Cotton White vs Downy
Both from Sherwin-Williams's palette. Cotton White reads as beige-white, while Downy reads as beige — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. Cotton White (LRV 87) reflects noticeably more light than Downy (LRV 81), a difference of 6 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. At ΔE 2.6, these are close — the kind of difference that matters when choosing between them, but doesn't read strongly in a finished room. Below you'll find 1 real-room photo comparison where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Cotton White vs Downy in Real Spaces
1 real room side by side. Cotton White and Downy 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.
Kitchen Cabinets
Kitchen cabinets are constantly compared against adjacent materials, which means subtle differences between these two become much more visible. Cotton White reads slightly lighter here — a subtle but real difference in how open the space feels.
Color Details
Cotton White vs Downy Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Cotton White on one side and Downy 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 Cotton White comparisons
See how Cotton White stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
Cotton White reads slightly lighter (LRV 87 vs 83), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 87 vs 69, Cotton White is decisively the brighter choice.
Cotton White reflects far more light (LRV 87 vs 6), opening up a space where Iron Ore encloses it.
At LRV 87 vs 52, Cotton White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 87 vs 30, Cotton White is decisively the brighter choice.
Cotton White reflects far more light (LRV 87 vs 52), opening up a space where Mizzle encloses it.
At LRV 87 vs 60, Cotton White is decisively the brighter choice.
Cotton White reflects far more light (LRV 87 vs 58), opening up a space where Accessible Beige encloses it.
Cotton White reflects far more light (LRV 87 vs 27), opening up a space where Denim Drift encloses it.
At LRV 87 vs 43, Cotton White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 87 vs 4, Cotton White is decisively the brighter choice.
Cotton White reflects far more light (LRV 87 vs 55), opening up a space where Tranquil Dawn encloses it.
Cotton White reflects far more light (LRV 87 vs 13), opening up a space where Bancha encloses it.
Cotton White reflects far more light (LRV 87 vs 44), opening up a space where Hardwick White encloses it.
A 3-point LRV gap (87 vs 84) makes Cotton White the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 87 vs 21, Cotton White is decisively the brighter choice.
Cotton White reflects far more light (LRV 87 vs 66), opening up a space where Balboa Mist encloses it.
Cotton White reflects far more light (LRV 87 vs 74), opening up a space where Shoji White encloses it.
Cotton White reads slightly lighter (LRV 87 vs 83), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Cotton White reflects far more light (LRV 87 vs 12), opening up a space where Pewter Green encloses it.
Cotton White reflects far more light (LRV 87 vs 68), opening up a space where Skimming Stone encloses it.
At LRV 87 vs 41, Cotton White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 87 vs 68, Cotton White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 87 vs 25, Cotton White is decisively the brighter choice.
Cotton White reflects far more light (LRV 87 vs 12), opening up a space where Vintage Vogue encloses it.
Cotton White reflects far more light (LRV 87 vs 45), opening up a space where Saybrook Sage encloses it.
At LRV 87 vs 31, Cotton White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 87 vs 7, Cotton White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 87 vs 24, Cotton White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 87 vs 57, Cotton White is decisively the brighter choice.