Cement grey vs Rarified Air
Where Cement grey belongs to RAL Classic's range, Rarified Air is a Sherwin-Williams color. Hue-wise, Cement grey belongs to the grey family and Rarified Air to the blue-white family. Rarified Air (LRV 78) reflects noticeably more light than Cement grey (LRV 24), a difference of 54 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. With a ΔE of 38.0, 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 2 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Cement grey vs Rarified Air in Real Spaces
2 real rooms side by side. Seeing Cement grey and Rarified Air in actual rooms makes the difference concrete; browse the spaces below to get a feel for how each color lives on a wall.
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. Rarified Air reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Cement grey.
Kitchen Cabinets
Kitchen cabinets are constantly compared against adjacent materials, which means subtle differences between these two become much more visible. Rarified Air reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Cement grey.
Color Details
Cement grey vs Rarified Air Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Cement grey on one side and Rarified Air 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 Cement grey comparisons
See how Cement grey stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
