Paper Lantern vs Pure White
Both from Sherwin-Williams's palette. Paper Lantern reads as beige, while Pure White reads as beige-greige — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. Pure White (LRV 84) reflects noticeably more light than Paper Lantern (LRV 76), a difference of 8 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 13.6, 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 1 real-room photo comparison where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Paper Lantern vs Pure White in Real Spaces
1 real room side by side. Seeing Paper Lantern and Pure 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 Pure White will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Paper Lantern would.
Color Details
Paper Lantern vs Pure White Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Paper Lantern 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 Paper Lantern comparisons
See how Paper Lantern stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
White Dove reads slightly lighter (LRV 83 vs 76), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
A 7-point LRV gap (76 vs 69) makes Paper Lantern the marginally brighter of the two.
Paper Lantern reflects far more light (LRV 76 vs 6), opening up a space where Iron Ore encloses it.
At LRV 76 vs 52, Paper Lantern is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 76 vs 30, Paper Lantern is decisively the brighter choice.
Paper Lantern reflects far more light (LRV 76 vs 52), opening up a space where Mizzle encloses it.
At LRV 76 vs 60, Paper Lantern is decisively the brighter choice.
Paper Lantern reflects far more light (LRV 76 vs 58), opening up a space where Accessible Beige encloses it.
Paper Lantern reflects far more light (LRV 76 vs 27), opening up a space where Denim Drift encloses it.
At LRV 76 vs 43, Paper Lantern is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 76 vs 4, Paper Lantern is decisively the brighter choice.
Paper Lantern reflects far more light (LRV 76 vs 55), opening up a space where Tranquil Dawn encloses it.
Paper Lantern reflects far more light (LRV 76 vs 13), opening up a space where Bancha encloses it.
Paper Lantern reflects far more light (LRV 76 vs 44), opening up a space where Hardwick White encloses it.
At LRV 76 vs 21, Paper Lantern is decisively the brighter choice.
Paper Lantern reads slightly lighter (LRV 76 vs 66), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
With LRVs of 76 and 74, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Snowbound reads slightly lighter (LRV 83 vs 76), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Paper Lantern reflects far more light (LRV 76 vs 12), opening up a space where Pewter Green encloses it.
Paper Lantern reads slightly lighter (LRV 76 vs 68), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 76 vs 41, Paper Lantern is decisively the brighter choice.
A 8-point LRV gap (76 vs 68) makes Paper Lantern the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 76 vs 25, Paper Lantern is decisively the brighter choice.
Paper Lantern reflects far more light (LRV 76 vs 12), opening up a space where Vintage Vogue encloses it.
Paper Lantern reflects far more light (LRV 76 vs 45), opening up a space where Saybrook Sage encloses it.
At LRV 76 vs 31, Paper Lantern is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 76 vs 7, Paper Lantern is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 76 vs 24, Paper Lantern is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 76 vs 57, Paper Lantern is decisively the brighter choice.
A 4-point LRV gap (76 vs 72) makes Paper Lantern the marginally brighter of the two.