Ethereal White vs Opaline
Both from Sherwin-Williams's palette. Hue-wise, Ethereal White belongs to the beige-greige family and Opaline to the green-grey family. Ethereal White (LRV 76) reflects noticeably more light than Opaline (LRV 73), a difference of 3 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Ethereal White runs warm while Opaline is decidedly neutral, which means they'll respond very differently to warm vs cool light sources. At ΔE 2.0, these are close — the kind of difference that matters when choosing between them, but doesn't read strongly in a finished room. Below you'll find 3 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Ethereal White vs Opaline in Real Spaces
3 real rooms side by side. Ethereal White and Opaline 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
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 temperature contrast between Ethereal White and Opaline is what sets these apart most in this context.
Bedroom
The context that matters most in a bedroom is how a color reads under a bedside lamp at night, not under noon daylight. Ethereal White brings more warmth to the space, while Opaline keeps things cooler and crisper.
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. Ethereal White brings more warmth to the space, while Opaline keeps things cooler and crisper.
Color Details
Ethereal White vs Opaline Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Ethereal White on one side and Opaline 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 Ethereal White comparisons
See how Ethereal White stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
Ethereal White reads slightly lighter (LRV 76 vs 69), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
A 7-point LRV gap (83 vs 76) makes White Dove the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 76 vs 6, Ethereal White is decisively the brighter choice.
Ethereal White reflects far more light (LRV 76 vs 52), opening up a space where Purbeck Stone encloses it.
Ethereal White reflects far more light (LRV 76 vs 30), opening up a space where Evergreen Fog encloses it.
At LRV 76 vs 52, Ethereal White is decisively the brighter choice.
Ethereal White reflects far more light (LRV 76 vs 60), opening up a space where Agreeable Gray encloses it.
At LRV 76 vs 58, Ethereal White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 76 vs 27, Ethereal White is decisively the brighter choice.
Ethereal White reflects far more light (LRV 76 vs 43), opening up a space where French Gray encloses it.
Ethereal White reflects far more light (LRV 76 vs 4), opening up a space where Naval encloses it.
At LRV 76 vs 55, Ethereal White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 76 vs 13, Ethereal White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 76 vs 44, Ethereal White is decisively the brighter choice.
Pure White reads slightly lighter (LRV 84 vs 76), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Ethereal White reflects far more light (LRV 76 vs 21), opening up a space where Artichoke encloses it.
A 10-point LRV gap (76 vs 66) makes Ethereal White the marginally brighter of the two.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 76 vs 74), so neither reads brighter in a room.
A 7-point LRV gap (83 vs 76) makes Snowbound the marginally brighter of the two.
Ethereal White reflects far more light (LRV 76 vs 51), opening up a space where Pigeon encloses it.
At LRV 76 vs 12, Ethereal White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 76 vs 8, Ethereal White is decisively the brighter choice.
A 8-point LRV gap (76 vs 68) makes Ethereal White the marginally brighter of the two.
Ethereal White reflects far more light (LRV 76 vs 41), opening up a space where Dix Blue encloses it.
At LRV 76 vs 12, Ethereal White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 76 vs 45, Ethereal White is decisively the brighter choice.
Ethereal White reflects far more light (LRV 76 vs 31), opening up a space where Pale Green encloses it.