Cheerful vs Citrus paint color comparison

Cheerful vs Citrus

CheerfulSherwin-WilliamsvsCitrusSherwin-WilliamsΔE 4.5Noticeable difference

Both are Sherwin-Williams colors. Hue-wise, Cheerful belongs to the beige family and Citrus to the beige-yellow family. With LRVs of 63 and 61, they'll behave almost identically in terms of how much light they reflect back into a room. They share a warm quality — useful to know if you're layering them in the same space. At ΔE 4.5, the difference is perceptible but not dramatic — the two can work harmoniously in the same space. Below you'll find 10 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.

Cheerful vs Citrus in Real Spaces

10 real rooms side by side. Cheerful and Citrus 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

Living rooms test a color across a full range of conditions — morning sun, afternoon shade, and evening lamp light all shift how both of these read. At this scale, the choice between them becomes clear in a way that a swatch alone can't communicate.

CheerfulA scandinavian living room painted in Cheerful

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CitrusA organic modern living room painted in Citrus

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Bedroom

Bedroom walls are often seen under warm artificial light, a context that shifts both colors from how they look on a chip. Side by side like this, the difference is easy to read — which is exactly why seeing them in a real space is more useful than comparing chips.

CheerfulA moody bedroom painted in Cheerful

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CitrusA moody bedroom painted in Citrus

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Kitchen

Kitchen lighting tends to be bright and directional, which sharpens contrast and makes undertone differences more apparent. Side by side like this, the difference is easy to read — which is exactly why seeing them in a real space is more useful than comparing chips.

CheerfulCheerful — modern luxury kitchen

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CitrusCitrus — bold kitchen

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Dining Room

Dining room light is typically the warmest in the house, which shifts both colors toward the red end of the spectrum compared to daylight. The distinction reads clearly at room scale, making the choice between them concrete.

CheerfulCheerful paint in a art deco dining room

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CitrusCitrus paint in a minimalist dining room

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Bathroom

Bathrooms amplify color — the enclosed space and reflective surfaces make what reads subtle elsewhere feel more present here. Side by side like this, the difference is easy to read — which is exactly why seeing them in a real space is more useful than comparing chips.

CheerfulCheerful — moody bathroom

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CitrusCitrus — vintage bathroom

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Home Office

In a home office, wall color sits in your peripheral vision for hours at a time, so temperature and undertone matter more than you might expect. Side by side like this, the difference is easy to read — which is exactly why seeing them in a real space is more useful than comparing chips.

CheerfulSherwin-Williams Cheerful in a neutral home office

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CitrusSherwin-Williams Citrus in a neutral home office

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Mudroom

A mudroom color needs to hold up under the most casual scrutiny: a glance as you're coming and going, often in mixed or artificial light. The distinction reads clearly at room scale, making the choice between them concrete.

CheerfulCheerful paint in a tiny mudroom

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CitrusCitrus paint in a cottagecore mudroom

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Patio

Patio colors are seen under changing outdoor light throughout the day — morning, midday, and golden hour each reveal different qualities. The distinction reads clearly at room scale, making the choice between them concrete.

Cheerfulwabi-sabi patio featuring Cheerful by Sherwin-Williams

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Citrusrustic modern patio featuring Citrus by Sherwin-Williams

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House

At full exterior scale, the difference between these two colors becomes much easier to judge than from a small chip. Side by side like this, the difference is easy to read — which is exactly why seeing them in a real space is more useful than comparing chips.

CheerfulCheerful color — aesthetic house inspiration

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CitrusCitrus color — transitional house inspiration

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Front Door

Front doors are seen in isolation against the rest of the facade, which makes them a high-stakes surface where even subtle differences matter. At this scale, the choice between them becomes clear in a way that a swatch alone can't communicate.

Cheerfultraditional front door featuring Cheerful by Sherwin-Williams

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Citruscottagecore front door featuring Citrus by Sherwin-Williams

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Color Details

Cheerful
Sherwin-Williams · 6903
Hex#FFC723
LRV62.6
BrandSherwin-Williams
Number6903
Undertone
TemperatureWarm
BrightnessLight
Citrus
Sherwin-Williams · 6906
Hex#FFC401
LRV61.0
BrandSherwin-Williams
Number6906
Undertone
TemperatureWarm
BrightnessLight

Cheerful vs Citrus Simulated Comparison

5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Cheerful on one side and Citrus on the other.

Bathroom
Bedroom
House
Kitchen Cabinets
Living Room

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 Cheerful comparisons

See how Cheerful stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.

White Dove
Cheerful
White Dove
Cheerful
Sherwin-Williams
Cheerful
6903 · LRV 63

At LRV 83 vs 63, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.

Ammonite
Cheerful
Ammonite
Cheerful
Farrow & Ball
Ammonite
LRV 69
Sherwin-Williams
Cheerful
6903 · LRV 63

Ammonite reads slightly lighter (LRV 69 vs 63), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.

Cheerful
Iron Ore
Cheerful
Iron Ore
Sherwin-Williams
Cheerful
6903 · LRV 63

At LRV 63 vs 6, Cheerful is decisively the brighter choice.

Purbeck Stone
Cheerful
Purbeck Stone
Cheerful
Sherwin-Williams
Cheerful
6903 · LRV 63

Cheerful reads slightly lighter (LRV 63 vs 52), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.

Cheerful
Evergreen Fog
Cheerful
Evergreen Fog
Sherwin-Williams
Cheerful
6903 · LRV 63

Cheerful reflects far more light (LRV 63 vs 30), opening up a space where Evergreen Fog encloses it.

