Orchid Shadow vs Minute Mauve
Orchid Shadow (Cloverdale Paint) and Minute Mauve (Sherwin-Williams) come from different manufacturers. These are both greys, so the question isn't which hue to choose — it's where within grey to land. Their light reflectance values are nearly the same — 57 vs 59 — so neither will read significantly brighter or darker than the other. A ΔE of 1.6 puts them in subtle territory — distinguishable in direct comparison, less so from across a room. Below you'll find 1 real-room photo comparison where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Orchid Shadow vs Minute Mauve in Real Spaces
1 real room side by side. Orchid Shadow and Minute Mauve 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.
Color Details
Orchid Shadow vs Minute Mauve Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Orchid Shadow on one side and Minute Mauve 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 Orchid Shadow comparisons
See how Orchid Shadow stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 57), opening up a space where Orchid Shadow encloses it.
A 12-point LRV gap (69 vs 57) makes Ammonite the marginally brighter of the two.
Orchid Shadow reflects far more light (LRV 57 vs 6), opening up a space where Iron Ore encloses it.
A 5-point LRV gap (57 vs 52) makes Orchid Shadow the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 57 vs 30, Orchid Shadow is decisively the brighter choice.
Orchid Shadow reads slightly lighter (LRV 57 vs 52), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
A 3-point LRV gap (60 vs 57) makes Agreeable Gray the marginally brighter of the two.
With LRVs of 58 and 57, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Orchid Shadow reflects far more light (LRV 57 vs 27), opening up a space where Denim Drift encloses it.
At LRV 57 vs 43, Orchid Shadow is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 57 vs 4, Orchid Shadow is decisively the brighter choice.
With LRVs of 57 and 55, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Orchid Shadow reflects far more light (LRV 57 vs 13), opening up a space where Bancha encloses it.
Orchid Shadow reflects far more light (LRV 57 vs 44), opening up a space where Hardwick White encloses it.
At LRV 84 vs 57, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 57 vs 21, Orchid Shadow is decisively the brighter choice.
Balboa Mist reads slightly lighter (LRV 66 vs 57), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 57), opening up a space where Orchid Shadow encloses it.
Snowbound reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 57), opening up a space where Orchid Shadow encloses it.
Orchid Shadow reflects far more light (LRV 57 vs 12), opening up a space where Pewter Green encloses it.
Skimming Stone reads slightly lighter (LRV 68 vs 57), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 57 vs 41, Orchid Shadow is decisively the brighter choice.
A 11-point LRV gap (68 vs 57) makes Calamine the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 57 vs 25, Orchid Shadow is decisively the brighter choice.
Orchid Shadow reflects far more light (LRV 57 vs 12), opening up a space where Vintage Vogue encloses it.
Orchid Shadow reads slightly lighter (LRV 57 vs 45), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 57 vs 31, Orchid Shadow is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 57 vs 7, Orchid Shadow is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 57 vs 24, Orchid Shadow is decisively the brighter choice.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 57 vs 57), so neither reads brighter in a room.