Pearl Grey vs Nebulous White
Where Pearl Grey belongs to Dulux's range, Nebulous White is a Sherwin-Williams color. Pearl Grey reads as grey, while Nebulous White reads as grey-white — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. They have nearly identical light reflectance values (71 vs 74), so they'll read as similarly Light in most lighting conditions. Both lean neutral, so they'll behave similarly in mixed or changing light conditions. At ΔE 1.2, these are close — the kind of difference that matters when choosing between them, but doesn't read strongly in a finished room. Below you'll find 2 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Pearl Grey vs Nebulous White in Real Spaces
2 real rooms side by side. Pearl Grey and Nebulous White 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
In a living room, color works across both daylight and evening light — the same wall can read very differently at noon and at 8pm. The two are close enough that the choice comes down to finer qualities — undertone, texture, what the color sits next to.
Dining Room
A dining room lit by a dimmed pendant or candles is one of the most forgiving environments for paint — warm light softens almost everything. 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
Pearl Grey vs Nebulous White Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Pearl Grey on one side and Nebulous White 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 Pearl Grey comparisons
See how Pearl Grey stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
With LRVs of 71 and 69, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
A 12-point LRV gap (83 vs 71) makes White Dove the marginally brighter of the two.
Pearl Grey reflects far more light (LRV 71 vs 52), opening up a space where Purbeck Stone encloses it.
Pearl Grey reflects far more light (LRV 71 vs 30), opening up a space where Evergreen Fog encloses it.
Pearl Grey reads slightly lighter (LRV 71 vs 60), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 71 vs 58, Pearl Grey is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 71 vs 27, Pearl Grey is decisively the brighter choice.
Pearl Grey reflects far more light (LRV 71 vs 43), opening up a space where French Gray encloses it.
Pearl Grey reflects far more light (LRV 71 vs 4), opening up a space where Naval encloses it.
At LRV 71 vs 55, Pearl Grey is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 71 vs 44, Pearl Grey is decisively the brighter choice.
Pure White reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 71), opening up a space where Pearl Grey encloses it.
Pearl Grey reflects far more light (LRV 71 vs 21), opening up a space where Artichoke encloses it.
A 6-point LRV gap (71 vs 66) makes Pearl Grey the marginally brighter of the two.
A 3-point LRV gap (74 vs 71) makes Shoji White the marginally brighter of the two.
A 11-point LRV gap (83 vs 71) makes Snowbound the marginally brighter of the two.
Pearl Grey reflects far more light (LRV 71 vs 51), opening up a space where Pigeon encloses it.
At LRV 71 vs 12, Pearl Grey is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 71 vs 8, Pearl Grey is decisively the brighter choice.
A 3-point LRV gap (71 vs 68) makes Pearl Grey the marginally brighter of the two.
Pearl Grey reflects far more light (LRV 71 vs 41), opening up a space where Dix Blue encloses it.
At LRV 71 vs 12, Pearl Grey is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 71 vs 45, Pearl Grey is decisively the brighter choice.
Pearl Grey reflects far more light (LRV 71 vs 31), opening up a space where Pale Green encloses it.