Northern Cliffs vs Thunder
Both from Benjamin Moore's palette. These are both greige-greys, so the question isn't which hue to choose — it's where within greige-grey to land. They have nearly identical light reflectance values (46 vs 48), so they'll read as similarly Medium in most lighting conditions. Northern Cliffs runs yellow and red while Thunder is decidedly red, which means they'll respond very differently to warm vs cool light sources. At ΔE 2.0, these are close — the kind of difference that matters when choosing between them, but doesn't read strongly in a finished room. Below you'll find 2 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Northern Cliffs vs Thunder in Real Spaces
2 real rooms side by side. Northern Cliffs and Thunder 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.
Living Room
In a living room, color works across both daylight and evening light — the same wall can read very differently at noon and at 8pm. The two are close enough that the choice comes down to finer qualities — undertone, texture, what the color sits next to.
Kitchen
In a kitchen, colors are seen under bright task lighting that amplifies undertones — what reads neutral elsewhere can show its hand here. At this scale the difference is subtle — you'd need them side by side, as shown here, to reliably tell them apart.
Color Details
Northern Cliffs vs Thunder Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Northern Cliffs on one side and Thunder 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.