Zen Retreat vs Grizzle Gray
Zen Retreat (Cloverdale Paint) and Grizzle Gray (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 — 13 vs 13 — so neither will read significantly brighter or darker than the other. A ΔE of 1.1 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.
Zen Retreat vs Grizzle Gray in Real Spaces
4 real rooms side by side. Zen Retreat and Grizzle Gray 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.
Kitchen
Kitchens often have the harshest, most revealing light in the house — under-cabinet LEDs and overhead fixtures that strip away subtlety. In photos like these you're seeing the difference at its most direct. In a finished room, the distinction is there but not dramatic.
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
Zen Retreat vs Grizzle Gray Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Zen Retreat on one side and Grizzle 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 Zen Retreat comparisons
See how Zen Retreat stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
At LRV 83 vs 13, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.
Ammonite reflects far more light (LRV 69 vs 13), opening up a space where Zen Retreat encloses it.
A 7-point LRV gap (13 vs 6) makes Zen Retreat the marginally brighter of the two.
Purbeck Stone reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 13), opening up a space where Zen Retreat encloses it.
Evergreen Fog reflects far more light (LRV 30 vs 13), opening up a space where Zen Retreat encloses it.
At LRV 52 vs 13, Mizzle is decisively the brighter choice.
Agreeable Gray reflects far more light (LRV 60 vs 13), opening up a space where Zen Retreat encloses it.
At LRV 58 vs 13, Accessible Beige is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 27 vs 13, Denim Drift is decisively the brighter choice.
French Gray reflects far more light (LRV 43 vs 13), opening up a space where Zen Retreat encloses it.
Zen Retreat reads slightly lighter (LRV 13 vs 4), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 55 vs 13, Tranquil Dawn is decisively the brighter choice.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 13 vs 13), so neither reads brighter in a room.
At LRV 44 vs 13, Hardwick White is decisively the brighter choice.
Pure White reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 13), opening up a space where Zen Retreat encloses it.
Artichoke reads slightly lighter (LRV 21 vs 13), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 66 vs 13, Balboa Mist is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 74 vs 13, Shoji White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 83 vs 13, Snowbound is decisively the brighter choice.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 13 vs 12), so neither reads brighter in a room.
At LRV 68 vs 13, Skimming Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
Dix Blue reflects far more light (LRV 41 vs 13), opening up a space where Zen Retreat encloses it.
Calamine reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 13), opening up a space where Zen Retreat encloses it.
Treron reads slightly lighter (LRV 25 vs 13), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 13 vs 12), so neither reads brighter in a room.
At LRV 45 vs 13, Saybrook Sage is decisively the brighter choice.
Pale Green reflects far more light (LRV 31 vs 13), opening up a space where Zen Retreat encloses it.
Zen Retreat reads slightly lighter (LRV 13 vs 7), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Cement grey reads slightly lighter (LRV 24 vs 13), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Guilford Green reflects far more light (LRV 57 vs 13), opening up a space where Zen Retreat encloses it.