Wales Gray vs Whirlwind
Wales Gray (Benjamin Moore) and Whirlwind (Cloverdale Paint) come from different manufacturers. Wales Gray reads as blue-grey, while Whirlwind reads as blue-green — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. Their light reflectance values are nearly the same — 54 vs 55 — so neither will read significantly brighter or darker than the other. A ΔE of 0.9 puts them in subtle territory — distinguishable in direct comparison, less so from across a room. Below you'll find 4 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Wales Gray vs Whirlwind in Real Spaces
4 real rooms side by side. Wales Gray and Whirlwind 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
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. At this scale the difference is subtle — you'd need them side by side, as shown here, to reliably tell them apart.
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. In photos like these you're seeing the difference at its most direct. In a finished room, the distinction is there but not dramatic.
Dining Room
Dining rooms often rely on warm incandescent or candlelight, which flatters warm undertones and mutes cool ones. The two are close enough that the choice comes down to finer qualities — undertone, texture, what the color sits next to.
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. In photos like these you're seeing the difference at its most direct. In a finished room, the distinction is there but not dramatic.
Color Details
Wales Gray vs Whirlwind Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Wales Gray on one side and Whirlwind 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 Wales Gray comparisons
See how Wales Gray stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 54), opening up a space where Wales Gray encloses it.
At LRV 69 vs 54, Ammonite is decisively the brighter choice.
Wales Gray reflects far more light (LRV 54 vs 6), opening up a space where Iron Ore encloses it.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 54 vs 52), so neither reads brighter in a room.
At LRV 54 vs 30, Wales Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
With LRVs of 54 and 52, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
A 7-point LRV gap (60 vs 54) makes Agreeable Gray the marginally brighter of the two.
Accessible Beige reads slightly lighter (LRV 58 vs 54), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Wales Gray reflects far more light (LRV 54 vs 27), opening up a space where Denim Drift encloses it.
A 10-point LRV gap (54 vs 43) makes Wales Gray the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 54 vs 4, Wales Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
With LRVs of 55 and 54, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Wales Gray reflects far more light (LRV 54 vs 13), opening up a space where Bancha encloses it.
Wales Gray reads slightly lighter (LRV 54 vs 44), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 84 vs 54, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 54 vs 21, Wales Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Balboa Mist reads slightly lighter (LRV 66 vs 54), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 54), opening up a space where Wales Gray encloses it.
Snowbound reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 54), opening up a space where Wales Gray encloses it.
Wales Gray reflects far more light (LRV 54 vs 12), opening up a space where Pewter Green encloses it.
Skimming Stone reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 54), opening up a space where Wales Gray encloses it.
At LRV 54 vs 41, Wales Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 68 vs 54, Calamine is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 54 vs 25, Wales Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Wales Gray reflects far more light (LRV 54 vs 12), opening up a space where Vintage Vogue encloses it.
Wales Gray reads slightly lighter (LRV 54 vs 45), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 54 vs 31, Wales Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 54 vs 7, Wales Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 54 vs 24, Wales Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
A 4-point LRV gap (57 vs 54) makes Guilford Green the marginally brighter of the two.