Burlap vs Soulful Blue
Both from Sherwin-Williams's palette. Burlap reads as beige-greige, while Soulful Blue reads as blue-grey — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. Burlap (LRV 31) reflects noticeably more light than Soulful Blue (LRV 20), a difference of 11 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Burlap runs warm while Soulful Blue is decidedly cool, which means they'll respond very differently to warm vs cool light sources. With a ΔE of 36.1, 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.
Burlap vs Soulful Blue in Real Spaces
3 real rooms side by side. Seeing Burlap and Soulful Blue in actual rooms makes the difference concrete; browse the spaces below to get a feel for how each color lives on a wall.
Bedroom
The context that matters most in a bedroom is how a color reads under a bedside lamp at night, not under noon daylight. Burlap reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Soulful Blue.
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. Burlap reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Soulful Blue.
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. Burlap reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Soulful Blue.
Color Details
Burlap vs Soulful Blue Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Burlap on one side and Soulful Blue 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.