Dark Ash vs Snowbound
Where Dark Ash belongs to PPG's range, Snowbound is a Sherwin-Williams color. Dark Ash reads as greige-grey, while Snowbound reads as beige-greige — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. Snowbound (LRV 83) reflects noticeably more light than Dark Ash (LRV 23), a difference of 60 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. With a ΔE of 37.9, the contrast is hard to miss. These aren't variations on a theme — they're two different answers to the same question. Below you'll find 8 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Dark Ash vs Snowbound in Real Spaces
8 real rooms side by side. Seeing Dark Ash and Snowbound in actual rooms makes the difference concrete; browse the spaces below to get a feel for how each color lives on a wall.
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 LRV gap is large enough that Snowbound will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Dark Ash would.
Bedroom
The context that matters most in a bedroom is how a color reads under a bedside lamp at night, not under noon daylight. Snowbound reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Dark Ash.
Kitchen
In a kitchen, colors are seen under bright task lighting that amplifies undertones — what reads neutral elsewhere can show its hand here. Snowbound reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Dark Ash.
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. Snowbound returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
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. Snowbound reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Dark Ash.
Home Office
The test for a home office color isn't how it looks in a quick glance — it's whether it still feels right after a full day of work. Snowbound reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Dark Ash.
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. Snowbound reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Dark Ash.
Color Details
Dark Ash vs Snowbound Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Dark Ash on one side and Snowbound 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 Dark Ash comparisons
See how Dark Ash stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
At LRV 83 vs 23, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.
Purbeck Stone reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 23), opening up a space where Dark Ash encloses it.
Evergreen Fog reads slightly lighter (LRV 30 vs 23), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Agreeable Gray reflects far more light (LRV 60 vs 23), opening up a space where Dark Ash encloses it.
At LRV 58 vs 23, Accessible Beige is decisively the brighter choice.
A 4-point LRV gap (27 vs 23) makes Denim Drift the marginally brighter of the two.
French Gray reflects far more light (LRV 43 vs 23), opening up a space where Dark Ash encloses it.
At LRV 55 vs 23, Tranquil Dawn is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 44 vs 23, Hardwick White is decisively the brighter choice.
Pure White reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 23), opening up a space where Dark Ash encloses it.
At LRV 66 vs 23, Balboa Mist is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 74 vs 23, Shoji White is decisively the brighter choice.
A 11-point LRV gap (23 vs 12) makes Dark Ash the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 23 vs 8, Dark Ash is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 68 vs 23, Skimming Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
A 11-point LRV gap (23 vs 12) makes Dark Ash the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 45 vs 23, Saybrook Sage is decisively the brighter choice.
Pale Green reads slightly lighter (LRV 31 vs 23), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Dark Ash reflects far more light (LRV 23 vs 7), opening up a space where Pine Needle encloses it.