Mizzle
Cheerful
Mizzle
Cheerful
Farrow & Ball
Mizzle
LRV 52
Sherwin-Williams
Cheerful
6903 · LRV 63

A 11-point LRV gap (63 vs 52) makes Cheerful the marginally brighter of the two.

Agreeable Gray
Cheerful
Agreeable Gray
Cheerful
Sherwin-Williams
Cheerful
6903 · LRV 63

With LRVs of 63 and 60, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.

Accessible Beige
Cheerful
Accessible Beige
Cheerful
Sherwin-Williams
Cheerful
6903 · LRV 63

A 5-point LRV gap (63 vs 58) makes Cheerful the marginally brighter of the two.

Denim Drift
Cheerful
Denim Drift
Cheerful
Sherwin-Williams
Cheerful
6903 · LRV 63

At LRV 63 vs 27, Cheerful is decisively the brighter choice.

French Gray
Cheerful
French Gray
Cheerful
Sherwin-Williams
Cheerful
6903 · LRV 63

Cheerful reflects far more light (LRV 63 vs 43), opening up a space where French Gray encloses it.

Cheerful
Naval
Cheerful
Naval
Sherwin-Williams
Cheerful
6903 · LRV 63
Sherwin-Williams
Naval
LRV 4

Cheerful reflects far more light (LRV 63 vs 4), opening up a space where Naval encloses it.

Tranquil Dawn
Cheerful
Tranquil Dawn
Cheerful
Sherwin-Williams
Cheerful
6903 · LRV 63

A 8-point LRV gap (63 vs 55) makes Cheerful the marginally brighter of the two.

Bancha
Cheerful
Bancha
Cheerful
Farrow & Ball
Bancha
LRV 13
Sherwin-Williams
Cheerful
6903 · LRV 63

At LRV 63 vs 13, Cheerful is decisively the brighter choice.

Hardwick White
Cheerful
Hardwick White
Cheerful
Sherwin-Williams
Cheerful
6903 · LRV 63

At LRV 63 vs 44, Cheerful is decisively the brighter choice.

Cheerful
Pure White
Cheerful
Pure White
Sherwin-Williams
Cheerful
6903 · LRV 63

Pure White reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 63), opening up a space where Cheerful encloses it.

Artichoke
Cheerful
Artichoke
Cheerful
Sherwin-Williams
Artichoke
LRV 21
Sherwin-Williams
Cheerful
6903 · LRV 63

Cheerful reflects far more light (LRV 63 vs 21), opening up a space where Artichoke encloses it.

Balboa Mist
Cheerful
Balboa Mist
Cheerful
Sherwin-Williams
Cheerful
6903 · LRV 63

Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 66 vs 63), so neither reads brighter in a room.

Cheerful
Shoji White
Cheerful
Shoji White
Sherwin-Williams
Cheerful
6903 · LRV 63

A 12-point LRV gap (74 vs 63) makes Shoji White the marginally brighter of the two.

Cheerful
Snowbound
Cheerful
Snowbound
Sherwin-Williams
Cheerful
6903 · LRV 63
Sherwin-Williams
Snowbound
LRV 83

At LRV 83 vs 63, Snowbound is decisively the brighter choice.

Cheerful
Pewter Green
Cheerful
Pewter Green
Sherwin-Williams
Cheerful
6903 · LRV 63

At LRV 63 vs 12, Cheerful is decisively the brighter choice.

Skimming Stone
Cheerful
Skimming Stone
Cheerful
Sherwin-Williams
Cheerful
6903 · LRV 63

A 6-point LRV gap (68 vs 63) makes Skimming Stone the marginally brighter of the two.

Dix Blue
Cheerful
Dix Blue
Cheerful
Farrow & Ball
Dix Blue
LRV 41
Sherwin-Williams
Cheerful
6903 · LRV 63

Cheerful reflects far more light (LRV 63 vs 41), opening up a space where Dix Blue encloses it.

Calamine
Cheerful
Calamine
Cheerful
Farrow & Ball
Calamine
LRV 68
Sherwin-Williams
Cheerful
6903 · LRV 63

Calamine reads slightly lighter (LRV 68 vs 63), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.

Treron
Cheerful
Treron
Cheerful
Farrow & Ball
Treron
LRV 25
Sherwin-Williams
Cheerful
6903 · LRV 63

Cheerful reflects far more light (LRV 63 vs 25), opening up a space where Treron encloses it.

Vintage Vogue
Cheerful
Vintage Vogue
Cheerful
Sherwin-Williams
Cheerful
6903 · LRV 63

At LRV 63 vs 12, Cheerful is decisively the brighter choice.

Saybrook Sage
Cheerful
Saybrook Sage
Cheerful
Sherwin-Williams
Cheerful
6903 · LRV 63

At LRV 63 vs 45, Cheerful is decisively the brighter choice.

Pale Green
Cheerful
Pale Green
Cheerful
RAL ClassicClassic
Pale Green
LRV 31
Sherwin-Williams
Cheerful
6903 · LRV 63

Cheerful reflects far more light (LRV 63 vs 31), opening up a space where Pale Green encloses it.

Pine Needle
Cheerful
Pine Needle
Cheerful
Sherwin-Williams
Cheerful
6903 · LRV 63

Cheerful reflects far more light (LRV 63 vs 7), opening up a space where Pine Needle encloses it.

Cement grey
Cheerful
Cement grey
Cheerful
RAL ClassicClassic
Cement grey
LRV 24
Sherwin-Williams
Cheerful
6903 · LRV 63

Cheerful reflects far more light (LRV 63 vs 24), opening up a space where Cement grey encloses it.

Guilford Green
Cheerful
Guilford Green
Cheerful
Sherwin-Williams
Cheerful
6903 · LRV 63

Cheerful reads slightly lighter (LRV 63 vs 57), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.