Cork Wedge vs Macadamia
Both from Sherwin-Williams's palette. These are both beiges, so the question isn't which hue to choose — it's where within beige to land. Macadamia (LRV 49) reflects noticeably more light than Cork Wedge (LRV 42), a difference of 7 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. The ΔE 5.5 gap is real but not dramatic — close enough to use together, distinct enough to matter as a choice. Below you'll find 3 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Cork Wedge vs Macadamia in Real Spaces
3 real rooms side by side. Cork Wedge and Macadamia are close enough that the difference can be hard to judge from a chip alone — these photos show how each reads at scale, across different spaces and lighting conditions.
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 — Macadamia gives the walls a little more lift.
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. Macadamia has the edge in reflectance, which shows as a quiet sense of added space rather than an obvious contrast.
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. Macadamia reads slightly lighter here — a subtle but real difference in how open the space feels.
Color Details
Cork Wedge vs Macadamia Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Cork Wedge on one side and Macadamia 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 Cork Wedge comparisons
See how Cork Wedge stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
At LRV 83 vs 42, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.
Ammonite reflects far more light (LRV 69 vs 42), opening up a space where Cork Wedge encloses it.
At LRV 42 vs 6, Cork Wedge is decisively the brighter choice.
Purbeck Stone reads slightly lighter (LRV 52 vs 42), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Cork Wedge reads slightly lighter (LRV 42 vs 30), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
A 10-point LRV gap (52 vs 42) makes Mizzle the marginally brighter of the two.
Agreeable Gray reflects far more light (LRV 60 vs 42), opening up a space where Cork Wedge encloses it.
At LRV 58 vs 42, Accessible Beige is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 42 vs 27, Cork Wedge is decisively the brighter choice.
With LRVs of 43 and 42, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Cork Wedge reflects far more light (LRV 42 vs 4), opening up a space where Naval encloses it.
At LRV 55 vs 42, Tranquil Dawn is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 42 vs 13, Cork Wedge is decisively the brighter choice.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 44 vs 42), so neither reads brighter in a room.
Pure White reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 42), opening up a space where Cork Wedge encloses it.
Cork Wedge reflects far more light (LRV 42 vs 21), opening up a space where Artichoke encloses it.
At LRV 66 vs 42, Balboa Mist is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 74 vs 42, Shoji White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 83 vs 42, Snowbound is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 42 vs 12, Cork Wedge is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 68 vs 42, Skimming Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
With LRVs of 42 and 41, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Calamine reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 42), opening up a space where Cork Wedge encloses it.
Cork Wedge reflects far more light (LRV 42 vs 25), opening up a space where Treron encloses it.
At LRV 42 vs 12, Cork Wedge is decisively the brighter choice.
A 4-point LRV gap (45 vs 42) makes Saybrook Sage the marginally brighter of the two.
Cork Wedge reads slightly lighter (LRV 42 vs 31), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Cork Wedge reflects far more light (LRV 42 vs 7), opening up a space where Pine Needle encloses it.
Cork Wedge reflects far more light (LRV 42 vs 24), opening up a space where Cement grey encloses it.
Guilford Green reflects far more light (LRV 57 vs 42), opening up a space where Cork Wedge encloses it.