Colony Buff vs Mount Etna
Both from Sherwin-Williams's palette. Colony Buff reads as beige, while Mount Etna reads as blue-grey — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. Colony Buff (LRV 59) reflects noticeably more light than Mount Etna (LRV 6), a difference of 53 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Colony Buff runs warm while Mount Etna is decidedly cool, which means they'll respond very differently to warm vs cool light sources. With a ΔE of 55.7, 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 1 real-room photo comparison where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Colony Buff vs Mount Etna in Real Spaces
1 real room side by side. Seeing Colony Buff and Mount Etna 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 Colony Buff will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Mount Etna would.
Color Details
Colony Buff vs Mount Etna Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Colony Buff on one side and Mount Etna 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.