Ethereal White vs Spare White
Both are Sherwin-Williams colors. Hue-wise, Ethereal White belongs to the beige-greige family and Spare White to the greige-white family. With LRVs of 76 and 77, they'll behave almost identically in terms of how much light they reflect back into a room. The tonal difference — Ethereal White's warm character against Spare White's neutral — becomes most visible against white trim or in morning light. With a ΔE of 1.3, the difference is subtle — you'd need them side by side to reliably tell them apart. Below you'll find 3 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Ethereal White vs Spare White in Real Spaces
3 real rooms side by side. Ethereal White and Spare White 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. Spare White reads more restrained here, while Ethereal White adds a sense of enclosure and warmth.
Bathroom
Bathrooms amplify color — the enclosed space and reflective surfaces make what reads subtle elsewhere feel more present here. The temperature contrast between Ethereal White and Spare White is what sets these apart most in this context.
House
At full exterior scale, the difference between these two colors becomes much easier to judge than from a small chip. The temperature contrast between Ethereal White and Spare White is what sets these apart most in this context.
Color Details
Ethereal White vs Spare White Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Ethereal White on one side and Spare 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 Ethereal White comparisons
See how Ethereal White stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
Ethereal White reflects far more light (LRV 76 vs 30), opening up a space where Evergreen Fog encloses it.
Pure White reads slightly lighter (LRV 84 vs 76), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.