff is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 75 vs 30, Buff is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 75 vs 60, Buff is decisively the brighter choice.
Buff reflects far more light (LRV 75 vs 58), opening up a space where Accessible Beige encloses it.
Buff reflects far more light (LRV 75 vs 27), opening up a space where Denim Drift encloses it.
Buff reflects far more light (LRV 75 vs 55), opening up a space where Tranquil Dawn encloses it.
Buff reflects far more light (LRV 75 vs 44), opening up a space where Hardwick White encloses it.
A 9-point LRV gap (84 vs 75) makes Pure White the marginally brighter of the two.
Buff reads slightly lighter (LRV 75 vs 66), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
With LRVs of 75 and 74, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Buff reflects far more light (LRV 75 vs 12), opening up a space where Pewter Green encloses it.
Buff reflects far more light (LRV 75 vs 8), opening up a space where Duck Green encloses it.
Buff reads slightly lighter (LRV 75 vs 68), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Buff reflects far more light (LRV 75 vs 12), opening up a space where Vintage Vogue encloses it.
Buff reflects far more light (LRV 75 vs 45), opening up a space where Saybrook Sage encloses it.
At LRV 75 vs 31, Buff is decisively the brighter choice.