Elephant Gray vs Shoji White

Elephant GrayPPGvsShoji WhiteSherwin-WilliamsΔE 33.5Very different colors

Elephant Gray (PPG) and Shoji White (Sherwin-Williams) come from different manufacturers. Elephant Gray reads as grey, while Shoji White reads as beige-greige — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. The 50-point LRV gap — 74 for Shoji White vs 24 for Elephant Gray — means Shoji White will open up a space more effectively. A ΔE of 33.5 puts these firmly in different territory — two distinct design choices rather than close alternatives. Below you'll find 10 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.

Elephant Gray vs Shoji White in Real Spaces

10 real rooms side by side. Seeing Elephant Gray and Shoji White 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

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. Shoji White reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Elephant Gray.

Elephant GrayA elegant living room painted in Elephant Gray

@simplywalldecor

Shoji WhiteShoji White SW 7042 living room

@mybudgetrecipes

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. Shoji White returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.

Elephant GrayA moody bedroom painted in Elephant Gray

@simplywalldecor

Shoji WhiteBedroom painted in Sherwin-Williams Shoji White

@mybudgetrecipes

Kitchen

Kitchens often have the harshest, most revealing light in the house — under-cabinet LEDs and overhead fixtures that strip away subtlety. Shoji White returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.

Elephant GrayElephant Gray — bold kitchen cabinets

@simplywalldecor

Shoji WhiteSherwin Williams Shoji White kitchen cabinets

@mybudgetrecipes

Dining Room

Dining rooms often rely on warm incandescent or candlelight, which flatters warm undertones and mutes cool ones. The LRV gap is large enough that Shoji White will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Elephant Gray would.

Elephant GrayElephant Gray — traditional dining room

@simplywalldecor

Shoji WhiteSW Shoji White modern dining room

@the.redwood.house

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. Shoji White returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.

Elephant GrayElephant Gray — wabi-sabi bathroom

@simplywalldecor

Shoji WhiteWhite bathroom in Shoji White by Sherwin Williams

@mybudgetrecipes

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. Shoji White returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.

Elephant GrayPPG Elephant Gray in a unique home office

@simplywalldecor

Shoji WhiteSW 7042 home office inspiration

@mybudgetrecipes

Mudroom

In a hardworking space like a mudroom, the depth and warmth of a color reads differently than in a quieter room. The LRV gap is large enough that Shoji White will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Elephant Gray would.

Elephant GrayElephant Gray paint in a small mudroom

@simplywalldecor

Shoji WhiteShoji White Mudroom - Coastal Shiplap Drop Zone

@simplywalldecor

Patio

Exterior colors look different in open light — both tend to read lighter outside than on an interior swatch, and shadows read more strongly. The LRV gap is large enough that Shoji White will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Elephant Gray would.

Elephant Graycoastal patio featuring Elephant Gray by PPG

@simplywalldecor

Shoji WhiteShoji White Patio - Modern Minimalist Escape

@simplywalldecor

House

A full exterior is the most demanding test for a paint color — scale and outdoor light both amplify differences that seem small on a swatch. Shoji White returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.

Elephant GrayElephant Gray color — rustic modern house inspiration

@simplywalldecor

Shoji WhiteShoji White house color review

@mybudgetrecipes

Front Door

On a front door, the color is both the first and last thing you see — a context where even a modest tonal difference reads clearly. Shoji White reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Elephant Gray.

Elephant Graymediterranean front door featuring Elephant Gray by PPG

@simplywalldecor

Shoji WhiteWhite front door with Shoji White SW 7042

@mybudgetrecipes

Color Details

Elephant Gray
PPG · PPG1005-5
Hex#8d847f
LRV24.0
BrandPPG
NumberPPG1005-5
Undertone
Temperature
BrightnessDark
Shoji White
Sherwin-Williams · 7042
Hex#E6DFD3
LRV74.3
BrandSherwin-Williams
Number7042
Undertone
TemperatureWarm
BrightnessLight

Elephant Gray vs Shoji White Simulated Comparison

5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Elephant Gray on one side and Shoji White on the other.

Bathroom
Bedroom
House
Kitchen Cabinets
Living Room

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 Elephant Gray comparisons

See how Elephant Gray stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.

