Buff vs Champagne
Buff and Champagne come from the same Sherwin-Williams collection. These are both beiges, so the question isn't which hue to choose — it's where within beige to land. The 3-point LRV gap — 78 for Champagne vs 75 for Buff — means Champagne will open up a space more effectively. Both share a warm character, which means they'll respond to light and surrounding materials in similar ways. ΔE 5.1 means they're clearly different, but not dramatically so — they'd pair well in the same room. Below you'll find 10 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Buff vs Champagne in Real Spaces
10 real rooms side by side. Buff and Champagne 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
A living room wall sees more varied light than almost any other surface in the house, which makes the choice between these two more nuanced than a chip suggests. The distinction reads clearly at room scale, making the choice between them concrete.
Bedroom
Bedrooms are typically lit with warmer, lower light than the rest of the house — a condition that flatters warm tones and deepens cool ones. At this scale, the choice between them becomes clear in a way that a swatch alone can't communicate.
Kitchen
Kitchens often have the harshest, most revealing light in the house — under-cabinet LEDs and overhead fixtures that strip away subtlety. At this scale, the choice between them becomes clear in a way that a swatch alone can't communicate.
Dining Room
Dining rooms often rely on warm incandescent or candlelight, which flatters warm undertones and mutes cool ones. Side by side like this, the difference is easy to read — which is exactly why seeing them in a real space is more useful than comparing chips.
Bathroom
Small bathrooms intensify color. A shade that seems quiet in a larger room can feel immersive when you're surrounded by it on four walls. At this scale, the choice between them becomes clear in a way that a swatch alone can't communicate.
Home Office
Home office walls matter more than most — you're looking at them all day, and a color that reads fine at first can become tiring over time. At this scale, the choice between them becomes clear in a way that a swatch alone can't communicate.
Mudroom
In a hardworking space like a mudroom, the depth and warmth of a color reads differently than in a quieter room. Side by side like this, the difference is easy to read — which is exactly why seeing them in a real space is more useful than comparing chips.
Patio
Exterior colors look different in open light — both tend to read lighter outside than on an interior swatch, and shadows read more strongly. Side by side like this, the difference is easy to read — which is exactly why seeing them in a real space is more useful than comparing chips.
House
A full exterior is the most demanding test for a paint color — scale and outdoor light both amplify differences that seem small on a swatch. At this scale, the choice between them becomes clear in a way that a swatch alone can't communicate.
Color Details
Buff vs Champagne Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Buff on one side and Champagne 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 Buff comparisons
See how Buff stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
White Dove reads slightly lighter (LRV 83 vs 75), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 75 vs 52, Buff is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 75 vs 30, Buff is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 75 vs 60, Buff is decisively the brighter choice.
Buff reflects far more light (LRV 75 vs 58), opening up a space where Accessible Beige encloses it.
Buff reflects far more light (LRV 75 vs 27), opening up a space where Denim Drift encloses it.
Buff reflects far more light (LRV 75 vs 55), opening up a space where Tranquil Dawn encloses it.
Buff reflects far more light (LRV 75 vs 44), opening up a space where Hardwick White encloses it.
A 9-point LRV gap (84 vs 75) makes Pure White the marginally brighter of the two.
Buff reads slightly lighter (LRV 75 vs 66), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
With LRVs of 75 and 74, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Buff reflects far more light (LRV 75 vs 12), opening up a space where Pewter Green encloses it.
Buff reflects far more light (LRV 75 vs 8), opening up a space where Duck Green encloses it.
Buff reads slightly lighter (LRV 75 vs 68), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Buff reflects far more light (LRV 75 vs 12), opening up a space where Vintage Vogue encloses it.
Buff reflects far more light (LRV 75 vs 45), opening up a space where Saybrook Sage encloses it.
At LRV 75 vs 31, Buff is decisively the brighter choice.