Expressive Plum vs Folkstone
Both from Sherwin-Williams's palette. Both sit in the grey family, which is useful context if you're narrowing within a single hue direction. They have nearly identical light reflectance values (12 vs 13), so they'll read as similarly Dark in most lighting conditions. Both lean neutral, so they'll behave similarly in mixed or changing light conditions. The ΔE 6.5 gap is real but not dramatic — close enough to use together, distinct enough to matter as a choice. Below you'll find 2 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Expressive Plum vs Folkstone in Real Spaces
2 real rooms side by side. Expressive Plum and Folkstone 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.
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. The distinction reads clearly at room scale, making the choice between them concrete.
House
Seen across an entire facade, subtle tonal differences become pronounced. What reads as nearly the same on a chip often reads as clearly different at scale. The distinction reads clearly at room scale, making the choice between them concrete.
Color Details
Expressive Plum vs Folkstone Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Expressive Plum on one side and Folkstone 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 Expressive Plum comparisons
See how Expressive Plum stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 12), opening up a space where Expressive Plum encloses it.
At LRV 69 vs 12, Ammonite is decisively the brighter choice.
Expressive Plum reads slightly lighter (LRV 12 vs 6), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 52 vs 12, Purbeck Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 30 vs 12, Evergreen Fog is decisively the brighter choice.
Mizzle reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 12), opening up a space where Expressive Plum encloses it.
At LRV 60 vs 12, Agreeable Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Accessible Beige reflects far more light (LRV 58 vs 12), opening up a space where Expressive Plum encloses it.
Denim Drift reflects far more light (LRV 27 vs 12), opening up a space where Expressive Plum encloses it.
At LRV 43 vs 12, French Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
A 7-point LRV gap (12 vs 4) makes Expressive Plum the marginally brighter of the two.
Tranquil Dawn reflects far more light (LRV 55 vs 12), opening up a space where Expressive Plum encloses it.
With LRVs of 13 and 12, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Hardwick White reflects far more light (LRV 44 vs 12), opening up a space where Expressive Plum encloses it.
At LRV 84 vs 12, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.
A 10-point LRV gap (21 vs 12) makes Artichoke the marginally brighter of the two.
Balboa Mist reflects far more light (LRV 66 vs 12), opening up a space where Expressive Plum encloses it.
Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 12), opening up a space where Expressive Plum encloses it.
Snowbound reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 12), opening up a space where Expressive Plum encloses it.
With LRVs of 12 and 12, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Skimming Stone reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 12), opening up a space where Expressive Plum encloses it.
At LRV 41 vs 12, Dix Blue is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 68 vs 12, Calamine is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 25 vs 12, Treron is decisively the brighter choice.
With LRVs of 12 and 12, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Saybrook Sage reflects far more light (LRV 45 vs 12), opening up a space where Expressive Plum encloses it.
At LRV 31 vs 12, Pale Green is decisively the brighter choice.
A 5-point LRV gap (12 vs 7) makes Expressive Plum the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 24 vs 12, Cement grey is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 57 vs 12, Guilford Green is decisively the brighter choice.