Gosling Gray vs Steely Gaze

Gosling GrayPPGvsSteely GazePPGΔE 12.2Distinct difference

Gosling Gray and Steely Gaze come from the same PPG collection. Gosling Gray reads as blue-grey, while Steely Gaze reads as grey — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. The 18-point LRV gap — 60 for Steely Gaze vs 42 for Gosling Gray — means Steely Gaze will open up a space more effectively. A ΔE of 12.2 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.

Gosling Gray vs Steely Gaze in Real Spaces

10 real rooms side by side. Seeing Gosling Gray and Steely Gaze 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. Steely Gaze reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Gosling Gray.

Gosling GrayGosling Gray on the walls of a elegant living room

@simplywalldecor

Steely GazeA mid century living room painted in Steely Gaze

@simplywalldecor

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

Gosling GrayGosling Gray on the walls of a cozy bedroom

@simplywalldecor

Steely GazeA scandinavian bedroom painted in Steely Gaze

@simplywalldecor

Kitchen

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

Gosling GrayGosling Gray paint color in a bold kitchen cabinets

@simplywalldecor

Steely GazeSteely Gaze — classy kitchen cabinets

@simplywalldecor

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 Steely Gaze will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Gosling Gray would.

Gosling GrayA elegant dining room with Gosling Gray painted walls

@simplywalldecor

Steely GazeSteely Gaze paint in a mid century dining room

@simplywalldecor

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

Gosling GrayGosling Gray paint color in a wabi-sabi bathroom

@simplywalldecor

Steely GazeSteely Gaze — wabi-sabi bathroom

@simplywalldecor

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

Gosling Graycontemporary home office with Gosling Gray on the walls

@simplywalldecor

Steely GazePPG Steely Gaze in a industrial home office

@simplywalldecor

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 Steely Gaze will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Gosling Gray would.

Gosling GrayA neutral mudroom with Gosling Gray painted walls

@simplywalldecor

Steely GazeSteely Gaze paint in a cottagecore mudroom

@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 Steely Gaze will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Gosling Gray would.

Gosling GrayGosling Gray wall color — coastal patio

@simplywalldecor

Steely Gazeboho patio featuring Steely Gaze by PPG

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

Gosling GrayGosling Gray as a wall paint in a maximalist house

@simplywalldecor

Steely GazeSteely Gaze color — eclectic house inspiration

@simplywalldecor

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. Steely Gaze reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Gosling Gray.

Gosling GrayGosling Gray wall color — cottagecore front door

@simplywalldecor

Steely Gazestylish front door featuring Steely Gaze by PPG

@simplywalldecor

Color Details

Gosling Gray
PPG · PPG0993-3
Hex#a9aeb4
LRV42.0
BrandPPG
NumberPPG0993-3
Undertone
Temperature
BrightnessMedium
Steely Gaze
PPG · PPG0996-2
Hex#cdccca
LRV60.0
BrandPPG
NumberPPG0996-2
Undertone
Temperature
BrightnessLight

Gosling Gray vs Steely Gaze Simulated Comparison

5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Gosling Gray on one side and Steely Gaze 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 Gosling Gray comparisons

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

White Dove
Gosling Gray
White Dove
Benjamin Moore
White Dove
LRV 83

White Dove is the lighter choice

Ammonite
Gosling Gray
Ammonite
Farrow & Ball
Ammonite
LRV 69

Ammonite is the lighter choice

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

Gosling Gray is the lighter choice

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

Purbeck Stone reads slightly lighter

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

Gosling Gray reads slightly lighter

Mizzle
Gosling Gray
Mizzle
Farrow & Ball
Mizzle
LRV 52

Mizzle reads slightly lighter

Agreeable Gray
Gosling Gray
Agreeable Gray
Sherwin-Williams
Agreeable Gray
LRV 60

Agreeable Gray reads noticeably lighter

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

Accessible Beige reads noticeably lighter

Denim Drift
Gosling Gray
Denim Drift
Dulux
Denim Drift
LRV 27

Gosling Gray reads noticeably lighter

French Gray
Gosling Gray
French Gray
Farrow & Ball
French Gray
LRV 43

Nearly identical in tone

Naval
Gosling Gray
Naval
Sherwin-Williams
Naval
LRV 4

Gosling Gray is the lighter choice

Tranquil Dawn
Gosling Gray
Tranquil Dawn
Dulux
Tranquil Dawn
LRV 55

Tranquil Dawn reads noticeably lighter

Bancha
Gosling Gray
Bancha
Farrow & Ball
Bancha
LRV 13

Gosling Gray is the lighter choice

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

Nearly identical in tone

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

Pure White is the lighter choice

Artichoke
Gosling Gray
Artichoke
Sherwin-Williams
Artichoke
LRV 21

Gosling Gray reads noticeably lighter

Balboa Mist
Gosling Gray
Balboa Mist
Benjamin Moore
Balboa Mist
LRV 66

Balboa Mist reads noticeably lighter

Shoji White
Gosling Gray
Shoji White
Sherwin-Williams
Shoji White
LRV 74

Shoji White is the lighter choice

Snowbound
Gosling Gray
Snowbound
Sherwin-Williams
Snowbound
LRV 83

Snowbound is the lighter choice

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

Gosling Gray is the lighter choice

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

Skimming Stone is the lighter choice

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

Nearly identical in tone

Calamine
Gosling Gray
Calamine
Farrow & Ball
Calamine
LRV 68

Calamine is the lighter choice

Treron
Gosling Gray
Treron
Farrow & Ball
Treron
LRV 25

Gosling Gray reads noticeably lighter

Vintage Vogue
Gosling Gray
Vintage Vogue
Benjamin Moore
Vintage Vogue
LRV 12

Gosling Gray is the lighter choice

Saybrook Sage
Gosling Gray
Saybrook Sage
Benjamin Moore
Saybrook Sage
LRV 45

Saybrook Sage reads slightly lighter

Pale Green
Gosling Gray
Pale Green
RAL ClassicClassic
Pale Green
LRV 31

Gosling Gray reads slightly lighter

Pine Needle
Gosling Gray
Pine Needle
Dulux
Pine Needle
LRV 7

Gosling Gray is the lighter choice

Cement grey
Gosling Gray
Cement grey
RAL ClassicClassic
Cement grey
LRV 24

Gosling Gray reads noticeably lighter

Guilford Green
Gosling Gray
Guilford Green
Benjamin Moore
Guilford Green
LRV 57

Guilford Green reads noticeably lighter