Muddled Basil vs Shoji White

Muddled Basil and Shoji White come from the same Sherwin-Williams collection. Muddled Basil reads as greige-grey, while Shoji White reads as beige-greige — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. The 66-point LRV gap — 74 for Shoji White vs 9 for Muddled Basil — means Shoji White will open up a space more effectively. Both share a warm character, which means they'll respond to light and surrounding materials in similar ways. A ΔE of 53.9 puts these firmly in different territory — two distinct design choices rather than close alternatives. Below you'll find 8 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.

Muddled Basil vs Shoji White in Real Spaces

8 real rooms side by side. Seeing Muddled Basil 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

A living room wall sees more varied light than almost any other surface in the house, which makes the choice between these two more nuanced than a chip suggests. Shoji White reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Muddled Basil.

Muddled BasilMuddled Basil Living Room

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Shoji WhiteShoji White SW 7042 living room

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Bedroom

Bedrooms are typically lit with warmer, lower light than the rest of the house — a condition that flatters warm tones and deepens cool ones. Shoji White returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.

Muddled BasilMuddled Basil Bedroom

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Shoji WhiteBedroom painted in Sherwin-Williams Shoji White

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Kitchen

Kitchens often have the harshest, most revealing light in the house — under-cabinet LEDs and overhead fixtures that strip away subtlety. Shoji White returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.

Muddled BasilMuddled Basil Kitchen

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Shoji WhiteSherwin Williams Shoji White kitchen cabinets

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Bathroom

Small bathrooms intensify color. A shade that seems quiet in a larger room can feel immersive when you're surrounded by it on four walls. Shoji White returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.

Muddled BasilMuddled Basil Bathroom

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Shoji WhiteWhite bathroom in Shoji White by Sherwin Williams

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Home Office

Home office walls matter more than most — you're looking at them all day, and a color that reads fine at first can become tiring over time. Shoji White returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.

Muddled BasilMuddled Basil Home Office

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Shoji WhiteSW 7042 home office inspiration

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House

A full exterior is the most demanding test for a paint color — scale and outdoor light both amplify differences that seem small on a swatch. Shoji White returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.

Muddled BasilMuddled Basil House

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Shoji WhiteShoji White house color review

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Front Door

On a front door, the color is both the first and last thing you see — a context where even a modest tonal difference reads clearly. Shoji White reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Muddled Basil.

Muddled BasilMuddled Basil Front Door

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Shoji WhiteWhite front door with Shoji White SW 7042

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Kitchen Cabinets

Cabinet color is always seen in context — against countertops, backsplash, and hardware — which amplifies undertone differences that might disappear on a plain wall. Shoji White returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.

Muddled BasilSherwin Williams SW 7745 kitchen cabinets

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Shoji WhiteSw Shoji White Kitchen Cabinets

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Color Details

Muddled Basil
Sherwin-Williams · 7745
Hex#5A5243
LRV8.6
BrandSherwin-Williams
Number7745
Undertone
TemperatureWarm
BrightnessDark
Shoji White
Sherwin-Williams · 7042
Hex#E6DFD3
LRV74.3
BrandSherwin-Williams
Number7042
Undertone
TemperatureWarm
BrightnessLight

Muddled Basil vs Shoji White Simulated Comparison

5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Muddled Basil 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 Muddled Basil comparisons

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

White Dove
Muddled Basil
White Dove
Muddled Basil
Sherwin-Williams
Muddled Basil
7745 · LRV 9

White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 9), opening up a space where Muddled Basil encloses it.

Ammonite
Muddled Basil
Ammonite
Muddled Basil
Farrow & Ball
Ammonite
LRV 69
Sherwin-Williams
Muddled Basil
7745 · LRV 9

At LRV 69 vs 9, Ammonite is decisively the brighter choice.

Iron Ore
Muddled Basil
Iron Ore
Muddled Basil
Sherwin-Williams
Muddled Basil
7745 · LRV 9

Muddled Basil reads slightly lighter (LRV 9 vs 6), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.

Purbeck Stone
Muddled Basil
Purbeck Stone
Muddled Basil
Sherwin-Williams
Muddled Basil
7745 · LRV 9

At LRV 52 vs 9, Purbeck Stone is decisively the brighter choice.

Evergreen Fog
Muddled Basil
Evergreen Fog
Muddled Basil
Sherwin-Williams
Muddled Basil
7745 · LRV 9

At LRV 30 vs 9, Evergreen Fog is decisively the brighter choice.

Mizzle
Muddled Basil
Mizzle
Muddled Basil
Farrow & Ball
Mizzle
LRV 52
Sherwin-Williams
Muddled Basil
7745 · LRV 9

Mizzle reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 9), opening up a space where Muddled Basil encloses it.

Agreeable Gray
Muddled Basil
Agreeable Gray
Muddled Basil
Sherwin-Williams
Muddled Basil
7745 · LRV 9

At LRV 60 vs 9, Agreeable Gray is decisively the brighter choice.

Accessible Beige
Muddled Basil
Accessible Beige
Muddled Basil
Sherwin-Williams
Muddled Basil
7745 · LRV 9

Accessible Beige reflects far more light (LRV 58 vs 9), opening up a space where Muddled Basil encloses it.

