Imperial Gray vs Thames Fog
Where Imperial Gray belongs to Behr's range, Thames Fog is a Valspar color. These are both greys, so the question isn't which hue to choose — it's where within grey to land. Thames Fog (LRV 27) reflects noticeably more light than Imperial Gray (LRV 14), a difference of 13 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. With a ΔE of 16.8, 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.
Imperial Gray vs Thames Fog in Real Spaces
3 real rooms side by side. Seeing Imperial Gray and Thames Fog in actual rooms makes the difference concrete; browse the spaces below to get a feel for how each color lives on a wall.
Dining Room
A dining room lit by a dimmed pendant or candles is one of the most forgiving environments for paint — warm light softens almost everything. Thames Fog returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
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. Thames Fog reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Imperial Gray.
Kitchen Cabinets
Kitchen cabinets are constantly compared against adjacent materials, which means subtle differences between these two become much more visible. Thames Fog reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Imperial Gray.
Color Details
Imperial Gray vs Thames Fog Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Imperial Gray on one side and Thames Fog 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 Imperial Gray comparisons
See how Imperial Gray stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
