Citrus vs High Tea
Both from Sherwin-Williams's palette. Citrus reads as beige-yellow, while High Tea reads as beige-greige — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. Citrus (LRV 61) reflects noticeably more light than High Tea (LRV 17), a difference of 44 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 77.7, 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.
Citrus vs High Tea in Real Spaces
10 real rooms side by side. Seeing Citrus and High Tea 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 Citrus will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than High Tea 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. Citrus reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than High Tea.
Kitchen
In a kitchen, colors are seen under bright task lighting that amplifies undertones — what reads neutral elsewhere can show its hand here. Citrus reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than High Tea.
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. Citrus 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. Citrus reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than High Tea.
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. Citrus reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than High Tea.
Mudroom
Mudrooms are seen in passing, often under whatever light comes through the door — a context that favors colors with some depth. Citrus 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. Citrus 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. Citrus reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than High Tea.
Color Details
Citrus vs High Tea Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Citrus on one side and High Tea 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 Citrus comparisons
See how Citrus stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
At LRV 83 vs 61, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.
Citrus reads slightly lighter (LRV 61 vs 52), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Citrus reflects far more light (LRV 61 vs 30), opening up a space where Evergreen Fog encloses it.
With LRVs of 61 and 60, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
A 3-point LRV gap (61 vs 58) makes Citrus the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 61 vs 27, Citrus is decisively the brighter choice.
Citrus reflects far more light (LRV 61 vs 43), opening up a space where French Gray encloses it.
A 6-point LRV gap (61 vs 55) makes Citrus the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 61 vs 44, Citrus is decisively the brighter choice.
Pure White reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 61), opening up a space where Citrus encloses it.
A 5-point LRV gap (66 vs 61) makes Balboa Mist the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 74 vs 61, Shoji White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 61 vs 12, Citrus is decisively the brighter choice.
A 7-point LRV gap (68 vs 61) makes Skimming Stone the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 61 vs 12, Citrus is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 61 vs 45, Citrus is decisively the brighter choice.
Citrus reflects far more light (LRV 61 vs 31), opening up a space where Pale Green encloses it.
Citrus reflects far more light (LRV 61 vs 7), opening up a space where Pine Needle encloses it.
Citrus reflects far more light (LRV 61 vs 24), opening up a space where Cement grey encloses it.
Citrus reads slightly lighter (LRV 61 vs 57), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.