Limewash vs Pure White
Both from Sherwin-Williams's palette. These are both beige-greiges, so the question isn't which hue to choose — it's where within beige-greige to land. Pure White (LRV 84) reflects noticeably more light than Limewash (LRV 67), a difference of 17 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. The ΔE 8.3 gap is real but not dramatic — close enough to use together, distinct enough to matter as a choice. Below you'll find 4 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Limewash vs Pure White in Real Spaces
4 real rooms side by side. Limewash and Pure 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
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 Pure White will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Limewash would.
Bedroom
The context that matters most in a bedroom is how a color reads under a bedside lamp at night, not under noon daylight. Pure White reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Limewash.
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. Pure White reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Limewash.
Kitchen Cabinets
Kitchen cabinets are constantly compared against adjacent materials, which means subtle differences between these two become much more visible. Pure White reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Limewash.
Color Details
Limewash vs Pure White Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Limewash on one side and Pure 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 Limewash comparisons
See how Limewash stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
At LRV 83 vs 67, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.
Limewash reflects far more light (LRV 67 vs 52), opening up a space where Purbeck Stone encloses it.
Limewash reflects far more light (LRV 67 vs 30), opening up a space where Evergreen Fog encloses it.
Limewash reads slightly lighter (LRV 67 vs 60), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
A 9-point LRV gap (67 vs 58) makes Limewash the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 67 vs 27, Limewash is decisively the brighter choice.
Limewash reflects far more light (LRV 67 vs 43), opening up a space where French Gray encloses it.
A 12-point LRV gap (67 vs 55) makes Limewash the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 67 vs 44, Limewash is decisively the brighter choice.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 67 vs 66), so neither reads brighter in a room.
A 7-point LRV gap (74 vs 67) makes Shoji White the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 67 vs 12, Limewash is decisively the brighter choice.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 68 vs 67), so neither reads brighter in a room.
At LRV 67 vs 12, Limewash is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 67 vs 45, Limewash is decisively the brighter choice.
Limewash reflects far more light (LRV 67 vs 31), opening up a space where Pale Green encloses it.
Limewash reflects far more light (LRV 67 vs 7), opening up a space where Pine Needle encloses it.
Limewash reflects far more light (LRV 67 vs 24), opening up a space where Cement grey encloses it.
Limewash reads slightly lighter (LRV 67 vs 57), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Just Walnut reads slightly lighter (LRV 72 vs 67), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.