Superhero Gray vs Shade-Grown

Superhero GrayPPGvsShade-GrownSherwin-WilliamsΔE 25.7Very different colors

Superhero Gray is a PPG color while Shade-Grown comes from Sherwin-Williams. Hue-wise, Superhero Gray belongs to the blue-grey family and Shade-Grown to the grey family. At LRV 25 vs 8, Superhero Gray will read as the brighter of the two — a 17-point gap that matters most in north-facing or low-light rooms. At ΔE 25.7, these are genuinely distinct colors — a strong contrast if used together, or a meaningful choice between two different directions. Below you'll find 7 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.

Superhero Gray vs Shade-Grown in Real Spaces

7 real rooms side by side. Seeing Superhero Gray and Shade-Grown 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

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

Superhero GraySuperhero Gray on the walls of a cozy living room

@simplywalldecor

Shade-GrownShade-Grown SW 6188 living room

@mybudgetrecipes

Bedroom

Bedroom walls are often seen under warm artificial light, a context that shifts both colors from how they look on a chip. The LRV gap is large enough that Superhero Gray will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Shade-Grown would.

Superhero GraySuperhero Gray on the walls of a scandinavian bedroom

@simplywalldecor

Shade-GrownBedroom painted in Sherwin-Williams Shade-Grown

@mybudgetrecipes

Kitchen

Kitchen lighting tends to be bright and directional, which sharpens contrast and makes undertone differences more apparent. The LRV gap is large enough that Superhero Gray will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Shade-Grown would.

Superhero GraySuperhero Gray paint color in a bold kitchen cabinets

@simplywalldecor

Shade-GrownSherwin Williams Shade-Grown kitchen cabinets

@mybudgetrecipes

Bathroom

Bathrooms amplify color — the enclosed space and reflective surfaces make what reads subtle elsewhere feel more present here. The LRV gap is large enough that Superhero Gray will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Shade-Grown would.

Superhero GraySuperhero Gray paint color in a modern luxury bathroom

@simplywalldecor

Shade-GrownGreen bathroom in Shade-Grown by Sherwin Williams

@mybudgetrecipes

Home Office

In a home office, wall color sits in your peripheral vision for hours at a time, so temperature and undertone matter more than you might expect. The LRV gap is large enough that Superhero Gray will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Shade-Grown would.

Superhero Grayunique home office with Superhero Gray on the walls

@simplywalldecor

Shade-GrownSW 6188 home office inspiration

@mybudgetrecipes

House

At full exterior scale, the difference between these two colors becomes much easier to judge than from a small chip. The LRV gap is large enough that Superhero Gray will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Shade-Grown would.

Superhero GraySuperhero Gray as a wall paint in a transitional house

@simplywalldecor

Shade-GrownShade-Grown house color review

@mybudgetrecipes

Front Door

Front doors are seen in isolation against the rest of the facade, which makes them a high-stakes surface where even subtle differences matter. Superhero Gray returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.

Superhero GraySuperhero Gray wall color — classy front door

@simplywalldecor

Shade-GrownGreen front door with Shade-Grown SW 6188

@mybudgetrecipes

Color Details

Superhero Gray
PPG · PPG0993-5
Hex#838b92
LRV25.0
BrandPPG
NumberPPG0993-5
Undertone
Temperature
BrightnessMedium
Shade-Grown
Sherwin-Williams · 6188
Hex#4E5147
LRV8.0
BrandSherwin-Williams
Number6188
Undertone
TemperatureNeutral
BrightnessDark

Superhero Gray vs Shade-Grown Simulated Comparison

5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Superhero Gray on one side and Shade-Grown 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 Superhero Gray comparisons

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

White Dove
Superhero Gray
White Dove
Benjamin Moore
White Dove
LRV 83

White Dove is the lighter choice

Ammonite
Superhero Gray
Ammonite
Farrow & Ball
Ammonite
LRV 69

Ammonite is the lighter choice

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

Superhero Gray reads noticeably lighter

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

Purbeck Stone is the lighter choice

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

Evergreen Fog reads slightly lighter

Mizzle
Superhero Gray
Mizzle
Farrow & Ball
Mizzle
LRV 52

Mizzle is the lighter choice

Agreeable Gray
Superhero Gray
Agreeable Gray
Sherwin-Williams
Agreeable Gray
LRV 60

Agreeable Gray is the lighter choice

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

Accessible Beige is the lighter choice

Denim Drift
Superhero Gray
Denim Drift
Dulux
Denim Drift
LRV 27

Nearly identical in tone

French Gray
Superhero Gray
French Gray
Farrow & Ball
French Gray
LRV 43

French Gray reads noticeably lighter

Naval
Superhero Gray
Naval
Sherwin-Williams
Naval
LRV 4

Superhero Gray reads noticeably lighter

Tranquil Dawn
Superhero Gray
Tranquil Dawn
Dulux
Tranquil Dawn
LRV 55

Tranquil Dawn is the lighter choice

Bancha
Superhero Gray
Bancha
Farrow & Ball
Bancha
LRV 13

Superhero Gray reads slightly lighter

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

Hardwick White reads noticeably lighter

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

Pure White is the lighter choice

Artichoke
Superhero Gray
Artichoke
Sherwin-Williams
Artichoke
LRV 21

Superhero Gray reads slightly lighter

Balboa Mist
Superhero Gray
Balboa Mist
Benjamin Moore
Balboa Mist
LRV 66

Balboa Mist is the lighter choice

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

Shoji White is the lighter choice

Snowbound
Superhero Gray
Snowbound
Sherwin-Williams
Snowbound
LRV 83

Snowbound is the lighter choice

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

Superhero Gray reads noticeably lighter

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

Skimming Stone is the lighter choice

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

Dix Blue reads noticeably lighter

Calamine
Superhero Gray
Calamine
Farrow & Ball
Calamine
LRV 68

Calamine is the lighter choice

Treron
Superhero Gray
Treron
Farrow & Ball
Treron
LRV 25

Nearly identical in tone

Vintage Vogue
Superhero Gray
Vintage Vogue
Benjamin Moore
Vintage Vogue
LRV 12

Superhero Gray reads noticeably lighter

Saybrook Sage
Superhero Gray
Saybrook Sage
Benjamin Moore
Saybrook Sage
LRV 45

Saybrook Sage reads noticeably lighter

Pale Green
Superhero Gray
Pale Green
RAL ClassicClassic
Pale Green
LRV 31

Pale Green reads slightly lighter

Pine Needle
Superhero Gray
Pine Needle
Dulux
Pine Needle
LRV 7

Superhero Gray reads noticeably lighter

Cement grey
Superhero Gray
Cement grey
RAL ClassicClassic
Cement grey
LRV 24

Nearly identical in tone

Guilford Green
Superhero Gray
Guilford Green
Benjamin Moore
Guilford Green
LRV 57

Guilford Green is the lighter choice