Truly Taupe vs Waterloo
Both from Sherwin-Williams's palette. Hue-wise, Truly Taupe belongs to the greige-grey family and Waterloo to the blue family. Truly Taupe (LRV 35) reflects noticeably more light than Waterloo (LRV 13), a difference of 22 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Truly Taupe runs warm while Waterloo is decidedly cool, which means they'll respond very differently to warm vs cool light sources. With a ΔE of 28.6, 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 4 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Truly Taupe vs Waterloo in Real Spaces
4 real rooms side by side. Seeing Truly Taupe and Waterloo 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 Truly Taupe will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Waterloo 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. Truly Taupe reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Waterloo.
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. Truly Taupe reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Waterloo.
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 Truly Taupe will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Waterloo would.
Color Details
Truly Taupe vs Waterloo Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Truly Taupe on one side and Waterloo 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 Truly Taupe comparisons
See how Truly Taupe stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
At LRV 83 vs 35, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.
Ammonite reflects far more light (LRV 69 vs 35), opening up a space where Truly Taupe encloses it.
At LRV 35 vs 6, Truly Taupe is decisively the brighter choice.
Purbeck Stone reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 35), opening up a space where Truly Taupe encloses it.
Truly Taupe reads slightly lighter (LRV 35 vs 30), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 52 vs 35, Mizzle is decisively the brighter choice.
Agreeable Gray reflects far more light (LRV 60 vs 35), opening up a space where Truly Taupe encloses it.
At LRV 58 vs 35, Accessible Beige is decisively the brighter choice.
A 8-point LRV gap (35 vs 27) makes Truly Taupe the marginally brighter of the two.
French Gray reads slightly lighter (LRV 43 vs 35), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Truly Taupe reflects far more light (LRV 35 vs 4), opening up a space where Naval encloses it.
At LRV 55 vs 35, Tranquil Dawn is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 35 vs 13, Truly Taupe is decisively the brighter choice.
A 8-point LRV gap (44 vs 35) makes Hardwick White the marginally brighter of the two.
Pure White reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 35), opening up a space where Truly Taupe encloses it.
Truly Taupe reflects far more light (LRV 35 vs 21), opening up a space where Artichoke encloses it.
At LRV 66 vs 35, Balboa Mist is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 74 vs 35, Shoji White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 83 vs 35, Snowbound is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 35 vs 12, Truly Taupe is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 68 vs 35, Skimming Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
Dix Blue reads slightly lighter (LRV 41 vs 35), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Calamine reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 35), opening up a space where Truly Taupe encloses it.
Truly Taupe reads slightly lighter (LRV 35 vs 25), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 35 vs 12, Truly Taupe is decisively the brighter choice.
A 10-point LRV gap (45 vs 35) makes Saybrook Sage the marginally brighter of the two.
Truly Taupe reads slightly lighter (LRV 35 vs 31), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Truly Taupe reflects far more light (LRV 35 vs 7), opening up a space where Pine Needle encloses it.
Truly Taupe reads slightly lighter (LRV 35 vs 24), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Guilford Green reflects far more light (LRV 57 vs 35), opening up a space where Truly Taupe encloses it.