Clematis vs Impulsive Purple
Both from Sherwin-Williams's palette. These are both purples, so the question isn't which hue to choose — it's where within purple to land. Clematis (LRV 16) reflects noticeably more light than Impulsive Purple (LRV 9), a difference of 7 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Both lean cool, so they'll behave similarly in mixed or changing light conditions. With a ΔE of 11.5, 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 3 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Clematis vs Impulsive Purple in Real Spaces
3 real rooms side by side. Seeing Clematis and Impulsive Purple 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 brightness difference is modest but present — Clematis gives the walls a little more lift.
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. Clematis reads slightly lighter here — a subtle but real difference in how open the space feels.
Front Door
A front door is a focal point — small color differences read clearly at this concentrated scale. The brightness difference is modest but present — Clematis gives the walls a little more lift.
Color Details
Clematis vs Impulsive Purple Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Clematis on one side and Impulsive Purple 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 Clematis comparisons
See how Clematis stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
At LRV 83 vs 16, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.
Purbeck Stone reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 16), opening up a space where Clematis encloses it.
Evergreen Fog reflects far more light (LRV 30 vs 16), opening up a space where Clematis encloses it.
Agreeable Gray reflects far more light (LRV 60 vs 16), opening up a space where Clematis encloses it.
At LRV 58 vs 16, Accessible Beige is decisively the brighter choice.
A 11-point LRV gap (27 vs 16) makes Denim Drift the marginally brighter of the two.
French Gray reflects far more light (LRV 43 vs 16), opening up a space where Clematis encloses it.
At LRV 55 vs 16, Tranquil Dawn is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 44 vs 16, Hardwick White is decisively the brighter choice.
Pure White reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 16), opening up a space where Clematis encloses it.
At LRV 66 vs 16, Balboa Mist is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 74 vs 16, Shoji White is decisively the brighter choice.
A 4-point LRV gap (16 vs 12) makes Clematis the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 68 vs 16, Skimming Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
A 4-point LRV gap (16 vs 12) makes Clematis the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 45 vs 16, Saybrook Sage is decisively the brighter choice.
Pale Green reflects far more light (LRV 31 vs 16), opening up a space where Clematis encloses it.
Clematis reads slightly lighter (LRV 16 vs 7), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Cement grey reads slightly lighter (LRV 24 vs 16), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Guilford Green reflects far more light (LRV 57 vs 16), opening up a space where Clematis encloses it.