Knoxville Gray vs Agreeable Gray
Knoxville Gray (Benjamin Moore) and Agreeable Gray (Sherwin-Williams) come from different manufacturers. Knoxville Gray reads as blue-grey, while Agreeable Gray reads as greige-grey — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. The 45-point LRV gap — 60 for Agreeable Gray vs 16 for Knoxville Gray — means Agreeable Gray will open up a space more effectively. Where Knoxville Gray leans blue, Agreeable Gray reads warm — a distinction that shifts noticeably depending on the light source and surrounding finishes. A ΔE of 38.6 puts these firmly in different territory — two distinct design choices rather than close alternatives. Below you'll find 8 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Knoxville Gray vs Agreeable Gray in Real Spaces
8 real rooms side by side. Seeing Knoxville Gray and Agreeable 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
A living room wall sees more varied light than almost any other surface in the house, which makes the choice between these two more nuanced than a chip suggests. Agreeable Gray reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Knoxville Gray.
Bedroom
Bedrooms are typically lit with warmer, lower light than the rest of the house — a condition that flatters warm tones and deepens cool ones. Agreeable Gray returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
Dining Room
Dining rooms often rely on warm incandescent or candlelight, which flatters warm undertones and mutes cool ones. The LRV gap is large enough that Agreeable Gray will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Knoxville Gray would.
Bathroom
Small bathrooms intensify color. A shade that seems quiet in a larger room can feel immersive when you're surrounded by it on four walls. Agreeable Gray returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
Mudroom
In a hardworking space like a mudroom, the depth and warmth of a color reads differently than in a quieter room. The LRV gap is large enough that Agreeable Gray will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Knoxville Gray would.
House
A full exterior is the most demanding test for a paint color — scale and outdoor light both amplify differences that seem small on a swatch. Agreeable Gray returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
Front Door
On a front door, the color is both the first and last thing you see — a context where even a modest tonal difference reads clearly. Agreeable Gray reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Knoxville Gray.
Kitchen Cabinets
Cabinet color is always seen in context — against countertops, backsplash, and hardware — which amplifies undertone differences that might disappear on a plain wall. Agreeable Gray returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
Color Details
Knoxville Gray vs Agreeable Gray Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Knoxville Gray on one side and Agreeable 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 Knoxville Gray comparisons
See how Knoxville Gray stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
At LRV 69 vs 16, Ammonite is decisively the brighter choice.
White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 16), opening up a space where Knoxville Gray encloses it.
Knoxville Gray reads slightly lighter (LRV 16 vs 6), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 52 vs 16, Purbeck Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 30 vs 16, Evergreen Fog is decisively the brighter choice.
Mizzle reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 16), opening up a space where Knoxville Gray encloses it.
Accessible Beige reflects far more light (LRV 58 vs 16), opening up a space where Knoxville Gray encloses it.
Denim Drift reads slightly lighter (LRV 27 vs 16), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 43 vs 16, French Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
A 11-point LRV gap (16 vs 4) makes Knoxville Gray the marginally brighter of the two.
Tranquil Dawn reflects far more light (LRV 55 vs 16), opening up a space where Knoxville Gray encloses it.
With LRVs of 16 and 13, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Hardwick White reflects far more light (LRV 44 vs 16), opening up a space where Knoxville Gray encloses it.
At LRV 84 vs 16, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.
A 6-point LRV gap (21 vs 16) makes Artichoke the marginally brighter of the two.
Balboa Mist reflects far more light (LRV 66 vs 16), opening up a space where Knoxville Gray encloses it.
Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 16), opening up a space where Knoxville Gray encloses it.
Snowbound reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 16), opening up a space where Knoxville Gray encloses it.
At LRV 51 vs 16, Pigeon is decisively the brighter choice.
Knoxville Gray reads slightly lighter (LRV 16 vs 12), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Knoxville Gray reads slightly lighter (LRV 16 vs 8), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Skimming Stone reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 16), opening up a space where Knoxville Gray encloses it.
At LRV 41 vs 16, Dix Blue is decisively the brighter choice.
Knoxville Gray reads slightly lighter (LRV 16 vs 12), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Saybrook Sage reflects far more light (LRV 45 vs 16), opening up a space where Knoxville Gray encloses it.
At LRV 31 vs 16, Pale Green is decisively the brighter choice.
A 9-point LRV gap (16 vs 7) makes Knoxville Gray the marginally brighter of the two.