Denim Drift
Muddled Basil
Denim Drift
Muddled Basil
Sherwin-Williams
Muddled Basil
7745 · LRV 9

Denim Drift reflects far more light (LRV 27 vs 9), opening up a space where Muddled Basil encloses it.

French Gray
Muddled Basil
French Gray
Muddled Basil
Sherwin-Williams
Muddled Basil
7745 · LRV 9

At LRV 43 vs 9, French Gray is decisively the brighter choice.

Muddled Basil
Naval
Muddled Basil
Naval
Sherwin-Williams
Muddled Basil
7745 · LRV 9
Sherwin-Williams
Naval
LRV 4

A 4-point LRV gap (9 vs 4) makes Muddled Basil the marginally brighter of the two.

Tranquil Dawn
Muddled Basil
Tranquil Dawn
Muddled Basil
Sherwin-Williams
Muddled Basil
7745 · LRV 9

Tranquil Dawn reflects far more light (LRV 55 vs 9), opening up a space where Muddled Basil encloses it.

Bancha
Muddled Basil
Bancha
Muddled Basil
Farrow & Ball
Bancha
LRV 13
Sherwin-Williams
Muddled Basil
7745 · LRV 9

Bancha reads slightly lighter (LRV 13 vs 9), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.

Hardwick White
Muddled Basil
Hardwick White
Muddled Basil
Sherwin-Williams
Muddled Basil
7745 · LRV 9

Hardwick White reflects far more light (LRV 44 vs 9), opening up a space where Muddled Basil encloses it.

Muddled Basil
Pure White
Muddled Basil
Pure White
Sherwin-Williams
Muddled Basil
7745 · LRV 9

At LRV 84 vs 9, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.

Artichoke
Muddled Basil
Artichoke
Muddled Basil
Sherwin-Williams
Artichoke
LRV 21
Sherwin-Williams
Muddled Basil
7745 · LRV 9

At LRV 21 vs 9, Artichoke is decisively the brighter choice.

Balboa Mist
Muddled Basil
Balboa Mist
Muddled Basil
Sherwin-Williams
Muddled Basil
7745 · LRV 9

Balboa Mist reflects far more light (LRV 66 vs 9), opening up a space where Muddled Basil encloses it.

Muddled Basil
Snowbound
Muddled Basil
Snowbound
Sherwin-Williams
Muddled Basil
7745 · LRV 9
Sherwin-Williams
Snowbound
LRV 83

Snowbound reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 9), opening up a space where Muddled Basil encloses it.

Muddled Basil
Pewter Green
Muddled Basil
Pewter Green
Sherwin-Williams
Muddled Basil
7745 · LRV 9

Pewter Green reads slightly lighter (LRV 12 vs 9), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.

Skimming Stone
Muddled Basil
Skimming Stone
Muddled Basil
Sherwin-Williams
Muddled Basil
7745 · LRV 9

Skimming Stone reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 9), opening up a space where Muddled Basil encloses it.

Dix Blue
Muddled Basil
Dix Blue
Muddled Basil
Farrow & Ball
Dix Blue
LRV 41
Sherwin-Williams
Muddled Basil
7745 · LRV 9

At LRV 41 vs 9, Dix Blue is decisively the brighter choice.

Calamine
Muddled Basil
Calamine
Muddled Basil
Farrow & Ball
Calamine
LRV 68
Sherwin-Williams
Muddled Basil
7745 · LRV 9

At LRV 68 vs 9, Calamine is decisively the brighter choice.

Treron
Muddled Basil
Treron
Muddled Basil
Farrow & Ball
Treron
LRV 25
Sherwin-Williams
Muddled Basil
7745 · LRV 9

At LRV 25 vs 9, Treron is decisively the brighter choice.

Vintage Vogue
Muddled Basil
Vintage Vogue
Muddled Basil
Sherwin-Williams
Muddled Basil
7745 · LRV 9

Vintage Vogue reads slightly lighter (LRV 12 vs 9), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.

Saybrook Sage
Muddled Basil
Saybrook Sage
Muddled Basil
Sherwin-Williams
Muddled Basil
7745 · LRV 9

Saybrook Sage reflects far more light (LRV 45 vs 9), opening up a space where Muddled Basil encloses it.

Pale Green
Muddled Basil
Pale Green
Muddled Basil
RAL ClassicClassic
Pale Green
LRV 31
Sherwin-Williams
Muddled Basil
7745 · LRV 9

At LRV 31 vs 9, Pale Green is decisively the brighter choice.

Pine Needle
Muddled Basil
Pine Needle
Muddled Basil
Sherwin-Williams
Muddled Basil
7745 · LRV 9

Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 9 vs 7), so neither reads brighter in a room.

Cement grey
Muddled Basil
Cement grey
Muddled Basil
RAL ClassicClassic
Cement grey
LRV 24
Sherwin-Williams
Muddled Basil
7745 · LRV 9

At LRV 24 vs 9, Cement grey is decisively the brighter choice.

Guilford Green
Muddled Basil
Guilford Green
Muddled Basil
Sherwin-Williams
Muddled Basil
7745 · LRV 9

At LRV 57 vs 9, Guilford Green is decisively the brighter choice.

Just Walnut
Muddled Basil
Just Walnut
Muddled Basil
Sherwin-Williams
Muddled Basil
7745 · LRV 9

At LRV 72 vs 9, Just Walnut is decisively the brighter choice.