Pigeon vs Rare Gray
Where Pigeon belongs to Farrow & Ball's range, Rare Gray is a Sherwin-Williams color. These are both greys, so the question isn't which hue to choose — it's where within grey to land. Pigeon (LRV 51) reflects noticeably more light than Rare Gray (LRV 38), a difference of 13 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Both lean neutral, so they'll behave similarly in mixed or changing light conditions. At ΔE 2.5, 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.
Pigeon vs Rare Gray in Real Spaces
2 real rooms side by side. Pigeon and Rare 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.
Bathroom
Bathrooms are one of the few spaces where you're genuinely enclosed by the paint color, which makes the choice between these two more consequential. Pigeon reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Rare Gray.
House
Seen across an entire facade, subtle tonal differences become pronounced. What reads as nearly the same on a chip often reads as clearly different at scale. Pigeon reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Rare Gray.
Color Details
Pigeon vs Rare Gray Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Pigeon on one side and Rare 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 Pigeon comparisons
See how Pigeon stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
