Downy vs Mexican Sand

Both from Sherwin-Williams's palette. Downy reads as beige, while Mexican Sand reads as beige-greige — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. Downy (LRV 81) reflects noticeably more light than Mexican Sand (LRV 33), a difference of 48 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. With a ΔE of 30.0, the contrast is hard to miss. These aren't variations on a theme — they're two different answers to the same question. Below, 5 simulated room previews show how each color reads at scale — real-room photos will be added as they become available.