Natural Linen vs Upward
Both from Sherwin-Williams's palette. Natural Linen reads as beige, while Upward reads as blue — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. Natural Linen (LRV 66) reflects noticeably more light than Upward (LRV 57), a difference of 9 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Natural Linen runs warm while Upward is decidedly cool, which means they'll respond very differently to warm vs cool light sources. With a ΔE of 15.2, 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 7 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Natural Linen vs Upward in Real Spaces
7 real rooms side by side. Seeing Natural Linen and Upward 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 Natural Linen will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Upward 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. Natural Linen reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Upward.
Kitchen
In a kitchen, colors are seen under bright task lighting that amplifies undertones — what reads neutral elsewhere can show its hand here. Natural Linen reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Upward.
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. Natural Linen reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Upward.
Home Office
The test for a home office color isn't how it looks in a quick glance — it's whether it still feels right after a full day of work. Natural Linen reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Upward.
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. Natural Linen reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Upward.
Front Door
A front door is a focal point — small color differences read clearly at this concentrated scale. The LRV gap is large enough that Natural Linen will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Upward would.
Color Details
Natural Linen vs Upward Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Natural Linen on one side and Upward 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 Natural Linen comparisons
See how Natural Linen stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
At LRV 83 vs 66, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.
With LRVs of 69 and 66, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
At LRV 66 vs 6, Natural Linen is decisively the brighter choice.
Natural Linen reflects far more light (LRV 66 vs 52), opening up a space where Purbeck Stone encloses it.
Natural Linen reflects far more light (LRV 66 vs 30), opening up a space where Evergreen Fog encloses it.
At LRV 66 vs 52, Natural Linen is decisively the brighter choice.
Natural Linen reads slightly lighter (LRV 66 vs 60), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
A 9-point LRV gap (66 vs 58) makes Natural Linen the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 66 vs 27, Natural Linen is decisively the brighter choice.
Natural Linen reflects far more light (LRV 66 vs 43), opening up a space where French Gray encloses it.
Natural Linen reflects far more light (LRV 66 vs 4), opening up a space where Naval encloses it.
A 11-point LRV gap (66 vs 55) makes Natural Linen the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 66 vs 13, Natural Linen is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 66 vs 44, Natural Linen is decisively the brighter choice.
Pure White reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 66), opening up a space where Natural Linen encloses it.
Natural Linen reflects far more light (LRV 66 vs 21), opening up a space where Artichoke encloses it.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 66 vs 66), so neither reads brighter in a room.
A 8-point LRV gap (74 vs 66) makes Shoji White the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 83 vs 66, Snowbound is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 66 vs 12, Natural Linen is decisively the brighter choice.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 68 vs 66), so neither reads brighter in a room.
Natural Linen reflects far more light (LRV 66 vs 41), opening up a space where Dix Blue encloses it.
With LRVs of 68 and 66, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Natural Linen reflects far more light (LRV 66 vs 25), opening up a space where Treron encloses it.
At LRV 66 vs 12, Natural Linen is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 66 vs 45, Natural Linen is decisively the brighter choice.
Natural Linen reflects far more light (LRV 66 vs 31), opening up a space where Pale Green encloses it.
Natural Linen reflects far more light (LRV 66 vs 7), opening up a space where Pine Needle encloses it.
Natural Linen reflects far more light (LRV 66 vs 24), opening up a space where Cement grey encloses it.
Natural Linen reads slightly lighter (LRV 66 vs 57), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.