Carambola vs Gleeful
Both from Sherwin-Williams's palette. These are both beige-yellows, so the question isn't which hue to choose — it's where within beige-yellow to land. Carambola (LRV 82) reflects noticeably more light than Gleeful (LRV 66), a difference of 17 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 24.6, 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 10 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Carambola vs Gleeful in Real Spaces
10 real rooms side by side. Seeing Carambola and Gleeful 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 Carambola will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Gleeful 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. Carambola reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Gleeful.
Kitchen
In a kitchen, colors are seen under bright task lighting that amplifies undertones — what reads neutral elsewhere can show its hand here. Carambola reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Gleeful.
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. Carambola 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. Carambola reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Gleeful.
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. Carambola reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Gleeful.
Mudroom
Mudrooms are seen in passing, often under whatever light comes through the door — a context that favors colors with some depth. Carambola 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. Carambola 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. Carambola reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Gleeful.
Color Details
Carambola vs Gleeful Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Carambola on one side and Gleeful 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 Carambola comparisons
See how Carambola stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 83 vs 82), so neither reads brighter in a room.
Carambola reflects far more light (LRV 82 vs 52), opening up a space where Purbeck Stone encloses it.
Carambola reflects far more light (LRV 82 vs 30), opening up a space where Evergreen Fog encloses it.
Carambola reflects far more light (LRV 82 vs 60), opening up a space where Agreeable Gray encloses it.
At LRV 82 vs 58, Carambola is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 82 vs 27, Carambola is decisively the brighter choice.
Carambola reflects far more light (LRV 82 vs 43), opening up a space where French Gray encloses it.
At LRV 82 vs 55, Carambola is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 82 vs 44, Carambola is decisively the brighter choice.
With LRVs of 84 and 82, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
At LRV 82 vs 66, Carambola is decisively the brighter choice.
A 8-point LRV gap (82 vs 74) makes Carambola the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 82 vs 12, Carambola is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 82 vs 68, Carambola is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 82 vs 12, Carambola is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 82 vs 45, Carambola is decisively the brighter choice.
Carambola reflects far more light (LRV 82 vs 31), opening up a space where Pale Green encloses it.
Carambola reflects far more light (LRV 82 vs 7), opening up a space where Pine Needle encloses it.
Carambola reflects far more light (LRV 82 vs 24), opening up a space where Cement grey encloses it.
Carambola reflects far more light (LRV 82 vs 57), opening up a space where Guilford Green encloses it.