Elephant Ear vs Simple White
Both from Sherwin-Williams's palette. Elephant Ear reads as greige-grey, while Simple White reads as beige-greige — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. Simple White (LRV 70) reflects noticeably more light than Elephant Ear (LRV 28), a difference of 42 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 27.2, 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 3 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Elephant Ear vs Simple White in Real Spaces
3 real rooms side by side. Seeing Elephant Ear and Simple 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 Simple White will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Elephant Ear would.
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. Simple White reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Elephant Ear.
Kitchen Cabinets
Kitchen cabinets are constantly compared against adjacent materials, which means subtle differences between these two become much more visible. Simple White reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Elephant Ear.
Color Details
Elephant Ear vs Simple White Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Elephant Ear on one side and Simple 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 Elephant Ear comparisons
See how Elephant Ear stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
