Downtown Gray vs Muted Sage
Both from Behr's palette. Hue-wise, Downtown Gray belongs to the grey family and Muted Sage to the greige-grey family. Downtown Gray (LRV 40) reflects noticeably more light than Muted Sage (LRV 28), a difference of 13 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Downtown Gray runs yellow and red while Muted Sage is decidedly yellow, which means they'll respond very differently to warm vs cool light sources. With a ΔE of 11.6, 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.
Downtown Gray vs Muted Sage in Real Spaces
1 real room side by side. Seeing Downtown Gray and Muted Sage in actual rooms makes the difference concrete; browse the spaces below to get a feel for how each color lives on a wall.
Kitchen Cabinets
Kitchen cabinets are constantly compared against adjacent materials, which means subtle differences between these two become much more visible. Downtown Gray reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Muted Sage.
Color Details
Downtown Gray vs Muted Sage Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Downtown Gray on one side and Muted Sage 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.