Smokestack Gray vs Thames Fog
Smokestack Gray (Benjamin Moore) and Thames Fog (Valspar) come from different manufacturers. Hue-wise, Smokestack Gray belongs to the blue-grey family and Thames Fog to the grey family. The 5-point LRV gap — 27 for Thames Fog vs 23 for Smokestack Gray — means Thames Fog will open up a space more effectively. A ΔE of 13.6 puts these firmly in different territory — two distinct design choices rather than close alternatives. Below you'll find 4 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Smokestack Gray vs Thames Fog in Real Spaces
4 real rooms side by side. Seeing Smokestack 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.
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. Thames Fog reads slightly lighter here — a subtle but real difference in how open the space feels.
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. Thames Fog has the edge in reflectance, which shows as a quiet sense of added space rather than an obvious contrast.
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. Thames Fog has the edge in reflectance, which shows as a quiet sense of added space rather than an obvious contrast.
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. Thames Fog has the edge in reflectance, which shows as a quiet sense of added space rather than an obvious contrast.
Color Details
Smokestack Gray vs Thames Fog Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Smokestack 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 Smokestack Gray comparisons
See how Smokestack Gray stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
