Burlap vs Downing Sand
Both from Sherwin-Williams's palette. These are both beige-greiges, so the question isn't which hue to choose — it's where within beige-greige to land. Downing Sand (LRV 51) reflects noticeably more light than Burlap (LRV 31), a difference of 20 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Both lean warm, so they'll behave similarly in mixed or changing light conditions. With a ΔE of 16.5, 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 10 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Burlap vs Downing Sand in Real Spaces
10 real rooms side by side. Seeing Burlap and Downing Sand 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 Downing Sand will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Burlap would.
Bedroom
The context that matters most in a bedroom is how a color reads under a bedside lamp at night, not under noon daylight. Downing Sand reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Burlap.
Kitchen
In a kitchen, colors are seen under bright task lighting that amplifies undertones — what reads neutral elsewhere can show its hand here. Downing Sand reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Burlap.
Dining Room
A dining room lit by a dimmed pendant or candles is one of the most forgiving environments for paint — warm light softens almost everything. Downing Sand returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
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. Downing Sand reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Burlap.
Home Office
The test for a home office color isn't how it looks in a quick glance — it's whether it still feels right after a full day of work. Downing Sand reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Burlap.
Mudroom
Mudrooms are seen in passing, often under whatever light comes through the door — a context that favors colors with some depth. Downing Sand returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
Patio
Outside, paint color competes with sky, landscaping, and direct sun — all of which shift how both of these read compared to an indoor chip. Downing Sand returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
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. Downing Sand reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Burlap.
Front Door
A front door is a focal point — small color differences read clearly at this concentrated scale. The LRV gap is large enough that Downing Sand will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Burlap would.
Color Details
Burlap vs Downing Sand Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Burlap on one side and Downing Sand 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 Burlap comparisons
See how Burlap stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
At LRV 83 vs 31, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.
Purbeck Stone reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 31), opening up a space where Burlap encloses it.
With LRVs of 31 and 30, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Agreeable Gray reflects far more light (LRV 60 vs 31), opening up a space where Burlap encloses it.
At LRV 58 vs 31, Accessible Beige is decisively the brighter choice.
A 4-point LRV gap (31 vs 27) makes Burlap the marginally brighter of the two.
French Gray reads slightly lighter (LRV 43 vs 31), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 55 vs 31, Tranquil Dawn is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 44 vs 31, Hardwick White is decisively the brighter choice.
Pure White reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 31), opening up a space where Burlap encloses it.
At LRV 66 vs 31, Balboa Mist is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 74 vs 31, Shoji White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 31 vs 12, Burlap is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 68 vs 31, Skimming Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 31 vs 12, Burlap is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 45 vs 31, Saybrook Sage is decisively the brighter choice.
With LRVs of 31 and 31, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Burlap reflects far more light (LRV 31 vs 7), opening up a space where Pine Needle encloses it.
Burlap reads slightly lighter (LRV 31 vs 24), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Guilford Green reflects far more light (LRV 57 vs 31), opening up a space where Burlap encloses it.