Citrine vs Enlightened Lime
Both from Sherwin-Williams's palette. Hue-wise, Citrine belongs to the yellow family and Enlightened Lime to the green-yellow family. They have nearly identical light reflectance values (82 vs 80), so they'll read as similarly Light in most lighting conditions. Both lean neutral, so they'll behave similarly in mixed or changing light conditions. The ΔE 3.8 gap is real but not dramatic — close enough to use together, distinct enough to matter as a choice. Below you'll find 10 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Citrine vs Enlightened Lime in Real Spaces
10 real rooms side by side. Citrine and Enlightened Lime 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
In a living room, color works across both daylight and evening light — the same wall can read very differently at noon and at 8pm. 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.
Bedroom
The context that matters most in a bedroom is how a color reads under a bedside lamp at night, not under noon daylight. The distinction reads clearly at room scale, making the choice between them concrete.
Kitchen
In a kitchen, colors are seen under bright task lighting that amplifies undertones — what reads neutral elsewhere can show its hand here. The distinction reads clearly at room scale, making the choice between them concrete.
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. At this scale, the choice between them becomes clear in a way that a swatch alone can't communicate.
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. The distinction reads clearly at room scale, making the choice between them concrete.
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. The distinction reads clearly at room scale, making the choice between them concrete.
Mudroom
Mudrooms are seen in passing, often under whatever light comes through the door — a context that favors colors with some depth. At this scale, the choice between them becomes clear in a way that a swatch alone can't communicate.
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. At this scale, the choice between them becomes clear in a way that a swatch alone can't communicate.
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. The distinction reads clearly at room scale, making the choice between them concrete.
Front Door
A front door is a focal point — small color differences read clearly at this concentrated scale. 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.
Color Details
Citrine vs Enlightened Lime Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Citrine on one side and Enlightened Lime 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 Citrine comparisons
See how Citrine 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.
Citrine reflects far more light (LRV 82 vs 52), opening up a space where Purbeck Stone encloses it.
Citrine reflects far more light (LRV 82 vs 30), opening up a space where Evergreen Fog encloses it.
Citrine reflects far more light (LRV 82 vs 60), opening up a space where Agreeable Gray encloses it.
At LRV 82 vs 58, Citrine is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 82 vs 27, Citrine is decisively the brighter choice.
Citrine reflects far more light (LRV 82 vs 43), opening up a space where French Gray encloses it.
At LRV 82 vs 55, Citrine is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 82 vs 44, Citrine 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, Citrine is decisively the brighter choice.
A 8-point LRV gap (82 vs 74) makes Citrine the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 82 vs 12, Citrine is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 82 vs 68, Citrine is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 82 vs 12, Citrine is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 82 vs 45, Citrine is decisively the brighter choice.
Citrine reflects far more light (LRV 82 vs 31), opening up a space where Pale Green encloses it.
Citrine reflects far more light (LRV 82 vs 7), opening up a space where Pine Needle encloses it.
Citrine reflects far more light (LRV 82 vs 24), opening up a space where Cement grey encloses it.
Citrine reflects far more light (LRV 82 vs 57), opening up a space where Guilford Green encloses it.