Amherst Gray vs Steel Wool
Both from Benjamin Moore's palette. These are both greys, so the question isn't which hue to choose — it's where within grey to land. They have nearly identical light reflectance values (19 vs 21), so they'll read as similarly Dark in most lighting conditions. Amherst Gray runs yellow while Steel Wool is decidedly blue, which means they'll respond very differently to warm vs cool light sources. The ΔE 5.2 gap is real but not dramatic — close enough to use together, distinct enough to matter as a choice. Below you'll find 3 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Amherst Gray vs Steel Wool in Real Spaces
3 real rooms side by side. Amherst Gray and Steel Wool 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.
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. The distinction reads clearly at room scale, making the choice between them concrete.
House
Seen across an entire facade, subtle tonal differences become pronounced. What reads as nearly the same on a chip often reads as clearly different at scale. The distinction reads clearly at room scale, making the choice between them concrete.
Kitchen Cabinets
Kitchen cabinets are constantly compared against adjacent materials, which means subtle differences between these two become much more visible. The distinction reads clearly at room scale, making the choice between them concrete.
Color Details
Amherst Gray vs Steel Wool Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Amherst Gray on one side and Steel Wool 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 Amherst Gray comparisons
See how Amherst Gray stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
