Simple White vs Passageway
Where Simple White belongs to Sherwin-Williams's range, Passageway is a Valspar color. Simple White reads as beige-greige, while Passageway reads as blue-grey — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. Simple White (LRV 70) reflects noticeably more light than Passageway (LRV 14), a difference of 56 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. With a ΔE of 44.6, 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 2 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Simple White vs Passageway in Real Spaces
2 real rooms side by side. Seeing Simple White and Passageway 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 Simple White will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Passageway 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. Simple White reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Passageway.
Color Details
Simple White vs Passageway Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Simple White on one side and Passageway 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 Simple White comparisons
See how Simple White stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
