Pure White vs Simple White
Both from Sherwin-Williams's palette. Both sit in the beige-greige family, which is useful context if you're narrowing within a single hue direction. Pure White (LRV 84) reflects noticeably more light than Simple White (LRV 70), a difference of 14 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 6.6 gap is real but not dramatic — close enough to use together, distinct enough to matter as a choice. Below you'll find 3 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Pure White vs Simple White in Real Spaces
3 real rooms side by side. Pure White and Simple White 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 Pure White will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Simple White 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. Pure White reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Simple White.
Kitchen Cabinets
Kitchen cabinets are constantly compared against adjacent materials, which means subtle differences between these two become much more visible. Pure White reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Simple White.
Color Details
Pure White vs Simple White Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Pure White on one side and Simple 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 Pure White comparisons
See how Pure White stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
