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.
A 7-point LRV gap (83 vs 76) makes White Dove the marginally brighter of the two.
Ethereal White reads slightly lighter (LRV 76 vs 69), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 76 vs 6, Ethereal White is decisively the brighter choice.
Ethereal White reflects far more light (LRV 76 vs 52), opening up a space where Purbeck Stone encloses it.
Ethereal White reflects far more light (LRV 76 vs 30), opening up a space where Evergreen Fog encloses it.
At LRV 76 vs 52, Ethereal White is decisively the brighter choice.
Ethereal White reflects far more light (LRV 76 vs 60), opening up a space where Agreeable Gray encloses it.
At LRV 76 vs 58, Ethereal White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 76 vs 27, Ethereal White is decisively the brighter choice.
Ethereal White reflects far more light (LRV 76 vs 43), opening up a space where French Gray encloses it.
Ethereal White reflects far more light (LRV 76 vs 4), opening up a space where Naval encloses it.
At LRV 76 vs 55, Ethereal White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 76 vs 13, Ethereal White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 76 vs 44, Ethereal White is decisively the brighter choice.
Pure White reads slightly lighter (LRV 84 vs 76), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Ethereal White reflects far more light (LRV 76 vs 21), opening up a space where Artichoke encloses it.
A 10-point LRV gap (76 vs 66) makes Ethereal White the marginally brighter of the two.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 76 vs 74), so neither reads brighter in a room.
A 7-point LRV gap (83 vs 76) makes Snowbound the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 76 vs 12, Ethereal White is decisively the brighter choice.
A 8-point LRV gap (76 vs 68) makes Ethereal White the marginally brighter of the two.
Ethereal White reflects far more light (LRV 76 vs 41), opening up a space where Dix Blue encloses it.
Ethereal White reads slightly lighter (LRV 76 vs 68), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Ethereal White reflects far more light (LRV 76 vs 25), opening up a space where Treron encloses it.
At LRV 76 vs 12, Ethereal White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 76 vs 45, Ethereal White is decisively the brighter choice.
Ethereal White reflects far more light (LRV 76 vs 31), opening up a space where Pale Green encloses it.
Ethereal White reflects far more light (LRV 76 vs 7), opening up a space where Pine Needle encloses it.
Ethereal White reflects far more light (LRV 76 vs 24), opening up a space where Cement grey encloses it.
Ethereal White reflects far more light (LRV 76 vs 57), opening up a space where Guilford Green encloses it.