Neutral Ground vs Softer Tan
Both from Sherwin-Williams's palette. These are both beiges, so the question isn't which hue to choose — it's where within beige to land. Neutral Ground (LRV 70) reflects noticeably more light than Softer Tan (LRV 60), a difference of 10 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 7.6 gap is real but not dramatic — close enough to use together, distinct enough to matter as a choice. Below you'll find 7 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Neutral Ground vs Softer Tan in Real Spaces
7 real rooms side by side. Neutral Ground and Softer Tan 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 Neutral Ground will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Softer Tan 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. Neutral Ground reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Softer Tan.
Kitchen
In a kitchen, colors are seen under bright task lighting that amplifies undertones — what reads neutral elsewhere can show its hand here. Neutral Ground reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Softer Tan.
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. Neutral Ground reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Softer Tan.
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. Neutral Ground reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Softer Tan.
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 Neutral Ground will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Softer Tan would.
Kitchen Cabinets
Kitchen cabinets are constantly compared against adjacent materials, which means subtle differences between these two become much more visible. Neutral Ground reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Softer Tan.
Color Details
Neutral Ground vs Softer Tan Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Neutral Ground on one side and Softer Tan 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 Neutral Ground comparisons
See how Neutral Ground stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 70), opening up a space where Neutral Ground encloses it.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 70 vs 69), so neither reads brighter in a room.
Neutral Ground reflects far more light (LRV 70 vs 6), opening up a space where Iron Ore encloses it.
At LRV 70 vs 52, Neutral Ground is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 70 vs 30, Neutral Ground is decisively the brighter choice.
Neutral Ground reflects far more light (LRV 70 vs 52), opening up a space where Mizzle encloses it.
A 10-point LRV gap (70 vs 60) makes Neutral Ground the marginally brighter of the two.
Neutral Ground reflects far more light (LRV 70 vs 58), opening up a space where Accessible Beige encloses it.
Neutral Ground reflects far more light (LRV 70 vs 27), opening up a space where Denim Drift encloses it.
At LRV 70 vs 43, Neutral Ground is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 70 vs 4, Neutral Ground is decisively the brighter choice.
Neutral Ground reflects far more light (LRV 70 vs 55), opening up a space where Tranquil Dawn encloses it.
Neutral Ground reflects far more light (LRV 70 vs 13), opening up a space where Bancha encloses it.
Neutral Ground reflects far more light (LRV 70 vs 44), opening up a space where Hardwick White encloses it.
At LRV 84 vs 70, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 70 vs 21, Neutral Ground is decisively the brighter choice.
Neutral Ground reads slightly lighter (LRV 70 vs 66), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Shoji White reads slightly lighter (LRV 74 vs 70), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Snowbound reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 70), opening up a space where Neutral Ground encloses it.
Neutral Ground reflects far more light (LRV 70 vs 12), opening up a space where Pewter Green encloses it.
With LRVs of 70 and 68, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
At LRV 70 vs 41, Neutral Ground is decisively the brighter choice.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 70 vs 68), so neither reads brighter in a room.
At LRV 70 vs 25, Neutral Ground is decisively the brighter choice.
Neutral Ground reflects far more light (LRV 70 vs 12), opening up a space where Vintage Vogue encloses it.
Neutral Ground reflects far more light (LRV 70 vs 45), opening up a space where Saybrook Sage encloses it.
At LRV 70 vs 31, Neutral Ground is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 70 vs 7, Neutral Ground is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 70 vs 24, Neutral Ground is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 70 vs 57, Neutral Ground is decisively the brighter choice.