Exhale vs Contented
Exhale (Jotun) and Contented (Sherwin-Williams) come from different manufacturers. Exhale reads as green-grey, while Contented reads as grey — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. The 3-point LRV gap — 52 for Contented vs 49 for Exhale — means Contented will open up a space more effectively. Both share a neutral character, which means they'll respond to light and surrounding materials in similar ways. A ΔE of 2.3 puts them in subtle territory — distinguishable in direct comparison, less so from across a room. Below you'll find 3 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Exhale vs Contented in Real Spaces
3 real rooms side by side. Exhale and Contented 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.
Color Details
Exhale vs Contented Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Exhale on one side and Contented 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 Exhale comparisons
See how Exhale stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 49), opening up a space where Exhale encloses it.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 52 vs 49), so neither reads brighter in a room.
At LRV 49 vs 30, Exhale is decisively the brighter choice.
A 11-point LRV gap (60 vs 49) makes Agreeable Gray the marginally brighter of the two.
Accessible Beige reads slightly lighter (LRV 58 vs 49), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Exhale reflects far more light (LRV 49 vs 27), opening up a space where Denim Drift encloses it.
A 6-point LRV gap (49 vs 43) makes Exhale the marginally brighter of the two.
Tranquil Dawn reads slightly lighter (LRV 55 vs 49), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Exhale reads slightly lighter (LRV 49 vs 44), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 84 vs 49, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.
Balboa Mist reflects far more light (LRV 66 vs 49), opening up a space where Exhale encloses it.
Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 49), opening up a space where Exhale encloses it.
Exhale reflects far more light (LRV 49 vs 12), opening up a space where Pewter Green encloses it.
Exhale reflects far more light (LRV 49 vs 8), opening up a space where Duck Green encloses it.
Skimming Stone reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 49), opening up a space where Exhale encloses it.
Exhale reflects far more light (LRV 49 vs 12), opening up a space where Vintage Vogue encloses it.
Exhale reads slightly lighter (LRV 49 vs 45), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 49 vs 31, Exhale is decisively the brighter choice.