Cardboard vs Refuge
Cardboard and Refuge come from the same Sherwin-Williams collection. Cardboard reads as beige, while Refuge reads as blue — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. The 3-point LRV gap — 22 for Cardboard vs 19 for Refuge — means Cardboard will open up a space more effectively. Where Cardboard leans warm, Refuge reads cool — a distinction that shifts noticeably depending on the light source and surrounding finishes. A ΔE of 36.3 puts these firmly in different territory — two distinct design choices rather than close alternatives. Below you'll find 6 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Cardboard vs Refuge in Real Spaces
6 real rooms side by side. Seeing Cardboard and Refuge 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
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. Cardboard brings more warmth to the space, while Refuge keeps things cooler and crisper.
Bedroom
Bedrooms are typically lit with warmer, lower light than the rest of the house — a condition that flatters warm tones and deepens cool ones. Refuge reads more restrained here, while Cardboard adds a sense of enclosure and warmth.
Kitchen
Kitchens often have the harshest, most revealing light in the house — under-cabinet LEDs and overhead fixtures that strip away subtlety. Refuge reads more restrained here, while Cardboard adds a sense of enclosure and warmth.
Dining Room
Dining rooms often rely on warm incandescent or candlelight, which flatters warm undertones and mutes cool ones. The temperature contrast between Cardboard and Refuge is what sets these apart most in this context.
Bathroom
Small bathrooms intensify color. A shade that seems quiet in a larger room can feel immersive when you're surrounded by it on four walls. Refuge reads more restrained here, while Cardboard adds a sense of enclosure and warmth.
Color Details
Cardboard vs Refuge Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Cardboard on one side and Refuge 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 Cardboard comparisons
See how Cardboard stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
At LRV 83 vs 22, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.
Purbeck Stone reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 22), opening up a space where Cardboard encloses it.
Evergreen Fog reads slightly lighter (LRV 30 vs 22), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Agreeable Gray reflects far more light (LRV 60 vs 22), opening up a space where Cardboard encloses it.
At LRV 58 vs 22, Accessible Beige is decisively the brighter choice.
A 5-point LRV gap (27 vs 22) makes Denim Drift the marginally brighter of the two.
French Gray reflects far more light (LRV 43 vs 22), opening up a space where Cardboard encloses it.
At LRV 55 vs 22, Tranquil Dawn is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 44 vs 22, Hardwick White is decisively the brighter choice.
Pure White reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 22), opening up a space where Cardboard encloses it.
At LRV 66 vs 22, Balboa Mist is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 74 vs 22, Shoji White is decisively the brighter choice.
A 10-point LRV gap (22 vs 12) makes Cardboard the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 68 vs 22, Skimming Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
A 10-point LRV gap (22 vs 12) makes Cardboard the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 45 vs 22, Saybrook Sage is decisively the brighter choice.
Pale Green reads slightly lighter (LRV 31 vs 22), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Cardboard reflects far more light (LRV 22 vs 7), opening up a space where Pine Needle encloses it.
With LRVs of 24 and 22, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Guilford Green reflects far more light (LRV 57 vs 22), opening up a space where Cardboard encloses it.