Daydream vs Ethereal White
Both from Sherwin-Williams's palette. Hue-wise, Daydream belongs to the blue-grey family and Ethereal White to the beige-greige family. Ethereal White (LRV 76) reflects noticeably more light than Daydream (LRV 54), a difference of 22 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Daydream runs cool while Ethereal White is decidedly warm, which means they'll respond very differently to warm vs cool light sources. With a ΔE of 15.2, 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 10 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Daydream vs Ethereal White in Real Spaces
10 real rooms side by side. Seeing Daydream and Ethereal 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
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 Ethereal White will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Daydream would.
Bedroom
The context that matters most in a bedroom is how a color reads under a bedside lamp at night, not under noon daylight. Ethereal White reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Daydream.
Kitchen
In a kitchen, colors are seen under bright task lighting that amplifies undertones — what reads neutral elsewhere can show its hand here. Ethereal White reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Daydream.
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. Ethereal White returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
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. Ethereal White reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Daydream.
Home Office
The test for a home office color isn't how it looks in a quick glance — it's whether it still feels right after a full day of work. Ethereal White reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Daydream.
Mudroom
Mudrooms are seen in passing, often under whatever light comes through the door — a context that favors colors with some depth. Ethereal White returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
Patio
Outside, paint color competes with sky, landscaping, and direct sun — all of which shift how both of these read compared to an indoor chip. Ethereal White returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
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. Ethereal White reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Daydream.
Front Door
A front door is a focal point — small color differences read clearly at this concentrated scale. The LRV gap is large enough that Ethereal White will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Daydream would.
Color Details
Daydream vs Ethereal White Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Daydream on one side and Ethereal 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 Daydream comparisons
See how Daydream stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 54), opening up a space where Daydream encloses it.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 54 vs 52), so neither reads brighter in a room.
At LRV 54 vs 30, Daydream is decisively the brighter choice.
A 6-point LRV gap (60 vs 54) makes Agreeable Gray the marginally brighter of the two.
Accessible Beige reads slightly lighter (LRV 58 vs 54), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Daydream reflects far more light (LRV 54 vs 27), opening up a space where Denim Drift encloses it.
A 11-point LRV gap (54 vs 43) makes Daydream the marginally brighter of the two.
With LRVs of 55 and 54, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Daydream reads slightly lighter (LRV 54 vs 44), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 84 vs 54, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.
Balboa Mist reads slightly lighter (LRV 66 vs 54), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 54), opening up a space where Daydream encloses it.
Daydream reflects far more light (LRV 54 vs 12), opening up a space where Pewter Green encloses it.
Skimming Stone reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 54), opening up a space where Daydream encloses it.
Daydream reflects far more light (LRV 54 vs 12), opening up a space where Vintage Vogue encloses it.
Daydream reads slightly lighter (LRV 54 vs 45), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 54 vs 31, Daydream is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 54 vs 7, Daydream is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 54 vs 24, Daydream is decisively the brighter choice.
A 3-point LRV gap (57 vs 54) makes Guilford Green the marginally brighter of the two.