Baluster vs Alloy
Baluster (Little Greene) and Alloy (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 — 23 vs 25 — so neither will read significantly brighter or darker than the other. Where Baluster leans red, Alloy reads neutral — a distinction that shifts noticeably depending on the light source and surrounding finishes. A ΔE of 2.8 puts them in subtle territory — distinguishable in direct comparison, less so from across a room. Below you'll find 2 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Baluster vs Alloy in Real Spaces
2 real rooms side by side. Baluster and Alloy 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.
Home Office
Home office walls matter more than most — you're looking at them all day, and a color that reads fine at first can become tiring over time. 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
Baluster vs Alloy Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Baluster on one side and Alloy 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 Baluster comparisons
See how Baluster stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 23), opening up a space where Baluster encloses it.
At LRV 52 vs 23, Purbeck Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
A 7-point LRV gap (30 vs 23) makes Evergreen Fog the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 60 vs 23, Agreeable Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Accessible Beige reflects far more light (LRV 58 vs 23), opening up a space where Baluster encloses it.
Denim Drift reads slightly lighter (LRV 27 vs 23), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 43 vs 23, French Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Tranquil Dawn reflects far more light (LRV 55 vs 23), opening up a space where Baluster encloses it.
Hardwick White reflects far more light (LRV 44 vs 23), opening up a space where Baluster encloses it.
At LRV 84 vs 23, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.
Balboa Mist reflects far more light (LRV 66 vs 23), opening up a space where Baluster encloses it.
Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 23), opening up a space where Baluster encloses it.
Baluster reads slightly lighter (LRV 23 vs 12), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Baluster reflects far more light (LRV 23 vs 8), opening up a space where Duck Green encloses it.
Skimming Stone reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 23), opening up a space where Baluster encloses it.
Baluster reads slightly lighter (LRV 23 vs 12), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Saybrook Sage reflects far more light (LRV 45 vs 23), opening up a space where Baluster encloses it.
A 8-point LRV gap (31 vs 23) makes Pale Green the marginally brighter of the two.