Swirling Smoke vs Cement grey
Where Swirling Smoke belongs to PPG's range, Cement grey is a RAL Classic color. Swirling Smoke reads as greige-grey, while Cement grey reads as grey — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. Swirling Smoke (LRV 60) reflects noticeably more light than Cement grey (LRV 24), a difference of 36 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. With a ΔE of 28.0, 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 5 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Swirling Smoke vs Cement grey in Real Spaces
5 real rooms side by side. Seeing Swirling Smoke and Cement grey 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 Swirling Smoke will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Cement grey 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. Swirling Smoke reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Cement grey.
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. Swirling Smoke reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Cement grey.
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. Swirling Smoke reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Cement grey.
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 Swirling Smoke will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Cement grey would.
Color Details
Swirling Smoke vs Cement grey Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Swirling Smoke on one side and Cement grey 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 Swirling Smoke comparisons
See how Swirling Smoke stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
