Smoky Tone vs Agreeable Gray
Smoky Tone (Cloverdale Paint) and Agreeable Gray (Sherwin-Williams) come from different manufacturers. Smoky Tone reads as grey, while Agreeable Gray reads as greige-grey — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. The 24-point LRV gap — 60 for Agreeable Gray vs 36 for Smoky Tone — means Agreeable Gray will open up a space more effectively. A ΔE of 17.0 puts these firmly in different territory — two distinct design choices rather than close alternatives. Below you'll find 5 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Smoky Tone vs Agreeable Gray in Real Spaces
5 real rooms side by side. Seeing Smoky Tone and Agreeable Gray 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. Agreeable Gray reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Smoky Tone.
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. Agreeable Gray returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
Kitchen
Kitchens often have the harshest, most revealing light in the house — under-cabinet LEDs and overhead fixtures that strip away subtlety. Agreeable Gray returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
Dining Room
Dining rooms often rely on warm incandescent or candlelight, which flatters warm undertones and mutes cool ones. The LRV gap is large enough that Agreeable Gray will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Smoky Tone would.
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. Agreeable Gray returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
Color Details
Smoky Tone vs Agreeable Gray Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Smoky Tone on one side and Agreeable Gray 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 Smoky Tone comparisons
See how Smoky Tone stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
At LRV 69 vs 36, Ammonite is decisively the brighter choice.
White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 36), opening up a space where Smoky Tone encloses it.
Smoky Tone reflects far more light (LRV 36 vs 6), opening up a space where Iron Ore encloses it.
At LRV 52 vs 36, Purbeck Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
A 6-point LRV gap (36 vs 30) makes Smoky Tone the marginally brighter of the two.
Mizzle reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 36), opening up a space where Smoky Tone encloses it.
Accessible Beige reflects far more light (LRV 58 vs 36), opening up a space where Smoky Tone encloses it.
Smoky Tone reads slightly lighter (LRV 36 vs 27), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
A 7-point LRV gap (43 vs 36) makes French Gray the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 36 vs 4, Smoky Tone is decisively the brighter choice.
Tranquil Dawn reflects far more light (LRV 55 vs 36), opening up a space where Smoky Tone encloses it.
Smoky Tone reflects far more light (LRV 36 vs 13), opening up a space where Bancha encloses it.
Hardwick White reads slightly lighter (LRV 44 vs 36), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 84 vs 36, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 36 vs 21, Smoky Tone is decisively the brighter choice.
Balboa Mist reflects far more light (LRV 66 vs 36), opening up a space where Smoky Tone encloses it.
Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 36), opening up a space where Smoky Tone encloses it.
Snowbound reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 36), opening up a space where Smoky Tone encloses it.
At LRV 51 vs 36, Pigeon is decisively the brighter choice.
Smoky Tone reflects far more light (LRV 36 vs 12), opening up a space where Pewter Green encloses it.
Smoky Tone reflects far more light (LRV 36 vs 8), opening up a space where Duck Green encloses it.
Skimming Stone reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 36), opening up a space where Smoky Tone encloses it.
A 5-point LRV gap (41 vs 36) makes Dix Blue the marginally brighter of the two.
Smoky Tone reflects far more light (LRV 36 vs 12), opening up a space where Vintage Vogue encloses it.
Saybrook Sage reads slightly lighter (LRV 45 vs 36), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
A 5-point LRV gap (36 vs 31) makes Smoky Tone the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 36 vs 7, Smoky Tone is decisively the brighter choice.