Cement grey vs Special Gray
Cement grey (RAL Classic) and Special Gray (Sherwin-Williams) come from different manufacturers. These are both greys, so the question isn't which hue to choose — it's where within grey to land. The 5-point LRV gap — 24 for Cement grey vs 19 for Special Gray — means Cement grey will open up a space more effectively. A ΔE of 11.6 puts these firmly in different territory — two distinct design choices rather than close alternatives. Below you'll find 2 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Cement grey vs Special Gray in Real Spaces
2 real rooms side by side. Seeing Cement grey and Special Gray 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
A living room wall sees more varied light than almost any other surface in the house, which makes the choice between these two more nuanced than a chip suggests. Cement grey reads slightly lighter here — a subtle but real difference in how open the space feels.
House
A full exterior is the most demanding test for a paint color — scale and outdoor light both amplify differences that seem small on a swatch. Cement grey has the edge in reflectance, which shows as a quiet sense of added space rather than an obvious contrast.
Color Details
Cement grey vs Special Gray Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Cement grey on one side and Special Gray 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.
