Macadamia vs Moderate White
Both from Sherwin-Williams's palette. Macadamia reads as beige, while Moderate White reads as beige-white — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. Moderate White (LRV 74) reflects noticeably more light than Macadamia (LRV 49), a difference of 25 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. With a ΔE of 15.9, the contrast is hard to miss. These aren't variations on a theme — they're two different answers to the same question. Below you'll find 2 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Macadamia vs Moderate White in Real Spaces
2 real rooms side by side. Seeing Macadamia and Moderate 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
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 Moderate White will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Macadamia would.
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. Moderate White reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Macadamia.
Color Details
Macadamia vs Moderate White Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Macadamia on one side and Moderate 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 Macadamia comparisons
See how Macadamia stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
