Hardware vs Shoji White

HardwareSherwin-WilliamsvsShoji WhiteSherwin-WilliamsΔE 34.2Very different colors

Both are Sherwin-Williams colors. Hue-wise, Hardware belongs to the greige-grey family and Shoji White to the beige-greige family. At LRV 74 vs 23, Shoji White will read as the brighter of the two — a 51-point gap that matters most in north-facing or low-light rooms. They share a warm quality — useful to know if you're layering them in the same space. At ΔE 34.2, these are genuinely distinct colors — a strong contrast if used together, or a meaningful choice between two different directions. Below you'll find 3 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.

Hardware vs Shoji White in Real Spaces

3 real rooms side by side. Seeing Hardware and Shoji 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

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. Shoji White returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.

HardwareSW Hardware living room interior

@e.lynndesign

Shoji WhiteShoji White SW 7042 living room

@mybudgetrecipes

Dining Room

Dining room light is typically the warmest in the house, which shifts both colors toward the red end of the spectrum compared to daylight. Shoji White reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Hardware.

HardwareSw 6172 Dining Room

@wheeliebago

Shoji WhiteSW Shoji White modern dining room

@the.redwood.house

House

At full exterior scale, the difference between these two colors becomes much easier to judge than from a small chip. The LRV gap is large enough that Shoji White will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Hardware would.

HardwareSw Hardware Exterior

@ktinajoy

Shoji WhiteShoji White house color review

@mybudgetrecipes

Color Details

Hardware
Sherwin-Williams · 6172
Hex#8B8372
LRV22.9
BrandSherwin-Williams
Number6172
Undertone
TemperatureWarm
BrightnessMedium
Shoji White
Sherwin-Williams · 7042
Hex#E6DFD3
LRV74.3
BrandSherwin-Williams
Number7042
Undertone
TemperatureWarm
BrightnessLight

Hardware vs Shoji White Simulated Comparison

5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Hardware on one side and Shoji White on the other.

Bathroom
Bedroom
House
Kitchen Cabinets
Living Room

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 Hardware comparisons

See how Hardware stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.

White Dove
Hardware
White Dove
Hardware
Sherwin-Williams
Hardware
6172 · LRV 23

At LRV 83 vs 23, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.

Ammonite
Hardware
Ammonite
Hardware
Farrow & Ball
Ammonite
LRV 69
Sherwin-Williams
Hardware
6172 · LRV 23

Ammonite reflects far more light (LRV 69 vs 23), opening up a space where Hardware encloses it.

Hardware
Iron Ore
Hardware
Iron Ore
Sherwin-Williams
Hardware
6172 · LRV 23

At LRV 23 vs 6, Hardware is decisively the brighter choice.

Purbeck Stone
Hardware
Purbeck Stone
Hardware
Sherwin-Williams
Hardware
6172 · LRV 23

Purbeck Stone reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 23), opening up a space where Hardware encloses it.

Evergreen Fog
Hardware
Evergreen Fog
Hardware
Sherwin-Williams
Hardware
6172 · LRV 23

Evergreen Fog reads slightly lighter (LRV 30 vs 23), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.

Mizzle
Hardware
Mizzle
Hardware
Farrow & Ball
Mizzle
LRV 52
Sherwin-Williams
Hardware
6172 · LRV 23

At LRV 52 vs 23, Mizzle is decisively the brighter choice.

Agreeable Gray
Hardware
Agreeable Gray
Hardware
Sherwin-Williams
Hardware
6172 · LRV 23

Agreeable Gray reflects far more light (LRV 60 vs 23), opening up a space where Hardware encloses it.

Accessible Beige
Hardware
Accessible Beige
Hardware
Sherwin-Williams
Hardware
6172 · LRV 23

At LRV 58 vs 23, Accessible Beige is decisively the brighter choice.

Denim Drift
Hardware
Denim Drift
Hardware
Sherwin-Williams
Hardware
6172 · LRV 23

A 4-point LRV gap (27 vs 23) makes Denim Drift the marginally brighter of the two.

French Gray
Hardware
French Gray
Hardware
Sherwin-Williams
Hardware
6172 · LRV 23

French Gray reflects far more light (LRV 43 vs 23), opening up a space where Hardware encloses it.

Hardware
Naval
Hardware
Naval
Sherwin-Williams
Hardware
6172 · LRV 23
Sherwin-Williams
Naval
LRV 4

Hardware reflects far more light (LRV 23 vs 4), opening up a space where Naval encloses it.

