Allegory vs Grey Heron
Both from Sherwin-Williams's palette. Hue-wise, Allegory belongs to the grey family and Grey Heron to the greige-grey family. Grey Heron (LRV 65) reflects noticeably more light than Allegory (LRV 45), a difference of 20 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Allegory runs neutral while Grey Heron is decidedly warm, which means they'll respond very differently to warm vs cool light sources. With a ΔE of 11.8, 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 10 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Allegory vs Grey Heron in Real Spaces
10 real rooms side by side. Seeing Allegory and Grey Heron 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 Grey Heron will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Allegory 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. Grey Heron reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Allegory.
Kitchen
In a kitchen, colors are seen under bright task lighting that amplifies undertones — what reads neutral elsewhere can show its hand here. Grey Heron reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Allegory.
Dining Room
A dining room lit by a dimmed pendant or candles is one of the most forgiving environments for paint — warm light softens almost everything. Grey Heron returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
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. Grey Heron reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Allegory.
Home Office
The test for a home office color isn't how it looks in a quick glance — it's whether it still feels right after a full day of work. Grey Heron reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Allegory.
Mudroom
Mudrooms are seen in passing, often under whatever light comes through the door — a context that favors colors with some depth. Grey Heron returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
Patio
Outside, paint color competes with sky, landscaping, and direct sun — all of which shift how both of these read compared to an indoor chip. Grey Heron returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
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. Grey Heron reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Allegory.
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 Grey Heron will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Allegory would.
Color Details
Allegory vs Grey Heron Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Allegory on one side and Grey Heron 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 Allegory comparisons
See how Allegory stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 45), opening up a space where Allegory encloses it.
A 7-point LRV gap (52 vs 45) makes Purbeck Stone the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 45 vs 30, Allegory is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 60 vs 45, Agreeable Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Accessible Beige reflects far more light (LRV 58 vs 45), opening up a space where Allegory encloses it.
Allegory reflects far more light (LRV 45 vs 27), opening up a space where Denim Drift encloses it.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 45 vs 43), so neither reads brighter in a room.
Tranquil Dawn reads slightly lighter (LRV 55 vs 45), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
With LRVs of 45 and 44, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
At LRV 84 vs 45, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.
Balboa Mist reflects far more light (LRV 66 vs 45), opening up a space where Allegory encloses it.
Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 45), opening up a space where Allegory encloses it.
Allegory reflects far more light (LRV 45 vs 12), opening up a space where Pewter Green encloses it.
Skimming Stone reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 45), opening up a space where Allegory encloses it.
Allegory reflects far more light (LRV 45 vs 12), opening up a space where Vintage Vogue encloses it.
With LRVs of 45 and 45, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
At LRV 45 vs 31, Allegory is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 45 vs 7, Allegory is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 45 vs 24, Allegory is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 57 vs 45, Guilford Green is decisively the brighter choice.