Vandyke Brown vs Gauntlet Gray
Vandyke Brown (Jotun) and Gauntlet Gray (Sherwin-Williams) come from different manufacturers. Both sit in the grey family, which is useful context if you're narrowing within a single hue direction. Their light reflectance values are nearly the same — 18 vs 17 — so neither will read significantly brighter or darker than the other. Both share a neutral character, which means they'll respond to light and surrounding materials in similar ways. A ΔE of 0.7 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.
Vandyke Brown vs Gauntlet Gray in Real Spaces
4 real rooms side by side. Vandyke Brown and Gauntlet 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
Vandyke Brown vs Gauntlet Gray Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Vandyke Brown on one side and Gauntlet 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 Vandyke Brown comparisons
See how Vandyke Brown stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
At LRV 69 vs 18, Ammonite is decisively the brighter choice.
White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 18), opening up a space where Vandyke Brown encloses it.
Vandyke Brown reflects far more light (LRV 18 vs 6), opening up a space where Iron Ore encloses it.
At LRV 52 vs 18, Purbeck Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 30 vs 18, Evergreen Fog is decisively the brighter choice.
Mizzle reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 18), opening up a space where Vandyke Brown encloses it.
At LRV 60 vs 18, Agreeable Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Accessible Beige reflects far more light (LRV 58 vs 18), opening up a space where Vandyke Brown encloses it.
Denim Drift reads slightly lighter (LRV 27 vs 18), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 43 vs 18, French Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 18 vs 4, Vandyke Brown is decisively the brighter choice.
Tranquil Dawn reflects far more light (LRV 55 vs 18), opening up a space where Vandyke Brown encloses it.
Vandyke Brown reads slightly lighter (LRV 18 vs 13), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Hardwick White reflects far more light (LRV 44 vs 18), opening up a space where Vandyke Brown encloses it.
At LRV 84 vs 18, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.
A 4-point LRV gap (21 vs 18) makes Artichoke the marginally brighter of the two.
Balboa Mist reflects far more light (LRV 66 vs 18), opening up a space where Vandyke Brown encloses it.
Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 18), opening up a space where Vandyke Brown encloses it.
Snowbound reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 18), opening up a space where Vandyke Brown encloses it.
At LRV 51 vs 18, Pigeon is decisively the brighter choice.
Vandyke Brown reads slightly lighter (LRV 18 vs 12), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Vandyke Brown reads slightly lighter (LRV 18 vs 8), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Skimming Stone reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 18), opening up a space where Vandyke Brown encloses it.
At LRV 41 vs 18, Dix Blue is decisively the brighter choice.
Vandyke Brown reads slightly lighter (LRV 18 vs 12), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Saybrook Sage reflects far more light (LRV 45 vs 18), opening up a space where Vandyke Brown encloses it.
At LRV 31 vs 18, Pale Green is decisively the brighter choice.