Truly Taupe vs Upward paint color comparison

Truly Taupe vs Upward

Truly TaupeSherwin-WilliamsvsUpwardSherwin-WilliamsΔE 18.5Distinct difference

Both are Sherwin-Williams colors. Hue-wise, Truly Taupe belongs to the greige-grey family and Upward to the blue family. At LRV 57 vs 35, Upward will read as the brighter of the two — a 22-point gap that matters most in north-facing or low-light rooms. The tonal difference — Truly Taupe's warm character against Upward's cool — becomes most visible against white trim or in morning light. At ΔE 18.5, these are genuinely distinct colors — a strong contrast if used together, or a meaningful choice between two different directions. Below you'll find 5 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.

Truly Taupe vs Upward in Real Spaces

5 real rooms side by side. Seeing Truly Taupe 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

Living rooms test a color across a full range of conditions — morning sun, afternoon shade, and evening lamp light all shift how both of these read. Upward returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.

Truly TaupeSherwin Williams Truly Taupe Living Room

@toptierprofessionalpainting

UpwardUpward SW 6239 living room

@mybudgetrecipes

Kitchen

Kitchen lighting tends to be bright and directional, which sharpens contrast and makes undertone differences more apparent. The LRV gap is large enough that Upward will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Truly Taupe would.

UpwardSherwin Williams Upward kitchen cabinets

@mybudgetrecipes

Bathroom

Bathrooms amplify color — the enclosed space and reflective surfaces make what reads subtle elsewhere feel more present here. The LRV gap is large enough that Upward will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Truly Taupe would.

Truly TaupeSW Truly Taupe bathroom interior

@burge_painting_co

UpwardBlue bathroom in Upward by Sherwin Williams

@mybudgetrecipes

House

At full exterior scale, the difference between these two colors becomes much easier to judge than from a small chip. The LRV gap is large enough that Upward will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Truly Taupe would.

Truly TaupeSW Truly Taupe exterior paint

@light_on_the_hill

UpwardUpward house color review

@mybudgetrecipes

Front Door

Front doors are seen in isolation against the rest of the facade, which makes them a high-stakes surface where even subtle differences matter. Upward returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.

Truly TaupeTruly Taupe Garage Door

@drippaintingcompany

UpwardBlue front door with Upward SW 6239

@mybudgetrecipes

Color Details

Truly Taupe
Sherwin-Williams · 6038
Hex#AC9E97
LRV35.5
BrandSherwin-Williams
Number6038
Undertone
TemperatureWarm
BrightnessMedium
Upward
Sherwin-Williams · 6239
Hex#BFC9D0
LRV57.4
BrandSherwin-Williams
Number6239
Undertone
TemperatureCool
BrightnessLight

Truly Taupe vs Upward Simulated Comparison

5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Truly Taupe on one side and Upward on the other.

Bathroom
Bedroom
House
Kitchen Cabinets
Living Room

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 Truly Taupe comparisons

See how Truly Taupe stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.

White Dove
Truly Taupe
White Dove
Truly Taupe
Sherwin-Williams
Truly Taupe
6038 · LRV 35

At LRV 83 vs 35, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.

Ammonite
Truly Taupe
Ammonite
Truly Taupe
Farrow & Ball
Ammonite
LRV 69
Sherwin-Williams
Truly Taupe
6038 · LRV 35

Ammonite reflects far more light (LRV 69 vs 35), opening up a space where Truly Taupe encloses it.

Iron Ore
Truly Taupe
Iron Ore
Truly Taupe
Sherwin-Williams
Truly Taupe
6038 · LRV 35

At LRV 35 vs 6, Truly Taupe is decisively the brighter choice.

Purbeck Stone
Truly Taupe
Purbeck Stone
Truly Taupe
Sherwin-Williams
Truly Taupe
6038 · LRV 35

Purbeck Stone reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 35), opening up a space where Truly Taupe encloses it.

Evergreen Fog
Truly Taupe
Evergreen Fog
Truly Taupe
Sherwin-Williams
Truly Taupe
6038 · LRV 35

Truly Taupe reads slightly lighter (LRV 35 vs 30), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.

Mizzle
Truly Taupe
Mizzle
Truly Taupe
Farrow & Ball
Mizzle
LRV 52
Sherwin-Williams
Truly Taupe
6038 · LRV 35

At LRV 52 vs 35, Mizzle is decisively the brighter choice.

Agreeable Gray
Truly Taupe
Agreeable Gray
Truly Taupe
Sherwin-Williams
Truly Taupe
6038 · LRV 35

Agreeable Gray reflects far more light (LRV 60 vs 35), opening up a space where Truly Taupe encloses it.

Accessible Beige
Truly Taupe
Accessible Beige
Truly Taupe
Sherwin-Williams
Truly Taupe
6038 · LRV 35

At LRV 58 vs 35, Accessible Beige is decisively the brighter choice.

Denim Drift
Truly Taupe
Denim Drift
Truly Taupe
Sherwin-Williams
Truly Taupe
6038 · LRV 35

A 8-point LRV gap (35 vs 27) makes Truly Taupe the marginally brighter of the two.

