Buff vs Denim
Both from Sherwin-Williams's palette. Buff reads as beige, while Denim reads as blue — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. Buff (LRV 75) reflects noticeably more light than Denim (LRV 14), a difference of 61 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Buff runs warm while Denim is decidedly cool, which means they'll respond very differently to warm vs cool light sources. With a ΔE of 56.9, 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 3 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Buff vs Denim in Real Spaces
3 real rooms side by side. Seeing Buff and Denim 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 Buff will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Denim would.
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. Buff reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Denim.
Color Details
Buff vs Denim Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Buff on one side and Denim 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.