Cement grey vs Retreat
Where Cement grey belongs to RAL Classic's range, Retreat is a Sherwin-Williams color. These are both greys, so the question isn't which hue to choose — it's where within grey to land. Cement grey (LRV 24) reflects noticeably more light than Retreat (LRV 21), a difference of 3 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. At ΔE 2.7, these are close — the kind of difference that matters when choosing between them, but doesn't read strongly in a finished room. Below you'll find 6 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Cement grey vs Retreat in Real Spaces
6 real rooms side by side. Cement grey and Retreat 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 — Cement grey 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. Cement grey 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. Cement grey 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. Cement grey reads slightly lighter here — a subtle but real difference in how open the space feels.
Front Door
A front door is a focal point — small color differences read clearly at this concentrated scale. The brightness difference is modest but present — Cement grey gives the walls a little more lift.
Kitchen Cabinets
Kitchen cabinets are constantly compared against adjacent materials, which means subtle differences between these two become much more visible. Cement grey reads slightly lighter here — a subtle but real difference in how open the space feels.
Color Details
Cement grey vs Retreat Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Cement grey on one side and Retreat 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.
