Darkroom vs Pure White
Both are Sherwin-Williams colors. Darkroom reads as grey, while Pure White reads as beige-greige — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. At LRV 84 vs 5, Pure White will read as the brighter of the two — a 79-point gap that matters most in north-facing or low-light rooms. The tonal difference — Darkroom's neutral character against Pure White's warm — becomes most visible against white trim or in morning light. At ΔE 66.6, these are genuinely distinct colors — a strong contrast if used together, or a meaningful choice between two different directions. Below you'll find 7 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Darkroom vs Pure White in Real Spaces
7 real rooms side by side. Seeing Darkroom 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
Living rooms test a color across a full range of conditions — morning sun, afternoon shade, and evening lamp light all shift how both of these read. Pure White returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
Bedroom
Bedroom walls are often seen under warm artificial light, a context that shifts both colors from how they look on a chip. The LRV gap is large enough that Pure White will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Darkroom would.
Kitchen
Kitchen lighting tends to be bright and directional, which sharpens contrast and makes undertone differences more apparent. The LRV gap is large enough that Pure White will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Darkroom would.
Bathroom
Bathrooms amplify color — the enclosed space and reflective surfaces make what reads subtle elsewhere feel more present here. The LRV gap is large enough that Pure White will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Darkroom would.
Home Office
In a home office, wall color sits in your peripheral vision for hours at a time, so temperature and undertone matter more than you might expect. The LRV gap is large enough that Pure White will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Darkroom would.
House
At full exterior scale, the difference between these two colors becomes much easier to judge than from a small chip. The LRV gap is large enough that Pure White will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Darkroom would.
Front Door
Front doors are seen in isolation against the rest of the facade, which makes them a high-stakes surface where even subtle differences matter. Pure White returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
Color Details
Darkroom vs Pure White Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Darkroom 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 Darkroom comparisons
See how Darkroom stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 5), opening up a space where Darkroom encloses it.
At LRV 52 vs 5, Purbeck Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 30 vs 5, Evergreen Fog is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 60 vs 5, Agreeable Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Accessible Beige reflects far more light (LRV 58 vs 5), opening up a space where Darkroom encloses it.
Denim Drift reflects far more light (LRV 27 vs 5), opening up a space where Darkroom encloses it.
At LRV 43 vs 5, French Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Tranquil Dawn reflects far more light (LRV 55 vs 5), opening up a space where Darkroom encloses it.
Hardwick White reflects far more light (LRV 44 vs 5), opening up a space where Darkroom encloses it.
Balboa Mist reflects far more light (LRV 66 vs 5), opening up a space where Darkroom encloses it.
Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 5), opening up a space where Darkroom encloses it.
Pewter Green reads slightly lighter (LRV 12 vs 5), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Skimming Stone reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 5), opening up a space where Darkroom encloses it.
Vintage Vogue reads slightly lighter (LRV 12 vs 5), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Saybrook Sage reflects far more light (LRV 45 vs 5), opening up a space where Darkroom encloses it.
At LRV 31 vs 5, Pale Green is decisively the brighter choice.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 7 vs 5), so neither reads brighter in a room.
At LRV 24 vs 5, Cement grey is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 57 vs 5, Guilford Green is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 72 vs 5, Just Walnut is decisively the brighter choice.