Tranquil Dawn
Hardware
Tranquil Dawn
Hardware
Sherwin-Williams
Hardware
6172 · LRV 23

At LRV 55 vs 23, Tranquil Dawn is decisively the brighter choice.

Bancha
Hardware
Bancha
Hardware
Farrow & Ball
Bancha
LRV 13
Sherwin-Williams
Hardware
6172 · LRV 23

A 10-point LRV gap (23 vs 13) makes Hardware the marginally brighter of the two.

Hardwick White
Hardware
Hardwick White
Hardware
Sherwin-Williams
Hardware
6172 · LRV 23

At LRV 44 vs 23, Hardwick White is decisively the brighter choice.

Hardware
Pure White
Hardware
Pure White
Sherwin-Williams
Hardware
6172 · LRV 23

Pure White reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 23), opening up a space where Hardware encloses it.

Artichoke
Hardware
Artichoke
Hardware
Sherwin-Williams
Artichoke
LRV 21
Sherwin-Williams
Hardware
6172 · LRV 23

With LRVs of 23 and 21, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.

Balboa Mist
Hardware
Balboa Mist
Hardware
Sherwin-Williams
Hardware
6172 · LRV 23

At LRV 66 vs 23, Balboa Mist is decisively the brighter choice.

Hardware
Snowbound
Hardware
Snowbound
Sherwin-Williams
Hardware
6172 · LRV 23
Sherwin-Williams
Snowbound
LRV 83

At LRV 83 vs 23, Snowbound is decisively the brighter choice.

Hardware
Pewter Green
Hardware
Pewter Green
Sherwin-Williams
Hardware
6172 · LRV 23

A 11-point LRV gap (23 vs 12) makes Hardware the marginally brighter of the two.

Skimming Stone
Hardware
Skimming Stone
Hardware
Sherwin-Williams
Hardware
6172 · LRV 23

At LRV 68 vs 23, Skimming Stone is decisively the brighter choice.

Dix Blue
Hardware
Dix Blue
Hardware
Farrow & Ball
Dix Blue
LRV 41
Sherwin-Williams
Hardware
6172 · LRV 23

Dix Blue reflects far more light (LRV 41 vs 23), opening up a space where Hardware encloses it.

Calamine
Hardware
Calamine
Hardware
Farrow & Ball
Calamine
LRV 68
Sherwin-Williams
Hardware
6172 · LRV 23

Calamine reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 23), opening up a space where Hardware encloses it.

Treron
Hardware
Treron vs Hardware
Treron
Hardware
Farrow & Ball
Treron
LRV 25
Sherwin-Williams
Hardware
6172 · LRV 23

With LRVs of 25 and 23, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.

Vintage Vogue
Hardware
Vintage Vogue
Hardware
Sherwin-Williams
Hardware
6172 · LRV 23

A 11-point LRV gap (23 vs 12) makes Hardware the marginally brighter of the two.

Saybrook Sage
Hardware
Saybrook Sage
Hardware
Sherwin-Williams
Hardware
6172 · LRV 23

At LRV 45 vs 23, Saybrook Sage is decisively the brighter choice.

Pale Green
Hardware
Pale Green
Hardware
RAL ClassicClassic
Pale Green
LRV 31
Sherwin-Williams
Hardware
6172 · LRV 23

Pale Green reads slightly lighter (LRV 31 vs 23), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.

Pine Needle
Hardware
Pine Needle
Hardware
Sherwin-Williams
Hardware
6172 · LRV 23

Hardware reflects far more light (LRV 23 vs 7), opening up a space where Pine Needle encloses it.

Cement grey
Hardware
Cement grey
Hardware
RAL ClassicClassic
Cement grey
LRV 24
Sherwin-Williams
Hardware
6172 · LRV 23

With LRVs of 24 and 23, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.

Guilford Green
Hardware
Guilford Green
Hardware
Sherwin-Williams
Hardware
6172 · LRV 23

Guilford Green reflects far more light (LRV 57 vs 23), opening up a space where Hardware encloses it.

Just Walnut
Hardware
Just Walnut
Hardware
Sherwin-Williams
Hardware
6172 · LRV 23

Just Walnut reflects far more light (LRV 72 vs 23), opening up a space where Hardware encloses it.