Steel Curtain vs Functional Gray
Where Steel Curtain belongs to PPG's range, Functional Gray is a Sherwin-Williams color. Hue-wise, Steel Curtain belongs to the grey family and Functional Gray to the greige-grey family. Functional Gray (LRV 37) reflects noticeably more light than Steel Curtain (LRV 34), a difference of 3 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. The ΔE 5.7 gap is real but not dramatic — close enough to use together, distinct enough to matter as a choice. Below you'll find 4 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Steel Curtain vs Functional Gray in Real Spaces
4 real rooms side by side. Steel Curtain and Functional Gray 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
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 brightness difference is modest but present — Functional Gray gives the walls a little more lift.
Bedroom
The context that matters most in a bedroom is how a color reads under a bedside lamp at night, not under noon daylight. Functional Gray reads slightly lighter here — a subtle but real difference in how open the space feels.
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. Functional Gray reads slightly lighter here — a subtle but real difference in how open the space feels.
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. Functional Gray reads slightly lighter here — a subtle but real difference in how open the space feels.
Color Details
Steel Curtain vs Functional Gray Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Steel Curtain on one side and Functional Gray 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.
