Citronella vs Pewter Green
Citronella and Pewter Green come from the same Sherwin-Williams collection. Citronella reads as beige-yellow, while Pewter Green reads as green-grey — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. The 29-point LRV gap — 41 for Citronella vs 12 for Pewter Green — means Citronella will open up a space more effectively. Where Citronella leans warm, Pewter Green reads neutral — a distinction that shifts noticeably depending on the light source and surrounding finishes. A ΔE of 74.4 puts these firmly in different territory — two distinct design choices rather than close alternatives. Below you'll find 10 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Citronella vs Pewter Green in Real Spaces
10 real rooms side by side. Seeing Citronella and Pewter Green 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. Citronella reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Pewter Green.
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. Citronella returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
Kitchen
Kitchens often have the harshest, most revealing light in the house — under-cabinet LEDs and overhead fixtures that strip away subtlety. Citronella returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
Dining Room
Dining rooms often rely on warm incandescent or candlelight, which flatters warm undertones and mutes cool ones. The LRV gap is large enough that Citronella will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Pewter Green would.
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. Citronella returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
Home Office
Home office walls matter more than most — you're looking at them all day, and a color that reads fine at first can become tiring over time. Citronella returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
Mudroom
In a hardworking space like a mudroom, the depth and warmth of a color reads differently than in a quieter room. The LRV gap is large enough that Citronella will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Pewter Green would.
Patio
Exterior colors look different in open light — both tend to read lighter outside than on an interior swatch, and shadows read more strongly. The LRV gap is large enough that Citronella will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Pewter Green would.
House
A full exterior is the most demanding test for a paint color — scale and outdoor light both amplify differences that seem small on a swatch. Citronella returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
Front Door
On a front door, the color is both the first and last thing you see — a context where even a modest tonal difference reads clearly. Citronella reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Pewter Green.
Color Details
Citronella vs Pewter Green Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Citronella on one side and Pewter Green 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 Citronella comparisons
See how Citronella stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 41), opening up a space where Citronella encloses it.
At LRV 69 vs 41, Ammonite is decisively the brighter choice.
Citronella reflects far more light (LRV 41 vs 6), opening up a space where Iron Ore encloses it.
A 11-point LRV gap (52 vs 41) makes Purbeck Stone the marginally brighter of the two.
A 11-point LRV gap (41 vs 30) makes Citronella the marginally brighter of the two.
Mizzle reads slightly lighter (LRV 52 vs 41), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 60 vs 41, Agreeable Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Accessible Beige reflects far more light (LRV 58 vs 41), opening up a space where Citronella encloses it.
Citronella reflects far more light (LRV 41 vs 27), opening up a space where Denim Drift encloses it.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 43 vs 41), so neither reads brighter in a room.
At LRV 41 vs 4, Citronella is decisively the brighter choice.
Tranquil Dawn reflects far more light (LRV 55 vs 41), opening up a space where Citronella encloses it.
Citronella reflects far more light (LRV 41 vs 13), opening up a space where Bancha encloses it.
With LRVs of 44 and 41, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
At LRV 84 vs 41, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 41 vs 21, Citronella is decisively the brighter choice.
Balboa Mist reflects far more light (LRV 66 vs 41), opening up a space where Citronella encloses it.
Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 41), opening up a space where Citronella encloses it.
Snowbound reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 41), opening up a space where Citronella encloses it.
Skimming Stone reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 41), opening up a space where Citronella encloses it.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 41 vs 41), so neither reads brighter in a room.
At LRV 68 vs 41, Calamine is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 41 vs 25, Citronella is decisively the brighter choice.
Citronella reflects far more light (LRV 41 vs 12), opening up a space where Vintage Vogue encloses it.
Saybrook Sage reads slightly lighter (LRV 45 vs 41), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
A 10-point LRV gap (41 vs 31) makes Citronella the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 41 vs 7, Citronella is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 41 vs 24, Citronella is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 57 vs 41, Guilford Green is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 72 vs 41, Just Walnut is decisively the brighter choice.