Ecru vs Rain Cloud
Both from Sherwin-Williams's palette. Ecru reads as beige, while Rain Cloud reads as blue-grey — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. Ecru (LRV 51) reflects noticeably more light than Rain Cloud (LRV 11), a difference of 39 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Ecru runs warm while Rain Cloud is decidedly cool, which means they'll respond very differently to warm vs cool light sources. With a ΔE of 46.1, 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 2 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Ecru vs Rain Cloud in Real Spaces
2 real rooms side by side. Seeing Ecru and Rain Cloud in actual rooms makes the difference concrete; browse the spaces below to get a feel for how each color lives on a wall.
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. Ecru reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Rain Cloud.
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 Ecru will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Rain Cloud would.
Color Details
Ecru vs Rain Cloud Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Ecru on one side and Rain Cloud 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 Ecru comparisons
See how Ecru stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 51), opening up a space where Ecru encloses it.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 52 vs 51), so neither reads brighter in a room.
At LRV 51 vs 30, Ecru is decisively the brighter choice.
A 10-point LRV gap (60 vs 51) makes Agreeable Gray the marginally brighter of the two.
Accessible Beige reads slightly lighter (LRV 58 vs 51), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Ecru reflects far more light (LRV 51 vs 27), opening up a space where Denim Drift encloses it.
A 7-point LRV gap (51 vs 43) makes Ecru the marginally brighter of the two.
Tranquil Dawn reads slightly lighter (LRV 55 vs 51), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Ecru reads slightly lighter (LRV 51 vs 44), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 84 vs 51, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.
Balboa Mist reflects far more light (LRV 66 vs 51), opening up a space where Ecru encloses it.
Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 51), opening up a space where Ecru encloses it.
Ecru reflects far more light (LRV 51 vs 12), opening up a space where Pewter Green encloses it.
Skimming Stone reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 51), opening up a space where Ecru encloses it.
Ecru reflects far more light (LRV 51 vs 12), opening up a space where Vintage Vogue encloses it.
Ecru reads slightly lighter (LRV 51 vs 45), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 51 vs 31, Ecru is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 51 vs 24, Ecru is decisively the brighter choice.
A 7-point LRV gap (57 vs 51) makes Guilford Green the marginally brighter of the two.