Hippopotamus vs Gray Matters
Hippopotamus (PPG) and Gray Matters (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 — 40 vs 39 — so neither will read significantly brighter or darker than the other. A ΔE of 1.1 puts them in subtle territory — distinguishable in direct comparison, less so from across a room. Below you'll find 6 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Hippopotamus vs Gray Matters in Real Spaces
6 real rooms side by side. Hippopotamus and Gray Matters 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.
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. In photos like these you're seeing the difference at its most direct. In a finished room, the distinction is there but not dramatic.
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. At this scale the difference is subtle — you'd need them side by side, as shown here, to reliably tell them apart.
Color Details
Hippopotamus vs Gray Matters Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Hippopotamus on one side and Gray Matters 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 Hippopotamus comparisons
See how Hippopotamus stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
Ammonite reflects far more light (LRV 69 vs 40), opening up a space where Hippopotamus encloses it.
At LRV 83 vs 40, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 40 vs 6, Hippopotamus is decisively the brighter choice.
Purbeck Stone reads slightly lighter (LRV 52 vs 40), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Hippopotamus reads slightly lighter (LRV 40 vs 30), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
A 12-point LRV gap (52 vs 40) makes Mizzle the marginally brighter of the two.
Agreeable Gray reflects far more light (LRV 60 vs 40), opening up a space where Hippopotamus encloses it.
At LRV 58 vs 40, Accessible Beige is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 40 vs 27, Hippopotamus is decisively the brighter choice.
French Gray reads slightly lighter (LRV 43 vs 40), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Hippopotamus reflects far more light (LRV 40 vs 4), opening up a space where Naval encloses it.
At LRV 55 vs 40, Tranquil Dawn is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 40 vs 13, Hippopotamus is decisively the brighter choice.
A 4-point LRV gap (44 vs 40) makes Hardwick White the marginally brighter of the two.
Pure White reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 40), opening up a space where Hippopotamus encloses it.
Hippopotamus reflects far more light (LRV 40 vs 21), opening up a space where Artichoke encloses it.
At LRV 66 vs 40, Balboa Mist is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 74 vs 40, Shoji White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 83 vs 40, Snowbound is decisively the brighter choice.
Pigeon reads slightly lighter (LRV 51 vs 40), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 40 vs 12, Hippopotamus is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 40 vs 8, Hippopotamus is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 68 vs 40, Skimming Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
With LRVs of 41 and 40, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
At LRV 40 vs 12, Hippopotamus is decisively the brighter choice.
A 5-point LRV gap (45 vs 40) makes Saybrook Sage the marginally brighter of the two.
Hippopotamus reads slightly lighter (LRV 40 vs 31), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.