Decor White vs Gardenia
Both are Sherwin-Williams colors. Decor White reads as beige-white, while Gardenia reads as beige — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. With LRVs of 79 and 78, they'll behave almost identically in terms of how much light they reflect back into a room. They share a warm quality — useful to know if you're layering them in the same space. With a ΔE of 2.4, the difference is subtle — you'd need them side by side to reliably tell them apart. Below you'll find 10 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Decor White vs Gardenia in Real Spaces
10 real rooms side by side. Decor White and Gardenia 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
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. In photos like these you're seeing the difference at its most direct. In a finished room, the distinction is there but not dramatic.
Bedroom
Bedroom walls are often seen under warm artificial light, a context that shifts both colors from how they look on a chip. The two are close enough that the choice comes down to finer qualities — undertone, texture, what the color sits next to.
Kitchen
Kitchen lighting tends to be bright and directional, which sharpens contrast and makes undertone differences more apparent. The two are close enough that the choice comes down to finer qualities — undertone, texture, what the color sits next to.
Dining Room
Dining room light is typically the warmest in the house, which shifts both colors toward the red end of the spectrum compared to daylight. At this scale the difference is subtle — you'd need them side by side, as shown here, to reliably tell them apart.
Bathroom
Bathrooms amplify color — the enclosed space and reflective surfaces make what reads subtle elsewhere feel more present here. The two are close enough that the choice comes down to finer qualities — undertone, texture, what the color sits next to.
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 two are close enough that the choice comes down to finer qualities — undertone, texture, what the color sits next to.
Mudroom
A mudroom color needs to hold up under the most casual scrutiny: a glance as you're coming and going, often in mixed or artificial light. At this scale the difference is subtle — you'd need them side by side, as shown here, to reliably tell them apart.
Patio
Patio colors are seen under changing outdoor light throughout the day — morning, midday, and golden hour each reveal different qualities. At this scale the difference is subtle — you'd need them side by side, as shown here, to reliably tell them apart.
House
At full exterior scale, the difference between these two colors becomes much easier to judge than from a small chip. The two are close enough that the choice comes down to finer qualities — undertone, texture, what the color sits next to.
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. In photos like these you're seeing the difference at its most direct. In a finished room, the distinction is there but not dramatic.
Color Details
Decor White vs Gardenia Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Decor White on one side and Gardenia 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 Decor White comparisons
See how Decor White stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
A 10-point LRV gap (79 vs 69) makes Decor White the marginally brighter of the two.
White Dove reads slightly lighter (LRV 83 vs 79), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Decor White reflects far more light (LRV 79 vs 6), opening up a space where Iron Ore encloses it.
At LRV 79 vs 52, Decor White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 79 vs 30, Decor White is decisively the brighter choice.
Decor White reflects far more light (LRV 79 vs 52), opening up a space where Mizzle encloses it.
At LRV 79 vs 60, Decor White is decisively the brighter choice.
Decor White reflects far more light (LRV 79 vs 58), opening up a space where Accessible Beige encloses it.
Decor White reflects far more light (LRV 79 vs 27), opening up a space where Denim Drift encloses it.
At LRV 79 vs 43, Decor White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 79 vs 4, Decor White is decisively the brighter choice.
Decor White reflects far more light (LRV 79 vs 55), opening up a space where Tranquil Dawn encloses it.
Decor White reflects far more light (LRV 79 vs 13), opening up a space where Bancha encloses it.
Decor White reflects far more light (LRV 79 vs 44), opening up a space where Hardwick White encloses it.
A 5-point LRV gap (84 vs 79) makes Pure White the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 79 vs 21, Decor White is decisively the brighter choice.
Decor White reflects far more light (LRV 79 vs 66), opening up a space where Balboa Mist encloses it.
Decor White reads slightly lighter (LRV 79 vs 74), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Snowbound reads slightly lighter (LRV 83 vs 79), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 79 vs 51, Decor White is decisively the brighter choice.
Decor White reflects far more light (LRV 79 vs 12), opening up a space where Pewter Green encloses it.
Decor White reflects far more light (LRV 79 vs 8), opening up a space where Duck Green encloses it.
Decor White reads slightly lighter (LRV 79 vs 68), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 79 vs 41, Decor White is decisively the brighter choice.
Decor White reflects far more light (LRV 79 vs 12), opening up a space where Vintage Vogue encloses it.
Decor White reflects far more light (LRV 79 vs 45), opening up a space where Saybrook Sage encloses it.
At LRV 79 vs 31, Decor White is decisively the brighter choice.