Steel Curtain vs Drift of Mist
Where Steel Curtain belongs to PPG's range, Drift of Mist is a Sherwin-Williams color. Steel Curtain reads as grey, while Drift of Mist reads as greige-grey — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. Drift of Mist (LRV 69) reflects noticeably more light than Steel Curtain (LRV 34), a difference of 35 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. With a ΔE of 21.7, 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.
Steel Curtain vs Drift of Mist in Real Spaces
8 real rooms side by side. Seeing Steel Curtain and Drift of Mist 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 Drift of Mist will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Steel Curtain 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. Drift of Mist reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Steel Curtain.
Kitchen
In a kitchen, colors are seen under bright task lighting that amplifies undertones — what reads neutral elsewhere can show its hand here. Drift of Mist reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Steel Curtain.
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. Drift of Mist 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. Drift of Mist reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Steel Curtain.
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. Drift of Mist reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Steel Curtain.
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. Drift of Mist reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Steel Curtain.
Front Door
A front door is a focal point — small color differences read clearly at this concentrated scale. The LRV gap is large enough that Drift of Mist will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Steel Curtain would.
Color Details
Steel Curtain vs Drift of Mist Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Steel Curtain on one side and Drift of Mist 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 Steel Curtain comparisons
See how Steel Curtain stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
