Nocturnal Gray vs Sherwood Tan
Both from Benjamin Moore's palette. Nocturnal Gray reads as blue-grey, while Sherwood Tan reads as beige-greige — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. Sherwood Tan (LRV 37) reflects noticeably more light than Nocturnal Gray (LRV 14), a difference of 24 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Nocturnal Gray runs blue while Sherwood Tan is decidedly red, which means they'll respond very differently to warm vs cool light sources. With a ΔE of 36.3, 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.
Nocturnal Gray vs Sherwood Tan in Real Spaces
1 real room side by side. Seeing Nocturnal Gray and Sherwood Tan 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. Sherwood Tan reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Nocturnal Gray.
Color Details
Nocturnal Gray vs Sherwood Tan Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Nocturnal Gray on one side and Sherwood Tan 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 Nocturnal Gray comparisons
See how Nocturnal Gray stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