White Dove
Elephant Gray
White Dove
Benjamin Moore
White Dove
LRV 83

White Dove is the lighter choice

Ammonite
Elephant Gray
Ammonite
Farrow & Ball
Ammonite
LRV 69

Ammonite is the lighter choice

Iron Ore
Elephant Gray
Iron Ore
Sherwin-Williams
Iron Ore
LRV 6

Elephant Gray reads noticeably lighter

Purbeck Stone
Elephant Gray
Purbeck Stone
Farrow & Ball
Purbeck Stone
LRV 52

Purbeck Stone is the lighter choice

Evergreen Fog
Elephant Gray
Evergreen Fog
Sherwin-Williams
Evergreen Fog
LRV 30

Evergreen Fog reads slightly lighter

Mizzle
Elephant Gray
Mizzle
Farrow & Ball
Mizzle
LRV 52

Mizzle is the lighter choice

Agreeable Gray
Elephant Gray
Agreeable Gray
Sherwin-Williams
Agreeable Gray
LRV 60

Agreeable Gray is the lighter choice

Accessible Beige
Elephant Gray
Accessible Beige
Sherwin-Williams
Accessible Beige
LRV 58

Accessible Beige is the lighter choice

Denim Drift
Elephant Gray
Denim Drift
Dulux
Denim Drift
LRV 27

Denim Drift reads slightly lighter

French Gray
Elephant Gray
French Gray
Farrow & Ball
French Gray
LRV 43

French Gray reads noticeably lighter

Naval
Elephant Gray
Naval
Sherwin-Williams
Naval
LRV 4

Elephant Gray reads noticeably lighter

Tranquil Dawn
Elephant Gray
Tranquil Dawn
Dulux
Tranquil Dawn
LRV 55

Tranquil Dawn is the lighter choice

Bancha
Elephant Gray
Bancha
Farrow & Ball
Bancha
LRV 13

Elephant Gray reads slightly lighter

Hardwick White
Elephant Gray
Hardwick White
Farrow & Ball
Hardwick White
LRV 44

Hardwick White reads noticeably lighter

Pure White
Elephant Gray
Pure White
Sherwin-Williams
Pure White
LRV 84

Pure White is the lighter choice

Artichoke
Elephant Gray
Artichoke
Sherwin-Williams
Artichoke
LRV 21

Nearly identical in tone

Balboa Mist
Elephant Gray
Balboa Mist
Benjamin Moore
Balboa Mist
LRV 66

Balboa Mist is the lighter choice

Snowbound
Elephant Gray
Snowbound
Sherwin-Williams
Snowbound
LRV 83

Snowbound is the lighter choice

Pewter Green
Elephant Gray
Pewter Green
Sherwin-Williams
Pewter Green
LRV 12

Elephant Gray reads noticeably lighter

Skimming Stone
Elephant Gray
Skimming Stone
Farrow & Ball
Skimming Stone
LRV 68

Skimming Stone is the lighter choice

Dix Blue
Elephant Gray
Dix Blue
Farrow & Ball
Dix Blue
LRV 41

Dix Blue reads noticeably lighter

Calamine
Elephant Gray
Calamine
Farrow & Ball
Calamine
LRV 68

Calamine is the lighter choice

Treron
Elephant Gray
Treron
Farrow & Ball
Treron
LRV 25

Nearly identical in tone

Vintage Vogue
Elephant Gray
Vintage Vogue
Benjamin Moore
Vintage Vogue
LRV 12

Elephant Gray reads noticeably lighter

Saybrook Sage
Elephant Gray
Saybrook Sage
Benjamin Moore
Saybrook Sage
LRV 45

Saybrook Sage reads noticeably lighter

Pale Green
Elephant Gray
Pale Green
RAL ClassicClassic
Pale Green
LRV 31

Pale Green reads slightly lighter

Pine Needle
Elephant Gray
Pine Needle
Dulux
Pine Needle
LRV 7

Elephant Gray reads noticeably lighter

Cement grey
Elephant Gray
Cement grey
RAL ClassicClassic
Cement grey
LRV 24

Nearly identical in tone

Guilford Green
Elephant Gray
Guilford Green
Benjamin Moore
Guilford Green
LRV 57

Guilford Green is the lighter choice

Just Walnut
Elephant Gray
Just Walnut
Dulux
Just Walnut
LRV 72

Just Walnut is the lighter choice