Citrus vs Pure White
Both from Sherwin-Williams's palette. Hue-wise, Citrus belongs to the beige-yellow family and Pure White to the beige-greige family. Pure White (LRV 84) reflects noticeably more light than Citrus (LRV 61), a difference of 23 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 82.0, 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 7 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Citrus vs Pure White in Real Spaces
7 real rooms side by side. Seeing Citrus and Pure White 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 Pure White will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Citrus 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. Pure White reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Citrus.
Kitchen
In a kitchen, colors are seen under bright task lighting that amplifies undertones — what reads neutral elsewhere can show its hand here. Pure White reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Citrus.
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. Pure White reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Citrus.
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. Pure White reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Citrus.
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. Pure White reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Citrus.
Front Door
A front door is a focal point — small color differences read clearly at this concentrated scale. The LRV gap is large enough that Pure White will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Citrus would.
Color Details
Citrus vs Pure White Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Citrus on one side and Pure White 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.
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.
At LRV 61 vs 8, 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.