French Gray
Truly Taupe
French Gray
Truly Taupe
Sherwin-Williams
Truly Taupe
6038 · LRV 35

French Gray reads slightly lighter (LRV 43 vs 35), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.

Naval
Truly Taupe
Naval vs Truly Taupe
Naval
Truly Taupe
Sherwin-Williams
Naval
LRV 4
Sherwin-Williams
Truly Taupe
6038 · LRV 35

Truly Taupe reflects far more light (LRV 35 vs 4), opening up a space where Naval encloses it.

Tranquil Dawn
Truly Taupe
Tranquil Dawn
Truly Taupe
Sherwin-Williams
Truly Taupe
6038 · LRV 35

At LRV 55 vs 35, Tranquil Dawn is decisively the brighter choice.

Bancha
Truly Taupe
Bancha
Truly Taupe
Farrow & Ball
Bancha
LRV 13
Sherwin-Williams
Truly Taupe
6038 · LRV 35

At LRV 35 vs 13, Truly Taupe is decisively the brighter choice.

Hardwick White
Truly Taupe
Hardwick White
Truly Taupe
Sherwin-Williams
Truly Taupe
6038 · LRV 35

A 8-point LRV gap (44 vs 35) makes Hardwick White the marginally brighter of the two.

Pure White
Truly Taupe
Pure White
Truly Taupe
Sherwin-Williams
Truly Taupe
6038 · LRV 35

Pure White reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 35), opening up a space where Truly Taupe encloses it.

Artichoke
Truly Taupe
Artichoke
Truly Taupe
Sherwin-Williams
Artichoke
LRV 21
Sherwin-Williams
Truly Taupe
6038 · LRV 35

Truly Taupe reflects far more light (LRV 35 vs 21), opening up a space where Artichoke encloses it.

Balboa Mist
Truly Taupe
Balboa Mist
Truly Taupe
Sherwin-Williams
Truly Taupe
6038 · LRV 35

At LRV 66 vs 35, Balboa Mist is decisively the brighter choice.

Shoji White
Truly Taupe
Shoji White
Truly Taupe
Sherwin-Williams
Truly Taupe
6038 · LRV 35

At LRV 74 vs 35, Shoji White is decisively the brighter choice.

Snowbound
Truly Taupe
Snowbound
Truly Taupe
Sherwin-Williams
Snowbound
LRV 83
Sherwin-Williams
Truly Taupe
6038 · LRV 35

At LRV 83 vs 35, Snowbound is decisively the brighter choice.

Pewter Green
Truly Taupe
Pewter Green
Truly Taupe
Sherwin-Williams
Truly Taupe
6038 · LRV 35

At LRV 35 vs 12, Truly Taupe is decisively the brighter choice.

Skimming Stone
Truly Taupe
Skimming Stone
Truly Taupe
Sherwin-Williams
Truly Taupe
6038 · LRV 35

At LRV 68 vs 35, Skimming Stone is decisively the brighter choice.

Dix Blue
Truly Taupe
Dix Blue
Truly Taupe
Farrow & Ball
Dix Blue
LRV 41
Sherwin-Williams
Truly Taupe
6038 · LRV 35

Dix Blue reads slightly lighter (LRV 41 vs 35), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.

Calamine
Truly Taupe
Calamine
Truly Taupe
Farrow & Ball
Calamine
LRV 68
Sherwin-Williams
Truly Taupe
6038 · LRV 35

Calamine reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 35), opening up a space where Truly Taupe encloses it.

Treron
Truly Taupe
Treron
Truly Taupe
Farrow & Ball
Treron
LRV 25
Sherwin-Williams
Truly Taupe
6038 · LRV 35

Truly Taupe reads slightly lighter (LRV 35 vs 25), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.

Vintage Vogue
Truly Taupe
Vintage Vogue
Truly Taupe
Sherwin-Williams
Truly Taupe
6038 · LRV 35

At LRV 35 vs 12, Truly Taupe is decisively the brighter choice.

Saybrook Sage
Truly Taupe
Saybrook Sage
Truly Taupe
Sherwin-Williams
Truly Taupe
6038 · LRV 35

A 10-point LRV gap (45 vs 35) makes Saybrook Sage the marginally brighter of the two.

Pale Green
Truly Taupe
Pale Green
Truly Taupe
RAL ClassicClassic
Pale Green
LRV 31
Sherwin-Williams
Truly Taupe
6038 · LRV 35

Truly Taupe reads slightly lighter (LRV 35 vs 31), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.

Pine Needle
Truly Taupe
Pine Needle
Truly Taupe
Sherwin-Williams
Truly Taupe
6038 · LRV 35

Truly Taupe reflects far more light (LRV 35 vs 7), opening up a space where Pine Needle encloses it.

Cement grey
Truly Taupe
Cement grey
Truly Taupe
RAL ClassicClassic
Cement grey
LRV 24
Sherwin-Williams
Truly Taupe
6038 · LRV 35

Truly Taupe reads slightly lighter (LRV 35 vs 24), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.

Guilford Green
Truly Taupe
Guilford Green
Truly Taupe
Sherwin-Williams
Truly Taupe
6038 · LRV 35

Guilford Green reflects far more light (LRV 57 vs 35), opening up a space where Truly Taupe encloses it.