African Gray vs Summit Gray

Both from Sherwin-Williams's palette. These are both greys, so the question isn't which hue to choose — it's where within grey to land. They have nearly identical light reflectance values (31 vs 30), so they'll read as similarly Medium in most lighting conditions. Both lean neutral, so they'll behave similarly in mixed or changing light conditions. The ΔE 3.4 gap is real but not dramatic — close enough to use together, distinct enough to matter as a choice. Below you'll find 2 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.

African Gray vs Summit Gray in Real Spaces

2 real rooms side by side. African Gray and Summit Gray 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. Side by side like this, the difference is easy to read — which is exactly why seeing them in a real space is more useful than comparing chips.

African GraySW African Gray living room color review

@affordablepaintingfw

Summit GraySw 7669 Living Room

@aaron911411

Kitchen Cabinets

Kitchen cabinets are constantly compared against adjacent materials, which means subtle differences between these two become much more visible. The distinction reads clearly at room scale, making the choice between them concrete.

African GraySherwin Williams African Gray kitchen cabinets

@nicolemariepainting

Summit GraySw 7669 Kitchen Cabinets

@oxfordmscabinets

Color Details

African Gray
Sherwin-Williams · 9162
Hex#939899
LRV31.0
BrandSherwin-Williams
Number9162
Undertone
TemperatureNeutral
BrightnessMedium
Summit Gray
Sherwin-Williams · 7669
Hex#959491
LRV29.6
BrandSherwin-Williams
Number7669
Undertone
TemperatureNeutral
BrightnessMedium

African Gray vs Summit Gray Simulated Comparison

5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see African Gray on one side and Summit Gray 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 African Gray comparisons

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

White Dove
African Gray
White Dove
Benjamin Moore
White Dove
LRV 83

White Dove is the lighter choice

Ammonite
African Gray
Ammonite
Farrow & Ball
Ammonite
LRV 69

Ammonite is the lighter choice

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

African Gray is the lighter choice

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

Purbeck Stone reads noticeably lighter

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

Nearly identical in tone

Mizzle
African Gray
Mizzle
Farrow & Ball
Mizzle
LRV 52

Mizzle reads noticeably lighter

Agreeable Gray
African Gray
Agreeable Gray
Sherwin-Williams
Agreeable Gray
LRV 60

Agreeable Gray is the lighter choice

Denim Drift
African Gray
Denim Drift
Dulux
Denim Drift
LRV 27

African Gray reads slightly lighter

Tranquil Dawn
African Gray
Tranquil Dawn
Dulux
Tranquil Dawn
LRV 55

Tranquil Dawn reads noticeably lighter

Balboa Mist
African Gray
Balboa Mist
Benjamin Moore
Balboa Mist
LRV 66

Balboa Mist is the lighter choice

Vintage Vogue
African Gray
Vintage Vogue
Benjamin Moore
Vintage Vogue
LRV 12

African Gray reads noticeably lighter

Pale Green
African Gray
Pale Green
RAL ClassicClassic
Pale Green
LRV 31

Nearly identical in tone

Pine Needle
African Gray
Pine Needle
Dulux
Pine Needle
LRV 7

African Gray reads noticeably lighter

Cement grey
African Gray
Cement grey
RAL ClassicClassic
Cement grey
LRV 24

African Gray reads slightly lighter

Black grey
African Gray
Black grey
RAL ClassicClassic
Black grey
LRV 6

African Gray reads noticeably lighter

Piazza
African Gray
Piazza
Tikkurila
Piazza
LRV 65

Piazza is the lighter choice

Humble Yellow
African Gray
Humble Yellow
Jotun
Humble Yellow
LRV 57

Humble Yellow is the lighter choice

Windmill Lane
African Gray
Windmill Lane
Little Greene
Windmill Lane
LRV 31

Nearly identical in tone

Senses
African Gray
Senses
Jotun
Senses
LRV 41

Senses reads slightly lighter

Lamp Black
African Gray
Lamp Black
Little Greene
Lamp Black
LRV 3

African Gray is the lighter choice

Washed Linen
African Gray
Washed Linen
Jotun
Washed Linen
LRV 55

Washed Linen reads noticeably lighter

Tea with Florence
African Gray
Tea with Florence
Little Greene
Tea with Florence
LRV 18

African Gray reads noticeably lighter

Thames Fog
African Gray
Thames Fog
Valspar
Thames Fog
LRV 27

African Gray reads slightly lighter

Ocean Abyss
African Gray
Ocean Abyss
Behr
Ocean Abyss
LRV 7

African Gray reads noticeably lighter

Classic Silver
African Gray
Classic Silver
Behr
Classic Silver
LRV 48

Classic Silver reads noticeably lighter

Teton Blue
African Gray
Teton Blue
Behr
Teton Blue
LRV 31

Nearly identical in tone

RAL 110-2
African Gray
RAL 110-2
RAL EffectEffect
RAL 110-2
LRV 72

RAL 110-2 is the lighter choice

RAL 110-1
African Gray
RAL 110-1
RAL EffectEffect
RAL 110-1
LRV 80

RAL 110-1 is the lighter choice

Paper
African Gray
Paper
Tikkurila
Paper
LRV 88

Paper is the lighter choice

Passageway
African Gray
Passageway
Valspar
Passageway
LRV 14

African Gray reads noticeably lighter