Chic Gray vs Downtown Gray
Both from Behr's palette. Chic Gray reads as greige-grey, while Downtown Gray reads as grey — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. Chic Gray (LRV 60) reflects noticeably more light than Downtown Gray (LRV 40), a difference of 20 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Chic Gray runs red while Downtown Gray is decidedly yellow and red, which means they'll respond very differently to warm vs cool light sources. With a ΔE of NaN, 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 1 real-room photo comparison where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Chic Gray vs Downtown Gray in Real Spaces
1 real room side by side. Seeing Chic Gray and Downtown Gray 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 Chic Gray will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Downtown Gray would.
Color Details
Chic Gray vs Downtown Gray Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Chic Gray on one side and Downtown Gray 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 Chic Gray comparisons
See how Chic Gray stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
At LRV 83 vs 60, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.
Chic Gray reads slightly lighter (LRV 60 vs 52), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Chic Gray reflects far more light (LRV 60 vs 30), opening up a space where Evergreen Fog encloses it.
With LRVs of 60 and 60, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 60 vs 58), so neither reads brighter in a room.
At LRV 60 vs 27, Chic Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Chic Gray reflects far more light (LRV 60 vs 43), opening up a space where French Gray encloses it.
A 5-point LRV gap (60 vs 55) makes Chic Gray the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 60 vs 44, Chic Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Pure White reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 60), opening up a space where Chic Gray encloses it.
A 6-point LRV gap (66 vs 60) makes Balboa Mist the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 74 vs 60, Shoji White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 60 vs 12, Chic Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
A 8-point LRV gap (68 vs 60) makes Skimming Stone the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 60 vs 12, Chic Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 60 vs 45, Chic Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Chic Gray reflects far more light (LRV 60 vs 31), opening up a space where Pale Green encloses it.
Chic Gray reflects far more light (LRV 60 vs 7), opening up a space where Pine Needle encloses it.
Chic Gray reflects far more light (LRV 60 vs 24), opening up a space where Cement grey encloses it.
With LRVs of 60 and 57, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.