Steel Curtain vs Made in the Shade
Steel Curtain is a PPG color while Made in the Shade comes from Valspar. These are both greys, so the question isn't which hue to choose — it's where within grey to land. With LRVs of 34 and 33, they'll behave almost identically in terms of how much light they reflect back into a room. At ΔE 3.2, the difference is perceptible but not dramatic — the two can work harmoniously in the same space. Below you'll find 2 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Steel Curtain vs Made in the Shade in Real Spaces
2 real rooms side by side. Steel Curtain and Made in the Shade 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
Living rooms test a color across a full range of conditions — morning sun, afternoon shade, and evening lamp light all shift how both of these read. At this scale, the choice between them becomes clear in a way that a swatch alone can't communicate.
Bedroom
Bedroom walls are often seen under warm artificial light, a context that shifts both colors from how they look on a chip. Side by side like this, the difference is easy to read — which is exactly why seeing them in a real space is more useful than comparing chips.
Color Details
Steel Curtain vs Made in the Shade Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Steel Curtain on one side and Made in the Shade 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.
