Cool Ashes vs Cardigan
Where Cool Ashes belongs to Behr's range, Cardigan is a Cloverdale Paint color. Both sit in the grey family, which is useful context if you're narrowing within a single hue direction. Cool Ashes (LRV 29) reflects noticeably more light than Cardigan (LRV 26), a difference of 3 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. At ΔE 2.6, 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 1 real-room photo comparison where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Cool Ashes vs Cardigan in Real Spaces
1 real room side by side. Cool Ashes and Cardigan 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.
Bedroom
The context that matters most in a bedroom is how a color reads under a bedside lamp at night, not under noon daylight. At this scale the difference is subtle — you'd need them side by side, as shown here, to reliably tell them apart.
Color Details
Cool Ashes vs Cardigan Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Cool Ashes on one side and Cardigan 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 Cool Ashes comparisons
See how Cool Ashes stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
At LRV 69 vs 29, Ammonite is decisively the brighter choice.
White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 29), opening up a space where Cool Ashes encloses it.
Cool Ashes reflects far more light (LRV 29 vs 6), opening up a space where Iron Ore encloses it.
At LRV 52 vs 29, Purbeck Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 30 vs 29), so neither reads brighter in a room.
Mizzle reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 29), opening up a space where Cool Ashes encloses it.
At LRV 60 vs 29, Agreeable Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Accessible Beige reflects far more light (LRV 58 vs 29), opening up a space where Cool Ashes encloses it.
With LRVs of 29 and 27, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
At LRV 43 vs 29, French Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 29 vs 4, Cool Ashes is decisively the brighter choice.
Tranquil Dawn reflects far more light (LRV 55 vs 29), opening up a space where Cool Ashes encloses it.
Cool Ashes reflects far more light (LRV 29 vs 13), opening up a space where Bancha encloses it.
Hardwick White reflects far more light (LRV 44 vs 29), opening up a space where Cool Ashes encloses it.
At LRV 84 vs 29, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.
A 7-point LRV gap (29 vs 21) makes Cool Ashes the marginally brighter of the two.
Balboa Mist reflects far more light (LRV 66 vs 29), opening up a space where Cool Ashes encloses it.
Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 29), opening up a space where Cool Ashes encloses it.
Snowbound reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 29), opening up a space where Cool Ashes encloses it.
At LRV 51 vs 29, Pigeon is decisively the brighter choice.
Cool Ashes reflects far more light (LRV 29 vs 12), opening up a space where Pewter Green encloses it.
Cool Ashes reflects far more light (LRV 29 vs 8), opening up a space where Duck Green encloses it.
Skimming Stone reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 29), opening up a space where Cool Ashes encloses it.
At LRV 41 vs 29, Dix Blue is decisively the brighter choice.
Cool Ashes reflects far more light (LRV 29 vs 12), opening up a space where Vintage Vogue encloses it.
Saybrook Sage reflects far more light (LRV 45 vs 29), opening up a space where Cool Ashes encloses it.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 31 vs 29), so neither reads brighter in a room.